Let’s try it again, Netherlands, shall we? 😅
It would have been nearly perfect if it hadn’t rained in Rotterdam. But that wasn’t too bad, it paled in comparison to what I endured last year. I guess I have to go back again? Lol!
Since this trip was during springtime, I thought I would stop by for the Tulip Festival. Instead of going to the famous Keukenhof Gardens, I opted to go DIY and made my way to Noordwijkerhout for the Tulip Experience Amsterdam, which only took less than 1.5 hrs.
– Train from Centraal Station to Hillegom Station, €7.60 one way
– Bus 57 (to Leiden) from Hillegom Station and get off at Ruigenhoek, €2.50 one way
– About a 15min walk, depending on your pace lol
Ticket starts at €12.00 (age 12+)
I arrived early and was greeted by a group of old folks lined up at the entrance. I thought it was closed exclusively for them, so I asked the staff and they let me in. Wheew!
There was a café, so I grabbed a quick bite before immersing myself in the vast sea of tulips.
Typically, you are not allowed to enter the tulip fields because they are intended for production. However, Tulip Experience Amsterdam has a specially designed show garden where visitors can take thousands of stunning photos without harming the valuable fields. Of course, you are not allowed to pick tulips in the fields, but you can do so at the indoor picking garden, which is included in the ticket price!
Getting there early meant I had the garden all to myself before the tourists came (I think the oldies were still having their coffee). Even when they arrived, the garden was big enough that it wasn’t crowded at all. I took my time admiring the colorful world of tulips and taking photos here and there. They said there were 700 different varieties in the garden! My favourite was the white with pink streaks.
It was a fun experience, not just in the field of tulips but also in their museum and art exhibitions. They raise awareness and educate people about everything there is to know about tulips – history, how to grow and cultivate, the shapes, different tulip families, etc. I got the free bunch of tulips (because I don’t want to buy myself flowers lol), but I put them back since I’ll be leaving Amsterdam anyway.
There was a flower parade (Bloemencorso Bollenstreek) scheduled exactly during my trip. I was excited at first, did some research, and found that one could actually volunteer to decorate the floats. But the introvert in me wasn’t fond of the idea, she thought it was wiser to go outside Amsterdam and avoid the crowd. Because festivals are meant to be celebrated with friends and loved ones, not alone lol.
So, I booked a tour to Giethoorn. It was a small group tour with retired titas (aunties) and titos (uncles) enjoying the fruits of their labor. Their relaxed pace allowed me to appreciate the tour even more 😅
Giethoorn is the Venice of the Netherlands. It is a quaint town with beautiful canals and thatched-roof houses. With no roads for cars, we enjoyed a serene boat ride gliding through the waterways. We passed countless wooden bridges, lush gardens, milk cans (I think Nello from The Dog of Flanders had a gig here lol), and pretty cottages. Afterward, we took a leisurely stroll, another wonderful way to explore the village. It’s so easy to get soaked in its peaceful charm.
On my last day, I headed to Rotterdam with hopes of seeing the centuries-old windmills. Unfortunately, it poured heavily, as if there was a lingering curse. I just can’t seem to experience the Netherlands without any issues lol. I tried to go as far as I could, I braved the winds while crossing the Erasmus Bridge. The sight of the waterbus station was within reach, but given the crappy weather, it wasn’t ideal to continue as it was forecasted to rain all day.
I sought shelter in a Tourist Information center, where I met some Filipinos working on a cruise ship that was docked in Rotterdam. They were also going to Kinderdijk (centuries-old windmills) and invited me to join them, but I didn’t want to risk getting stranded since I had an overnight bus to catch to Germany.
It was a brief, uneventful half-day trip to Rotterdam, with the rain and dark clouds being the only highlight lol.
After a late lunch at the Centraal Station, I returned to Amsterdam. I ended the day meandering through familiar streets and places, and checking every stand and corner at Albert Heijn for presents (pasalubongs lol).
