Keukenhof

If you have a passion for gardening and pretty flowers then this is an absolute must-visit for you. We're not particularly green-fingered when it comes to flower displays. Gill is all about the vegetables at her allotment and flowers don't get much of a look-in. But even so we were blown away by the dedication and attention to detail that these good people have put into this garden. There are a reported 7 million flower bulbs planted annually in the park and after walking around it all day it becomes believable. It's amazing to think that this garden is only open for 2 months of the year, but the massive tourist throughput in such a short space of time presumably pays royally for 10 months of prep work and some down time as a bonus.

Keukenhof is located south-west of Amsterdam easily accessible by bus from the city/airport. The entrance fee is about 15 euros per adult. On a sunny day wandering around the garden is an absolute delight and stopping off for lunch and a few cheeky beverages just finishes the day off nicely. Granted we probably had two more beers than was originally planned in the sun-kissed restaurant terrace, but conditions were idyllic, conversation was flowing, the garden surroundings made life seem perfect and the throng of tourists gave the place a real buzz. The place to be you could say in Dutch spring.

Overall thumbs up for Keukenhof. The garden is operated with a down-to-earth feel about it, prices are reasonable and it's a pleasure, almost a surreal experience, to walk about a garden that has been this well designed and manicured.