Tulip tours in Flevoland is an alternative tulip field visit to Keukenhof. This tour provides map of various field sites (in fact there are three map choices) that brings you to hundred of hectares of tulip fields. The tulip tours in Flevoland is a unique experience because it brings you to a country side setting that is close to the sea, farms, and nature areas. Flevoland is now one of the biggest tulip farms in the Netherlands, next to North…
Spring is in the air again and perhaps it is the best moment to explore the Netherlands. There are plenty of things to do during spring, such as visiting a castle, walking in the flower park, and going on a Dutch beach or an amusement park. Keukenhof is a popular destination by many internationals living in the Netherlands and visiting tourists. It is considered as one of the world’s largest flower garden. Located in Lisse, The Netherlands, Keukenhof covers an…
Today marks another special celebration for children in the Netherlands. After the celebration of Sint Maarten (check my blog yesterday about Sint Maarten), Sinterklaas arrives in many Dutch towns and cities. The symbolic arrival of Sinterklaas always happens in a port, where he gets out of his steam boat that sails from Spain to the Netherlands. Some Dutch cities are not reachable by boat, thus, Sinterklaas arrives with horse. Together with his Piets, Sinterklaas is welcomed today by millions of…
Urk is unknown to many people in the world but this small village has played an important role in making the Netherlands known for its fishing industry. This village is also a reminder of the ingenuity of the Dutch in terms of how they claimed parts of the sea and transformed them into land in order to expand the mainland of the Netherlands. Without this ingenuity, around forty percent of the Netherlands would have been flooded by rivers and by…
Germany and Netherlands are neighboring countries, thus it is very easy to cross the border between these two countries. However, if you travel from Germany to Netherlands you should take into account the similarities and differences between Germany and Netherlands. I outlined the differences in driving style, roads and cultural differences in my blog the Differences between Netherlands and Germany for road trip travels. When you prepare your cross border trip, the next step to decide is which cities in…
Eight months had passed since I obtained my driving license and bought a car to drive around Europe. To my own surprise, I have already driven the car for almost 12,000 kilometers by going to four countries: Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France. Most of the places I visited, together with my family, were around Netherlands and Germany. The main reason is the close proximity of our home to the German border. In fact, from our home in the Netherlands, we…
Visiting and discovering the Netherlands within a short time is quite tricky since there are so many things to see in this country. It is interesting to see how the Netherlands has grown from old cities of traders and fishermen to a country of freedom, equality, and down-to-earth people. This blog focuses on the history and cultural heritages in the North and South Holland, two provinces in the Western part of the Netherlands. Yes you read it right, the name…
Working and having a family life in the Netherlands at the same time, has more challenges compared to living single or lives without children. That’s why it is important that at least one of the parents should work part-time. Similar to Scandinavian countries, the Dutch prides themselves on being independent. For example, by raising their children by themselves. This way of life has been different from Philippines, a country where I come from. Similar to other Asian countries, the connections…
My more than nine years of stay in the Netherlands is spent in studying, researching, and teaching in Dutch academic institutions. A total of two years were spent for studying my master degree, five years for doing my PhD research, and two years for teaching and doing research at the same time in an applied university. These experiences enable me to gain insights on the Dutch academic system and on its main differences with other universities worldwide, more particularly in…
Zeeland (after which the country New Zealand is named) is a province in the South-West of the Netherlands, which covers mostly land area below sea level. History has shown that Zeeland has been flooded many times in the battle between the sea and the inhabitants who tried to expand their lands by claiming parts of the sea. This led to construction of better dikes and to transformations of sea parts into farm lands and villages. Zeeland not only features exceptional…