Your Family Friendly Travel Guide Through the Netherlands, and more.

The Netherlands. Hallo.

Our next stop was Delft, and if you’re not familiar with the name, it’s a delightful Dutch town famed for its blue and white pottery, located near Rotterdam. Now, if you just follow your sat nav, it will insist on taking the motorway via Antwerp. But where’s the fun in that? I, of course, had my sights set on something more scenic: the Zeelandic Islands. 

Look at a map and you’ll see a neat little stack of islands. We kicked things off in Vlissingen, stretching our legs on the beach, observing the freight ships roll in, and watching a few games of football being played on the beach.

Driving through the islands, you quickly notice the beaches to the left (going north), lakes to the right - seemingly the perfect spots for campers and windsurfers. The landscape is sparse, peaceful and an easy drive.

I did plan to go to the Kinderdijk, a UNESCO gem with storybook beauty and windmills. Sadly, we didn’t make it, and the €80 price tag for our family of 4 made me a little hesitant. I think you can still walk around the site for free, not sure but check it out.

Accommodation:

WestCord Hotel, Delft, has a unique collaboration with IKEA (located next door), which adds an element of colour, practicality and familiarity to this hotel. I really liked the family room, it was a decent size with a partitioned main bedroom, sofa area, kitchenette and dining table. 

The good bits

• The free parking. We were here for 3 nights so this was a great saving.
• Spacious room, with some practical solutions, I loved the wall of hooks in the entry space, so handy for a family!
• They had a free gym and sauna.
• It was only a 20-minute, flat walk into Delft itself.

Not so good bits

• The bathroom door (yes door issues again). It was frosted glass, apart from 3 stripes two-thirds of the way up, which were clear. Not a problem for sitting on the loo, but ladies in the shower were rather on show to the rest of the room. Again, a privacy issue for our British prudish family, and only solved by sticking kitchen foil around the door… as you do!
• The bed options for a family were a king and a sofa bed. Unless your kids are really young, that is not a suitable option. So, my daughter slept on an inflatable mattress on the floor (I had planned for this, so we were prepared.)

An evening in Rotterdam

We were there on a Saturday night, so off we went to the Markthal food markets. To make life easier I pre-booked evening parking right under the markets, as it was only €10.

The market has lots of food options to suit all, we dropped into the Saigon Caphe restaurant, where I had one of my favourite meals of the holiday – a cashew nut stir fry.

Just outside the restaurant/market hall check out Rif010, a surf pool in the middle of a city. Watching a surfing session proved to be quite the evening entertainment.

A day in Delft

Sightseeing:

Being an arty/crafty person a visit to the Royal Delft Museum was my little indulgence. An audio guide takes you through the fascinating history of Delftware and the products are a showcase of truly captivating craftsmanship.

After exploring the museum’s exhibits, you pass through the working factory, where a talented painter demonstrates the intricate skills required to create these iconic designs. And then, of course, there’s the shop - a personal favourite. It begins with stunning, hand-painted pieces with prices that might make your eyes water, but don’t worry - there are plenty of more affordable treasures (we now own a beautiful Christmas bauble and a fridge magnet.)

From the museum, take a leisurely stroll into town and soak up Delft’s serene charm. The narrow canal-lined streets wind their way towards the charming market square, a perfect spot to pause and take it all in. For lunch, pop into Kek (as suggested below) before wandering to Oostpoort, one of the city’s last gates and a picture postcard photo stop. From there; you’ll already be heading in the right direction to amble back to the hotel.

Food:

Kek – love a quick Trip Advisor recommendation. This place is a gem, freshly mixed smoothies from their juice bar, delicious overloaded open sandwiches and apple cake that is a must try.

Ikea – who knew they had a bakery on site? So, if you don’t want to pay €22 pp for breakfast, pop to Ikea for their fresh sourdough bread and pastries (they only open from 10am, so we bought them the night before).

More information on Delft >

A day trip to the home of Gouda cheese.

Food is a regular theme for these travels, mainly because it something everyone relates to and takes some enjoyment from – which when you’re trying to entertain 4 very different people is quite important.

Sightseeing: 

Head to the main square and you’ll see the Town Hall with it’s distinctive red shutters and quaint little mechanical chiming puppets. There’s the old cheese weighing building, and Sint-Janskerk, the longest church in the Netherlands. If you’re there on a Thursday, the Gouda Cheese Market looks like one to check out

We pre-booked the Gouda Cheese Experience. A quirky, interactive and oh-so-cheesy opportunity to learn everything about Gouda! You’ll dive into a hands-on cheese making process (milking fake cows and rubbing cheeses), get a history lesson and get to sample various aged Goudas.

It’s fun for all ages, with an audio guide in hand, they give you a quiz sheet and the game is on!  We went boy’s vs girls to hunt down all the answers. At the café, the staff mark your sheets - winners get a certificate, the losers… an embarrassing hat. I’ve shared a photo below but was so embarrassed my face is hidden… yes, the girls lost!!!

Next, another pre-booked activity, the Kamphuisen Syrup Waffle Factory. Head to their shop in the market square, get your ticket scanned and you’ll be whisked through the door at the back of the shop.

The factory tour is only 45 minutes, with some fun interactive bits along the way. Since it’s a working factory, you get to watch the machines in action, which is oddly mesmerising – and the smell? Absolutely divine.

Now, fair warning, the experience ends with a slide! Yes, an actual closed tunnel slide. There is no obvious graceful exit (you have to ask the staff), and my boring adult brain wrestled with the idea of squeezing myself into the tunnel entrance and perilously whizzing down at speed. Anyway, I did it, far from elegantly, but at the bottom? A free waffle!!

More information on Gouda >

We were in this area for 3 nights, there is so much more we could have done in this area if we had more time. Anyway, next and last part, Amsterdam and EuroParc Limberg… come back soon.

What did the kids enjoy?

Master 12, the cheese quiz was funny, finding the facts and being competitive seem to have gone down well. The fact he won and got a Cheese Master badge appears to have been a highlight. He said he liked the artwork at the Royal Delft Museum, and that the slide in the waffle museum was cool.

Miss 14,  highlights seem to revolve around the Syrup Waffle Factory, in particular the machinery which randomly dropped waffles off the production line, and surprise, surprise, the free waffle.

If you missed the first part of this travel guide, just click here >

The Route Map