Skip to main content

Keukenhof...Abode of Tulips !!

Have you ever been fixed to a wallpaper showing symmetrical strips of tulip farms and endless stretch of colorful fields ? Most likely it's Netherlands. Among many other things Netherlands is famous for, its tulip farms are at the top and it's staggering to see the view from the sky if you are flying over Netherlands. Locked among these colorful fields is Keukenhof, one of the most beautiful and largest spring gardens in the world. No surprise it's visited by almost 1.5 million people every year and considering it is open only for 8 weeks that's almost 250k visitors each day. Staggering 7 million flowers of 800 different varieties blossom every year in this garden alone. Not very far from Amsterdam, Keukenhof is well connected and can be conveniently reached either by car or public transport.
We left early to schiphol airport to avoid the queue but unfortunately that didn't help and we ended up in the queue for 1.5 hrs. It took around 35 mins to reach keukenhof and the major traffic was headed in the same direction; to the tulips.
Keukenhof garden is quite huge and you will see visitors at every single corner nevertheless that should not deter you to plan a trip to keukenhof because nothing can subdue the beauty of the place.
As we entered the garden, all we could see was an overwhelming sensation of colors and smell. It was a struggle to click even a single pic without someone else in the frame and we desperately tried our best to make best use of any possible opportunities. The garden also has an authentic dutch windmill which gives beautiful backdrop. If you are lucky and the weather is on your side, the views would be best. Bright sun, clear blue sky multiplies the beauty by 1000 times.
You can also take an hour long boat ride that takes you beyond the garden to the nearby fields which  is certainly a different experience as you get to see the colors from a different angle. If you have some time and don't mind getting on a bike like the dutch, you must rent a bike and just wander around the nearby fields. There are several trails that goes through fields, canals and beautiful farms. So, if you haven't done that yet, this must be on your bucket list !

How to reach keukenhof
By car:
35 km from Amsterdam and it takes barely 40 mins.
By public transport:
Travelling to Keukenhof by public transport is very easy. For accurate bus schedules and times see the website of public transport on http://9292.nl/en.
From Amsterdam
First you need to reach Schiphol by bus or train. Schiphol is a major European airport and there are several buses and trains that can take you to Schiphol in few minutes.
Once you are at Schiphol, you can take the Keukenhof Express (bus 858 from 22 march 2018 – 13 may 2018) from the bus station in front of the airport. The bus is easy to find when you walk outside from Schiphol Plaza and there will be sufficient markings to direct you to the bus. This bus runs only during the opening times of the Keukenhof. Every 15 minutes (00, 15, 30 & 45) a bus is leaving for Keukenhof (entrance). It takes around 35 minutes to get from Schiphol to the Keukenhof.
Be aware that sometimes during weekends you might have to wait in lonng queue to enter the bus and you should plan accordingly.
You can get the information about the tickets on this link: https://keukenhof.nl/en/plan-your-visit/tickets/










Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Iron Butt - to Be or not to Be

"The scorching heat, diversions, smoke, dust and ruthless trucks, it was a struggle to reach and maintain 90. Insects bumping into my helmet and pitch dark highways, I was drowsy but determined to finish what I promised myself.  It was almost 13 hours since I left Bangalore and was about to reach my destination, Pune, riding solo, overnight on Yamaha SZ-R 150cc."  For the first time I actually realized what a challenge and physical stretch it would be to ride non-stop 24 hour to cover 1000 miles on an Indian road.  I am talking about Iron Butt ride: “The SaddleSore”. But wait, if you are thinking that’s impossible; just imagine 1500 miles in 36 hours, the BunBurner ride. It takes more than passion, skills and best gears & need not to say it’s not for the hobbyist. These are races against time. The Iron Butt association has more than 60,000 members across the globe and handful from India. If one has to drive on freeways and speed is not an issue, it’s still chal...
Post a Comment
Read more

Zaanse Schans - Authentic Dutch countryside !!

Apart from bulb fields,canals,clogs, cheese, red light district, space cake, Ntherlands is also famous for its windmills. With over a thousand windmills throughout the Netherlands, it's very likely that you'll bump into one.Centuries ago, windmills were used to pumping water or grinding grain. Its been approx. 3 years that i am living in Netherlands and i must admit that i have been to this place n number of time. Whenever, we have any friends from India, Zaanse Schaans is on top in their list. Zaanse Schaan is a typical Dutch village with green-timbered houses and historical windmills. Half day is good enough to explore the place and you can combine Volendam or Marken if you wish you explore some more. Zaanse Schaans can be explored by walk, cycle or by boat. There are lots of things to do here. First of all , you can visit the tourist center, where you can get the information and ticket to cheese museum if you wish to visit. As you walk further up, you will...
Post a Comment
Read more

Space Cake - An illusory journey

Space cake : an experience that was so illusionary, unreal, other worldly and quite frustrating at the same time. Though not looked upon with much respect among the dutch, it's quite a popular item in the list of thing to try for tourists in Amsterdam. Though I read about its effect and experiences but it only made into my list when I moved to Amsterdam almost 2 years back. While wandering through the streets of Amsterdam, a coffee shop in particular rang a bell as I remember it was mentioned by a dutch friend in context with genuine weed and space cake. Not as planned, I and my husband decided to pop in with a pure intention to just gain some awareness about it and were back within few minutes with handful of muffins and cakes, three pieces to be precise. We blindly followed the recommendation and instructions from the man in the shop. It was a week day and we decided to go less adventurous this time and wait until Friday to give it a try. It rested silently, like any other ...
Post a Comment
Read more