Keukenhof - A Bollywood Dream Come True

The first time I saw fields of tulips was in a Bollywood movie in the early 90s and I have wanted to visit the tulip fields of Keukenhof ever since. Over a decade later I finally got to make this wish come true recently. Oh, how I dreamt of recreating the scene from the movie where the heroine runs through the field of tulips into the arms of her beloved with a Bollywood number playing in the background.

Alas! This was not to be the case for me (at least on this occasion), I think my colleague would've got a little worried. However, I was not disappointed with the place itself. It was just as beautiful as I had seen in the movies with rows and rows of tulips in all different colours. This was just along the road from Leiden, the park itself is something different all together. As you walk around you are hit straight away by the vibrant colours of the flowers. I would also recommend getting there early, before the crowds start to form, and Keukenhof is so big you need a full day to see it all. I would also definitely recommend staying at least 2 nights if going from Leiden like we were. As we travelled by rail from London to Leiden, the journey took most of the day but I highly recommend this as you see landscape from different countries as go through the English countryside then into France, Belgium and the Netherlands. You can take a boat trip around the fields outside the park to get a closer look at the rows of tulips being cultivated. I didn't feel this was value for money as you are in a boat with an eye level much lower than the fields and they advise you not to stand in the boat so you don't really get a good view unless you stick your camera up in the air and hope for the best! Save your money I say! The rest however is definitely worth a visit. Of course no trip to the Netherlands is complete without sampling the waffles. You would be in luck here as a stand near the boat departure point makes them right in front of you so can have them fresh and piping hot. The hotel that we stayed in, the Tulip Inn, was lovely with friendly staff. It is just 5 minutes’ walk from the train station, which is also where you need to catch the bus to go to Keukenhof. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and definitely want to go again next year.