Rainy Journey to the Tulip Country

After our short stop in Baarle-Hertog, we headed straight to Amsterdam. The Netherlands is known as bicycle-friendly country. It seems like the cities are designed for bicycles. When you get yourself in the heart of Amsterdam or Haarlem, you’ll notice that bike lanes are almost as wide as the road for cars.

Aside from other things, the country is mostly known for its blooming tulips every year. This has become one of the top attractions in the country and is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. These fields are located outside Amsterdam which can be reached through packaged tours or DIY using their public transportation.

We opted out arranged tours but instead, we booked bicycles in Haarlem, which is around 10 to 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. And from there, it took us about 2 hours to reach the fields. It would have been better if not for the rain that poured from the time we started biking.

At first, I was a bit nervous because I’m afraid Iris might have some trouble riding her bike, especially around the city. But I was surprised that she actually did well and rode like a seasoned driver. 😉

Riding along the countryside was a surreal experience. The green fields, the canals and those houses along the banks are like straight of out the movies. Amazing.

The 2-hour bike ride was quite tough because Iris is not used to it and obviously, she was exhausted. However, the experience is worth it when you are in hectares of tulip fields which were once seen only on the internet. 😀 Although we were a little late to see tulips at their full bloom, it was still an awesome sight. If ever you want to see them at their best, be there on mid-April. 😉