Amsterdam - Center Parcs is one of the great family holiday success stories. The five UK “villages”, self-contained hubs of fun, activity and calm set in secluded woodland, are popular year-round destinations.
But there’s an even greater selection just over the North Sea. Holland has nine Center Parcs dotted around the country – on its sandy coastline and by inland woods and lakes, all the time being close to nature.
The sites offer the same level of smart and stylish lodge accommodation, together with sports and entertainment facilities, cafes and restaurants, spas and saunas, and a wide range of indoor and outdoor pursuits, from lantern-making to beach volleyball, from paintball to rafting down wild-water rapids.
The villages all have their own stand-out attractions. De Kempervennen, close to Eindhoven, boasts its own ski slope. As well as skiing and snowboarding lessons, it offers waterskiing on a beautiful lake, where you can book a stay in a houseboat.
Park Zandvoort, next to one of the best stretches of sandy beach on the Dutch coast, has a novel take on movie-going – a swimming pool transforms into the Aqua Cinema. It means you can watch a film while floating on your lilo.
De Eemhof, in the heart of Holland, features kayaking and windsurfing, an animal farm, and Via Ferrata, a safe version of the daring Alpine climb.
Center Parcs is keen to promote nature and the environment and the ambition doesn’t come bigger than at Het Heijderbos village near Nijmegen, where a jungle has been created. This abundant corner of the tropics, complete with rope walkways, is neatly contained under a massive dome. It also boasts the fastest “crazy river” in all Center Parcs. A restful alternative is snorkelling with tropical fish.
Het Meerdal dares you to try its 340ft waterslide. For a more restful pursuit, the Groote Peel National Park, a precious wetland habitat and one of the best areas for birdwatching in the Netherlands, is just a short trip away.
The Port Zelande village, close to North Sea beaches, is on the Grevelingenmeer. This tranquil lake was made during the epic 20th Century building works to keep out the sea, known as one of the seven wonders of the engineering world.
There’s a rich choice of things to do throughout the nine sites. Circus school professionals give courses on tumbling and juggling. Football instructors impart the secret of the ‘ultimate free kick’ and how to take a penalty. There is Nordic walking, archery, sailing, and electric moped touring. And at the end of a busy day, there are bedtime stories for young children, while 12- to 17-year-olds prepare for a night out in the wave pool, with music and son et lumiere.
While there is more than enough to do in a holiday village, the parks encourage you to venture out. Park Zandvoort, for example, suggests a day trip to nearby Amsterdam and Haarlem. And everywhere there is a chance to explore the wider countryside on the Netherlands’ network of cycle ways.
For further information, visit centerparcs.com and holland.com/uk.
Stena Line (stenaline.co.uk/ ferry-to-holland, 08447 707070) currently offers car crossings from Harwich to the Hook of Holland twice daily from just £49 (about R800) one way for an adult and a car, and a ten percent discount on cabins.
Additional adults cost from £14.50, and children (aged between four and 15) cost from £7.25 one way. Foot-passenger prices start at £36.50 per adult and £18.25 for children. Infants under four travel free.
Mail On Sunday