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This summer we spent our family holiday at the wonderful FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde in Noord Brabant. Roughly, a 1 hour and 45 minute drive from Amsterdam and down some pretty country lanes, we soon found ourselves amidst lush green farmland and our home for ten nights.
The modern reception building was indicative of the rest of the farm and how Farmers Eva and Frank clearly take pride in their home and business. As the heat bore down on us we excitedly checked in and as we glanced through the reception/shop area we caught a glimpse of the refreshing pool that awaited us.
Eva efficiently checked us in and gave us a brief introduction to the activities that would be available to us in the coming days. We found ourselves very quickly feeling the relaxed vibe that holidays should have and as is the nature of these holidays, the kids soon took charge. No sooner had we checked in and got our tent name “Tuur” had our kids run off to grab wheelbarrows to transport our luggage from our car to the tent.
The tents were set in two semi-circles around two fields, giving all accommodation a clear view of the fields and woodland beyond, which was beautiful as the sun rose and set each day. Each field had great playgrounds in the middle of them. The field we were staying on had a super sand and water area, trampoline and a slide.
We stayed in a Luxury Barn Tent which was very spacious with super comfy beds, dishwasher, bath, shower and all the cooking utensils you could possibly need. Each tent had a wood burner and barbecue too. Our tent even had air-con, what a luxury! My youngest was adamant she was going to have the loft bed and set about organising all of her belongings, creating a cosy home for herself from where she could view us all down below.
As you can imagine, the race was on to unpack, don our swimwear and check out the pool. Our kids were delighted to have this unique feature on our farm and made full use of it. As it was easy to come and go from the pool, we noticed that all guests were respectful and didn’t reserve sun loungers or chairs throughout the day. There is a small fence around the pool and adults were expected to accompany children under 12. The pool was heated too which avoided the whole bracing yourself as you entered! If our kids had their way, they’d have happily stayed here for the entire holiday, especially as it was so easy to go to and fro from your accommodation when needing a quick bite to eat.
For us adults, it was time to unwind, enjoy playing with our children and to get some time to read a good old book or two. There was a fabulous honesty shop system at Hoeve Luyterheyde that worked perfectly for us. With an outside bar and indoor shop, you had access to a selection of drinks 24 hours a day and during shop opening hours, ice-creams, simple groceries and of course, not forgetting their own farm produce. Each tent had a clip board with the name of their accommodation on and you simply marked of each item you took, settling your bill at check out. The novelty of, ‘ Mummy can I have an ice lolly?’ and getting ‘yes’ as a reply, whilst being able to add it to our clipboard was of course enjoyed to the full. The same could be said for us adults as we enjoyed a beer watching the sun set over the fields in the evening.
On our first full day, we enjoyed the Tour de Boer which is a farmer’s tour. During this morning walk Farmer Eva introduced us to the animals around the farm and the children fed them along the way. We ventured into the woods to meet the pigs and upon hearing that the children could feed them their leftovers from their meals whenever they liked, we obviously had to have a ‘piggy bag’ for each day to come!
We were very curious to hear that the cows lived outdoors all year round and learn about the careful ways that Eva and Frank are thinking of the future of farming and how to be most respectful to our planet in the process. You may wonder as it was a farm stay was it smelly, but it really wasn’t! I guess as the cows live out in the fields this made a difference. That’s not to say you didn’t get to see them, as when the cows felt like it they would walk straight through the middle of the two glamping fields (along a safe path separate to the guests’) and came in for a drink of water or food. It was a beautiful sight and a moment where all guests would come together and take a good look at this pretty breed of cattle.
For more activities happening on the farm, we just needed to check out the blackboard on the barn wall. My son and daughter had a fun leisurely pony ride into the woods with Eva and Frank and there was also the chance to build and decorate a bird house (activities vary per farm). On Saturday evenings was Pizza Night where you pre-ordered your pizzas and then they were cooked for you in the stone oven, perfect for taking back to your accommodation if you fancied. For us, we hung out with the other guests at the picnic tables next to the pool and made use of the good old honestly bar for refreshments. It is worth remembering that this is a working farm and that there are some lovely activities taking place but the emphasis is on creating your own fun and entertainment in the environment provided.
Each evening it was possible to leave orders for breakfast, whether that be a full breakfast which, by the way, is substantial and delicious, or a bakery order. This is carefully prepared and displayed in a cute basket with your tent name ready for you to collect from the reception each morning. Our kids loved this part of farm life and the short stroll to collect our breakfast was all part of the fun.
When ‘ hanging’ around the farm our children were really happy to explore, make friends with other guest and play on the play areas. There were lots of go-karts available for the children to use and they seemed to work this out perfectly among themselves, with each child getting a turn and going off to explore around the farm. We also loved the fire pit area. In the farm shop it was possible to purchase a marshmallow toasting kit and after 7 pm set up your own campfire and get toasting. In our experience this was a really lovely way to gather with other guests as they came to join in.
In the mezzanine area of the farm reception/shop was a play area for children. A lovely cosy area where they could relax, read, play table football, use the play kitchen, or do crafts.
During our stay we ventured out to explore the local area and beyond. As Germany was less than half an hour away we of course had to make a trip over the border. We enjoyed time at both Kevelaer and Nettetal, it was fun to try some German food, chat to some locals and explore each town.
Driving through the local area was in itself an enjoyable excursion, especially as we happened across various farmers’ vending machines which we loved. The strawberry one being our most favourite. Four carefully selected punnets barely made it back to the farm they were so delicious. We had also spotted, wine, cheese, meat, eggs and other produce by other farms.
One of our other featured holiday parks, TerSpegelt was just 30 minutes away. As luck would have it, both my sister, her children and Laura (other half of Little Clogs) were staying there at the same time. So we popped over for a visit, enjoyed the England women’s final of the World cup, followed by a glorious afternoon splashing about at the recreational lake and beach. Entrance for the day was just €5.50 per person (this does not include entrance to the swimming pool).
Having lived in the Netherlands for many years and visited Noord Brabant numerous times, it was great to discover new places. Roermond is a large city with a pretty square and lovely terraces where we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and some Limburgse Vlaai, a delicious dessert, traditional to this region. For those of you who love a spot of shopping, we had a great time hunting bargains at McArthurGlen designer outlet, whilst escaping the rain that was forecast. We also visited Venlo and Heythuysen which were great for soaking up a bit of Dutch culture and some delicious food.
Toverland theme park was less than 15 minutes away so it would have been rude not to visit! This was our first time as a family visiting the theme park and it was full of many surprises. There is an enormous part of the theme park which is indoors and would have been pretty cool had the weather taken a turn for the worse. We were also amazed at how many little play areas there were which were specifically aimed at very young children and a large indoor play. There were plenty of exhilarating rides for all of our family.
If we had had more time we would definitely have visited the fabulous Irrland adventure play park as it is just 20 minutes away. Efteling theme park and Beekse Bergen Safari are also both less than 50 minutes drive away.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde. It had the perfect mix of exploration and relaxation. Our accommodation was incredibly comfortable with all modern comforts and we loved being able to explore so many little towns nearby. We are happy to enjoy the simple things on holiday, to play games as a family in the evening and to enjoy our surrounding nature, whilst switching off from our busy lives for a while. If this sounds like your type of holiday then we definitely recommend FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde. You can be sure Eva and Frank will do what they can to make your stay enjoyable.
To find out more about what to expect on a farm holiday experience, to book your own stay at FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde, or if you’d like to contact us, see links below.
Farm Experience FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde Contact Us
