Tulips at Keukenhof

I always knew that the first time I would visit Amsterdam would be in April – to catch the tulips in bloom. And so it was. The tulip season in the Netherlands is for a short couple of months between late March and late May. In this time, all roads lead to Keukenhof. We bought tickets from the tourist office as soon as we reached Amsterdam and headed out to Keukenhof. Considering that it is such a big attraction, it is not easy to get there – it involves changing many trams and buses. So, anyway. The minute we stepped into Keukenhof, the pain of the getting there was forgotten.

The Keukenhof tulip gardens were every bit as beautiful as I had expected. Rows and rows of tulips of all colours, well laid out paths and several spots in between for rest and refreshment – overall a wonderful experience. I thoroughly embarrassed my husband by bending and squatting and even lying down on the ground once (or so he claims – I flatly deny that) to photograph the tulips from various angles, especially the play of sunlight on those translucent petals.

We walked the entire length of the garden, stopping for quick ice-cream and coffee breaks to keep the strength up (heh!). Towards the end, we found ourselves in front of a huge windmill – from the top, the view of rows and rows of tulip fields next to the garden. Perfectly manicured fields, they looked like multicolour carpets laid out on the ground. We wanted to take a boat trip around the garden but the lines were too long and we skipped it. I loved the fact that they had made the garden attractive for everyone, including children, by providing a playground area – swings and see-saws and pens of little animals for them to feed and play with.

It is possible to spend an entire day at Keukenhof – so go prepared to be there atleast for four to five hours. And don’t make any grand plans for the evening back in Amsterdam – a trip to Keukenhof is tiring!

I finally leave you with my favourite photograph from Keukenhof…