"Water, Water, Everywhere." a Duinrell Travel Page by JohnnySpangles

Duinrell is a theme park with a caravan site attached to it. If you’re thinking about going there then you’ve no doubt you’ve stumbled across this page after reading the glossy Eurocamp/Keycamp/Canvas sales brochure that has sowed the seed of visiting this techicolour ‘kiddy-heaven’.

The brochures are correct in selling this as a paradise for children because all the rides in the park are free to those staying on the camp-site. Also free, although only for two hours per day which must be taken between the hours of 10.00am and 2.00pm (which knackers-up any other plans for the day) is what claims to be Europe’s biggest water-park called the ‘Tikibad’. This has an array of terrifying slides and chutes guaranteed to rattle the bones and loosen the anus of anybody over the age of 35 that foolishly tries to enter into the spirit of the thing by acceding to their youngster’s request to accompany them on their first ride. Therefore I’d recommend you take one ride on a slide, to remind you how old you’re getting, then spend the rest of the time trembling and hiding from your children. This is easily done as the place is packed with the wobbling flesh of all nationalities, especially when it’s raining outside… which it usually is in Holland.

On the plus side you can let your children run off into a relatively safe theme/water park and they will be able to amuse themselves. On the down-side, day after day of relentless rides, fast-food and candy floss is going leave you with strangely deranged children who have forgotten the merits of museums and galleries and have now become pure adrenalin-junkies. Therefore I’d say do this place for three days maximum and then move on to somewhere a little less exciting to wean them back on to vegetables, bicycles and the thrills of Dutch 17th Century painting.

Apart from the camp and theme park there is a real ‘Duinrell’ village just over the road from the park which is quaintly pedestrianised and geared up to sell escapees from the campsite all the souvenir-tat they may need. If nothing else, make a note of the shop that sells umbrellas. This is because Holland has a monsoon season that lasts from August to July.