Given the travel situation improves in the near future, there’re many delightful destinations to put you into spring mood. I’m sharing three of them, which have proved to become memorable experiences.
Tulip fields in Holland
Holland is one of the best countries for bike riding, something you quickly notice. Everywhere, there are extra bike paths on the main roads. What a pleasure to ride by endless tulip fields, which are partly also publicly accessible. The magnificent tulip fields that you can admire along the way are used for tulip bulb cultivation.
The big tulip highlight is definitely Keukenhof, or “kitchen garden” in English. There are about 14 million bulbs distributed among 800 different tulip types planted on 32 hectares of land. One can buy tickets online through the website and present them with smartphones, which is definitely a timesaver with the large number of tourists. Keukenhof is a place where you can easily spend the whole day when the weather is nice. Aside from tulips, there’s also an orchid show on site, and the florists display their cut-flower creations. On our visit, we also did a boat tour that takes you around the tulip fields for about 45 minutes and where you can get an audio guide that gives you information on the tulip itself, its cultivation, and Keukenhof. A great experience.
Oriental hideaway in Morocco
Marrakesh welcomes with a smashing mix of Berber, Arabian and European cultural influences. While streets are dusty, loud and crowded, the rooftops have completely different vibes – so relaxed and sunny, filled with sweet smell of the fleur d‘orange and beautiful music. Some of the rooftops are real blooming gardens, while others serve finest food. Warm moroccan evenings spoil with a scenery like from One Thousand and One Night.
Beautiful riads reveal unmatched interior designs. Stay a night in Yasmine or Royal Mansour to experience oriental magic.
A paradise for oyster lovers in Croatia
If you have time, be sure to visit Mali Ston, a village near Dubrovnik, known for its oyster and mussel farming. The village itself is small and in need of repair in many spots, though this still doesn’t detract from the main draw: the most delicious and freshest seafood. The clear water, shallow depths, and warm current are optimal conditions for shellfish culture.
You can get spoiled in a restaurant with seafood specialities (we were at Villa Koruna), or if you want something even fresher, you can take a boat right to the farms, where you can see with your own eyes how oysters and mussels are raised. Afterwards, you’re served fully grown mussels with a fine local wine. There really is no fresher or better way to eat mussels.
