BRILLIANT BULB FIELDS with Monty Don
EXCLUSIVE for MoS readers: Explore this world-famous spring spectacle in the company of Britain’s best-loved gardener
NO WHERE does spring quite like Holland. Come April and the tulip fields produce one of the great floral displays, as carpets of vibrant flowers stretch as far as the eye can see. And who better to add even more colour to this floral masterpiece than Britain’s best-loved gardener, Monty Don?
He will be on hand on this fantastic five-day cruise to answer your horticultural questions, sign your free copy of his fabulous gardening book, Down To Earth, and join you on your visit to Keukenhof – perhaps the most famed tulips displays of them all. It is here that some seven million bulbs offer a riot of colour across 80 acres of shimmering lakes, water features, borders and landscaped gardens.
You will also experience historic maritime cities, see the iconic windmills of Kinderdijk and explore Ijsselmeer, the beautiful inland lagoon whose picturesque villages have changed little since the 16th Century, when Dutch merchants travelled the world in search of spices, silks and luxury goods.
You will also stop i n Amsterdam, where you will enjoy a boat tour along its myriad canals – the perfect way to take in one of Europe’s most appealing and atmospheric cities. REASONS TO BOOK SEE KEUKENHOF WITH MONTY DON Monty will join you on an exclusive visit to the famed Keukenhof Gardens where millions of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils cover nearly 80 acres. It is not just the scale but the artistry that astounds – with dazzling patterns and shapes amid the lakes, trees and pavilions. EXCLUSIVE EVENT WITH MONTY DON This is a rare chance to enjoy an exclusive talk with Britain’s favourite gardening broadcaster as he chats about his life and career and shares his horticultural tips and tales. You will have the chance to ask Monty questions, and also get him to sign your free copy of Down To Earth. FIVE-STAR CRUISE SHIP Sail on one of Riviera’s new all-suite ships, the five-star Emily Bronte, which offers stylish interiors and spacious cabins all with river views. The ship carries just 169 passengers. GREAT MARITIME CITIES See Rotterdam, Europe’s largest cargo port with its famed swing bridge and excellent museums, as well as Enkhuizen, a picturesque maritime city. EXPLORE AMSTERDAM You will enjoy a tour of the fascinating city on a glass-topped canal cruiser. Time permitting, take the chance to wander its cobbled streets and explore attractions such as the Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank’s House and the Waterlooplein flea market. THE WINDMILLS OF KINDERDIJK There is nowhere better to witness the classic Dutch scene of windmills on the pan-flat marshlands than Kinderdijk, a Unesco World Heritage site.
I LOVE TULIPS FOR THEIR VOLUPTUOUS FLOWERS. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE BEST YOU HAVE TO GO TO HOLLAND. I LOOK FORWARD TO JOINING YOU THERE MONTY DON