Give up the beach for a Dutch treat Looking for an alternative to their usual Mediterranean seaside break, JAMES MCAULEY and his family head to the Netherlands and a holiday park with a difference

THE decision had been made. Instead of a lazy beach break somewhere hot and sunny we would try pastures new, something with a bit more action where the children could let off steam. With that in mind my wife Nicola and I and our daughters Lauren, nine, and five-year-old Ciara headed for Duinrell, set in a nature reserve near Wassenaar on Holland’s west coast.

It’s only a couple of hours’ drive from Calais but a sat-nav malfunction on the Rotterdam ring road made us a little late. This was no problem for our Eurocamp rep who got on her bike and showed us to our two-bedroom Sunlight mobile home.

It had twin beds for the girls, a double bedroom for us and a kitchen, a bathroom with shower and its own deck. The girls were so excited they didn’t even notice there was no television. I was glad we’d been given a map because the site is huge. When you factor in that an amusement park and waterpark are included in the set-up you get some idea of the scale.

The former had lots to offer smaller children and a few white-knuckle rides for the older ones.

Lauren and I were thrilled on rides such as the Mad Mill, the Waterspin and my favourite, the Falcon rollercoaster, 30 seconds of terror in which you climb up a sheer vertical then plummet through a series of loops and corkscrews.

Ciara, not tall enough to go on the scary rides, had to content herself with the gentler aspects of the park such as a soft play area, go-karts and the dodgems. If you are staying at the site all these rides are free. Our girls could hardly believe their luck.

The waterpark Tikibad, with its 11 waterslides totalling nearly a mile in length, is among the best of its kind in the world. It cost approximately £13 for the four of us to spend two hours there. We spent most of this time playing in the main pool (due to the queues on the slides) which was great fun, especially when the waves started up.

Cycling is something every visitor to the Netherlands should experience. In Holland the cyclist is king. Take your own bikes if possible as hiring them at the park is quite expensive. For a week it worked out at £150 for the four of us. It was a great way to get around.

One day we cycled through the dunes to the beach at Wassenaar, a couple of miles away. A popular seaside resort, it’s got plenty of cafés and the beach is child-friendly with lifeguards on patrol.

Only the girls were foolhardy enough to brave the chilly North Sea and later, wrapped in towels behind our windbreak, they appreciated their piping hot chips and hot chocolate.

The town had some fantastic restaurants. Favourites included the pizzeria Da Alfio and La Scala, a small family restaurant which served a variety of classic Italian dishes.

Another of our two-wheeled trips took us to Leiden, Holland’s oldest university town a leisurely five miles away. It has a beautifully preserved centre full of canals, busy shopping streets and museums. It was such a nice day when we went that we were happy just to lock up our bikes by the canal and have a long lunch. We chose the De Bruine Boon brasserie on Stationsweg where we were refreshed with club sandwiches and, for me, a couple of Dutch beers.

You could spend your entire break at Duinrell without leaving the site. Apart from the rides and waterslides there is an outdoor pool, playparks, tennis courts, table tennis and volleyball facilities.

Much of the activity centred around Duinrell Plaza which houses everything from the supermarket to the Irish pub. The girls loved the mini disco there. The Plaza also has a variety of restaurants. We especially liked La Place where we enjoyed steak and fries for e12.50. The girls were happier at Toscane where they could help themselves at the buffet.

Every night they went to bed exhausted and contented after playing with new friends and swimming or cycling all day. As for having no television? It was never mentioned.

CANALSIDE CAFÉS: The historic Dutch university town of Leiden

GETTING THERE

Eurocamp (0844 406 0552/eurocamp. co.uk) offers seven nights at Duinrell holiday park from £378 (eight sharing a Horizon mobile home), self-catering. Includes return ferry travel from Dover to Calais (car plus five people). Netherlands Board of Tourism: 020 7539 7950/holland.com/uk

SPLASHING: Lauren and Ciara make a new friend at Duinrell waterpark