Beekse Bergen Lake Resort

We had the pleasure of booking another EuroCamp holiday during the boys school break back in June! Not really sure where to go this time, we decided to try something a little different and head to the Netherlands, just the four of us. We’d heard good things about Beekse Bergen, but honestly, we weren’t quite sure what to expect… and we were completely blown away!

We have always driven to and from Dover / Calais, whilst it's "a fair trek" down south for us from being near Sheffield, we can't bring ourselves to pay nearly £400-450 extra just to go from Hull (an hour away) so we go sail from Dover to Calais then drive from Calais to most of our Europe destinations.

If you’re looking for the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation, Beekse Bergen really has it all. As a family of four, we were absolutely spoiled for choice with activities. The boys loved trying out both swimming pools (one at the Lake Resort and the other at the Safari Resort) Each had its own unique features, and I genuinely couldn’t tell you which they preferred because we practically had to drag them out of both!

One of the highlights for us was definitely the play areas overlooking the safari enclosures. There’s something surreal about pushing your kids on the swings while a giraffe casually wanders past or a camel lazes nearby! Between these playgrounds, the indoor play zones, and the unlimited access to the Safari Park and Speelland, every day was absolutely packed.

And honestly, the evenings were just as special. Once the boys were tucked up in bed, we’d sit out on the decking with a cold beer, listening to the distant roar of lions. It felt like we were right in the middle of a safari, but with all the home comforts of our cosy lodge.

We really weren’t expecting so much to be included in the EuroCamp package, either. With everything on offer — the pools, the safari, the indoor and outdoor play areas, and Speelland, if this were back in the UK, you'd possibly have been paying extra for every little thing, and possibly only having swimming as part of the "standard package".

During the days, we mixed relaxation with full-on adventure. When the weather was on our side, we made the most of the outdoor playgrounds and Speelland’s sandy beach, splash zones, mini-golf, pedal boats, and themed play areas like Tiki Tower and Adventure Island. The boys had so much to choose from, they didn’t know where to start! And on the wetter days, the Kodidi Ground indoor play area at the Lake Resort and the Basecamp Ranger zone at the Safari Resort were absolute lifesavers.

Of course, no visit to Beekse Bergen would be complete without exploring the Safaripark itself. We started with the walking safari, spotting elephants, rhinos, and lions up close, then hopped onto one of the boat safari's for a completely different view. Watching giraffes drink from the water’s edge as we drifted past was something we’ll never forget.

For families, Beekse Bergen really does tick every box:

• Swimming pools for splashy fun (indoors and outdoors)
• Playgrounds right next to giraffes and camels
• Speelland for all-day adventure
• Indoor play zones for rainy moments
• Safari experiences by car, boat, bus (extra cost), or on foot
• And plenty of quiet spots to just relax and soak up the surroundings

It’s the kind of place where every day feels like a new adventure, but there’s always time to pause and breathe, too. We came home with tired legs, happy boys, and memories we’ll be talking about for years to come.

Whilst we had unlimited access to nearly all of the Beekse Bergen parks, we spent a considerable amount of time at the Safari Zoo, we all love our animals and the weather was really good for "most" of the time we were there, they have an impressive large collection of different species of animals and possibly the most Elephants and Giraffes I have seen in one zoo so far! You get free access to the Safari to walk around, where you can pay extra to get get a personal tour guide and also a personal Safari tour in a jeep for a "game drive". But just walking around the Safari and then driving around is MORE than enough!

On top of all the above things to do, we spent one of our days at Efteling!

As if Beekse Bergen didn’t already have enough to keep us busy, we couldn’t resist taking a day trip to Efteling and wow, what a day it was! Only about 30 minutes’ drive from the resort, it’s one of Europe’s most magical theme parks, and it didn’t disappoint.

The boys absolutely loved it! They had seen a fair bit about it already after watching Maddie Moates YouTube episode about Efteling's famous "Trash Cans" (I know right...).

From gentle fairy-tale rides to some slightly braver roller coasters, there was something for all of us. We wandered through the Fairy Tale Forest, explored enchanted castles, and enjoyed some of the park’s famous shows. For us parents, there was just as much magic soaking up the beautifully themed surroundings — Efteling really knows how to make you feel like you’ve stepped straight into a storybook, and what better to be told a story from a MASSIVE talking Oak tree 😆!

George is getting to that age now where he's getting a little braver and has started to taking a liking to Roller coasters, so was great to see him enjoying a couple of slightly faster rides, than what we have been used to in his younger years.

The boys are well known for liking their pancakes and where better place to try the best Poffertjes (dutch mini pancakes), Efteling have a specialist restaurant that churn these out in the hundreds every 10 - 15 minutes! Sweet mini pancakes, dusted with icing sugar! (now I need some Pofferjes as I type this up 😦)

By the end of the day, we were shattered but loving every minute, at the end of the parks day, there is a special effects water fountain show to "close the day", from coming from a special effects / Pyro background, I really enjoyed this myself, but I think for both of the boys, it was a little too long for them to "concentrate" on it for the length of time it was on.

Overall it was the perfect addition to our Beekse Bergen holiday and definitely worth the money and setting aside a full day for if you’re in the area.