World’s largest collection of tulips in bloom at Keukenhof in the Netherlands

by Scott Carmichael on

Nowhere in the world will you find more tulips than at Keukenhof in the Netherlands. Keukenhof started in 1949 as a showcase for Dutch bulb growers to display their newest creations, and it has since then grown into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

This year, Keukenhof will open on March 18th, and will stay open until May 16th. In that short period of bloom, almost one million people will visit the 9 miles of pathways twisting around 4.5 million tulips in 2000 different varieties.

The theme for the 2010 season is “From Russia With Love”, and the official opening will be performed by Svetlana Medvedeva, wife of the President of the Russian Federation, in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.

Keukenhof is conveniently located between Amsterdam and The Hague, making it a mere 30 minutes drive from both cities. Best of all, the drive to the town of Lisse (where Keukenhof is located) passes through some of the tulip fields the Netherlands is so popular for. If you are in the Netherlands this spring, a trip to Keukenhof is a “must do”.

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Fokkers may take to the skies again with a new and improved Fokker

by Scott Carmichael on

In 1996, Dutch aerospace company Fokker went bankrupt. It was the end of a company that had been building planes since 1912. Even though it wasn’t the end of the Dutch aerospace industry, no new Fokkers would be delivered, and thousands of people lost their job.

Fourteen years later, Dutch entrepreneur Rosen Jacobsen has found support (and money) from the Dutch government to bring Fokker back to life, and start making planes again.

The reborn company is currently called “Rekkof” (Fokker spelled backwards), and Jacobsen hopes to relaunch with a new version of the successful Fokker 100 called the 100 NG.

Whether or not the new Fokker will actually succeed depends on support from the European Union, and whether the immense amounts of money required to develop a new plane can be found.

The first 20 million Euros have already been found, which is a decent start. Rekkof hopes to have the first Fokker 100 NG in operation in just 5 years – which seems like an overly ambitious plan. For the new plane to become successful, airlines will need to order at least 40 of the new planes. I wish them a lot of luck.

I’ve got to say, I’ve never been a huge fan of Fokkers, but that may be related to the 100’s of trips I had to make on them between the UK and the Netherlands on Air UK. Still, saying “Fokker” as often as possible is a fun and juvenile pleasure.

Pilot with fake license flew commercial planes for 13 years – until he was caught

by Scott Carmichael on

A successful 13 year career came to an end today, when Dutch police pulled a 41-year-old pilot from his plane. The pilot was minutes away from departing for Ankara, Turkey on his Corendon airlines flight.

The cops were acting on a tip from Swedish authorities, who discovered that the man was not in possession of a pilots license valid for commercial planes.

He did have a basic license for private planes, but he had falsified his credentials 13 years ago, and had been flying commercial planes ever since.

With over 10,000 hours in the cockpit, the pilot had obviously tricked authorities very well – and 10,000 hours without any safety incidents also means he must have known what he was doing up front.

Thankfully, Corendon airlines had been alerted to the upcoming arrest, and had already arranged for a replacement pilot to take his seat. A lawyer for the airline said the fake pilot would never fly for them again.

Oddly enough, this was the second time he had been caught – Swedish cops arrested him several years ago for the same reason, but when they summoned him, he couldn’t be found, so they just “forgot” about it.

Creative enough to win a free trip to Amsterdam?

by Annie Scott on


The Netherlands Board of Tourism is at it again. Last year, they held an artsy contest awarding a free trip to whoever had the cleverest “what I would give up” photo entry. Now, there’s a new contest: “Just be. In Holland.“

By answering a Holland-themed question correctly on the website (no labor), you could win:

  • A monthly delivery of fresh tulips for a year
  • An exclusive Gassan 121 diamond made in Amsterdam
  • A quintessentially Dutch bicycle
  • An iconic piece of Dutch design furniture

A question will be posted each Thursday in February, starting today.

If you put in a little effort and create a photo entry “portraying how you might ‘Just be. In Holland,'” you could win two roundtrip KLM business class tickets to Amsterdam, as well as a four night stay at Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand (it’s grand).

While all this is going on, New Yorkers, keep an eye on the S train (Shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central). It’s going to look something like the photo at right, and there will be street teams from the Netherlands Board of Tourism distributing Holland-themed giveaways. Dank u wel!

The contest goes live on Holland.com today, February 4, 2010. Send this to all your artsiest friends, as the most “creative” entry will be picked!

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Who’s got style? CitizenM in Amsterdam named trendiest hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

If you’re not one to sacrifice fashion – ever – then you’ll do well to stay at CitizenM in Amsterdam. According to a release from hotel review site TripAdvisor, CitizenM was selected out of 719 hotels and awarded the ‘trendiest” title.

The hotel is located in the center of Amsterdam and boasts “affordable luxury for the people”, which is a good thing for fashionistas looking to pick up a few luxe items in Amsterdam.The hotel’s high tech rooms are built offsite and then stacked together to form the hotels (think: Legos). Internet connections and WiFi are free and every room is lit by LED lights to save energy.

If you’re hoping for something trendier and closer to home, Chicago’s Wit Hotel took second place, and the W Fort Lauderdale hotel in Florida came third.

Other notable honors include:

Best Bargain in the World – Arcadia Residence, Prague, Czech Republic
Best Luxury (4&5 star hotels) in the World – Golden Well (U Zlate Studne), Prague, Czech Republic
Best for Families in the World – Sirkeci Konak Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
Best for Romance in the World – Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa, Moorea, French Polynesia
Best All-Inclusive in the World – Drowsy Water Ranch, Granby, Colorado
Best Relaxation and Spa in the World – La Amada Hotel, Playa Mujeres, Mexico

The TripAdvisor TRAVELERS’ CHOICE Awards recognized 719 hotels around the world after reviewing the comments and ratings from over 15 million TripAdvisor users.%Gallery-67351%

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