River Cruising, the Way to Go!

River cruising has been an increasingly popular form of leisure travel in recent years.  Because river cruising tends to be more of a cultural experience than ocean cruising, those who opt to take them are often well educated as well. You can take a one-week or longer cruises and the vessels range in size from a small four-passenger canal barge to the largest passenger river vessel afloat, the 396 passenger Victoria Jenna, which operates on the Yangtze River in China.

Not many ships have gyms, or pools, besides everyone is off the ship exploring all day! Entertainment is low-key and the itineraries are port-intensive. There are few ‘sea’ days and most sailing is done at night and the distances between ports are shorter.

Most vessels are, at maximum, a 38-foot-by-410-foot vessel, dimensions dictated by the locks and bridges that the vessels must past through and under!

The Main, Rhine, Moselle, Elbe, Rhone, Saone and Seine are popular rivers in Europe for river cruising.

Elsewhere in the world, the Amazon River in Peru and Brazil, the Nile River in Egypt, the Yangtze River in China and the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia are very popular destinations.

We took a river cruise a few years back from Basel to Amsterdam for the first time during the month of May. I wanted my husband, born in Basel, Switzerland, to go home again and enjoy this beautiful city before getting on the river cruise!

I booked a French balcony on this cruise week and It was an amazing experience! The ship practically drops you off in town at all the ports and you enjoy the sites and get back anytime you wish. There are also tours offered by the cruise lines but we had been to most of these ports, having lived in Germany for many years. We met wonderful people on board and walked at most ports, and sometimes took the tours that were included in the cruise package.

All good things come to an end and the week flew by very fast.  We were now docked in Amsterdam and looking forward to meeting Ynte Kuindersma, the owner of a family owned tour operator business he had just started. They are the real experts in Amsterdam!

Friesland is ranked 3rd on the list of “10 Best European Destinations”. We were looking forward to this V.I.P. tour to Amsterdam Lake District, a whole new side of the Netherlands! We were used to flying into Amsterdam and taking a train to The Hague where our daughter and family live for years now.

This time around, it was going to be a complete new adventure. We were met by the owner, Ynte, at the port and we drove off in his luxurious SUV through the city to experience the Dutch countryside! On the way, he explained the history of windmills, reclaimed land, introducing us to tulip fields and other rural sights. We were taken by the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere of this region.

The world famous ‘Afsluitdijk’ is a real must see where one can walk across the dike, climb the monument and learn about its significance for the Dutch.

Visiting an authentic village and meeting the villagers takes you back in time! We walked into an old farmhouse and met the blacksmith and had a traditional Dutch lunch with another group that Ynte’s daughter was guiding.  What a family affair!

My husband, who is an engineer by profession, was taken by ‘Woudagemaal, another UNESCO World Heritage site, the biggest steam pumping station in the world which is still being operated. The beautiful architecture and style gives it the name ‘steam cathedral’. A local operator showed us all the hidden secrets behind this treasure!

Hindeloopen will take your breath away! You can stroll around from one end to the next in no time! It is one of the famous eleven cities of Friesland with its stylish costumes, the typic Hindeloopen painting, characteristic facades, and many wooden bridges.

This has been the most amazing day trip that we have experienced in a long time, focusing on local culture and arts, and the ‘Lake District’ is one area that is growing in cultural tourism. The Lake District Tours will take you on a historical journey never to be forgotten!

For more photos, visit the gallery!

Fill out the Contact Form if you need more information!