If we mention the Netherlands to you, chances are that the very vibrant and popular Amsterdam will come to your mind. You’re already picturing its charming canals, omnipresent bicycles and Van Gogh Museum, right? Stop right there ! Today, we won’t tell you about the famous Dutch capital (you’ll just have to wait for a few more weeks!). We are taking you a little further south to explore the pretty and peaceful city of The Hague. Have you ever heard of it? Probably not. Actually, we hadn’t either prior to this trip. Well, we knew that it’s where the headquarters of some big European institutions are located but, to be honest, other than that, we didn’t know much. It is precisely the reason why we got so excited when The Hague’s Tourist Office asked us to explore the place for a few days and tell you about it. There’s nothing better than discovering a destination without having any idea of what to expect, don’t you think? It’s exactly what we did in The Hague and, quite frankly, after a few days we didn’t want to leave! We wandered around the city for 3 days straight and found out about some pretty amazing places and activities we just can’t wait to share with you in the upcoming weeks! But first  things first, let’s start by telling you about Kijkduin, the beach resort where we stayed in the cutest little house on one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen before. Yep, that’s right!

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Sleeping by the beach, a dream come true

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We got to The Hague on a beautiful warm September afternoon, weighed down by our backpacks and very eager to see what was going to be our beach house for the next 2 days. The pictures had already blown us away but it was nothing compared to the wonder we felt when stepping for the first time in our new home. We had a crush for this charming little wooden house placed there, on a beautiful beach, facing the sea. The entrance goes through the small wooden terrace where we easily and instantly pictured ourselves enjoying this mesmerizing sunset that was already going on. The house is quite small but perfectly functional and should be fine for a small family, a young couple or even a small group of friends with its 2 bedrooms that can fit up to 4 people. The living room is made of a sitting area, a dining area and a very nice well equipped kitchen. We instantly fell for this delightfully relaxing and soothing atmosphere in a very tastefully decorated home. It was now a certainty, we would feel right at home in this house!

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It was our first time sleeping in a beach house and we were delighted by the experience. As soon as we could, we would just take advantage of the pretty wooden terrace in front of the house either for having a coffee, admiring the sunset or simply counting the stars with a glass of wine while talking for hours. Enough to make some great memories out of it and enjoying each other’s company, it was exactly what we needed! Falling asleep lulled by the gentle sound of the distance waves is a pretty amazing experience in itself as well as waking up and immediately enjoying this beautiful and deserted pristine beach. Despite the proximity of the other beach houses (about twenty in total), we often felt as though we were alone in the world facing the vastness of the ocean and we must say that it’s a damn good feeling, especially in such a romantic setting!

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Foodie places for sandy feet

As if the idyllic setting wasn’t enough, there are charming beach clubs located nearby the beach house where you can eat, have a drink or just chill and enjoy Kijkduin while listening to some fine music. Can you believe it? We tried out two of them: Suiderstrand and Habana Beach and, spoiler alert, we loved them!

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We went to Suiderstrand for dinner, (5-minute walk from the house) on our first day in The Hague, at sunset. We were still pretty amazed by the beautiful beach house and so having the chance to dine in such a beautiful setting only added to the magic, we were pretty lucky! We were warmly greeted by Sander, a handsome young smiling man. He was a perfect stylish Dutch guy. Oh yes, just so you know : the Dutch are beautiful stylish people! We already had this impression in Amsterdam a few days earlier but then the effect was increased tenfold in The Hague, where people were still having beautiful tans that went perfectly with their bright smiles and beautiful perfect hair. In fact, we kind of always felt like we were in a commercial, it was pretty funny! So, we were greeted by Sander, who immediately set us up on a pretty slightly elevated wooden table. We had front row seats to enjoy the last rays of the sun. The restaurant was packed and it was nice to see very different types of people mingling and spending some quality time together, from families to young working persons or businessmen. The atmosphere was very laid-back and friendly and the romantic vibe was perfectly set up by this old school R’n’B playlist that was pleasantly caressing our ears! The food was absolutely delicious, refined and rather copious and the cocktails were great, it’s a really nice place that we highly recommend!

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We also tried out the breakfasts at the Habana beach (10-minute walk from the house), on our last day. We went there at the opening, early in the morning. So the restaurant was still pretty quiet unfortunately but it didn’t stop us from enjoying this absolutely charming place that comes with a nice decor and a great view of the North Sea. There’s nothing better than starting the day off right by enjoying a hot tea with butter and chocolate chips toasts while contemplating the ocean! It was also the perfect way to say goodbye to this little corner of paradise that had welcomed us with open arms. We’ll definitely return one day, The Hague!

We were offered to try out the beach house and the restaurants by The Hague Tourist Office. However, any opinion expressed here is our own and we haven’t in any case been subjected to the influence of a third party. A big thank you to Chantal, Mieke and Sander for your warm, smiling and caring welcome!