End of March, full sun and buds bursting open. Come on … that gets everyone thinking of water and sand.
Close to home and simply gorgeous for celebrating those early spring days is Vossemeren. Located right next to the Lommelse Sahara, with cottages on the water, you instantly feel like you are somewhere more exotic.
As a true Limburger I knew parks like Erperheide and Vossemeren mainly for their wonderful swimming paradises. This spring those had to stay closed. Strange but true, because of the closure it actually felt as if we had even less time than usual to do everything we felt like doing.
Planning and check-in
We chose a package with bikes. The park is big and, with the Sahara and Bosland being part of the surroundings, you will really want to cycle. You can also choose straight away the location of your cottage, made-up beds, breakfast, a grocery package and more.
Via the app you can already see a few days in advance which different activities you can do.
Long story short … with two completely hyped-up children and a dog, we set off for Vossemeren on Monday.
The plan? A week of working, enjoying the first sun and helping the children let off steam.
Full of anticipation we pulled into the Vossemeren car park at exactly the right hour. No long queues at reception, just drive on to the car park and pick up your little package there. Corona-safe and quick.
Amid loud cheering we settled into the cottage. WITH a terrace and a view of the water. Although nobody felt like doing anything other than eating spaghetti and playing games, we still quickly went to collect our bikes.
Another really neat system. You drive your car to the cottage to settle in. When you are done, you drive back to the car park to leave the car and pick up your bikes at the same time. The park is car-free and that is bliss; you can simply let the children skateboard, rollerskate and cycle to their heart’s content.
At the park when it rains
Despite the beautiful weather, there were also a few rainy moments on the way. Since Daany and I also wanted to get some work done, we decided to order a craft package for those moments. In the end the weather was glorious, but so was the “indoor activity”.
Normally you can do all sorts of indoor activities, but with the arrival of auntie C. Rona an alternative had to be found. And what an alternative.
You order the craft packages in advance (at reception or in the app) and the next day Orry or one of his friends comes to visit with plenty of bells and whistles to have a chat and deliver the package.
And I mean that literally … those bells and whistles. From far away you can already hear party music and as the sound gets closer you simply cannot resist going to have a look. Before you know it there are two cheerful visitors at the door with a cool craft package that even managed to charm my 13-year-old daughter.
The Market Dome, which is a small jungle, is also fun to visit when it rains. It adjoins the swimming pool (once that is finally allowed to open). But even without the pool it is fun, especially with smaller children or as an adult. There are quite a few animals to see, such as flamingos, parrots, turtles, waterfowl and fish. They are more or less free and children can walk between them along exciting little paths. As a mum I simply enjoyed relaxing there on a bench for a while.
As soon as restaurants are open again you can also eat well and cosily there.
Good food
I am quite a foodie, and a fussy one too; it has to be healthy, varied and without meat or dairy products. Luckily I never expect very much.
Well, it exceeded my expectations. We had breakfast every day and did table-cooking, which was a gourmet package.
Breakfast
Every morning, by the time we got up, there was a bag of breakfast goodies waiting. Different kinds of bread rolls, pastries, savoury and sweet toppings, juices and hot drinks, but also fruit.
For the children it was a daily fight to rummage through the breakfast bag. There is a children’s box in it for each of them, every time with a surprise inside.
We found the breakfast a real luxury. Of course it is not necessary, but so nice to just grab the bag at your leisure and go and have breakfast.
Table-cooking
We could choose between BBQ, gourmet or fondue. Because the children really love gourmet, we went for that.
Again … I usually find those packages a feast of unhealthy food, but was pleasantly surprised once more.
It was not just a platter of meat (substitutes). There was also an enormous variety of vegetables and salads. For dessert there was pancake batter together with fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
In the late afternoon they delivered a box of goodies and a gourmet set. The next morning you simply put it outside and they pick it up. Super simple.
Supermarket
All the food comes from the park’s own supermarket, so you can also go there to pick out everything yourself.
I certainly would not bring bags of food along either; children love the supermarket and the range is very wide while the prices are reasonable.
All in all I can honestly say that the food options were a really lovely surprise. Go Go Go Vossemeren!
The park
As I said, I have known Vossemeren since childhood, but mainly the swimming pool. In the park itself there is an enormous range of different activities besides the pool.
Because we happened to be there just as restrictions were being tightened, everything was very limited, but even so there was plenty to do.
Cycling
We hired bikes, which was not only ideal for exploring the surroundings, but also for getting around the park. It is fairly big and walking can sometimes take a while.
The children also simply loved cycling around the lake or over the wooden bridge straight across the lake.
Climbing
We booked an outdoor climbing wall session. It was done in a very safe way. The belaying worked via an automatic system so that a minimum of people had to be present. There were also 2 instructors keeping a close eye on everything.
I was very happy about that myself. Belaying while pregnant did not appeal to me, and hubby having to belay two children would have guaranteed some grumbling.
Pedalo
The weather was fantastic so we hired a pedalo to bob around on the lake for a bit. A few snacks along (most of which disappeared into the beaks of geese, swans and ducks) and pure cosiness.
The advantage of older children, once again, is that mum and dad could enjoy an aperitif while they did the heavy work.
Playground and petting farm:
Centerparcs would of course not be Centerparcs if there were not a wide range of playgrounds.
So despite the playground right next to our bungalow, we still had to cycle around the whole park in search of all the playgrounds. Luckily, because otherwise we might have missed the petting farm.
The animals were so well cared for and super tame. The peacock in particular captured the imagination, as he paraded around the whole time as if the entire park belonged to him. He sometimes even flew onto the roof of a bungalow to rest in the sun for a while.
Although the playgrounds were more for slightly younger children, our children still enjoyed them too.
Once more is allowed again, there is of course also the big Discovery Bay, where a bit more challenge and adventure can be found.
And more:
There were also options for minigolf, an escape room, karting, tennis, basketball, football, …
But simply too little time to do everything.
Anyway … long story short … best bring sporty clothes that can preferably get dirty too.
Outside the park:
Vossemeren lies close to Bosland (known for cycling through the trees) and the Lommelse Sahara.
Since Ellis loves rushing through those trees so much, the original plan was to cycle there.
Several beautiful cycle paths start from the park, which means you hardly, if ever, have to cycle on the main road.
Besides the long rides there are also lots of short cycle trips with wonderful views.
For instance, in 15 minutes you can cycle to the lookout tower of the Lommelse Sahara, straight through the play forest.
But however much my little rascals love cycling through those trees … playing cowboys and Indians in the Sahara was even more fun.
Yup … the Lommelse Sahara and Vossemeren not only sounded exotic but really turned out to be a whole other world. Something different again from the Belgium around our own church tower. We will definitely be back … and no longer just for a swim.
With special thanks to Centerparcs Vossemeren for giving us such a lovely holiday.
