Bas Naus

We were thrilled with the trip that was planned and supported by our Kim Kim guide, Bas. Based on our very specific interests, and the way we like to travel, Bas planned a perfect itinerary. The plan included a nice balance of self-led activities and guide-led activities. It included guided walking tours, boat tours, and cycling tours as well as a self-led cycling activity. We had some input on the Bas' initial plan, and he was happy to make accommodations to fit our requests. Bas was also available to make some changes during the trip. For example, when a cancelled flight at the outset of the trip forced us to change some of our planned activities, he moved things around to make it work. We were able to get hard-to-secure tickets to the Anne Frank museum, and we had the pleasure of having tremendous, friendly, and fun guides for four of the activities. We weren't sure what to expect as this was our first full Kim Kim itinerary, but we couldn't have been happier with the trip.

Bas did a tremendous job on planning our trip, we loved every minute.

My daughter and I did an art tour of the Netherlands. Bas from Beat The Dutch did such a great job matching expectations to our budget. I didn't know what to expect, having never used KimKim before, but overall, it was really great - we were comfortable, safe, and were able to move between cities and sites with ease on public transport, thanks to pre-loaded OV chip cards Beat The Dutch provided. Everybody involved did a wonderful job.

My husband and I had an amazing 8 days in the Netherlands! I initially tried to book our trip with US agents, but because we wanted to visit the Vermeer Collection and attend other specific events, they were unable to provide what we were looking for. Bas and his team, however, provided exactly what we were hoping for and more! We enjoyed walking tours with very knowledgeable guides like Jelte in Amsterdam and biking through tulip fields and the sand dunes on our own near The Hague. Our schedule was a perfect balance of scheduled events and free time for our own interests. It was especially helpful to have Bas and his team available while we were in country to help with any questions we had. From the beginning to the end of this process, Bas has been easy to contact and quick to respond. This was our first time traveling in Europe and, although we were certain it would be wonderful, Bas created what we consider a perfect experience for us!

Activity Reviews

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Having the OV-Chip card made our travel much easier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Museum Card Netherlands

The Netherlands

This was great to have included in our trip documents! We went to many museums, even the Panorama in The Hague, which our hotel receptionist recommended. It was unbelievable— and free! because we had this pass!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zaanse Schans visit

The Netherlands

Having a background in farming and engineering, my husband particularly enjoyed our visit to the windmills because he was able to discuss specifics about the inner workings of the mechanics and processes. This is not to be missed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip advisor was bas and he was incredible to work with and easy to communicate our needs and wants for the trip my mother and I took for the first time in the Netherlands and Belgium. Kimkim is such a great trip advisor website that makes everything super easy and efficient. I would definitely 100000% use Kimkim again for another trip hopefully.

We had an absolutely amazing time traveling to The Netherlands and Belgium thanks to Bas from Beat the Dutch Travel who we met through kimkim.

Throughout the planning process, Bas was exceptionally helpful; he asked us good questions to get a sense of our interests, needs, budget etc. and always responded to our messages in a timely manner. Early in the process he provided a potential itinerary which was sufficiently detailed to give us a sense of what our trip might look like and then refined it after our review. In addition to activities that were booked for us, Bas, and his colleague Mieke, also provided us with a curated list of restaurants and sights we might like to consider during unplanned times. All tickets for transit and for sights were purchased for us, which took the stress out of our travel planning. Having a local specialist make suggestions with regard to sights to see meant that we were able to take in the "must-sees" as well as some that were less likely to be visited by tourists. The accommodations that we selected, based on Bas' recommendations were all unique and interesting and suited our needs well.

During our trip we had private tours booked in Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Antwerp which helped us to get an appreciation for each of these cities from the perspective of and with the expertise of a local guide. One particular highlight of our trip, one for which we are particularly grateful was the opportunity to meet Bas when he acted as our driver so that we could visit 'The Crossing Bridge', the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, and Vrijheidsmuseum (Freedom Museum), which would have been difficult for us to visit via public transport. In addition to meeting a very practical need in terms of transport, we deeply appreciated the opportunity to learn about life in The Netherlands through is eyes.

Both Bas and Mieke were very responsive to our questions and concerns both before we traveled and then while we were on the trip. We are very grateful to them for making our trip to The Netherlands and Belgium stress free and highly memorable. Thanks to them we can't wait to plan our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Atlas B&B

Ghent

We loved this B&B. Our room was very spacious and had a lot of character. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our only complaint was that our washroom (although private - just ours) was outside of our room and down 12 stairs. Otherwise, we had a lovely stay. Breakfast, served in a small dining room was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was very comfortable and clean. We give only 4 stars since our washroom was outside of our room.

De Keyser Hotel

Antwerp

This hotel is located about a 5 minute walk from the train station and in the heart of the city. The room was small but met our needs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel New York

Rotterdam

The hotel is very interesting and historic with a wonderful location. The rooms are bright with lots of windows and high ceilings. The staff were friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Opoe Sientje B&B

Nijmegen

This was a very unique place to stay. We stayed in the the Deckhouse apartment. Our "room" on the boat was cozy with an outer room (including a kitchenette, dining table, and sofas) and a small bedroom. It has a great view of harbour and the bridge over the river Waal. We took a very peaceful walk around the premises in the early morning. Since we only stayed one night we didn't get to enjoy all of what Opoe Sientje has to offer. Breakfast, served in the Hold, was delicious.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amstelzicht

Amsterdam

We loved staying at the Amstelzicht Hotel. It is small (with only 14 rooms) and quaint with a great location. The staff were friendly and helpful. We had a lovely view of the canal and the hotel is a very short walk from Rembrandt Square. Transit from the hotel is very easy. The rooms are comfortable and clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Activity Reviews

World War II excursion Westerbork & Veluwe

Amsterdam

We were really grateful to be able to visit Het Verscholen Dorp (the Secret Village). Although it has such a troubling history as a hideout for Dutch Jews, it was fascinating to see.

Amsterdam - Westerbork - Veluwe - Arnhem/Nijmegen

The Netherlands

We will be talking about this experience for years to come! It was so sobering to come to this place where Dutch Jews, Roma, and other prisoners were brought during WWII but helped us to visualize history.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amsterdam - Private canal cruise to Rijksmuseum

The Netherlands

This canal cruise was one of the highlights of our trip. The captain of the boat was very knowledgeable and shared with us interesting information and stories about Amsterdam. Our cruise was scheduled in the morning. It was very peaceful and quiet. Seeing the city from the canal is a must!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Public Transport Pass Amsterdam

The Netherlands