#XploreMore 2014 - Site 16 - Klein Strand, Belgium

Site 16 – Klein Strand, Belgium

Our drive from Holland to Belgium was easy. Whilst there was no border to cross, we were aware of when we entered Belgium; differences in road signs, quality of road surface and the faster, more impatient style of driving.

Klein Strand is a very large camping site, close to the motorway but we were not affected by road noise in the slightest. The site is spread over two areas, split by a road; one side contains a large area of static caravans, a small supermarket, restaurant and lake. The other area is for tents, caravans and motor-homes. Static caravans spill into this area too and some of the caravan pitches are clearly permanent set-ups. The grass pitches, each with their own electric hook-up and water tap, are lined with hedges and organised into small cul-de-sacs. In wetter weather the pitches can get muddy and if vehicles get stuck the site tractor can tow them off. The toilet block is large and clean.

Being a large site means there were plenty of facilities. Upon arrival, you are given a key to access the entrance / exit barrier but this also functions as payment for showers and dish washing. A deposit of 25 Euros covers the key and an additional 5 Euros is added for use of water. The site also has a bar and a take-away serving the famous Belgium chips. For the children, there is a playground, paddling pool amusement arcades.

Our stay at Klein Strand was short - two nights only. The stormy weather we had had in Holland followed us and on the first night we had thunder, lightning and heavy rain. The storm disappeared the following day so making the most of the drier weather, we headed into Bruges on the local buses. Bruges is a beautiful historic city, with quaint streets and matchbox houses. Every other shop sells chocolates. The girls both bought themselves chocolates and enjoyed the local delicacy – waffles. Another local delicacy we had was Moules frites and of course the Belgium beer! Tim ordered a large beer with his lunch but was shocked when the glass, larger than Ella’s head, arrived at the table. The cost was another shock – 16 Euros!

We enjoyed our stop in Belgium. The girls loved the site and its facilities. They made the most of the amusements and enjoyed an impromptu evening swim in the lake with newly-made friends. Two large slides (one wide and fast and the other a slower curly slide) meant they had great fun splashing around until they got too cold to carry on. The large lake was also used for fishing and water skiing and the sandy beach was popular for beach volleyball. We managed to have a couple of games and complete another of our challenges.