Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

12 April 2025

4-minute read

The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for its flat landscape of canals, fields of tulips, and accessible cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to a large number of famous museums. Tradition and innovation intertwine in this small though splendid country with artistic masterpieces, centuries-old windmills, tulip fields and candlelit cafés coexisting alongside visionary architecture and cutting-edge design in cities that never sleep.

Originally from South Africa, Batool Nagdee lived in Germany for two years before moving to the Netherlands a few years ago. She says that South Africans visiting the Netherlands can go about applying for a Schengen visa online on the VFS website, and because of the recent backlog processing visas, this should be done at least two months prior to travel.

For tourists on a budget or a time limit, the main cities to visit in the Netherlands include Amsterdam, Utrecht, the Hague, and Rotterdam, which was destroyed completely during World War 2 and then rebuilt.

Netherlands is known for its pristine beauty. With many man-made and agricultural sights, tourists can visit Giethoorn, the Netherlands’ serene water-world with canals where streets should be, and boats as the sole mode of transport. Detour to Bourtange, a fortress town steeped in history offering a glimpse into a time when battles were fought and won.

If you’re there in the Spring or tulip season as it is known, from March to early May, take a bus to Keukenhof, where spring unfurls in a riot of colour as the tulips bloom, claiming the title of Earth’s largest flower garden. Alternatively, the world’s ultimate windmill experience can be had in Kinderdijk.

For those wanting to immerse themselves in history, there is the Rijksmuseum, the Maritime Museum, and the Van Gogh Museum, all situated in Amsterdam. The Children’s Museum and the amusement park are ideal for those travelling with their kids. Batool advises booking tickets in advance as most of these places are full year-round.

Being a European country, the type of accommodation that offers the best value for money are budget hotels. Off-season, luxury hotels can also be quite affordable. The public transport in the country is reliable and accessible, but more expensive than countries like Germany. The hop-on-hop-off bus is a good way to get around the cities.

Islam is prevalent in the Netherlands with a large Muslim population and plenty of halal eateries from butcheries to restaurants, with masaajid and prayer places located inside buildings in almost every town. An area not too far from Amsterdam called “the Bazaar” boasts a lot of Muslim traders, shops selling Eastern goods and halal eating places.

As for language, although Dutch is very similar to Afrikaans, the accent and grammar differs.  Afrikaans is based on one particular Dutch dialect and unless you encounter Dutch people speaking that dialect, Batool advises sticking to English when conversing with the locals as most of them speak it as their second language. While spoken Dutch is a bit more difficult, printed text is easier to understand. So as a South African, you may not find it as easy to converse with people in the Netherlands as you may have thought.

Listen to the full interview here.