We were thrilled with this fantastic home exchange experience, which started with seamless and excellent communication with Anke and Marinus. We briefly met the family at our place and were pleasantly surprised by how spontaneous, cool, and polite the kids were! Upon our arrival, the spacious and tastefully decorated house exceeded our expectations, offering a cozy atmosphere ideal for quality family time. The generously sized kitchen and living area made indoor moments on a rainy day very enjoyable. The house provided all the comforts we needed, along with an abundance of play materials for the children. A warm welcome greeted us with local treats, of which we bought more at the local bakery to take back home with us. Our exploration of Groningen and the delightful village of Zuidlaren was a highlight. En route to visit friends in the vicinity, we traversed picturesque landscapes, charming villages, and scenic walking areas. We also received many valuable tips for enjoyable activities in the area from Anke. Unfortunately, we did not have time to explore them all, so it's clear that we have to return for an extended stay!

From the beginning of the contact to the end we enjoyed staying in your house. The house is comfortable and welcoming. Everything is there. Thank you for the uncomplicated exchange and the many recommendations in your information material. There is much to see in the wonderful Drenthe region. We rode the family's bikes into the beautiful nature reserve and enjoyed sticking our feet in the sand and in the water. The beautiful city also offers everything and invites you to linger. We would have liked to stayed longer in Zuidlaren, because we had a great time!

We absolutely loved staying at the house of Anke, Marinus and their kids. It is a beautiful, thoughtfully renovated and exquisitely decorated, much loved house that allows for a comfortable stay as a family. On some rainy days we just enjoyed a good read on the cozy sofas and arm chairs, or sitting around the circular dining table, eating, chatting, discussing various matters. Our kids are all adults now and needed no toys except for the good WIFI, but we could see that the arrangement of areas in the main kitchen-dining-living room is perfect for families with young kids. They are given amble room to run around or play one of the many board games, or they can draw and craft at kid-sized desks within view of parents preparing meals. Before going to Zuidlaren, we had gathered an idea of the beauty of the house, from pictures on the HomeLink add. What we had not expected – even though Anke uploaded many good photos – how much we were impressed by the beauty of Drenthe, a region that was not on our radar up to that moment, and that, by now, has turned us into real fans. Imagine picturesque villages and farms, lots of grazing horses, and country avenues lined with magnificent old trees, the branches of which form atmospheric tunnels. Scenic heathlands, some with megalithic tomb sites, are situated just a few minutes by bicycle from the house. A number of lakes invite for a swim. Zuidlaren is a charming village with a number of restaurants, shops and supermarkets, and a wind mill museum very much worth a visit. There are many culturally interesting sites nearby, and the vibrant historic city of Groningen is less than half an hour’s ride away. Highlights were the country manor and park Fraeylemaborg in Schlochteren and the Moor Colony and Prison Museum in Veenhuizen. Our hosts did everything to make us feel welcome and prepared a detailed folder with suggestions what to do, where to go sightseeing. Anke made more suggestions via WhatsApp during the exchange, which were always worth following. Our communication was very cordially, easy and precise. They took very good care of our house and pets. We would have loved to meet them and hope to have a chance to meet in the future. Thank you, Anke, Marinus & family!