This article is written by Chetna Prakash. Chetna is a London-based traveler & travel blogger.
Blame in on Yash Chopra. But thanks to his Song “Dekha Ek Khwab” from the Bollywood movie: Silsila, my mother cannot imagine the European landmass without immediately conjuring visions of endless tulip fields. Any visit to Europe – she is yet to come here – will have to comprise tulip expeditions.
Only, unlike my mother’s expectations, tulips are not omnipresent in Europe. In fact, you will have to take a detour to The Netherlands in order to see never-ending stretches of them, Silsila-style. Also tulips are notoriously short-lived. They bloom in April and – I was shocked to discover – die within weeks. After that it is a wait for another year.
You will find tulips everywhere in The Netherlands, but the largest fields of tulips – of the kind that would inspire romance in Bachchan and Rekha – are at Kuekenhof, a half-day trip from Amsterdam. And Silsila isn’t the only Bollywood connection it has. You can even find a variety of tulip named after our own Aishwarya Rai in these gardens.
It is open to public from March 24 to May 20, and for details of timings, how to get there and prices, click here.
But this is what we guarantee: if you do make it, the absolutely stunning fields will meet all your expectations and more.
For more on Yash Chopra, Switzerland and romance, read our article here. If you are looking for specific DDLJ locations in Switzerland (“that church” and “that bridge”), here’s some help.
Chetna Prakash
17 Apr 2012