Hello everyone!
We are Gerben, Sanne, Pleun, Lot and Siebe de Groot. For years we have had the dream of one day
running our own campsite and enjoying the healthy outdoor life with our children.
A dream became reality!
In 2020, our dream became reality and we became the new and proud owners of Zonnehoeve
campsite, where we were allowed to continue the quietly located farm campsite, on our chosen path
with an eye for sustainability and biodiversity.
The first years
Our start was exciting but uncertain. A few days after the key transfer, all campsites in the
Netherlands had to close. No one knew how far the Covid measures would go and we knew that if
the campsite is not allowed to open before the summer holidays, can we put the for-sale sign back in
the garden, please? And who wants to buy a campsite at such a time?
Fortunately, that doomsday scenario did not become a reality and we used the quiet period to make
our house livable and get to know the campsite. In retrospect, it’s not surprising to have your living
space in order with (then) two small children before the madness breaks loose.
Because that happened… From the moment we were allowed to open, the campsite has
continuously had a high occupancy. Camping in the Netherlands is becoming more popular and more
and more people know where to find our campsite, which appears to be unique in the region.
Busy like the bees
The contrasts between summer and winter are enormous. While in the summer we are constantly
occupied by guests, cleaning work and of course the care for our children, in the winter we can fill
the days ourselves. But if you think we have it quiet in the winter, you are wrong. (And we know that
we do that ourselves). We get a lot of energy from many projects at the same time, from renovations
and from making the site more beautiful. And the faster that goes and the busier we are as a result,
the bigger the thrill.
Now you’re probably wondering whether our dream is as romantic in reality as described above.
“Enjoying the healthy outdoors together with our children”. We certainly enjoy that, but if you have
ever tried to do odd jobs outside with three small children (and we mean really big jobs that you
can’t just finish), then you probably already know the answer. In reality, we are very lucky to have a
number of enthusiastic and kind volunteers who help us with everything. Without them it would not
have been possible to renovate the campsite to such an extent.
We’re most proud of…
The question in advance is what kind of target group will come to your campsite – and to be honest,
we had no idea in advance how important a loving group of people would – but if we are lucky with
anything, it is the positivity and gratitude of our guests. The variation in guests and their vision
inspires and ensures great conversations, meetings and connections.
We hope that everyone who comes camping with us can enjoy the nice atmosphere, nature and
tranquility as much as we do.
We hope to see you at our campsite, where you are, of course, naturally welcome!
