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A seafaring Dutch couple are visiting Bahrain and hoping to hook more Bahrainis and expats living on the island to up-anchor and experience a luxury yachting adventure in the Netherlands.
Ella and Ko Goud take holidaymakers on board their BD500,000 20m-long yacht Amelia for mini-cruises, combining hotel stays and even rent out a mobile home for those wanting to tour the countryside.
The Gouds live in Wemeldinge, in the popular province of Zeeland in the southwest of the Netherlands. Ko, 59, the Amelia’s captain, who worked for more than 25 years on patrol vessels assuring the safety of ships at sea, said: “Sailing on the waters in Holland with its lakes, rivers and channels has been our passion for many years.
“Our dream has been to share that passion for water, sailing and good food with others so we decided to try to make this our living.”
Ko took early retirement and Ella moved to part-time work as a government environmental quality manager to allow them to have the time and energy to start up Goldies Travel in 2008.
Amelia is docked at a small fishing harbour in Yersekem in the National Park of Oosterschelde. Food lovers believe some of the world’s finest mussels, oysters and lobsters are harvested there.
Ella, 55, said: “What we offer is a mini-cruise. It can include a shuttle service pick-up from and to the airport and different adventures on land like a picnic, a bicycle tour or a trip to a waterpark, museum or even the famous tulip exhibition, The Keukenhof.
“Food is served fresh and is cooked on board using local produce to complement the different senses visitors experience on our yacht. Our goal is to make it an unforgettable holiday.”
On board and on the fly bridge the Amelia offers an all-round view allowing visitors to admire the surroundings, the waterside and wildlife. Seals, sunbathing on the sandbanks, sometimes up to 60 at a time, are a huge attraction.
There is a fully-equipped kitchen and below deck it boasts three luxurious cabins to accommodate six guests. Various packages are available and more people can be accommodated in combination with hotel stays or combining the use of the mobile home.
Ella and Ko, who have two children, Kevin, 24, and Stephanie, 22, are visiting friends Annet and Hamad Al Ammari and their children, Yasmina, 15, Layla, 14, and Lina, 12, in Saar, and have also been meeting with local travel agencies to develop links.
The two mothers first met in kindergarten and also attended the same primary school in Krabbendijke, a Dutch village in Zeeland.
Annet has been in the region since 1988 after leaving Europe with her sister to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. It was there where she met her husband, a Bahraini businessman. She said: “Every year we visit Holland and every year we take a trip on Amelia. We have also invited family and friends from Holland, as well as some from Bahrain and Saudi and we have all shared the same exceptional feelings. Ella and Ko are great hosts – they are a warm, generous and sincere couple.”
The Gouds are here until tomorrow and can be contacted on 39686001 or check out info@goldiestravel.nl or www.goldiestravel.nl
