THE beach stretched away in both directions.

Along it, the odd couple strolled and a few dogs bounded. A kite bobbed up from the sand. Shrieks of someone else's children carried over the wind that whipped up the waves and buffeted the grassy dunes behind us. On the horizon lay a couple of container ships, moored; waiting to access the nearby ports of Rotterdam and IJMuiden.

We were in Wassenaarseslag, a quiet end-of-the-road smattering of huts, playparks and cafes a few miles out of the pretty and affluent town of Wassenaar and the Duirnell holiday and amusement park. We'd travelled through the night on the easy-on, easy-off P&O ferry from Hull and had arrived in Rotterdam a couple of hours earlier. We'd dumped our gear in our compact but comfortable EuroCamp mobile home and made for the seaside, needing a beach blow-out after all that travelling.

Though the sand was golden and inviting, the threat of rain was growing, and after our fill of sandy shoes and North Sea gusts, we retreated up the dune to a wee cafe for some toasties and coke.

Amid the sand, tall grass and heavyweight roped gates, the Brasserie de Badmeester is like a forgotten outpost of Better Days. Its worn, weary elegance spoke of a finer, more glamorous world when holidays in Wassenaar were for the rich and the very rich only. When we visited, it was quiet, out of season, and the service was quick enough. But on busy, sunny days, expect to wait. This is no bad thing - it's the kind of place you don't mind sitting about it, whether you're out on the patio with the big sky view or in the conservatory or bar where the sparrows flutter among the rafters, eagle-eyed for morsel crumbs. They too, like the sandy, sea-soaked customers, benefit from the relaxed, friendly welcome that is characteristic of a visit to Holland.

Revived and refreshed, we made our way back to the Duinrell amusement park. Nestled inside a nature reserve on the outskirts of Wassenaar 20 miles north of Rotterdam, Duinrell is a cross between Center Parcs and EuroDisney. Water slides, train rides, dodgems, roller-coasters, candy-floss, carousels, big wheels and a swimming pool are all a few hundred yards from your mobile home and all surrounded by tall oak, beech and conker trees in a wooded estate that's about 250 acres in size.

As the older children sought the scariest rides they could stomach, we rose high in the Ferris wheel. Chimneys, church spires, tower blocks and the occasional windmill sticking up through the flat, green sea of leaves.

The Duinrell theme park is magical, though it's Rick, a frog, rather than a mouse, who reigns over the adventure castle and fairytale houses. Kids of all ages will be spellbound, though a couple of the rides - the Mad Mill and Falcon roller-coaster especially - will shake your faith in physics and Holland's health and safety laws.

Alongside a row of pancake, sweet and gift shops, two large play parks attract a constant stream of children, proving that no matter the rides on offer, you can't beat a simple slide and climbing frame. A short walk away is an old-fashioned merry-go-round built inside a large glasshouse with a creperie. Again, beautiful and enchanting.

Duinrell has an easy-going, friendly atmosphere, and the forest setting helps build that fairytale feel and sense there's always a little bit more to explore. Off the beaten track, for example, there's a toboggan ride that weaves through the trees and alongside sandy tracks that lead up to a watchtower - atop one of Holland's highest peaks - that gives another cracking view of the flat world around us.

There's a swimming pool here too (the Tikibad), which campers have to pay to access - unlike the rides, which are all free. Don't expect to get any lengths done though; it's all slides - mostly terrifying - and a wave pool and rapids. It's loud, noisy and busy - the changing rooms were especially cramped - but it's open until late and helluva fun. Make sure you take arm bands for the wee ones.

A lot of visitors don't leave Duinrell - there is, after all, every convenience on site. But a short walk to Wassennar is highly recommended, as is a short drive to Leiden, a beautiful old university town that's as easy to move about in as it is to get lost. Only Utrecht is more pretty, said one local. Better wharves, he said, as if that offered an explanation.

The old town of Leiden is awash with picturesque buildings, windmills and bridges spanning a criss-cross of canals. There's more then enough for a full day here. It has an impressive selection of museums, such as the Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde and botanical gardens. If you're looking for something a little bit different, however, visit the Corpus Experience on the town's outskirts.

But walk around Leiden. Take time to sit in one or more of the many canal-side cafes, such as De Bruine Boon, on Stationsweg. We found a plaque that marked the birthplace of Rembrandt van Rijn by the edge of the Old Rhine, from which he took his name. On the same square there's a ramshackle boatyard that offers boat trips. Instead we explored on foot. Dodged cyclists. Eyed barges. Chased windmills. Found the Burcht van Leiden, an 11th-century keep. Watched a photoshoot. Navigated markets on the Boommarkt and Aalmarkt. Ate waffles. Discovered Jip and Janneke, the monochromatic protagonists of Holland's best-known children's books, in a wee bookshop overlooking the canal (Sylvester, on Rapenburg).

Wassenaar, meanwhile, is for the most part a picture postcard town. It's leafy, pretty, rich in character as well as wealth, and has, like many of Holland's towns, an old historical centre and lively shopping streets. On Longstaadt, we found artisan bakeries and pretty gift shops alongside a Michelin-starred restaurant and slick clothes shops. Around the corner, on Luifelbaan, I found a classy off-licence with a handsome selection of whisky and beers. Nothing, however, not the rollercoasters, dodgems nor the pool, excited and delighted my kids more than the American candy store at the end of the road.

A seven-night stay at Eurocamp's Duinrell, Wassennar staying in a three-bedroom Espirit mobile home costs from about £250 www.eurocamp.co.uk. Colin Campbell stayed at Duinrell courtesy of EuroCamp and P&O Ferries poferries.com

5 things to do around Duinrell

Explore Wassenaarseslag

These dunes are splendid in any weather. The ice cream is great, the sand's lovely and the water's good for swimming in - it can get as warm as 21C in the summer. The area near the car park can get crowded so expect to walk a bit for some space in high season. Keep an eye out for the Second World War bunkers, part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall defence.

Visit the Maritime Museum, Rotterdam

An absolute gem. Beautifully restored boats and barges fill the canalside, while inside you're taken on a tour of Rotterdam's past and present. There is an outstandingly brilliant play area for children. Adults, 8.50 euro.

Visit the Corpus Experience, Leiden

Unlike any building you've ever seen, the Corpus Experience is in fact a giant body, which you enter and travel through to get an intimate and up-close tour of the human body. Adults, 16.75 euros.

Hire bikes

Holland was made for cycling. Hire bikes at the Duinrell park and explore the charming nearby towns and sea front. There are cycle tracks in almost all directions. Adult bikes are 9 euro a day, though the park does do a discounted rate for the week.

Take a boat trip

Leiden is lovely. Consider exploring it by boat with Bootjes en Broodjes or Rederij Rembrandt (from about 9 euro an adult), with Bootjes offering the opportunity for you to take the boat out yourself!