Yvonne's campspace in Paasloo

Yvonne's  small, creative campspace is located in Paasloo, on the edge of Weerribben-Wieden National Park. You can camp here with your own tent, van or caravan or in one of the colourfully decorated bell tents. From campfire waffles to archery in the orchard and from camping in the vicinity of alpacas Murphy, Niño and Paco to bathing in the hot tub. What a great ambience! I spent two nights in a 4-person bell tent at Yvonne's campspace and experienced a true outdoor feeling with added luxury.

My name is Kirsten and I am a photographer and the person behind the Dutch travel blog Where She Goes. Where She Goes is a travel blog for everyone who loves the outdoors, camping trips and unique places to sleep in nature. I am often on the road exploring and photographing all kinds of dream spots and unique (sustainable) accommodations, such as forest cabins and treehouses. You can expect articles from me, as a Campspace ambassador, with handy camping tips and articles about the coolest camping and glamping spots.

Book Yvonne's campspace!

Campspace hosts Yvonne and Justin

This popular campsite is run by Yvonne and Justin, two enthusiastic adventurers with a huge passion for travelling. Together they've visited more than 50 (!) countries. In 2020, the event industry came to a standstill due to corona. And with that, so did Yvonne’s job.

During these first months Yvonne’s dream to be an entrepreneur and to live outdoors came up more and more in conversations. She started to feel an itch. When the property crossed Yvonne and Justin’s path in September 2020, everything happened very quickly. While staying at a campsite in Italy the couple planned a viewing. Yvonne: “After visiting the location we were completely sold: this place has so much potential!”

From a balcony in Amsterdam to a campsite in the countryside

That’s how Yvonne and Justin have been realising their dream since 2021: building, adding to and managing their own campsite. With a lot of love and energy they transformed an existing campsite on the edge of a National Park into a place for nature lovers and bon vivants.

When the decision was taken and the campsite was sold to Yvonne and Justin, they wasted no time in making plans. The keys were handed over in March 2021 and the campsite was (re)opened one month later, in April. Yvonne: “Because of corona almost everything around us was closed, so our friends were very eager to work with us during the weekend on the campsite and to help us build our adventure.” With the help of friends and family, the campsite turned into a little paradise.

Yvonne and Justin’s lives have changed drastically since they started their mini campsite. Yvonne: “Our lives have changed in almost every way. From an apartment with just a balcony in Amsterdam to living in the countryside with three alpacas.” It’s a big contrast. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that Justin is still working in Amsterdam and that these two travel junkies still travel during the winter period.

A campsite with festival vibes

When you arrive at Yvonne's campspace you immediately feel it: that true camping feeling with a  bit of a festival vibe. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything, is just right. From the cosy fields to the colourful decoration and from the fluffy alpacas Niño, Paco & Murphy to the camping lounge. You will find three camping fields, with bell tents and pitches where you can camp with your own camper van, (rooftop) tent, caravan or a trailer tent.

Campspace hosts Yvonne and Justin try to contribute to a sustainable form of tourism by sharing their little paradise with other travellers. They are also moving towards sustainability with the use of biodegradable cleaning products and rainwater harvesting. The biggest investment, with the biggest effect, is probably the solar panels on the sanitary block. These provide green energy for the entire campsite.

Bell tents | Camping or glamping?

The bell tents on the campsite are decorated in a tropical, boho and Native American style. I got to spend the night in 4-person in the tropical bell tent,  that housed a super spacious tent with one double bed and two single beds. The beds are made out of pallets with very great mattresses and a wonderful warm duvet on top of it. You will also find towels, lovely ceramic dishes and a fridge in the bell tent. We made good use of the cactus-shaped beer opener. As far as I’m concerned, these are the details that really complete this experience. Feels like glamping! Or is it camping? Maybe a little bit of both. After all, you spend the night on real beds, but like the other campers, you also use the shared sanitary and washing facilities. There is good WiFi available on the campsite and there’s electricity in the bell tent. You might even book your stay as a workation!

Cooking in the camping lounge

Next to the alpaca meadow there is the camping lounge: a shared outdoor kitchen where you will find all kind of pots and pans, stoves and other cooking utensils to prepare a tasty meal. You can prepare tea or coffee in the camping lounge, eat your meal and of course play games when it rains. I haven’t seen a camping lounge like this one before, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a big plus. When you go camping with your own tent or van, you generally bring your own cooking equipment, but when you stay in a bell tent, you’re quite dependent on available (cooking) options. At Yvonne's campspace this is perfectly taken care of.

Archery, baking waffles and roasting marshmallows

Yvonne's campspace is a lovely mini campsite without a large 'animation team' which is common in more commercial large campsites in the Netherlands. Instead Yvonne and Justin organise some fun things to do for both children and adults. This includes baking waffles over a fire, decorating them with unicorn dip and roasting marshmallows. On Sunday mornings, you even have the opportunity to practice your archery skills in the orchard.

Bathing in a hot tub next to the alpaca meadow

Behind the wood hedges and in a very private spot next to the alpaca meadow, you'll find a wood-fired hot tub! You can book the hot tub with your stay and I can only recommend it. Bathing in the open air, the alpacas that occasionally come to say ‘hello’ and the sun on your face. Once you’re in it, you don’t want to get out anymore. If you try this, you won't want to go without. Luckily there are plenty more campsites with hot tubs on Campspace!

Running your own campsite: What is it like?

Yvonne: “The best thing about having a campsite is creating a place where our guests can fully enjoy themselves. We let our creativity run wild when it comes to the campsite. It gives such a boost when people appreciate our place and leave with a smile.”

Yvonne and Justin are now running their campsite for the second year running. Starting a business, and particularly a campsite, isn’t always easy and requires a lot of perseverance and teamwork. Both of them learned a lot in the past year and are especially proud of each other. Proud of having dared to go on an adventure and proud to have managed to create a unique spot that other campers and adventurers have found their way to.

Would you also to like to camp at Yvonne's mini campsite?

The pitches and the bell tents can be booked through Campspace. Yvonne: “We really like being Campspace hosts. The platform fits perfectly with our company, but also with ourselves. Campspace users search specifically for camping spots like ours, and often send a personal message in the booking request. This endorses direct contact with each other, and because our campspace is a small-scale campsite, we value this greatly.”

After reading this article, you might wonder how I experienced my stay at Yvonne's campsite. Well, I absolutely love this place. I just really like these kinds of mini campsites where you experience the outdoors, where nothing is required, where you’re surrounded by nature and you get to enjoy all kinds of cool things, like the hot tub and the archery. And yes, those cosy bell tents, the great camping lounge, fluffy alpacas and colourful decoration truly completed this adventure.

Book Yvonne's campspace !

Would you like to read more about my camping and glamping adventures and about the best (nature) campsites? Please take a look at my website Where She Goes and my Instagram page.