Cooking on a stove in a Dutch Oven, pumping your own water from the ground and gathering wood in the forest while surrounded by peace and quiet and beautiful nature. Staying at Cabiner in national park the Drentsche Aa takes you back to basics for a while but in an incredibly unique and comfortable way! I enjoyed this amazing adventure immensely and would love to let you in on it!
Through wooded surroundings - 7 kilometres walking
Spending the night in a Cabiner is a truly unique experience. For instance, you cannot get to the cottage by taking a bus, boat or car, but will have to walk through the beautiful Drentsche Aa nature park before you can go on holiday.
Together with a friend, I stayed in Cabiner 6. To get here, we could choose a seven-kilometre walk or a five-kilometre hike. We immediately decided to take up the challenge and naturally opted for a seven-kilometre hike. This doesn't seem super far, but that's how it felt on a humid, hot and at times rainy day. Also, of course, you have to carry all your stuff in a backpack, so you secretly have quite a bit of weight on your back.
It was easy to do, but still a bit heavier than we had expected. What makes up for it is the nice prospect of finally arriving at the cottage. Also, the Drentsche Aa is really a beautiful wooded area and thus a wonderful place to admire on foot. After enjoying a walk that took us about an hour and a half with a break, the moment arrived: our beautiful Cabiner, across an incredibly large field of flowers and grasses. A true reward.
Cooking on a wood-burning stove - woodcutting and
As soon as you arrive at your Cabiner, you're not done working yet. To take a hot shower, you need to light the wood-burning stove, and this is where you can cook your meal right away. We had ordered the vegetarian food package via Cabiner. You pick this package up at the Forestry Commission office where you also start your hike. In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious stew with chickpeas and naan bread, all prepared on the burning wood stove. In the evening, we prepared our overnight oats in advance so that in the morning we only had to add the fruit. Super simple but both very tasty!
Surrounded by nature in Drenthe - Total peace and quiet
I am a big fan of camping because this way of holidaying brings you close to nature. However, I am also not averse to some comfort and this is what makes Cabiner so unique. During your stay, you are surrounded by the vast expanses of Dutch nature and can therefore completely relax. Although you do have to work to keep everything running in the cottage, you also definitely enjoy a good dose of comfort.
The beds are super comfortable and everything you need is just there in the cottage. When we went for another walk in the evening, we didn't encounter anyone except a few deer who were watching us in a field further away. We also enjoyed a great sunset, cosy evening by a burning wood stove and super quiet night. Waking up to the sound of the wind blowing between the trees and singing birds was the icing on the cake of our stay in Cabiner.
Also sleep in Cabiner - Special overnight stays
Would you like to spend the night in a Cabiner? You can choose to stay in one Cabiner or move around between the different cottages. I found it a really unique experience and came back fully recharged! Cabiner 6 is a really beautiful cottage but since the surrounding nature is really very beautiful, the other cottages must be at least as beautiful.
Love,
Anne-Floor