'under The Oaks' - Former Farmhouse In Rural Drente, Netherlands

We have just spent a great week at 'Under the Oaks' and with 5 adults, 3 teenagers and a child there was still plenty of space in the beautifully maintained and spotless house. There is a large lounge and a very well equipped big kitchen/diner both with ample seating comfortable for 12+. There's ample off-road parking and a lovely garden with bbq to enjoy aswell. The host and his family are so welcoming and extremely helpful in suggesting and organising activities in the area (eg. Bike hire, theme park tickets etc)...and further afield. We had a great day out at Bad Bentheim castle in Germany thanks to a suggestion from David! Diever is a lovely place with a supermarket and a handful of cafes and independent shops as well as hosting a Shakespeare festival in summer.There's also a freshwater lake to swim in on sunny days nearby in the national park.

We have just stayed at ''Under the Oaks'' in Diever (7 adults, 3 kids and 2 babies)....and what a beautiful place, such a wonderful stay. I have worked in the travel industry, stayed in lots of different types of accommodation and I have never come across such an amazing host. David, the owner, neighbour, bike rental support, tourist information centre and down right top guy, was such an amazing support during our stay. The recommendations for local sightseeing spots and restaurants were top notch. Diever itself is such a stunning little town, it seems like there's always something going on with markets and bike races. The blue lake is stunning, great place to swim and enjoy the sun. ''Beleef Park'' in dwingeloo was loved by the kids and adults a like. We also got a bus and a train to Zwolle for ''Dinoland''...a great day out very much enjoyed. Basically. A wonderful stay with a great host and lots to do in the area.

What a delight this holiday home and host is. The home was exceptional in its space, equipment and toys for young children, an absolute Godsend. Location, pure perfection, a short stroll to the duck pond with young grandchildren to feed an amazing assortment of birds, followed by a chocolate milk and apple pie (holiday breakfast) at the tourist information café, an absolute great start to the day. The whole family (12) hired bikes, gratefully arranged by our most wonderfully helpful host David. David was eager to share and help plan trips to nearby destinations. Never before have I had such a genuinely friendly, helpful host.

Lovely accommodation in a central location in the town. The house was well-equipped with everything we needed and we certainly made the most of the BBQ facilities! The owner is very friendly and extremely helpful - he couldn't have done anymore to make sure we had a lovely time. We were a family group made up of 3 children, 2 babies and 7 adults and it was perfect. The town itself is lovely - super ice cream shop and bakery. Quaint little duck pond and cycle routes just up the road - great for kids. Other big attractions like the waterpark at Dwingeloo and the lake close by.

Had a great stay. Our children loved the garden and trampoline. Lovely place. Hopefully we get back again! Thank you.

Cancel all your other accommodations and stay here. It was amazing and David went above and beyond to assist with anything we needed. Rent bikes! The market on Sunday is amazing. Nothing but rave reviews from the whole family. Would have stayed longer if we could have. I rate this 10 out of 5 stars. It was incredible!

David was very friendly. We had a great week with friends. There is enough space for 10 people with plenty of kitchenware and towels etc.

Great host and great environment. David knows the village and area and is open to share it.

This is a lovely house that worked well for our two families with children. With David's help we rented bikes in advance and enjoyed biking and walking in the nature areas surrounding Diever. It is a perfect base for outings.Thank you David for a wonderful couple of days in your house! I am sure we will return to Drenthe and Diever.

Very clean and spacious with all needed commodities; - David (Host) is super available for anything you will need to make sure you enjoy your stay; - The village is very nice and situated near all main activities (lakes, Regional Parks, ...) within cycling / driving distance. As well as the house being very close to grocery stores, bars, bakery etc (within walking distance).

Great experience for our family. David is a responsible, honest and friendly person. He prepared our stay in his house with good care. Communication is fast. The house is well equipped and clean. Surely we can recommend to stay in his house.

We enjoyed our stay very much! Our host was very helpful, kind and polite. If you have questions, whether about activities, what fireworks you are allowed to use, or if you are unsure about the garbage system, fire away because David knows the answer. There is a lot to see in the area - national parks (plural!!), attractions and recreation offers- and Diever itself is a cozy place where you can make short walks with the toddler and still be entertained by the scenery and friendly citizens. Absolute recommendation!

Just a lovely place to go. Northern Holland was so pretty and so much nicer than we envisaged. The Dutch certainly have life sorted! David could not have done any more for us. He booked bikes, advised us on many of our trips as well as giving us tips on restaurants. Highly recommended. Very clean and tidy, it was just as described.

We were two families (with 5 kids under 8) staying together and there was plenty of space. This home is conveniently located a few doors down from the grocery store and just a short one to two block walk to an ice cream shop, bakery and bike rentals. Just past the ice cream shop is the entrance to the beautiful park. We rented bikes and David assisted us with this to ensure we were able to get the right bikes and without having to pay the cash deposit. Overall, we had a great stay and are so pleased we chose to stay here - we would stay again.

A lovely traditional home with lots of room for family groups. Set in a charming village with restaurants and bars within walking distance. Surrounded by pleasant countryside walks and forest cycle ways. Attentive and helpful owner on site to help make the most of your stay.

We also stayed in 2013, IIRC. The Samsons are friendly and gracious hosts. The town is adorable, with a grocery 3 doors down and plenty of restaurants in walking distance and of course everything you could want in biking distance.The beds are comfortable, toys for the kids and David makes sure you are set up with bikes if you want that, and there's food in the fridge when you arrive. Always a pleasure to stay here!

Traveling from the U.S., our stay at "Under the Oaks" was a refreshing change of pace for a 3 day portion of our trip. The small town had everything we needed for a nice time away. We enjoyed the village shops and restaurants and just walking around. There was so much more to do in the area than we had time for. We used this convenient location as home base to travel around the area and north. Amsterdam was a reasonable distance and good roads. We were very pleased with the hospitality and kindness shown to us--from a personal tour of the house and village to a wonderful and generous welcome gift. Plenty of space and well maintained. Thank you very much!

'Under The Oaks' is in an excellent location to discover a treasure of small villages set within this natural, and unique, area of The Netherlands – the province of Drenthe. David’s fantastic welcome set the tone for our to-be-remembered stay with our family of nine: friendly and open communication, very knowledgeable of the area, walking us through our home-away-from-home, always available to answer any questions, yet respecting our privacy. In other words: Hospitality with a capital H! The kitchen is the heart of the home. Here it is true! We opened the lovely bottle of wine, part of the welcome gift. “Proost!”, my sister-in-law and I said as our glasses touched. More than you can ask for, and everything you need, is already in place in this well-stocked kitchen. The Coop grocery store is close by and in a short time our groceries were put away. The smaller table is ideal for breakfast – since members of our group drift into the kitchen at different times for, here, you want to sleep in because the beds are so comfortable. The large table is perfect for all of us to gather around during dinner time, and to stay awhile, unhurried, stretching out the mealtime into the early hours of the evening. Diever is a walking town. Step on the bike-and-foot path next to the farmhouse and you walk past the neighbour’s fields, where a black Frisian horse feeds on the lush grass. This path will lead you to a tranquil park, surrounded by homes. You will discover shops to explore, see the church with its steeple at the centre of town, and continue walking along quiet roads. We stopped and picked apples out of a wheel barrow, a present from an unknown giver, which was made into applesauce to accompany our meal. You will discover another park which is home to friendly ducks, turn the corner, pass a café, walk for a few minutes more, and: You are home.

It was perfect, the ground floor king size bed was a real treat for us. What a lovely village in a great location. Country side to the left and a delightful village to the right. Such a relaxing place, due to the fact there is little traffic and everyone cycles. David was friendly and very knowledgeable about the history of the area. Everything I needed to know David helped us with. The best directions from the airport, we didn't get lost. Great for cycling as there are dedicated cycle paths all over. I highly recommend a trip to Giethoorn, so pretty.

The hosts David and Monique greeted us like we were family, and kept that spirit going throughout our stay, including having a few essential groceries on hand for us upon our arrival. The 4 bedroom home was so nicely decorated, with a cottage feel, and everything you need for cooking a meal if you wanted. And the laundry facilities were greatly appreciated. David was very helpful in advising what sites to take in, and even arranged for bicycles to rent for 6 people. The bike paths are all around this small village, with very interesting points of interest to visit along with beautiful tulip fields if you are there in early May like we were. Diever itself is a quaint village, surrounded by open fields and only minutes from other neighboring villages. It has many shops, a bakery, a number of restaurants and grocery stores with everything you might want, and a great ice cream store open until 9pm. We would highly recommend this as a central location to use when touring this area of Drenthe, which has many interesting stops to make it a unforgettable holiday. We hope to return one day soon. Travelling from Taber and Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

We were very happy with our stay at Under the Oaks. After long days of touring the Netherlands it quickly became a home away from home. Very economical for this family of 7 and married daughter and grandparents. Quite and beautiful village of Diever with beauty of the old and two doors down from a small market place for the necessities of life. Great bike paths and hiking. Thank you for your hospitably. Owner was very helpful. Even took me shopping the first night so I could get what this family needed while not knowing Dutch and getting over jetlag. Always sharing information about sites to see.

The best rental experience ever! I have never taken the time to write a response for VRBO. I have always been pleased and happy, but the owners of this property made our experience unforgettable! I communicated with them quite a bit, via email, prior to arrival and they were more than willing to answer any and every odd question I had. Upon arrival, they had arranged everything we could ever want or need for our stay. They went above and beyond to make our stay perfect. It truly was the best experience I have ever had and I hope to have the opportunity to visit and stay there again. I highly recommend this property for anyone considering a stay in the countryside of the the Netherlands. Wonderful home and environment! Thank you David, Monique and girls - we hope you enjoyed our song!

Love this place!! Our stay at the Farmhouse in Diever was wonderful! It truly felt like a home away from home! We loved that we could walk to the local restaurants and shops....we rented bikes and rode on one of the many bike trails for hours exploring the countryside! Also, loved feeding the horse apples, carrots and bread and waking to the sound of birds each morning! The owners of the house are so helpful and kind and we felt very welcome... How now to have wine and a bag of groceries for us when we arrived!! We were close enough to anywhere in Holland that we wanted to visit ...just a short drive to see the rest of the country...although, we felt so comfortable in the home , we just loved exploring the local area! I will recommend this home to everyone! It was the most wonderful vacation!

Fantastic week This is by far the best vacation we've had in years, thanks to David and Monique. Everything went smoothly. A lot of room and convenience for a very inexpensive cost . Everything was so close and convenient we had a great deal of free time. A couple of kids even went to Paris for 2 days.. Thanks for everything , youve been a great help.. We will be Back. Marie, Jerry, Michelle, Jeff, Jennie, Pete, and Jacob

Amazing stay at "Under the Oaks" My family just finished a stay at Under the Oaks in Diver, NL, and had an absolutely wonderful time. There was nothing that we needed for our stay that wasn't provided for in the house. The accommodations completely exceeded our expectations! It was so spacious and well-equipped! David and Monique are fantastic hosts who truly want their guests to get the best experience possible in the Diever area. The wealth of information that they can provide and assistance was fantastic! We can't wait to go back! A gorgeous house, in a beautiful setting with the grocery store a few doors down, the butcher and baker also just a short walk down the street, and a quick stroll to the ice cream parlour make the setting absolutely perfect! The location is also so central to many activities in the area! We can't wait to go back and visit again on our next trip to Holland. If you are considering staying at Under the Oaks, don't hesitate any longer! You can't go wrong with this place!