Our former backyard UNESCO World Heritage the Wadden Sea is one of the most beautiful parts of the Netherlands. The sea is heavily influenced by the tides, full of tidal creeks and sandbanks populated with seals, and crowned by five small islands that are all popular Dutch holiday destinations. While regular ferries service all the islands, there’s a much more adventurous – and greener – way to discover the Wadden Sea: Eilandhopper. Every summer, this sailing ferry takes passengers to hop across the islands and back again.

Of all the spectacular destinations we’ve visited in our travels, we experienced one of the most unique green stays right in our own backyard — the Netherlands — when we visited the largest tidal system in the world: UNESCO World Heritage the Wadden Sea. Find out what it’s like to step aboard a Dutch flat-bottomed sailing ship to experience ‘droogvallen’ and to spend the night on the bottom of the sea…