Feeling rather whimsical, Hef and I threw our things into the car and began to drive west for Paris. It was one of those road trips where we hit the road with an adventurous spirit and no concrete plans. Hef mentioned that there was a primate zoo in the Netherlands. Upon hearing that it featured free-roaming monkeys, I was immediately sold. Monkeys are my favorite animal (and to this day, my family still calls me their "little monkey"). We arrived at Apenheul in the afternoon, and found the park quiet as it was off season. Still, there were plenty of mischievous characters running around.
The park is laid out in a circular format, so it's impossible to get lost. Throw your personal belongings in a monkey proof bag at the entrance, and just follow the numbers from there. The entire park is easily walkable, and offers fun shows and events throughout. While it is more "child-oriented" (the majority of visitors are parents with strollers and toddlers in tow), I still really enjoyed my time there. We left the park with our stomachs full of frikandelbroodje (curry sausage in a puff pastry), cheeks sore from laughing too much, and a cute orangutan souvenir named Suzy. I definitely felt like I was my five-year-old self again as I drifted into sleep in the car onwards to Zierikzee.