5 STAR SEMIDETACHED HOUSE IN A PEACEFUL, EXCLUSIVE RESIDENTIAL AREA

House furnished impeccably and v. comfortably - great attention to detail. Local agent gave us a lovely welcome and was v. patient with my faltering German.

We used the bikes provided and took our own for the kids and just used bikes to get around and explore - countryside is flat and there is plenty to do within a few miles. Excellent cycle paths and cyclists even have right of way, so it was a real treat to be able to cycle everywhere so easily as a family. If we went again we wouldn't take the car and we probably wouldn't take the bikes either - you can rent them cheaply in Norden.

We loved Ocean-Wave, salt water swimming pool complex with its giant waves, flume, massage jets and sauna - great for both kids and adults. We went 3 times during our week. Also ate there at the "Beer and Bowling", where the beer is brewed on-site. Service is excellent, beer marvellous and food not bad either. At same site is also a great playhouse for younger children (free).

We loved the very memorable day when we took the ferry to Juist. The beech is spectacular, and here you get proper sea, unlike the mud flats of Norddeich. Car-free community is like a fairytale. Cheaper to hire bikes there than take them on the ferry. The museum on Juist gives a flavour of island history and is worth a visit.

Because the sea is so shallow between Norden and Juist, the ferry timetable is reliant on the tides, so check out the timetable early on during your stay (or even before you book) as windows of opportunity to make a day trip are limited.

We also put on our wellies and went "Watt wandering" on the mud flats, which you have to do with a guide. Would have been a lot more interesting if my German had been better, as our guide talked a lot and most of it passed us by.

Do try a pot of East Friesland tea - delicious.

Gitti's Grill a cheap & cheerful place to eat - I think on main road to Norden. Local supermarkets excellent. Plus Markt open on Sundays - but beware, they doesn't take Visa! You can get cash using your Visa card at cash points - hidden inside banks, unlike in the UK, but accessible on Sundays.

"Amselnest" comfortable & welcoming after our explorations - standard of accommodation much higher than anywhere we have stayed in the UK.

If you get the chance, watch film "Riddle of the Sands" before you come, or read book on which it's based by Erskine Childers - it is set in the area, and gives a feel for the romance of the mudflats!