Amsterdam (Netherlands)

...there. My mother moved to Amsterdam when I was eight years old and I joined her three years later. After a year and a half, I decided that my education would be a lot better in England and moved back, spending most school holidays in Amsterdam. I feel like Amsterdam is partly my home and have spent enough time there as both a child and an adult to write a comprehensive review of the do's and don't of Amsterdam. I'm going to be honest because that's ...
...The basics:

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland (The Netherlands or Holland is split up into provinces as England is split up into counties) Many people didn't know this, but Amsterdam is situated only an hours drive from the coast (albeit the north sea).

The national language is Dutch, although in Holland the majority of people speak many languages including Flemish, ... more

I have just returned from my twentieth visit to Amsterdam, this includes the year and a half that I lived there and the countless summer holidays that I spent there. My mother moved to Amsterdam when I was eight years old and I joined her three years later. After a year and a half, I decided that my education would be a lot better in England and moved back, spending most school holidays in Amsterdam. I feel like Amsterdam is partly my home and have spent enough time there as both a child and an adult to write a comprehensive review of the do's and don't of Amsterdam. I'm going to be honest because that's the way I like to write, some of the examples may not be to everyone's liking. But I hope there is something for everyone in this review. So dip in and out of it, like you would any piece of non-fiction, and hopefully if you ever visit this will come in as a useful guide.

I have already written a review called 'The eating and sleeping guide to Amsterdam', this was just an eating and sleeping guide so if you want a quick overview because you are off next week, perhaps that would be more useful. However, if you want your trip to be amazing I suggest you check this one out!

My entire review is going to be based on experience, I will only recommend something I have felt, seen, touched, tasted or smelt. I'm going to begin with the basics and move on to places that I specifically recommend that you should visit when in Amsterdam. This is by no means a weeks worth as I have been visiting the city for 13 years and to do it all would take a while!

Anyway, enough of the introduction as to why I think I'm qualified to write this, on to the review itself!

The basics:

Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland (The Netherlands or Holland is split up into provinces as England is split up into counties) Many people didn't know this, but Amsterdam is situated only an hours drive from the coast (albeit the north sea).

The national language is Dutch, although in Holland the majority of people speak many languages including Flemish, German and English.

Getting there:

There are many different ways to get to Holland; I have travelled to Holland by plane and by boat and ferry. The ferry goes from Dover, Harwich and Hull to the Hook of Holland and also to Rotterdam. I have taken the ferry twice but because of my irrational fear of drowning (even though I'm a strong swimmer); I would never advise someone to travel by ferry.
Why? I hear people ask, two close friends of mine go every year by ferry. It takes them nearly a day. I can go from my door to my mum's front door in five hours. I think that answers the question! Another factor is that it cost's us nearly exactly the same, if not cheaper for me because of the soaring price of petrol!

I live in Manchester and until this year I've had to travel to Liverpool for cheap airfares. Don't get me wrong; when I was little I used to travel by KLM or B.A from Manchester, but that was when my mum was paying. Now it's all about no frills and the cheapest ride of my life (that's the plane by the way). It usually costs me about 80 pounds return from Liverpool by Easy Jet or from Manchester by Jet2. The rule to getting this type of price is booking early and opting for the cheapest time. So what if it's half nine on a Thursday night? If I'm going home it doesn't matter to me what time is it.

I'm sure this is the same for anywhere in the country give or take a few pounds, get it booked early and try not to worry about what time you fly because getting somewhere to put your cases while you lap up an extra day is not a problem.

Travelling around the city:

Once your there travelling is easy. The trains are on time, efficient and even quite fast, something we've yet to experience on this side of the North Sea. There is a comprehensive public transport system that runs for 24 hours of the day and the taxis are cheap when you know how!

Trams, trains, metros and buses:

One problem with the train system is that ticket machines do not take notes. They take coins and credit cards. You may not think that this is a problem until you have no change, there is a massive queue to get any change, your credit card won't work in the machine and your train to the airport is about to leave. My advice is think ahead; we got stuck in two situations that were potentially holiday from hell situations because we didn't know this and couldn't resolve this problem.

Trams, metros and buses are frequent, go to all areas of the city and are both clean and reliable. The tram system works in zones. Amsterdam is split into different zones, for example the centre, south, north etc. On most trams and buses you can buy a ticket, however all metros and all trams and buses you can use a 'strippenkaart'. This is our equivalent to a clipper card. These cards can be purchased from newsagents, post offices etc. Using them is a little bit more complex than our clipper card. You can buy 15 strips for about 6 Euros. To travel one zone you would stamp the card at strip number two, to travel three zones you would stamp it at strip number four. More than one person can travel on one card.

Where to stay:

As I have already covered this in another review this will be a short section. I have stayed with friends, family, in Hotels and in apartments. Obviously the best way to stay is with friends of family or at least in their house but where this is not an option this is my advice:

If you want to get low budget accommodation you must book in advance. Amsterdam is a popular tourist destination and if you plan to go at a busy time (last weekend for example) you could find it difficult to get cheap accommodation nearer the time.

Hotels can be very nice but can also be extremely shoddy. I have stayed in both and would advise you to do your research well. Last year I stayed in a hotel where I had a great room and my friend had a horrible room. Check for an internet site, pictures of the room, location (opt for further out of the centre, Amsterdam is a small city and easy to travel around much better accommodation can be found outside of the centre).
Apartments are usually a lot better. A group of 13 of us went to Amsterdam this year and we paid 150 Euros each (about 100 quid) for four nights, in a good apartment, just outside of the city centre. Although we all had to share double beds, the amenities are good and we all had a brilliant time. Apartments on houseboats are also available.
(http://www.apartmentsamsterdam.com)

Other websites:
http://www.amsterdamescape.com
http://www.info-amsterdam-apartment.com
http://www.info-amsterdam-apartment.com
http://amsterdamny.areaguides.net/apartments.html

So, now to the big question?

What can I do in Amsterdam?

The question should actually be: what can't I do in Amsterdam? There is something for everyone in Amsterdam and for all those people who think it is full of people getting stoned and visiting the red light district, this is true but not the whole story.

Places not to miss:

Wynand Foknik:

This is a distillery that has been around for over a hundred years. Situated just off the Dam Square, right in the centre of Amsterdam you'd think that everyone knew about it. However, this is a little gem that few tourists know about and only seem to find it by chance. It is on a tiny, narrow 'steig' (which is like an alley way) on the right hand side of the Krasnapolsky Hotel, which is the massive hotel on Dam Square.
It is a tiny little room with a bar and another room with the toilets (it is a working distillery but this isn't on show) there are also a few benches outside that you can sit on. They sell their very own liquors that come in every flavour that you can imagine and are 2 Euros per double shot. They also sell the liquors by the bottle for around 10 Euros or two for 17 Euros. They make their own beer their and they sell that on draft (I'm not sure about how much that costs because I don't drink beer)
Flavours to try are: Coffee, cocoa, passion fruit, black berry and raspberry. (See if you can still walk to the taxi after trying all of those!!!)

Café de Drie Fleschjes:

Keeping to the same tone this is the oldest distillery in Amsterdam, the interior hasn't been changed since around 1650! This is the place where you can get an excellent glass of wine. It is situated on Gravenstraat, which is just behind the Damrak (the main street that runs from Centraal Station (the main train station) to the Dam Square. The prices are reasonable and a visit is worth it just for the history. Next door is another place to drink fine wine The Henry Prouvin Wijnlokaal which also does fantastic wine by the glass, is very informal and can really provide an alternative to the coffee shops that most people want to stay away from.

Rain: http://www.rain-amsterdam.com/

This is an ultra modern restaurant, bar and club. The food they serve is the best dishes from around the world and they use the finest ingredients. This restaurant is brand new and I have only visited it once but I had a meal to remember! It is situated on the Rembrandtplein a popular square in Amsterdam and is easy to get to by public transport. There is often live music in the forms of bands (there was a lovely jazz band playing when we were eating) and the ambience is lovely. This is a pricey place starters are between 10 and 20 Euros, main courses from 20 Euros up to 50, desserts are also between 10 and 20 Euros. If you feel like treating yourself to luxury, go to rain.

Two Thai restaurants to recommend:

My favourite food is Thai food, so I have to recommend these two Thai restaurants that I have visited on numerous occasions.
Restaurant Chao phraya: This restaurant is situated on the Nieuwmarkt (another square in Amsterdam that is fairly close to Centraal Station and the Dam). This authentic Thai restaurant is brimming with life and is always full to the rafters; therefore booking if there are more than two people is probably essential. The kitchen can be overlooked from the seating area, which is always a reassuring asset. The food is fantastic and you always get reasonable portions. It isn't expensive either. I have sample many dishes here from and always found that they were excellent. The service is amazing too; the waiter took orders from 16 of us without writing a single thing down. We thought he was going to get it wrong but everyone got exactly what they ordered!

Me Naam Naan: This restaurant is situated on Koningsstraat (just two minutes from the Nieuwmarkt where the above restaurant is situated) right in the city centre. The food here is all freshly made and the ingredients are imported from Thailand for that authentic taste. The meals are all well proportioned and there is plenty of choice. The restaurant is well decorated and the service is extremely good, they staff are friendly, polite and helpful.
This restaurant has recently won an award in Holland for its fantastic food and welcoming atmosphere, but the price doesn't reflect this; still being reasonably priced and good value for money.

My favourite bars and coffee shops:

There are three different types of bars/coffee shops in Amsterdam.
A bar is usually a place where you can drink alcoholic/soft drinks and perhaps buy some sort of food but you can not but marijuana. If a place doesn't sell marijuana then it is always polite to ask the staff whether you can smoke it there. Not all bars allow you to smoke; most places where they sell food will not let you smoke marijuana.
Coffee shops are where you can buy marijuana. There are two types of coffee shop, ones where you can buy alcohol and those which only sell soft drinks. The idea of a coffee shop is to sell marijuana and soft drinks together so that people don't get too wasted. However, as the tourist industry thrived so did places where you can buy both alcohol and marijuana at the same place.

De Rokerij:

Situated close to the Leidseplein (another famous square in Amsterdam) De Rokerij is on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat. This is one of my favourite coffee shops as the music is usually brilliant, the marijuana is also of good quality and I love the décor. It is decorated like a hippies living room, it has a long bar and a fantastic 'lounging area' where there are comfortable seats. It's dimly lit with lots of low key psychedelic décor. Due to its location the drinks can be pricey and it is often crowded. The atmosphere is excellent; there are always plenty of friendly people lounging around having a smoke. It can get a bit smoky but generally it's the perfect place to spend a couple of hours of an evening.
Sells both marijuana and alcohol.

The Ricks café/ The Wild Style:

I have classed these two together as they were owned by the same owner (who recently passed away) and they are next door to each other on the Oudezijdes Voorburgwal. They are situated just on the fringe of the Red Light District and are both have fantastic terraces where you can sit by the canal and watch the world go by. My mum used to work at the Ricks café and many of my friends have worked there since (and some still do) and it has a lovely atmosphere. The staff are friendly and always very helpful; there is a great range of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They do some fabulous cocktails, the cosmopolitan being my favourite. The marijuana is generally of top quality, especially the grass, although sometimes can be quite pricey because of its location (city centre).
The music varies from day to day. The décor is quite amusing in both coffee shops.
The Wild Style has a wild theme, although it is small inside it has fake snake skin seats and pretend stuffed wild animals, and it does actually have a couple of pets in cages, of the rodent variety. (You have to look carefully because you could easily miss them!)
The Ricks café has a narrow bar area and then towards the back where you purchase the marijuana there is a seating area that is made from train seats. Upstairs there is a great window spot where you can watch people pass by. There is also a pinball machine upstairs which is one of my favourites!

Café De Buurvrouw:

It is located around the corner from the Wild Style and The Ricks Café on Sint Pieterpoortsteeg. Ask in either of those coffee shops and they'd be sure to give you directions.
This is another absolute gem of a find, that is hidden from the majority of tourists and because it is open till the early hours of the morning (sometimes it never closes) it is popular with Dutch people who work in the area, who like to have a drink after they finish work. It's a night café, with beautiful art on the walls, singer/songwriter competitions and various Dj's playing all sorts. There is a pool table and they often have pool competitions. The atmosphere is very chilled, some people dance others just sit and get stoned. The variety of people that go in here is enormous and it is achingly hip.
Although they don't sell marijuana they would be happy to let you smoke. They often have various art/music competitions going on so it is always worth a look, but remember it doesn't open before 9.00pm!!!

Café Dante:

This is a little more up market, although this is not reflected in the price, still being reasonable for city centre Amsterdam. It is situated on Spuistraat, which is close to Dam square. It has a lovely terrace where you can sit and eat or have a few drinks and watch the hustle and bustle around you. You can take your dog with you it's that relaxed!
This is primarily an eating establishment; therefore smoking marijuana is not permitted. The food here is of very good quality and it's an excellent place to have lunch. Upstairs there is also an art gallery where you can have a little look around and perhaps but a piece of artwork (it's all very good but it will cost you!)
They have menus both in English and Dutch and there is a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The waitress service is both fast and efficient; it's overall a pleasant experience.

Het Vondelpark:

This park is over 140 years old and lies in the heart of Amsterdam. You can do anything in this park: take a walk, cycle, skate, sunbathe and much more. The park is filled with art and culture from all over the world, there are pieces of information to read about different aspects of the park and there is also an open air theatre which often has shows on in the summer (which is normally free). There are cafes and play areas for the children; you can hire skates or bikes and even kites!!
The park is beautiful to look at, it's vast and there is so much to walk around you'd struggle to see the whole park in one day. There are parts of the park that I'm still discovering, like the children's play area with the death slide and the water the children were playing in when it was hot. The blue tea house is a nice place to sit and have a drink, whilst watching people go by. This is a must see part of Amsterdam that is both beautiful and full of different things to do.

De Amsterdamse Bos:

The forest of Amsterdam also has numerous attractions that people don't know exists. This is a beautiful forest that can be reached by bike, car or bus. It is vast and there is so much to do inside. There is a goat farm, which is always quite amusing and fun for children. It's free to get in and open most days. This is where they make some goats cheese and there is a café and shop where you can buy all sorts of goats milk products.
There are many sporting activities that you can take part in, for example you can go canoeing, hire bikes, go horse riding, play tennis, go swimming, go fishing there is even an assault course that is free and the kids generally love this.
You find all sorts of people doing all sorts of thing in the forest, people having barbeques, sunbathing, doing sports or just having a walk around and taking in the scenery.
As in the vondelpark there is an open air theatre, but this one is used for much more professional productions and they don't sell tickets for these events.
For children there are two open swimming areas, designed especially for children and also play areas and nature hunts and all different types of activities that involve using the nature to find answers to questions.
There is also a museum tram that starts at Haarlemmermeer station and stops at various points throughout the forest. The forest is enormous with so much to offer, it is something not to be missed when visiting Amsterdam.

The museum quarter:

Obviously museums are not for everyone; however it would be rude to miss the art and culture that the museums in Amsterdam have to offer. There are three main museums all situated around museumplein (another square in Amsterdam) the three main museums are The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gough Museum and the Stadelijk Museum. I have visited all of them and I would suggest that the Van Gough and the Rijksmuseum are not to be missed. They are all reasonable in price (unlike over here where they are free) and all have so much history to offer that it would simply be a crime not to visit them. Trams 12, 5, and 24 all go past these museums.

Canal Cruises:

What better way to see the whole city and things that it has to offer than via the numerous canals? There are different types of excursions that you can take, you can take the run of the mill see the various attractions by boat excursion or you can have a champagne dinner type excursion. This is an excellent way to get to grips with the city and perhaps make a note of things that you would like to see in the future. I've done a couple of these excursions and found that the disco one was the most to my liking!
For more information http://www.canal-cruises.nl/english/index.html

Shopping:

As with all major cities the shopping in Amsterdam is amazing. With every shop that you could ever wish for all located in a reasonable size town, this is definitely a place to shop. There is a main shopping street called the Kalverstraat, this is the most famous street with the big brand names. It runs from the Dam to munt plein, which is a place where they used to make all the money in Holland.
For those of you with much more money, PC Hoofdstraat has the luxury shops and boutiques and is the equivalent to our Oxford Road in London or Kings Street in Manchester. This street is located near the Museum Plein.
There are also more amazing markets than your heart could desire. The Albert Cuyp market is the best market, selling everything from fish to furniture. There are also numerous cafes and little boutiques near here that are not to be missed, but I can't write about them all in here! The trams 12, 24 and 25 go past this market.
There are also other markets like the one on Waterloo Plein, this is mainly a flee market and you can pick up some absolute bargains from here. It reminds me of a market I went to near Oxford (it's not as big) but has an equivalent range of goods for sale. This is clse to the Renbrandts Plein and many trams go past it.
The flower market, is also not to be missed if you want any bulbs or flowers of any description.

I hope this has been a whistle stop tour of the best places to go and things to do in Amsterdam. Be sure to come back and visit this review again as I plan to add to it as I remember places that I have perhaps forgotten or go again and find a nother little gem of a place to tell people about!

 

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