For the my last summer in UK, before officially returning to Malaysian soils, I made a daring decision to make a solo excursion to the land of windmill, cannabis and prostitution - Amsterdam. Red lights and sirens flashes at the thought of legal weed and sex trade, how is this dodgy place even suitable for a solo female traveller? On the contrary, Amsterdam is in fact one of the most popular European destination for solo travellers. This vibrant city is pumping with so much live and energy and not to mention, freedom! Other than the parties and the erotic experience it has to offer, Amsterdam is also rich in artistic culture and history. Did I mentioned how safe I felt there? Everyone is very friendly and communication is hardly a barrier (Allelujah!).
Hence, after my fulfilling trip, I would like to share a list of what I enjoyed on the trip.
Things Not To Miss
- City Centre - Old Daam, Marketplaces
The city is very crowd and there is so much to see!
Then there are the marketplaces - the renowned Flower Market and the Albert Cuyp Market. Get your souvenirs at the Waterlooplein Market for better deals!
- The Iconic Windmills & Harbour Towns
The windmills are out of town and a region day ticket would be very cost saving as it allows you to travel to a large area beyond the city. Do pick up a copy of their map before pottering out into the unknown on your own. Check out their website for more details!
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/plan-your-trip/getting-around/public-transport/region-day-ticket
Technically, the region I visited for a day was the Old Holland.
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Zaandam, Zaneese Schans
All you see here are windmills, humans and sheep. The place is a pretty picture with pretty little cottages selling souvenirs or a a little museum of the kind of factory the place was. The cloggs factory was an interesting stop with exhibition of all kinds of cloggs (bejewel cloggs!).
Also, some of the windmills themselves are open to visitor at a small price (Basically they show you how kinetic energy obtained from the wind is used to fire up the operation for the making of dye and cocoa powder, for example).
There is a little port amidst the row of windmills by the river which offer you a short boat ride to the other side of the river at only 1 Euro (yes, the cheapest ride ever). The group of volunteers organising the boat ride, too have very considerately put together a little itinerary (which comes in all kinds of languages) to what to look out for in the cosy little town.
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Volendam
A bustling coastal town by the sea with beautiful view of the sea and more shops to visit. There is a cheese shop/museum which is open to public with free cheese tasting and explanation of the cheese making process. Since you are in a harbour town, be sure to grab a bite at one the many seafood restaurants who offer a generous portion of fresh tasty seafood at a bargain.
- The plan was to continue to Edam, Monnickendam and Marken as recommended by locals but I lost my ticket in Volendam and so I decided to stray around in Volendam a little more before catching the sunset bus back to the city.
- Sandeman's New Amsterdam Tour
I joined this free walking tour upon arrival and I find the tour really informative and fun. This tour bought us to the most of the main highlights of the city on foot so the my list of things-to-see were pretty much covered by the end of the trip. As the tour only takes 2 hours, there was still so much time in the day to revisit places that I find interesting on the tour. Also, I managed to a few travel buddies who I have good fun with. The company have many other paid tours to offer and one which I joined was the Red Light District Tour. The RLD tour was more historical that I would have imagined but well, if you are worried about the safety of travelling aimlessly on the RLD, joining the tour would be a good idea. Oh, try the peep shows - put in a coin, go in the dark room and adacadabra! FYI, no pictures of prostitutes allowed.
Check out their website for the tours they offer and for bookings!
http://www.newamsterdamtours.com/
Staying in the heart of Amsterdam, you will be naturally surrounded by the canals.
Lookout for interesting boathouses floating on the canals to which some are open for renting should you fancy a different experience.
If you miss out on canal cruising, you are definitely missing out on Amsterdam! I went on one when its close to sunset, and I just love how the orange-yellow sun reflect on the canal waters in my pictures.
A fun interactive experience indeed to know more about your favourite booze with the help of technology! Lookout for vouchers in travel leaflets you get along the way for discounts or extra pint of Heneiken!
When in Holland, eat like a Dutch!
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stroopwafel - two thin slices of crispy Dutch waffles with honey or caramel spread in between (try the fresh ones or even the packed ones which can be found literally, anywhere is just as good. Here's a tip, try toasting them before consumption.)
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Poffertjes - fluffy pancakes with powdery sugar, there is a choice of adding sweet or alcoholic syrup-like toppings e.g. rum and raisins, tiramisu, orange liqueur thingy
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Bitterballen - Do not underestimate the cheesy ordeal hidden within the crunchy breadcrumy spherical exterior.
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Hollandse Nieuwe Haring - pickled herring served with gherkins! Very sashimi-like!
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Lekkerbekje / Kibbeling - The Dutch version of fish and chips! Unlike the British version where the whole fillet is deep fried in the batter, these are nugget size and very tasty! Try these by the harbour towns for guaranteed freshness
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Cannabis and/or related food
Cannabis can be easily found in coffeeshop and random weed shops around the city. Weed-filled cookies or muffins are available as well. I opted for the sissy version - Ice cream with cannabis syrup but holy, that is the best ice cream I have ever tried...
In a nutshell, I love Amsterdam, and would love to visit there again someday hopefully with a group of crazies to party all summer on a rented boat filled with cheap booze.
