Amsterdam | Days 1-5

Day ONE

Amsterdam is a beautiful place. We arrived off the plane and straight into the heart of the city, as we were staying in a somewhat questionable Airbnb place we booked from New Zealand. After freeing ourselves of our backpacks we walked into the centre of town and looked around. It was a rainy and cold day in late September but we didn't let that keep us from exploring.

Beginners Tip: Accommodation

Going out into the city, in the evening, jet-lagged, on the day we arrived, probably wasn't the best plan. If you're planning your first big trip overseas (and by planning I mean you're planning to not do any planning at all), its a good idea to at least book the first two or three nights ahead. Trust me. This way you can get some sleep and get familiar with your surroundings without panicking about where you will end up tomorrow. I assumed that all Airbnb places would be nicer and more relaxing than booking into a hostel. Wrong. Private room or apartment bookings aren't always as reliable as most hostels, as the people are not professionals and they don't deal with backpackers for a living. You can find some amazing places and lovely hosts, but you never know exactly what it will be like until you have arrived.

Do your research and look into hostels that have wifi, a communal area or bar, 24 hour reception and are close to town (or has easy public transport to the centre). On the first few nights I think it's ok to spend a little bit more on a nicer hostel as you want the first part of your trip to be a good experience - bad accommodation can ruin your impression of a place. You could book a cheap hotel too, but the prices are usually cheaper with hostels and if your hostel has a bar or living room you are going to meet some people with helpful tips of their own.

Don't be put off by the thought of having to use public transport to reach a hostel! When you make your booking the hostel should give you detailed instructions on how to reach them from the train station or airport using the local public transport. Usually the cost per trip is about 1 or 2 euros, where as a taxi might cost you upwards of 10 euros. We stayed at the Meininger Hostel in Amsterdam. They are an international chain (not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to Hostels) and they always provide linen, wifi, 24 hour reception, a washing machine, bar, kitchen and communal area, as well as other helpful things like free maps.

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Day TWO

We aren't good at waiting in lines - something you spend most of your time doing in peak seasons - but the hour and a half wait to visit Anne Frank's house was, in my opinion, worth the wait. The house is very popular every day of the year, so there are notices (in English) along the line to let you know how long you have to wait for. Going in the mid afternoon on a rainy day will cut your waiting time down too as big tour groups don't like to queuing in the rain. Once inside make sure you take your time to look up the ladder into the attic room - that's the only glimpse you get and I didn't realise and went past quickly!

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Day THREE

The Rijksmuseum is worth the money. I particularly enjoyed the paintings by Vermeer. The way he captures light and colour, as well as texture is beautiful. The faciltity itself is nice to escape into. They have a good locker room and free toilets next to the cafe (we ate a packed lunch outside so I don't know if the cafe is any good) 

After spending a few hours at the museum the iconic 'I amsterdam' sign is right outside in the space between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gough Museum and Gallery. We decided to pay for just the one museum (there are a couple of Van Gough's works in the Rijksmuseum anyway). Kitchy souvenir shopping and cheap'n'nasty (yet delicious) street food followed.

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Day FOUR

When in Amsterdam one must explore the sex district.

Although this sounds very erotic and exciting, it is mainly filled with neon signs and swarms of loud Englishmen enjoying boys weekends or stag parties in varying states of intoxication. Unperturbed we pushed on and made our way to the sex museum. Having already sampled the local coffee shops and finding that the novelty soon wore off (because if you're gonna do it, you're gonna do it wherever you are anyway, right?) we found the sex museum to be rather tame also. Apparently the same verdict was reached with the mushrooms.

Tyler and I both agreed that Amsterdam was, in reality, a big kids play ground where the kids could tell the difference between the sand pit or the rubbish bin, but pretended to enjoy it all anyway. His advice; next time take twice as much. 

Duck-face or it's not sexy...

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Day FIVE 

We spent the last day looking at some very pretty canals. We also found Rembrandt's house and stumbled upon a flea market (not photographed, sorry). If you are looking for something cheap to do in the evening, go down to the central train station and take in the city lights by night with some easy street food for dinner. 

Beautiful.

with love from Amsterdam