It was hubby’s 30th birthday, and we decided his best birthday gift would be to travel to Amsterdam! We decided to have a 1 week trip from Germany to Netherlands so he could witness traveling from Germany to Netherlands on his birthday, he was excited! I mean who wouldn’t be if they knew they were going to Amsterdam!

Since this post is about Amsterdam, I’ll skip the Frankfurt bit ad go straight to us reaching Amsterdam via Euro rail which was a very memorable experience, hubby really enjoyed traveling from Frankfurt to Amsterdam via Eurorail, was very convenient and comfortable it took us around 3 hours to reach Amsterdam.

The weather was amazing in Amsterdam, cool, breezy and rainy just the weather we wanted! from the heat from Dubai, the weather in Amsterdam was definitely a blissful treat!

There’s more to Amsterdam than the sex industry, the city has so much to offer from picturesque canals to cobblestone roads, there is an element of fun and joy in the air, everyone seemed happy and joyful. The Netherlands is ranked one of the top 10 happiest countries in the world. Amsterdam is filled with souvenir shops with tourists buzzing around and browsing through Amsterdam themed magnets etc to take back home to their loved ones.

A great way to adapt to the city is by walking and soaking in all the beauty of the Amsterdam streets, the canals, and the architecture. For those of you who prefer a tour, do go for the walking tour first and make sure you tip your guide at the end of the tour.

Amsterdam is mainly tied to the water, it grew around the canals and the Amstel river, The canals of Amsterdam are incredibly beautiful we took one of the canal tours and browsed through the canals, an amazing way to admire the architecture and even better when the weather is breezy, the canal tours are great for photography, you can have a middle view to the both sides of the buildings.

The Jordaan area was very nice, though the weather was rainy there was a sense of peace in the atmosphere and the way multicolored bicycles were parked added character to the view. It’s a great place to wander away from the bustling area of tourists, there is a line of cafes and restaurants as well we enjoyed.

As for the food in Amsterdam, there was a great choice of cuisines catering to tourists from all over the world, and obviously, our favorite Amsterdam treats were the Frites (Amsterdam french fries) just tasted amazing in the cold weather and the huge and delicious Pannenkoeken (Amsterdam pancakes) these were definitely our favorite treats!

The public transport in Amsterdam is extremely convenient, from Trams, buses, metro easily accessible, the most convenient option was the OV-chipkaart which was a disposable one day card valid for 7 days.

The tulip museum was located in a room inside a tulip shop, this little basement museum does a wonderful job of telling the history of tulips in Holland and the infamous tulip craze. It’s one of the best off-the-beaten-path attractions in Amsterdam.

 

We stayed at the Amsterdam Mariott Hotel which was an amazing experience,  a true 5-star hotel with the best service and perfectly located for us. If you’re traveling for an occasion, be an anniversary or birthday, always make sure to inform the staff of your occasion, When I secretly notified the hotel staff about hubby’s bday, they were kind enough to provide complimentary services, with cheesecakes and drinks.

General Tips

1. Since Amsterdam has a lot of cyclists and bikers, they would be riding very fast within a blink of any eye, so watch out! always look both sides before crossing.
2. The currency used is Euro, cash is accepted everywhere and some stores also accept credit cards.
3. Carry an umbrella, the weather can be quite unpredictable, don’t let a few drops of rain spoil your sightseeing, Amsterdam is beautiful not only to see when sunny but also during rainy season!
4. Keep an open mind, you will see cafe’s serving marijuana and prostitution openly at the red light district.
5. Tap water is safe to drink in Amsterdam, a cheaper and better option when traveling.

---

The information above only touches the surface of things we did in Amsterdam. There are a lot of off-the-beaten-path activities and many markets, shops, and museums. Four days in any city is never enough time to really see it, but given Amsterdam been a small city, it’s definitely enough time to hit all the “great” attractions here.