Amsterdam

I just got back from a week long trip to Amsterdam. I was absolutely amazing! Here are some of the places that I recommend going if you're planning on visiting :)

Sleep: My friends and I actually stayed in 3 hostels throughout our trip. Of the 3, I would recommend the Flying Pig Uptown. It's already quite a well known hostel in Amsterdam but I like it for the location. It's right in the museum district and is a 5 minute walk from the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum. It's right across the street from a nice park and is in a quieter part of the city as well. I would not recommend the

See: Of course, the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House are must-see museums. My favourite was the Van Gogh - they often have temporary exhibitions as well. The Botanical Gardens (De Hortus) was very beautiful as well and is one of the oldest in the world. I especially loved the butterfly room.

I would not recommend the Sex Museum. I think it cost around 7 euros and was not that interesting. Apart from vintage pornographic photos, there was no description for the items or history about the Red Light District. Speaking of the RLD - although it was interesting to see, I found it really sad to see people showing their worst side...It's worth walking through but I would not recommend going out or staying in the area as it can be too touristy and too much to handle.

Do: We rented bikes for one day to ride around the city and it was great fun. Although I must admit it was terrifying. Apart from zooming between the cars, you also have to beware of other cyclists because Dutch people are pretty much all professionals when it comes to that. Another great way to see the city is by boat. Rather than going on a canal bus, I would recommend a petal boat. It doesn't take long (about an hour) to see the main canals. The city looks really different in the water.

Another thing would be flea markets. If you're a vintage lover then you'll really enjoy the the Nine Streets, which has loads of cute shops or the Waterlooplein market. Make sure to check out Episode. It really is hipster clothes heaven.

Eat: I didn't find the food in Amsterdam all that exciting or particularly good, which is to be expected when you're on a budget. We didn't eat at any fancy restaurants and stuck with cafe food mainly. Also, I found a lot of the food to be unhealthy but especially appealing foods for those who have the munchies or after a night out ;) But Dutch pancakes and waffles were amazing so make sure to visit some of the local bakeries.

Smoke: This is a personal thing but Coffeeshops can be a part of your experience in Amsterdam. My friends and I went to quite a few. I would recommend Baba, Bluebird, Conscious Dreams, and Goa.

Thanks for reading :)