Amsterdam Travelogue: the one day experience

I found my way back to Amsterdam! I had the most amazing experience, a day full of favourite spots – which I’m about to share with you!

After we dropped our luggage at the hotel we went for a stroll towards the Nassaukade. This is one of the locations where you can rent a Mokumboat! We started from the Singelgracht & sailed our boat over the Amsterdam canals. I had never seen Amsterdam from its canals before, and it is so lovely. When in Amsterdam, make sure you’ll discover it from this point of view.

In case you have missed it, my motto is ‘Celebrate Life!’ – our day in Amsterdam was no exception. Somewhere sailing the Jordaan we had a marvelous lunch & popped a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut . Could this day get any better?

How about yup. After cruising the Amstel, IJ & many more canals (all while pointing out famous Amsterdam buildings) our first stop was at the W Lounge . In the W Hotel Amsterdam on its penthouse floor you’ll be sure to have a stunning view of the city as well.

After drinking one glass of wine we continued discovering the city by foot. We stumbled upon this amazing record shop Maxwell Records. I couldn’t be more delighted, combining this city trip with my vinyl records obsession. Win!

One of my absolute favorite spots of this day was at the Hoxton. How couldn’t it be? The whole vibe is such a relieve, so cozy and – frankly speaking – a hipster paradise. I beg your pardon, but I’m kind of a sucker for that sort of vibe. We ordered one of our favorite Dutch treats – bitterballen – & a burger slider with a bottle of wine. This place gave us the opportunity to lean back while we enjoyed our beverages & had some really good conversations.

More walking through the city and gazing upon great historical buildings we decided we still had room left for dinner – I know, how? De Hallen is just the foodie hotspot to go. It is quite unique for Amsterdam, an international indoor food market, often referred to as the ‘Foodhallen’. We wandered around in this loft-like space where there are so many options. It is the best way to discover the very best of Amsterdam’s culinary scene.

We chose a burger from The Butcher – which was so extremely good. You eat while sitting at shared tables – I’m in love with this concept! People from all over the world come here – tourists & locals – to enjoy these bites & discover new things.

After so many consumptions I was glad we took a twilight stroll. We walked through the Vondelpark and enjoyed the sound of the city that was slowly waking up for the night to begin.

Since we were in Amsterdam for just one day we really wanted to live it to the fullest. Our day wasn’t over yet. We went to the Conservatorium Hotel where we enjoyed a G&T – that was so delicious. Let me rephrase that, it is definitely the best Gin & tonic I’ve had so far! I had the Monkey 47 with blackberries and oh my it was so good. The venue is an eye-catcher as well. Violins dangling from the air & all these odd artifacts are displayed around you.

The last walk we took brought us to the Bilderberg Jan Luyken Hotel where we stayed the night. Since we could walk from here to all the spots we’ve seen that day, it definitely has a perfect location. The staff is great, very friendly and funny – had some great convo’s during a “Dark ‘n Stormy” cocktail at their bar. Afterwards a midnight spa session to really relax after this day of discovering and seeing new places.

What I loved most about the hotel is its building. Typical Dutch & when in Amsterdam a total must to stay at a place like this. You can tell it used to be 3 different houses that are now connected. The old stairs & interior are hinting ages back – which gives it a very delicate, graceful but mostly stunning vibe.

I wished I could have stayed longer – Amsterdam has so much more to offer & discover! But waking up the next day & flying back to the Caribbean ain’t that bad either.