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Mmm Donuts

By Mmm Donuts,
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Guest Dark Sotonic Mills

Guest Dark Sotonic Mills

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Try to avoid Babes and Beer on Damrak unless you are hideously keen on mini-skirted barmaids selling Heineken at £10 a pint.

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amsterdam

amsterdam

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What are you after? Amsterdam is an interesting city in that for a small city it offers everything from high culture to sleaze (and all in a safe environment)! Food is generally rubbish and the weather is cold at the mo. Disagreeing slightly with Toadhall - AVOID the Grasshopper and the Bulldog chain - rip-off places (and agree with DSM that Teaser's (Babes and Beer) on Damrak is in that category). But Toadhall is right to mention Stones - an excellent bar. Go in the front entrance (behind the Kempinski hotel - opposite the C**kring gay nightclub) around 8:30pm, have a few pints and chill to their top music, then leave about 9:30pm via the back exit (oo-er missus!) and you'll experience an adult version of Mr Ben...

 

Cultural stuff is all around the south of the city (follow signs for Museumplein, just below the Leidersplein); there you have the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum - both world class if you like that sort of thing. Anne Frank museum is central, near the Oosterkerk; it's a strange place - I've been there quite a few times and sometimes I feel very moved and other times just nothing - it's an emotional thing I guess (not really a lot to look at, but more to reflect on what horrors the human race can inflict on itself).

 

Pieter Corneilzstraat (sp?) has some good shopping for the ladies and the Vondelpaark is nice (and safe) for a wander.

 

Let me know where you're staying/what you want to do for the weekend and I'm happy to give advice.

 

Enjoy!

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thesaint78

thesaint78

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anyone got any good stag do tips?

 

 

We've got flights booked for April and now looking for accomodation for ~ 12 fellas, preferably not a hostel more an a couple of apartments with several bedrooms and a communal drinking area / kitchen with a large fridge for beers.

 

Is the Heineken museum / brewery tour worth any good. Was thinking of catching an Ajax game. Any nightclub recommendations?

 

Would like to try and get a 5 a side game of footie in at some point - is there a leisure centre with an astro pitch / indoor pitch that could be hired for an hour in town?

 

Is there anything similar to "Go Ape" on the outskirts of the city?

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amsterdam

amsterdam

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Thanks for the hints. We are staying in the Bilderberg Garden hotel, so not right in the centre I believe.

 

We fancy taking in a show of sorts.....

 

No you're not central, you're in a fairly residential area called Oud Zuid ("Old South"). On the plus side it's a nice area; quiet and pleasant to stroll around. The Bilderberg has a good reputation and you're close to the Amsterdam Hilton - scene of John Lennon's famous Bed-In (mentioned in the Ballad of John and Yoko) and where the Netherland's most notorious rock star, Herman Brood, famously committed suicide by drinking himself off his chops one night and jumping from the roof!

 

You're also not far from the Leidseplein (apologies for earlier misspelling) and the museums. There are loads of small theatres around Leidseplein so you'll be able to catch a show or two; just check at the tourist office. I've heard good things about "Boom Chicago" which is kind of a comedy/improv show (all in English), but I haven't been myself.

 

For more high-culture, you probably need to go to the Muziektheater on Waterlooplein (a short taxi ride); it's home of the national ballet and the national opera. I saw recently that in December the ballet is Sleeping Beauty and the opera is Fidelio. They do sell out, though, so might be worth having a look at their website and booking in advance if that is the kind of show you're looking for?

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amsterdam

amsterdam

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Try some of these places (all around Leidseplein, just get the concierge at the hotel to mark them on a map):

 

Paradiso; cool building, can get a bit hot and sweaty!

 

http://www.paradiso.nl/web/English-Agenda.htm

 

 

De Melkweg; bit more "arty" - performances as well as dancing/clubbing

 

http://www.melkweg.nl

 

Jimmy Woo's; a bit loathe to recommend this because unless you get there early-ish (about 10:00-10:30) the bouncers can be a bit arsey, and if you're with mates/partners, it not what you need. You'll have to be quite smart, but it's THE cool place - last time I went was as a guest of the Black-Eyed Peas who started an impromptu "gig" - it was great. If they don't let you in, just go to Suzy Wong's (directly opposite); less exclusive, but still smart (both can be accessed through this link):

 

http://www.jimmywoo.nl

 

And if you get bored with wandering around Leidseplein, hop in a cab and ask for the Panama Club. It's a bit off the beaten track so doesn't get many tourists (though everyone will speak English, don't worry). Not the cheapest place in town, but has a good restaurant and club; if you want to impress your girlfriends/wives it's quite stylish - again, dress smart casual.

 

http://www.panama.nl/nightclub/home.php

 

Good luck nipper, hope you have a good one and let me know how you get on!

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Mmm Donuts

Mmm Donuts

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Hi Amsterdam, our flights were delayed by a couple of hours on the way back due to the weather. We had a truly great time and all of us fell in love with Amsterdam. I think we will come back either next year or the year after, but we were planning on doing both New York and Paris next year. Loved the architecture, canals, trams, cycling culture and ofcourse the people. The area we stayed in was really pretty and we found a great place for apple pie and coffee. We didn't have a bad meal whilst we were there, majestic in Dam square did really good fish and burgers. Did the museum district and Anne Franks house. Enjoyed the bars around Hard Rock (can't remember what the area is called) and had a little visit to the Grasshopper to warm up. Thanks for your help, I hope you enjoy living there as much as we did visiting.

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amsterdam

amsterdam

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I must pay my fiver and then I can send you a PM!

 

BUT, glad you and your friends enjoyed the place! I've been here nearly 10 years now, so although I'm a 'Ampshire 'Og through and through and Merry Oak was my stomping ground, my kids are as Dutch as Edam and Gouda! I really fancy a change and have had a couple of enquiries from Dubai and Nairobi which sound interesting, but if I'm still here next year then let's meet up?

It's always interesting to see the city from a "newbee's" point of view (and makes me appreciate it more, I guess) - for example, the "trams/cycling culture" generally drives me bananas (you need eyes in the back of your head!) but I know that, for my kids, they can enjoy going out on their bikes and will be safe (in London I'd give them a life expectancy of 5 minutes if they behaved the same there!).

Glad you had a good experience with the people - the Dutch can seem a bit "brusque" to us Brits, but it's just their way, and if you were in any trouble, they'd be the first to try and help you out (I lived in Paris for 2 years and, much as it's my favourite city in the world, I couldn't hand on heart say the same thing about them!).

Surprised (but pleased!) you enjoyed the food! I'm always complaining to my Dutch friends that their food and weather is **** and they always look at me and say "But you're English??"...

The Grasshopper is OK, but it's very expensive - what did you/your friends think of the Anne Frank museum? As I said, it's a bit hit and miss for me.

The Hard Rock Cafe is fine - loads of food, but again a bit pricey - you're just off the Leidseplein there (very near to the Paradiso); there's an Irish pub almost next door which serves decent food - did you play chess outside??

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it - there's more to the city than marijuana and prostitution (though both are fine too!) and hope you spend many happy weekends in the future over here!

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

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benjii

benjii

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What are you after? Amsterdam is an interesting city in that for a small city it offers everything from high culture to sleaze (and all in a safe environment)! Food is generally rubbish and the weather is cold at the mo. Disagreeing slightly with Toadhall - AVOID the Grasshopper and the Bulldog chain - rip-off places (and agree with DSM that Teaser's (Babes and Beer) on Damrak is in that category). But Toadhall is right to mention Stones - an excellent bar. Go in the front entrance (behind the Kempinski hotel - opposite the C**kring gay nightclub) around 8:30pm, have a few pints and chill to their top music, then leave about 9:30pm via the back exit (oo-er missus!) and you'll experience an adult version of Mr Ben...

 

Cultural stuff is all around the south of the city (follow signs for Museumplein, just below the Leidersplein); there you have the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum - both world class if you like that sort of thing. Anne Frank museum is central, near the Oosterkerk; it's a strange place - I've been there quite a few times and sometimes I feel very moved and other times just nothing - it's an emotional thing I guess (not really a lot to look at, but more to reflect on what horrors the human race can inflict on itself).

 

Pieter Corneilzstraat (sp?) has some good shopping for the ladies and the Vondelpaark is nice (and safe) for a wander.

 

Let me know where you're staying/what you want to do for the weekend and I'm happy to give advice.

 

Enjoy!

 

And just what the hell makes you the expert? ****ing internet know-it-alls really get my goat.

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hamster

hamster

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On one of our visits we toook the excursion to Vollendam, weird sort of abandoned lego village of the damned type place, thankfully they have a regular bus service back to Amserdam.

 

Can't remember the exact location but we found the flea market close to the flower market quite interesting.

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Mmm Donuts

Mmm Donuts

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Hi all, there is much more to Amsterdam than the drugs and red light area but it is well worth visiting them. I guess it depends on what your interests are. We really enjoyed the museums (although not 'arty' people) along with the diamonds. Mixed feelings on the Anne Frank museum, having read the book it was interesting to see the dimensions of the house etc but I'm not sure whether the presentation is quite right, a difficult subject to present in the right context etc. We all wanted to go on a boat tour but ran out of time. Having done guided tours elsewhere there are benefits to them. Plenty of of shops and a good market on saturday. Some nice bars and a comedy store with open mic. Supermikey, there is something for everyone and yes you'll need some extra cash.

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  • 2 months later...
Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

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My (later) wife and I visited Amsterdam in 1969 and had a great time. We went on the Amstel Brewery tour which I can strongly recommend. One young Swedish lad there, who was obviously an old hand at this sort of thing, reckoned that the Heineken tour was better, but that was over 40 years ago. We didn't sober up until later in the afternoon at the zoo. I have absolutely no idea how we got there. http://madeinatlantis.com/amsterdam/brewery_amsterdam.htm

 

Times have changed.... we went by train from Enfield Town to Amsterdam Central via Hook of Holland. My dad got me a free pass but my wife's ticket was just over £9 return.

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