When Andy van Smeerdijk visits his relatives in Amsterdam, they tell him to get lost. So he does.
“The Netherlands is an extraordinary nation,” my dad constantly reminded his children when we were young.
A tiny, stubborn nation that refused to give in to the sea; a nation that through innovation and willpower built a city in the middle of a swamp; and a nation that later emerged as a formidable naval power. Naturally, my old man’s biased. He’s a Dutchman - and a stubborn one at that.
Yet when you wander around the streets of Amsterdam, you can’t help but marvel at their ingenuity. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Dutch fleets sailed around the horn of Africa and all the way to Indonesia, tapping into the spice trade and eventually establishing a cracking colonial state.
Today the spoils of this are evident in the handsome gabled buildings that line Amsterdam’s canals. Very impressive - I certainly couldn’t build them; nor could I sail around the Cape for that matter. If the truth be known, I have trouble finding my way around Amsterdam, let alone carving out an empire on the other side of the globe.
“Don’t get lost!” laughs my uncle Henk whenever I venture outside. On my first visit to the city, I got horribly lost while on a stroll. Two hours and many canals later, I returned red-faced, which has been a source of amusement to him ever since.
But over the years, I’ve learnt a few tricks. For instance, it helps if you familiarise yourself with the three main canals that ring the old city: Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht and Herengracht (prince’s, emperor’s and gentleman’s canals). Once you’ve hit one, at least you’ve got a fuzzy idea where you are.
But most of the time, I don’t bother trying to orientate myself. Getting spun-out is part of the fun.
Of course, there are many visitors who come here for a different kind of ’spun-out’ experience. Many revel in the sweet, smoky pleasures of the city’s coffee shops. Whether they see (or remember) much of Amsterdam is another thing altogether.
So where to begin? My advice is to skip the windmill and tulip-themed attractions outside Amsterdam. There’s plenty to do in the city itself and many cool ways to get around its meandering streets, namely walking, taking canal boats and riding bicycles. Getting back to square one is the difficult part.
Visitors are often struck by Amsterdam’s openness: every house’s curtains are drawn back, their windows impeccably clean, giving you a clear view of the living room or kitchen inside. When I first witnessed this, it struck me that my dad isn’t a nosy, overly-inquisitive character; he’s simply Dutch.
Openness is a source of pride for the Dutch. Nearly every visitor goes window shopping through the infamous Red Light District, a curiosity that my relatives treat with a cursory glance and a chuckle. And while the contents of the windows may raise eyebrows, the windows themselves are anything but dirty.
The Nieuwe Zijde (New Side) area is a good area to get lost. Head to the cobbled Dam Square, home of the royal palace and the historical heart of the city. It was here in the 12th century that a dam was built on the Amstel River (hence, Amsterdam). The resultant muddy mound became a marketplace for a fishing settlement, eventually spawning a city.
Not far from the Red Light District, the Waterlooplein flea market offers a fascinating glimpse of cosmopolitan Amsterdam. With vendors of all nationalities, all manner of items are on sale from all over the world: leather jackets from Turkey, African crafts, fake DVDs from Asia and so on.
Pickpockets are as plentiful as the bargains, and haggling is a must. Dating from the 19th century, the market was a magnet for hippies during the 1970s and today still has an alternate vibe.
When you’re at the market, get yourself some smoked herring and onions on a roll, the signature Dutch street food. In fact, while roaming through Amsterdam, look out for an ‘automat’ - a wall of window-fronted compartments brimming with heated snacks, basically a precursor to the vending machine.
Drop in a couple of euros and the munchies emerge. But instead of chips and cola, automats serve more cosmopolitan snacks: bakmie goreng, peanut sate and cheese croquettes.
On the other side of the city, The Jordaan is another cool bohemian area that shouldn’t be missed. Most travellers come here to see the house that Anne Frank lived in during the Second World War.
While the author of The Diary of Anne Frank has a story that resonates with most visitors, I must admit I’m one of a select group of tourists who haven’t been to her house. Apparently, it’s extraordinary.
For me, the Jordaan’s cosy cafes, canals and tightly-wedged houses remind me of the bedtime stories about the war that my dad would tell us. Having lived quite close to Anne Frank, he and his friends (who didn’t attend school during the war) regularly scampered past her house on their daily wanderings, unaware of the girl inside.
Salvaging bullets and other treasures, looking for food and firewood, it was an adventurous time for him, despite the hardships.
Judging from what my relatives say, much of the city hasn’t changed since the 1940s. Devoid of skyscrapers, Amsterdam’s clean and elegant, a delight for those willing to be bamboozled by its winding laneways.
And once you’re truly lost, it’s time to kick back and relax. One popular though touristy area to wet the gills is Rembrandtplein, a square lined by restaurants, cafes and hotels with a small park in its centre. In summer, open-air seats are packed with people enjoying a drink and watching the circus go by.
An even more popular square is the Leidseplein, which attracts hordes of buskers, jugglers and other street performers. After a few brews at one of its pubs, you’ll need more than a compass to find your way back to your hotel.
Lastly, if you’re the type who doesn’t like getting lost, you can rent a CityNavigators handheld GPS map, which will direct you to popular tourist attractions or guide you on walking or bicycle tours.
They cost 16 euros for the first day and 10 euros thereafter and are available at select hotels and online at www.citynavigators.com.
But whatever you do, keep it hidden. Geek.
Do something…
ActiveInstead of a canal cruise, burn off steam by renting a four-seat canal bike and pedal your way around. You’ll look like turkeys, but it’s great fun. The operator, Canal Bike has four berths in Amsterdam. www.canal.nl
Cheap
Buy an Iamsterdam card: this gives you 72 hours of access to public transport, all museums and many tourist attractions. It also entitles you to discounts at some restaurants. Cost: 53 euros. www.iamsterdamcard.com
Arty Farty
See the best and stuff the rest. The Rijksmuseum (www.rijksmuseum.nl) and the Van Gogh Museum (www3.vangoghmuseum.nl) are the standouts. The former has a superb Rembrandt collection and the latter offers a fascinating insight into Van Gogh’s earlier works.
Entry: 10 euros each.
DutchRent a bicycle and see Amsterdam like the locals do. Bikes cost 6 euros a day at MackBike outlets throughout the city. www.macbike.nl
Where to…
Hail a canal boat
Prins Hendrikkade opposite Centraal Station is one spot to take a canal tour, which go for one hour. Alternately, use the Canal Bus, which stops at many attractions and costs 18 euros for 24 hours. www.canal.nl
Park your bicycle
Make sure you’ve got a monster lock (bicycle theft is rife) then park yourself in Eik En Linde, a historic pub at Plantage Middenlaan 22. Aside from fine ales and warm ambience, it has a clock that runs backward, which makes whiling the night away much less disconcerting.
Hang up your clogs
Budget: Hotel Brouwer is a central boutique hotel with a cosy atmosphere. Double: 95 euro, www.hotelbrouwer.nl
Luxury: Housed in a 15th century building in central Amsterdam, Sofitel’s The Grand Amsterdam is perfect for a touch of indulgence with a spa, heated pool and mod cons. Double: 450 euro, www.thegrand.nl
Meet the locals
Hoppe, at Spui 18-20, is a 17th century pub popular with Dutchies. But don’t come here expecting to pull up a pew; it’s standing room only (on a sand-covered floor).
Pump it up
The quirky Melkweg is an awesome multi-purpose venue that has live music, dance, theatre, cinema and infinite partying possibilities. www.melkweg.nl
Chow down
Rijsttafel (’rice table’) is the penultimate Dutch spread, having its origins in the Indonesian Padang-style banquet. About a dozen sweet and spicy vegetable, meat and fish dishes are laid out upon the table for a communal pig-out.
For good rijsttafel, try Kantjil en de Tjiger, Spuistraat 291-293, Nieuwe Zijde, Call 6200994.
Score points
Located on the Keizersgracht, The Dylan hotel’s restaurant is a way to put points on the board. With killer French cuisine and historic surroundings, reservations are essential. ww.dylanamsterdam.com
Part with your cash
The Speigel Quarter is the area for those who want to fork out in style. Lavish antique shops line the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat for five blocks. As my crusty old Oma would say, “Kijken, kijken nit kopen” (”Look, look, don’t buy”).
Go on, admit it. When you visit a joint that touts itself as “the hotel where Roger Moore stays”, there’s little chance you’ll hold back from casually dropping this in conversation once you’ve returned from your holiday.
The Kahala, Oahu, Hawaii
And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a fan of Roger or not, there’s just something about celeb hangouts that has far more drawing power than any one of the so-called ‘Wonders of the World’.
A bizarre form of voyeurism, it’s a fascination that’s difficult to shrug off.
Even us Gen-X travellers, who backpacked across the world with Lonely Planet books in tow, aren’t immune from this phenomena.
Indeed, when I visited Udaipur as a tie-dyed hobo, I was overawed by the fact that the town had been the backdrop for the 007 flick Octopussy.
Lost in a popcorn-scented fantasy, I constantly wondered whether I was walking along the same cobblestones that Roger Moore had once paced (with that strange, furball-like hairstyle). In short, the history and majesty of Rajasthan was lost on me because of the Bond bond.
Likewise, when I heard that Heart of Darkness author Joseph Conrad used to often wet his whistle at the Writers Bar at Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, I headed there and moved from barstool to barstool (enjoying a bevy at each stop), hoping to absorb his writing prowess through sheer osmosis. It didn’t work, but I absorbed something - that’s for sure.
More recently, when my wife and I spent our honeymoon at Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana, we were intrigued to learn that this was the site of one of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s honeymoons.
Of course, whether this was a positive sign or not is debatable. Regardless, the manager kindly offered us the finest suite (though it’s been revamped since the days these Hollywood stars visited) and we… well, we’re still happily married.
Perhaps the ultimate triumph of celebrity over history I’ve come across was in Cambodia. There I met two English lads interested in visiting Angkor, one of the architectural wonders of Asia and undoubtedly the most evocative Hindu-Buddhist temple complex in the world.
When I asked them why they were interested in the site, they told me that they wanted to go to “that place in Tomb Raider.. you know, where Angelina Jolie was.”
That’s when I gave up my pretences. Shove the culture, heritage and natural attractions… have Brad or Angie been there?
So to help those of you who want to combine your holiday with some star-spotting, here’s a list of 10 celebrity travel destinations guaranteed to give you something to
brag about.
Necker Island, British Virgin Islands
According to Forbes Traveller, one of the world’s most exclusive holiday spots is Necker Island in the Carribean - Richard Branson’s private island.
This tropical resort can be rented out (but no, it’s not on Expedia) with A-listers such as Mel Gibson and Oprah Winfrey having enjoyed its Balinese-style bungalows. Rates (for all 14 bedrooms) from $46,000 per night, www.necker.com
North Island, Seychelles
This eco-friendly island resort (facing page) is where Bono parks his sunglasses. It is touted as a Noah’s Ark, a sanctuary where natural habitats are being rehabilitated and where endangered fauna and flora have been reintroduced. Luxury with a conscience. With 11 rooms, rates start at $2470 per person, www.north-island.com
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Sydney in Australia is a beautiful place in the world. Sydney’s most popular nightspots are Kings’ Cross ,Oxford Street and The Rocks.These places contains many bars,nightclups and restaurants. Also,the most popular sports in Australia is Rugby Leauge.This sport has been brought from England to Australia.