flipflopsandbackpack

What could be cooler than sleeping in a houseboat? Not much. It’s pretty darn awesome.

This is where I spent my three nights in Amsterdam. Floating on the canal in the bohemian Jordaan district.

I visited Amsterdam with my other half and became obsessed with the idea of booking a houseboat as a cheap and fun alternative to a hotel. We stayed here and it was just delightful. The lady who owns it lives in the boat full-time but moves out when renting it to holidayers. We jumped on the bus from Amsterdam station and it was only a short walk to our destination. Our host was extremely welcoming and made us feel very at home before leaving us to it. The boat had all the amenities one could need – a living area, pull-out bed and kitchen kitted out with plenty of utensils if you fancy eating in. There was also a lovely little decking area outside the boat, which we regularly sat at and watched boats travel by and ducks swim right up to us.

We roughly planned an itinerary before the trip but there’s so much to do in Amsterdam and I would have loved a few more days to explore. Check out some of my highlights below:

• Jordaan

Jordaan started as a district for the poor; today Jordaan has become a favourite place for students, artists and young entrepreneurs. There are plenty of small cafes and restaurants to choose from and a couple of really cool markets. It’s in walking distance of major attractions such as Dam Square and the Royal Palace, so a great place to base yourself for your trip.

• Damn Square

Dam Square is Amsterdam’s best-known square, and it is based in a handy central location. Be warned, the cobble stones can be pretty challenging to walk over. I wouldn’t have enjoyed travelling through the square in high heels! The Royal Palace, Nieuwe Kerk and National Monument are all based here so it’s worth a visit to tick a number of sights off your list.

• The Floating Flower Market

The market itself was a bit of a disappointment. I expected to be walking through the canal on an island of stalls but you can’t actually tell that it’s floating as the stalls are all attached to the pavement. It’s worth a visit to pick up some tulips though and we found a delicious creperie there as well as an amazing cheese shop. There’s nothing better than an Amsterdam cheese shop.

• Anne Frank’s House

No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a visit to Anne Frank’s house. It was quite an eerie, emotional experience and one that really made me stop and think. The museum runs a couple of talks each day, which are included in the ticket price. I recommend booking one of these slots as it gives you a real insight into Anne and her family as well as life as a Jew in Europe at the time. I felt I then went into the house with much more understanding and appreciation of what I was seeing.

• The Red Light District

It’s the seedy side of Amsterdam but it has to be done if you’re visiting the city. Nothing could have prepared me for how I felt, as a woman, seeing these women selling themselves in the shop windows. However, it’s a fun area to visit for a night out in one of the many nearby bars. We also went to a sex show…but the less said about that the better! A day-time trip to the district also saw us visit the Sex Museum which was surprisingly underwhelming – it mainly consisted of lots of old naughty photographs and a few pretend willies behind glass.

• The Van Gogh Museum

The museum holds the largest collection of Van Gogh paintings and drawings in the world. Downstairs, a room is set up in the form of a timeline with pieces of work by Van Gogh from throughout his career. It was interesting to see how his work changed and evolved through the years. I studied History of Art at university so the museum was right at the top of my list of places to visit in Amsterdam.

• Cruising down the canals

We booked a dinner cruise in advance. There are many providers to choose from but we went with Amsterdam Jewel Cruising. Rather than a big modern boat, it’s a gorgeous antique vessel that was built in 1898. It’s a small boat with only a few tables and every one of them is right by the window. The food was fantastic too – it was a fine dining menu and was beautifully served. We thoroughly enjoyed cruising down the river at night seeing all the buildings lit up and going under the bridges. I highly recommend it for couples.

Overall, Amsterdam is a great location for a short break. I think my favourite thing about Amsterdam is simply meandering along the canals, stocking up on cheese and tulips, pigging out on crepes and watching the world go by.