Amazing Amsterdam

Early September 17, I was privileged to be invited on an educational visit to the beautiful city of Amsterdam. With a relaxed itinerary which included a walking tour, dinner river cruise and fabulous visit on Holland Americas newest ship - MS Koningsdam, we had lots of free time to familiarise ourselves with the best that this beautiful city has to offer.

Flights to Amsterdam make this city so accessible. In less than 1.5 hours you arrive in another country with a different climate and culture - I love that!

Transport to Amsterdam Central Station is a breeze using the direct railway line from Schipol Airport. Trains are every 10 minutes from Platforms 1 and 2 in the main arrival plaza and tickets cost approx. €4.50 per person. We were staying at the Movenpick Amsterdam City Centre, the perfect location if you are off on a cruise, out of the way with nothing around it. If you are planning on seeing Amsterdam, an ideal hotel location is on or around Dam Square area.

A walking tour (which I can of course arrange), is the perfect way to familiarise yourself with the city. The expert tour guides are always so knowledgeable, giving you a real insight into the history, architecture and layout of the area. One of the highlights of this trip for me was the dinner river cruise which departed from Pier Prins Hendrik and showed us the fabulous canals with their canal boats - again our tour guide was extremely insightful. Did you know that some of the canal boat pitches alone are worth over €1 million?! This was the first time I've seen canal boats which are two stories high with huge flat screen TV’s. The food was fabulous and the wine kept flowing, another excursion I would highly recommend.

The next day we were very lucky to experience a morning on the huge and luxurious Koningsdam before it set sail for the Baltic Seas. The ship has a musical theme with every possible need for its guests well thought out to make a memorable trip, wherever it takes you. Definitely opt for a Veranda Cabin to appreciate the views, the cabin spec is superb.

My top tips for Amsterdam would be to incorporate a walking tour at the start of your trip. Soak in the views with a cocktail at the Hilton's roof top bar, visit the flower market to top up on tulips and cheese, explore the canals with a dinner cruise and make sure you take some time out to appreciate the tastes of the city with some café culture. Amsterdam, I will return.

Thanks to our hosts SuperBreak and Holland America.