Amsterdam, best known for its canals and narrow houses. Putting the famous red light district and coffee shops aside, the capital of the Netherlands has many other attractions.

I stayed at the Central Station Hostel, a tiny hostel right smack in the middle of all the buzz in Amsterdam. We had a 6 bed mixed dorm en suite, so no complaints there. It was convenient, cheap and clean.

The first stop of the trip was Anne Frank House. It is a biographical museum dedicated to Anne Frank, a Jewish who was in hiding during the World War II. The queue for Anne Frank House can get really long so we started queuing before the museum even opens. Either come early to queue, or prebook the tickets.

The Anne Frank House was thought provoking and solemn. Even the wait may be long, I felt that it was worth the visit because it was an eye-opener.

After the trip to Anne Frank House, we hopped by The Pancake Bakery which is just within walking distance from the museum. I ordered a savoury pancake and realised I pretty much prefer my pancakes sweet. Fret not those with a sweet tooth, The Pancake Bakery do have pancakes for you too.
After a hearty meal, we made our way to the Heineken Experience. Heineken Experience is an interactive tour around the history of Heineken. My expectation for this attraction wasn't high because after all, we only went for it for the free tasting after the tour (FREE ALCOHOL).

However, the tour turned out a lot more fun than expected. All of us enjoyed it tremendously because there was so many things to do in there. Even the people who don't drink enjoyed the tour. We even played a football match on the xbox in one of the interaction rooms.

You'll get to customise your very own Heineken bottle by printing your name on it. It will make the perfect gift for a friend.

After the tour, you'll get a free boat ride. How can you say no to ride a boat along the canals of Amsterdam. I may have slept throughout the boat ride because I drank a tiny bit too much beer back in the experience (blame it on friends giving me their free drinks & also because I'm a bad drinker).
When the night falls, Amsterdam changes into a city of lights. The famous red light district comes to life. Girls in lingerie, standing behind the glass door, waiting for a customer to approach her. Sex stores at every corner, and even sex shows going at 2 euros for 2 minutes. In a dark box, drop 2 euros into the machine and the curtain in front of you will open, revealing the act, and closing shut after 2 minutes.

After a tour around, we walked to Winkel 43, which was said to have the best apple pie in the world. Two thumbs up! I would say you have to definitely give the apple pie a try if you're in Amsterdam!

The rest of the night was spent looking for coffee shops. The Bulldog Cafe is one of the more popular coffee shops in Amsterdam, and the moment you enter, you'll see photos of celebrities who have visited the place.

The next morning, head over to Van Gogh Museum . I walked there from the hostel, so it was a good morning walk! After which, the famous IAMSTERDAM sign is just nearby the museum. It is impossible to take a proper photo of the sign without anyone spoiling your photo.
Hi from the top of the T! :)

The next trip was to Zaanse Schans! We took a train to Koog-Zaandijk from Amsterdam Central Station before walking approximately 10 minutes to this lovely place. There weren't many visitors so you really had the space to yourself.
You don't get to see many of these windmills around anymore. This place is the close to Amsterdam so most visitors visit this place for a taste of The Netherlands. There's also shops there that sell cheese and stuffs.
That's it for my short trip to Amsterdam! Stay tuned for more posts on my trip to Europe!