Amsterdam - To Stay
Amsterdam - To Do
Amsterdam - To Eat
Amsterdam - To Buy
Amsterdam - To Do
8Aug2013
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Diamond Museum Amsterdam
Three connected buildings make up this Diamond Museum. The diamond shaping and sales room are free to view, but a two storied museum, past a labyrinth of shop showcases await guest with an entry fee of €7.50- €5.
The museum itself is a replica haven of world famous diamonds, a little history on its creation and its many uses amongst the wealthy. Probably the top floor with its glass sword encrusted with diamonds, diamond racquet, worlds smallest diamond and diamond room just satisfies the minimum entry fee.
The free section is with a gander as you watch Master polish and craft out the multifaceted diamonds, but the rest is purely diamond sales. I must say, the paid section of the diamond room, in the way it was designed and built was the finale to this visit.
Heineken Experience
The Heineken Experience is a must for the both beer and non-beer drinkers.
They do not falter on the experience part of it, starting from history, to necessary ingredients of making. Each portion allowing for different levels of interaction as well as tasting at the interim brewing process.
Varied displays, with interactive games, as well as proper drinking technique and an opportunity to pour your own beers from the tap.
The
Heineken experience grants you options of either two beers at the end
of the tour, or pour your own beer experience which gets you a
certificate or you can trade the two standard beers for a larger, super
cold Heineken beer, which tastes far superior that the standard two
drinks.
The entire factory ground seemed a little smaller than expected, with the finale at the Heineken Bar, lacking the grandeur which it shows in many of its advertisements. The beer pouring did have quite a long wait time to it as each individual was shown how to before their chance at the tap. Spent approximately two hours total to go through the entire self guided tour.
Van Gogh Museum
A stunning collection of what is said to be the largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh paintings. Follow his life journey and the growth of this artists.
Notable favorites are located here like the Potato Peelers, to the bedroom, the fields and off course one of the worlds most expensive paintings sold, the sunflowers, for €80million. The one pictured above is similar but different and went for €60million.
Whats great about this place, that you can snap as much pictures of the art pieces which belong to the Van Gogh Museum. Those on loan from other museums are a strict no no. A stunning collection that documents simply the evolving artist of Van Gogh, from basics, to style, to color.
A must visit. Queuing up to get in is futile. Purchase timed tickets in advance is the best option. Look to ABBAtips below.
ABBATip:
- Purchase time slotted ticket and arrive early. There are queues which snake around the building and you may have been queuing in the wrong spot all along. Look for museum staff. (Tickets maybe purchased at crew hotel or from authorized dealers such as shop shown above, in front of I AMSTERDAM.)
- Taken from Van Gogh Website: Free Wi-Fi
The Van Gogh Museum now offers free wireless
internet throughout the museum . Check-in on foursquare, update your
status on Facebook, visit our website, e-mail or just send a tweet to
your followers from the museum galleries.
Follow these instructions for iPhone, Anroid smartphone or Windows Phone:
Press
the Settings icon and then 'Wi-Fi' (iPhone), 'Wireless & networks'
(Android) or tap 'Settings' in the App list (Windows Phone) and select
'Wi-Fi'.
Check if the Wi-Fi is turned on and then select the VanGoghMuseum network.
A disclaimer will appear automatically: read the conditions and press 'Accept'.
You are now connected to the Van Gogh Museum Wi-Fi network.
Self Guided
Windmill/Cheese/Clogs
*Self Guided Tour*
*Bus ride takes 40-50mins to at €4 each way and stops directly at the windmills. You can't miss it. Central Station and Zaanse Schans (Where the windmills are) are the first and last stops.
*Train though a shorter travel time, but its a 10min walk to location. Also at €4 each way, but didn't go by this transport.
Ask the bus driver or station managers where to go for windmills, they will point you in the right direction.
Alternatively getting there by train.
*Contributed by Roy*
- a tram ride 2/5 to the central
station. The ticket cost 2.80Eu and its valid for an hour. However if
you are travelling a lot in the city can consider buying the 24 hr
ticket which cost 7.40EU. Buy the ticket from the driver.
From
the Center station make your way to the ticket counter. Turn towards
the left once you enter the Central Station. Buy a 2 way ticket to Koog-Zaandijk, which cost 6.30EU. The train ride
to Zaandijk is about 20 min. However if you miss the train, its likely
to be half an hour wait.
Once you reached
Zaannjik, take the underground tunnel
on the left towards Zaanse Schans. Follow the roads sign to the
windmill. its about a good 15-20min stroll. Enjoy the stroll.
Tips: Do
check the return train timing so that you can plan your time back to the
station. Its really frustrating to miss the returning train and wait
for half an hour on the freezing platform.
*Contributed by Roy*
Windmills/Cheese/Clogs Self-guided Tour
A picturesque country side, framed by windmills open fields, with tranquil waters flowing, ducks waddling, and sheep grazing in the fields.
The tranquility is only interrupted by bus loads of traveling tourist. €3 would grant you entry into one of the many windmills located along side. It is quite impressive to see wind-power alone, moving the cogs and pushing along 4-7tonn stone wheel for milling.
The cheese factory and Clog huts are almost secondary in nature and whose presentations and exhibits over within 15mins or less.
The clogs of today seem to loose its rustic charm, with automation as seen in the presentation. A clog could be carved within 5mins.
You haven't been to Amsterdam until you've seen the windmills. A tourist must check off list in a beautiful place, but other than that, it maybe too slow a pace for some, with very little to see or learnt in the cheese and clog huts. They served better as tourist traps, selling their products.
ABBATip:
- Getting here on your own is definitely the much cheaper option. A round trip with tram ride to central station €2+, round trip bus ride €8 and even a boat ride across the river and back €2. It much cheaper than you would for the tour package which some have fed back is a rush, with no time for lunch.
Erotic Museum
Located in the heart of the red light district, the Erotic Museum, I must say was quite tastefully done. Each level was themed and covered different genres. Although boasting 5 floors, each floor was approximately the size of a two bed room apartment.
With tickets priced at €7/entry it was a little on the pricy side but an interesting visit none the less.
