Experience The Blooming Amsterdam In A Limited Budget

People with a love for traveling keep seeking opportunities to travel in different places. When the spring is around, and you are low on your budget; the best place to go for is Amsterdam. There are plenty of reasons why to go to Amsterdam specifically in spring.

One of the main reasons is to see the Amsterdam city blooming with beautiful tulips. The tulips look very captivating, and you cannot miss this beauty and the charm they provide to the city. The tulips are the sign of emerging of spring, typically in the month of March.

Where Should You Go?

The place not to be missed, when you are visiting Amsterdam in the springs is Keukenhof Gardens.

Keukenhof Gardens

Keukenhof or ‘kitchen garden’ is known as the Garden of Europe. It is one of the largest flower gardens in the world. The park has more than 800 varieties of tulips, with more than 7 million bulbs in bloom in the spring.

The entry charge in this garden is €16 per adult. This is very reasonable as you can happily spend the whole day in the garden with your loved ones. The park is usually opened from 24 March to 16 May, from 8 am to 7:30 pm.

Various Activities To Do

Boat trips: Experiencing the exquisite beauty of the Keukenhof Gardens can be peacefully done by Boat rides. You can relax and enjoy the quiet of the garden while witnessing the blooming bulbs of tulips. The boat trip lasts for 45 minutes and costs €8 per adult, which is quite cheap.

Cycling: Bicycle is the best way to explore the area yourself. You can fall in love with the garden while riding the cycle. You may make a choice of the distance as per your preference, which can be from 5 km to 35 km.

Guided tours: If you want to know more about the type of flowers and learn all about the garden, guided tour is a must for you. And guess what? It is completely free of charge.

Restaurants: The garden is full of pavilions, stalls, and eateries to fill your stomach without losing much money. You can go for Juliana Pavilion, Beatrix Pavilion, Poffertjes house, Wilhelmina Pavilion, etc. to taste the yummy bites.

Accommodation: You can always find cheap apartments to rent in Amsterdam. Also, there are hotels nearby the park like Vakantiepark Koningshof, Rijnsburg, Camping De Zuidduinen, Katwijk Aan Zee, etc. to reside with your family.

Events to visit in the spring: There are many events taking place in Amsterdam in the season of spring. In this garden, you can enjoy food and flower festival, which is in the month of April. You can visit Keukenhof Flower market and flower parade here.

Shanty Choirs Festival is a party even to enjoy. Romance at Keukenhof is the classical musical event, which is carried out among the tulips. Family weekend is especially for families and children.

Conclusion

So, make sure you visit Keukenhof Gardens in the season of spring to experience the blooming tulips with reasonable price. You can create a lot of memories with your loved ones here.

What To Do in Amsterdam's Dam Square Area

Amsterdam is a beautiful city in the Netherlands. It is filled with winding canals, beautiful and tiny houses, lined up in cobble-stoned alleys and streets. Seeing Amsterdam for the first time is a wonderful experience and I want more.

My friend and I stayed in the Amstel area where it is walking distance to the flower market, the Amsterdam Central Station, food outlets and convenient stores like the famous Albert Heijn and the Dam Square.

Dam square is a big open space attraction in Amsterdam. Plenty of tourists and locals flock the area to pass by, people-watch, shop, dine, and simply take photo shoots since it is the same place where the Royal Palace is, the New Church, Madame Tussauds, the Magna Plaza, and the National Monument which is just across the street.

Dine

There are plenty of food outlets near Dam Square and you will not miss one at all. Simply stroll near the area and you will find plenty of restaurants and fast food chains you are familiar to. You can also try out their small food chains along the road and enjoy the nibbles while walking around Dam Square.

The Vlaamse Frites food outlet was along the stretch of Damrak. I liked that I was served by a very gracious and elderly man. He even gave me extra fries! Now, that is super customer service! And not to mention, the fries were awesome and best eaten with various sauces. I chose the cheddar cheese!

Sights

As I have mentioned earlier, Dam Square is home to famous edifices. It is frequented by millions of visitors each year and even locals enjoy these sights.

National Monument

This monument was constructed to honour the victims of World War II.

New Church

Nieuwe Kerk as it is called by the Dutch is a 15th century gothic building which held prominent weddings and even Royal coronations in the past. It now holds art exhibitions. It is a church that is not used for any church services but only as an exhibition place.

It is also a burial site for famous people like the playwright Joost van den Vondel.

Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis)

The palace may not look very grandiose but once you see the inside, it has opulence written all over it. Unfortunately, my friend and I did not see the inside of this magnificent palace. So, I checked the internet for a nice photo to share here (Photo credit: pinterest.com). 

Interiors of the Royal Palace

Shop

Dam Square is teeming with big, small and other trendy shops frequented by both locals and visitors. Bijenkorf, Magna Plaza and Albert Heijn are the ones nearest to this place.

This is me and my friend near the Bijenkorf.

Nearby Attractions

Here are some attractions near Dam Square.  And no, I did not enter the museum!

Hotel The Bird in Amsterdam Review

The Hotel The Bird is a newly refurbished building in the heart of Amstel area, just a mere 15 minutes walk from the Amsterdam Central Station. It is a nice little hotel near food outlets, groceries, the Bloom Market and Dam Square, Rembrandtplein and Delft Experience. It is also very near  the headquarters of my favourite hotel booking site in the world - Booking.com.

My friend and I booked a twin room for 4 nights. It is not a very big room but enough to accommodate the two of us who are fairly "small." We loved the room and the hotel as a whole for the reason that we got a good location, it's not noisy, the beds are super comfortable and the Front Desk staff named Evie was so nice and helpful to us. We felt really special and welcome in the hotel.

What I like:
The location was superb! It is located in Amstel, very near the Flower Market, the Delft Experience, Dam Square, Rembrandtplein, National Opera, Amsterdam Central Station and many more tourists attractions within walking distance.  The hotel is very near groceries (Albert Heijn To Go), fast food, tram way and has a good view of the canal.

The bed is super comfortable. It is just the right firmness for a good rest especially after a long day of walking. It is new too as most of the stuff inside the room are.

The rain shower head! I like the shower head a lot because I can fully wash my hair without having to use tiny handheld showers. Also, the water temperature is well regulated. It's easy to set the temperature setting for the hot water or if you prefer to shower with lukewarm water.

The bathroom is clean and the fixtures are brand new. The shampoo/body wash and liquid soap are in big, squeezable containers so there's no worry of running out of them. Even if, you can always buy your bath paraphernalia in the grocery just adjacent the hotel. There's also a hairdryer!

The big flat screen TV. I am not sure how big it is. I am not good at that but I know it's big. There are available English channels too so I had time to watch before going to bed.

The lighting is great. I didn't find the room dark as there are plenty of lighting options to choose if you want a dim or bright room. There's also a big window so during the day, you can keep the curtains on the side to get natural light in.

The hotel is actually refurbished. It smells new, the lobby is clean and well decorated and lit.

The Front Desk agent named Evie is so nice and friendly. She spoke really good English and had given us tips and free map to use if we wanted to explore Amsterdam on foot. She was there every morning and at night, we would see another agent (a male) and I have missed to get his name. Both of them are very courteous. This is one of the reasons why I may find myself booking in this hotel again soon.

The whole time we were there, our rooms were cleaned and the towels replaced. On the last day of our stay, we just informed the housekeeping staff not to clean the room anymore since we were leaving the next day.

The wi-fi connection is free and available in the hotel premises.


Here are more pictures of the hotel:

Most of the hotels in Amsterdam do not have lifts (elevators). I am pleasantly surprised that this small hotel has. It was a big help especially if you have a luggage to carry.

What I don't like:
NOTHING to like in this hotel. I like this hotel a lot!

Price:
Booked a total of 4 nights and 5 days for €440++ via Booking.com. Rates were getting high around Amsterdam and I booked this hotel around last quarter of 2014.

Meal option:
There's no meal option attached to our rate. I don't think they offer room service. I am not sure though.

Nearby attractions:
Dam Square
Flower Market
Rembrandtplein
National Opera
Amsterdam Dungeon
Ice Bar
Hermitage
Amsterdam Museum
the canals

My recommendation: 5 of 5

I am really satisfied with my stay in this small hotel. It may not be 5-stars in quality and value but the feeling of being special in their property is enough to make it stand out. I like the courteous staff, the warm welcome, the fast check-in and out and of course, the location of this property. I highly recommend this hotel to families, business travellers, solo travellers and small groups.

The hotel has 15 rooms.  Hotel The Bird is located at Amstel 30, 1017AB, Amsterdam, Netherland.


Search for hotels and rates here:   Booking.com

Disclosure:
This hotel review is my personal review. I have paid for this stay and in no way sponsored by the property nor Booking.com. I love to book via Booking.com because I always find a very competitive rate or great deals when compared to other booking sites. My opinion is 100% mine and may vary from yours.

The Keukenhof Garden Experience at Lisse, Netherlands

I have been dreaming about stepping my foot in this magical garden for a long time. When I have finally visited Keukenhof Garden last March 29, 2015, it rained like crazy! But, I didn't let the rain stop me from taking pictures around the area and savour each moment I had while inside the Keukenhof Garden.

If it wasn't for the strong, gusty winds, the biting cold with torrential rains, I would brave the inclement weather and go around Keukenhof. However, the trees around me seemed like they were going to fall on me each the strong wind blows so I wasn't able to go around the entire garden to check out other areas. I was able to visit the Juliana Tulip Pavilion and checked out Tulpomania because it was near the entrance where there are covered sheds and cozy seats to get comfortable.

This year's theme is about the commemoration of the 125 years since the death of the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh.

There are also other events happening in the garden so it is best to check the website if you plan to visit.

What can you see in Keukenhof Garden?

Flowers! You can see plenty of flowers like hydrangeas, hyacinths, crocuses, carnations, calla lilies, bluebells, narcissi and many more; not to mention the over 800 varieties of tulips planted all over the Keukenhof Garden. Aside from flowers, there are ponds, petting farm and playground.

Aside from what you can see there, the entire family and everyone visiting the garden can enjoy riding bikes outside the garden (biking is NOT allowed inside Keukenhof) and children can have fun in the petting farm and go on a treasure hunt for free!

When is it open?

It is open only once a year during spring time and the date of opening varies year per year depending on the weather. This year, the garden is open from March 20 to May 17, 2015. So, flower-loving visitors all over the world fly to the Netherlands to soak in the lovely splashes of colour from the many beautiful flowering plants in the garden.

Where is it?

Keukenhof Garden is located in Lisse, Netherlands. It is accessible by train, car, and public transportation.

Where to book/buy tickets?

You can directly purchase from their website or through travel agencies around Amsterdam. I booked mine through Viator with a combination tour to Volendam, Marken and Zaanse Schans. The tour is operated by Lindbergh in Damrak, stones' throw away from Amsterdam Central Station.

Here are few of the pictures I have managed to have snapped in Keukenhof despite of the heavy rains. My bucket list is just half-ticked because I haven't seen the full glory of what Keukenhof has to offer. I will definitely visit again next year and I'll make sure my visit will count.

(There were more beyond this shot but didn't venture much because of the gusty winds and very biting cold and wet weather.)

(I was so tempted to take one tulip home as souvenir. They're so pretty and there were so many varieties too.)

(I wanted to dive in this sweetness! They smell so good and looked very fluffy too.  Their colours are much better in person than in this shot.)

The pictures didn't justify the real beauty right in front of my eyes. You actually have to go there to admire the flowers and the surrounding. Some of the flowers were in bloom already and I could imagine how beautiful the whole garden would be when they are all in full bloom (and no rain!). The sight will be spectacular!

Visit Keukenhof Garden when you are in Netherlands during spring. You still have time until 17 May. It is best to visit during mid-April when the flowers are in full bloom and the weather is not as rainy when I visited. There are nearby accommodations too in Lisse if you want to book one. Check out Booking.com.

Amsterdam Tours

When my family and I go for trips abroad, we tend to skip booking for tours and discover the places of interest ourselves. It's more fun that way and you'll never know what other interesting finds you'll have along the way.

This time, I am traveling with my buddy and since we are two ladies who are traveling to Amsterdam for the first time, it is a wise decision to use the services of a tour operator.

I booked our Amsterdam and Brussels tour in two tour operators that I trust: Viator and City Discovery.

I have done booking with Viator in the past for my mom's airport shuttle service in Bangkok and I asked my mom about the service. Viator did not disappoint at all in terms of customer service and punctuality. So, I decided to try them again and this time, for our tours in Amsterdam. I used City Discovery for our Brussels tour because they have a very good programme for the full-day tour in Brussels with a side trip to Antwerp too. At least, the Antwerp trip was a very pleasant addition to our already packed itinerary.

I will post the reviews when we're all done and will also tell you about the rates of each tours I have booked so the next time you visit Amsterdam, you know where to avail land arrangements in terms of tours, cruises, etc.

My buddy and I really saved hard for this trip to happen and we're just few days away from actually setting our feet in Amsterdam. I have always dreamt of seeing those magnificent windmills, the dikes, the fields of beautiful tulips (which happens to be my favourite flower!), the lovely architecture around Netherlands and of course, those canals that also make Amsterdam very famous.

Well, I hope it's already 26 March because that mean's we're off to Netherlands! It's going to be one busy vacation in terms of touring the places of interest there. No shopping for me because Amsterdam is an expensive place to visit. I'd stick to buying few souvenirs and cheese. As long as we have tours, photo ops in famous places and a relaxing time in the hotel of our choice then I'm happy.

Super Excited For Netherlands Trip

Well, my friend and I finally applied yesterday for our Schengen Visa at the Netherlands Consulate in Dubai.  The way there was a long, long via train ride (almost an hour just one way!) but I must say, it was all worth it.

My friend and I were asked questions on where we've been, how many Schengen Visas we have had in the past, why we were visiting Amsterdam and for how long. It was a very nice lady who processed our paperwork and we paid only 260 Dirhams including the courier service charge of 15 Dhs. It is a lot cheaper to apply directly to the country of your first entry point or where you are staying the longest when you apply for Schengen. If we have availed the services of the VFS Global (they're like an authorised agent/broker accepting applications for various members of the Schengen States), we would have paid almost twice as much because of the processing fee.

So, we're just waiting for our passports and hopefully we get approved and be given multiple entry as I plan to go back in June with my daughter when she spends summer here in Dubai.

It's been a while since we last visited Europe and this is my first time to apply as a principal applicant. I usually get my visas from other countries through my husband as the main applicant because he has higher salary than mine. :) So, I was a bit nervous because I wasn't sure if I had enough money in my bank account or if my salary is too low to be considered. Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed because it seems like the consul officer knew we are travellers. She was pleasantly surprised to see so many visas stamped on my passport and to my delight, she was paying attention to which countries they were issued I'm just glad I love to travel and hopefully, they give us multiple entry with long duration so we can always visit even for short breaks over the weekend. That will be very exciting!

Also, we mentioned it is our birthday gift to ourselves as my friend and I celebrate our birthdays a day apart (I on 15 March and she on 16 March). I hope they give us the approved visa with multiple entry and a longer duration of expiry as our birthday gifts. :)

Beautiful Gardens in Europe

Europe is a vast continent rich in arts, history and culture. Aside from being home to famous museums, landmarks and institutions, Europe is also home to numerous famous and very beautiful gardens. People around the world have these beautiful gardens in their bucket list. After seeing their pictures and magnificent garden layout, who wouldn't dream of visiting these places once in their lifetime!

Here are some of the breath-taking gardens around Europe worth visiting:

Keukenhof Garden, Lisse, The Netherlands

(Photos are not mine)

This garden is famous for its tulips and many other beautiful flowering plants strategically planted all over its grounds. It opens only once a year from mid-March until mid-May and closed again for the rest of the year to plant new bulbs and other flowering plants for everyone to enjoy for the next opening.

Monet's Garden, Giverny, France

(Photos are not mine)

This captivating garden is located in Giverny, a small village in Normandy. It is nice to visit this garden in spring. Monet, one of the famous painters of all time, loved to visit this garden and do his paintings there.

Villa d'Este, Tivoli, Italy

(Photos are not mine)

Did you watch Lizzie Mcguire Movie starred by Hilary Duff when she was still one of the Disney darlings? If you did, then this place will be familiar to you. It has plenty of fountains and is in Tivoli, just few miles away from the city center of Rome. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage landmarks.

Luxembourg Garden, Paris, France

(Photos are not mine)

This beautiful garden is in the heart of Paris! I have seen this place but not thoroughly due to lack of time. If I had to come back, I will just to see this magnificent garden in the City of Light. It is a formal garden in the premise of the Luxembourg Palace.

Netherlands or Japan?

I can be fickle minded at times when it comes to traveling. I was so keen to go to Netherlands few weeks ago; as in, my mind is really set on that but other options came up all of a sudden which will save money. 

My husband's friend who lives in Japan is inviting us to stay for few days in Nagoya. April will be the right time to see the cherry blossoms in bloom. And if you might ask, cherry blossoms are one of my favorite flowers next to tulips. So, a light bulb moment came up. I can actually save a big amount of money if we go to Japan because we will have free accommodation and transportation. 

Accommodation fee is one of the important things to consider when one is planning for a trip especially to countries with high cost of living. Japan is considered as one of the expensive countries to visit. So, if we can get free accommodation for few days then I can actually use the money intended for the accommodation fee to our Tokyo Disneyland package.

My daughter is very happy to hear that I "may" change my mind about the European trip for my 40th birthday. She loves anime and where is the best place to get "manga" stuff? JAPAN! I already did a comparative cost analysis on Netherlands, US and Japan trips and the result is in favor of Japan. At least, if I choose Japan as my destination in April 2012 then I will only think about the airfare, accommodation in Tokyo and the Disneyland package fare. The visa is free of charge for Filipinos so that is a chunk of money saved already as compared to the Schengen visa which is quite expensive.

US is another option. I will slash my cost of travel expenses almost in half if I go here as compared to Netherlands. I checked the Disneyland package in Anaheim and they are offering great price with a free night stay if I book for 2 nights. I don't have to pay for US visa because we already have one so that is another money saved. We have relatives in Los Angeles area too and we can bunk there for few days if we want too and that's extra savings. The only concern I have is that going around US is tiring. We have to drive for few hours to reach San Diego and more hours to go to Las Vegas which we all have visited already. My daughter is not that excited but mention Japan, she jumps up and down for joy.

I am not considering this as a dilemma because I want to be more pragmatic with my choices. Besides, I can always visit Netherlands some other time. Right now, I want to save more money so I can buy my collectibles from Japan. My husband and daughter will be thrilled of my decision when I finalize it.

Bye Netherlands or Hello Japan?

Netherlands for my 40th Birthday

Yes, I have made up my mind. After gathering data and checking on expenses, I chose Netherlands and not Switzerland.

This trip will be my 40th birthday gift to myself. Although it's not yet March but I am just checking out places to visit because I also want to do a side trip to Belgium and Denmark if the time and budget permits.

I will have to consider a lot of things for this trip. I have been to other European countries in the past so going through the visa formalities is nothing new to me and my family. It's going to be costly but I'll make sure that we'll make the most out of the trip.

I have another 5 months to finalize the trip and we'll probably apply for a Schengen visa on February or early March. My birthday is in March but my daughter's spring break from school in in April so we'll take the trip in April. I'll see the tulips in full bloom by that time!