Activities in and around Amsterdam

Other Amsterdam blogs

There is something very active about the air in the Netherlands which makes it exciting. Everyone is doing something all the time - running or biking or going to the beach or doing watersports or skating on ice or swimming in the lake or rowing or just having a good time. All this energy all around makes you want to be active too, all the time.

During my four years of living in the country, I engaged in my fair share of these activities too. There were loads, am sharing a few of them with you.


Aalsmeer swimming (July 2022, June 2024) 

Aalsmeer is a residential area around a lake near Amsterdam, about a 30 minute drive away. I visited the lake a few times, the first time to meet friends at the lakeside restaurant. That is when we saw people swimming and enjoying watersports in the lake. So we turned up again in summer to swim in the lake. It was fun to be in the water and on the beach, with the sun above. The area around is quite nice too, with some stunning houses and loads of green spaces around. 


Amsterdam Boating (Summer 2022, 2023, 2024)

Amsterdam from the canals

When I moved to Amsterdam, I stayed in an apartment next to the Amstel river. And the first day itself (a sunny June day), I saw people leisurely boating in the Amstel. All day! It impressed me so much that I wanted to do the same too, very soon and very frequently. I wasn’t able to do that in 2021, but every year thereafter, I ensured that twice every summer, I got a chance to float aimlessly in the many canals around. And I loved the experience each and every time. (Apparently boating in Amsterdam canals has been rated one of the best activities to do globally by Tripadvisor. And I can totally vouch for it!) 

So every summer, whenever there was a hot weekend day coming up, I would try to plan a boat ride in town. We would book a self-driven boat (from boaty.com, the cheapest boat rental in town) and float around for a few hours in the water, with a good stock of food and conversation on the boat keeping us company.

Boating with the swans

We would either choose a route through the canal district or around the north of Amsterdam or towards Ouderkerk. And we would just drift aimlessly for the next three hours, observing all the happenings around, but not stopping for anything (just other boats or the swans in the water). Eating, drinking, chatting and just enjoying a nice time with friends. And when the water is warm, jumping into the water and swimming too. 

We always drove the boat ourselves, with everyone trying to be the driver. The navigation is tough at first, but then gets easier. As long as you try to not go too fast. The turns in the canals also require a bit of experimentation, especially when trying to avoid the big tourist boats which are in high numbers during the touristy season. We would sometimes hit other boats. Or drop things into the canal. But it’s all fine. As everyone else on the canal is also very chill. And no one minds a few hits here and there.

View from the canals

And every time I was in the boat, I would get a different perspective of the city, it looks very different from down in the canals. The beauty of Amsterdam is in full glory from down there, and it's an experience I can go for anytime. (I do sometimes wish I had bought my own boat, so I didn't need to book one, but as all my Dutch colleagues advised me not to do it, I didn’t) 

Boating in the canals is one of the most relaxing activities to do in Amsterdam (when the weather is good of course). It’s almost like being in slow heaven. To anyone visiting Amsterdam, I would recommend this as a must-do activity. And would suggest renting your own boat rather than joining one of the organised tours – it’s so much more fun and relaxed. And it lets you see a very different side of the city this way, the way you want to.


Amsterdam Concertgebouw free concerts (Oct 2024 - Nov 2024)

After four years of living in Amsterdam, very late I discovered that the Concertgebouw (the largest concert hall in Amsterdam) holds free concerts every Wednesday afternoon from 12-1230. So every Thursday for my last two months in Amsterdam, I booked the free tickets for the free performance the following Wednesday. And since it was just a 20 minute walk from my place, I would just step out for 2 hours, to be transported to a different world of classical music.

Quartet at Concertgebouw

I attended (just) seven concerts during this time and each one was amazing. I watched two quartet performances (a Motus Quartet and a Dutch String Quartet); one day there was a Soprano singing; two days there were children performing on the piano, violin and trumpet; and one day there was a performance by two musicians on a violin and then on the piano. My favourite though was the orchestra performance by the Codarts World Music Orchestra. They were a group of some 15-20 musicians, sitting in a semi-circle and were playing Turkish instruments. For 30 minutes they played Arabic music and we did not want them to stop. I think it might be because of some of the uncommon instruments they were using, like the 'tar'. The music had an unbelievable melody to it. Their performance was just other-worldly. Listening to them felt like meditation, and we were lost many times during those 30 minutes. I get goosebumps even now when I think about the music I heard then. That performance was something, really.

Painting the soprano

I think what I really liked about these concerts was the artistic audience that would turn up there every Wednesday. Many times there were people in the audience who would be sketching the musicians while on stage. The whole experience was great. And the performances were quite a great way for me to get introduced to classical music. I wish I had known about these concerts before, I would definitely have turned up a lot more.


Amsterdam Light Festival (Jan 2024) 

Every year, Amsterdam celebrates the Amsterdam Light Festival in winter. As part of the event many light installations are set up at various spots in the Centrum. And one can walk and see those all lit up at night or take a boat on the canals which take you along all the installations. So in 2024, some of us went on a boat tour along the canals, where the guides talked about the art installations as well as guided around town. It was quite cold, but still fun. The installations that year weren't that impressive, but the night tour with the guides giving interesting tidbits about the town, and being able to look inside all the grand canal houses (as they were all lighted up) was definitely a lot of fun. 


Amsterdam Pride Parade (Aug 2024)

I had heard a lot about the Amsterdam Pride Parade but somehow was never in town when it happened. But in 2024, I got a chance to experience what it was about and I was mindblown. I had not expected it to be so much fun!

The Amsterdam Parade happens on boats in the canals (of course) and one can choose to go to any of the locations on the boat route to be able to see the parade. So we went early to the canal district in Jordaan, picked a comfortable place with a good view next to the canal to sit and observe what was going on. And what a show it was. Even though I was there only for a couple of hours, I had a ball of a time enjoying the festivities.

Amsterdam Pride

The whole area was full of people, even before us. Everyone was in colourful clothes, funny costumes and a gay mood, just enjoying a nice day out. Everyone was laughing, dancing, drinking and just having fun. And then the flotillas started arriving in the canal. There were boats and boats filled with people in crazy colourful costumes, dancing and singing. There was music, there was dancing, there was shouting, there were performers. And just a lot of gaiety around. There was just an electric vibe all around, so happy and lively. We had a great time and I now understand what people meant when they said that the Parade is a fun event, not just for the LGBT participants but for everyone who turns up. A definite recommendation, for anyone looking for a nice day out in Amsterdam in August.


Amsterdam Tulip Day (Jan 2024)

Every year in the month of January, Amsterdam hosts Tulip Day. Sometimes at the Dam Square, sometimes at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a day when 100s of Dutch farmers bring their tulips for a show in Amsterdam. And anyone can go and take a few of those tulips home, for free (at least that’s what Insta said!).

Tulip Day

In January 2024, I decided to check it out. What a shock I was in for though! Tulip Day was at Rijksmuseum that year and the place was filled with thousands of people. The queues to enter the tulip garden and pick the tulips were at least 2-3 hours long. So we just walked around, admired the tulips from afar, and then walked away, not even thinking of standing in line for so long, just to get a bouquet for free. It was nice to visit it once though, if nothing else, than to see the craziness around.


Amsterdam Walks (Dec 2023, Aug 2024, Nov 2024)

I had lived in Amsterdam for several years, and walked its streets regularly. But somehow I never did a touristy walk around town. And so before leaving, I decided to do at least one such walk. I researched a bit about some off-the-beaten-track places to visit, created my own walking map and then walked around. Of course it took me five separate days to finish that walk - there was just so much to explore and I wanted to do it in a non-hurried manner - but boy did I find some hidden gems, and see Amsterdam in a new light.

Amsterdam walking tour Google map (the Begijnhof and the 9 Straatjes are not added given the 10 stop limit)

I made a route on google maps, and then every time we would start from one point and walk to the next. And on the way, we would stop and explore other places if we found something more exciting. During these walks, I realised that most of these places I had walked past many times in the past without even realising or noticing them! And I think this was the value of taking the time to do something - you actually notice things, you see them.

Sevencountries houses

We started our walk for the first time (in Dec 2023) with the Zevenlandenhuizen (Seven Countries Houses), near Vondelpark. They were a row of neighbouring houses, all constructed in different European architecture styles. From Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Netherlands and England. When you observe them, you see the different styles, though it’s very easy to walk past them without even realising they exist.

We then walked to the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat, a lovely street with unique antique shops and galleries. I definitely had passed that street hundreds of times, if not more. But this time I noticed it, walking into a few of the shops, checking out the art and antiques there, and enjoying it. We spent so much time on this street that it was the end of our first walk on the route 😂.

The second time, in spring 2024, we started our walk at the Begijnhof, a housing society where Catholic women used to live and work in the olden days. The homes all around are quite pretty, plus there was a cute little park in the centre of the houses. And there were a few Catholic chapels inside the society too. Even though this place was in Centrum, it was so quiet, like an oasis within the chaos that is central Amsterdam.

Mother of God
Syrian church

Our next stop were the tiny houses that had been created and attached to a wall in Westerstraat, to denote the missing numbers on the street. Sadly, those small houses had been removed at some point in the last few years. While walking towards our next stop, we were walking past a Syrian church - Mother of God Church of the Syrian Orthodox - and something inside called to us. We walked in and I must say it is one of the calmest churches I have ever visited. The church had beautifully painted roofs and walls, and there was cosy lighting everywhere. There was a service going on at that time. And there was something in the lighting, the paintings, the music, the whole ambience, something so soulful, so spiritual that we just stayed there for a while. Somehow, I loved it.

Singel 7

Our next stop was a house on Singel 7, known as the one-metre house, one of the narrowest in Amsterdam. It actually felt so sad to look at this house. It was well located, right on the canal but so narrow so as to save on taxes. We then walked through the Oersoep tunnel, which is a painted walkway on the shopping street of Nieuwendijk, with mosaics of aquatic animals on the roof. It was just so bright, and so pretty though people walking through it just ignored it and didn’t even look up.

Oersop tunnel

And the last stop of the day was the De Waag, once a city gate, museum, fire station and now a restaurant on the Nieuwmarkt square. It is at quite an active location and always full of people. By then, we had already had a long day and so decided to finish for the day, planning to pick up the walk sometime later in summer.

Cuyperspassage

In August 2024, I picked up the walk again and we started with the Trippenhuis, which is one of the widest canal houses in Amsterdam. And right opposite it is one of the narrowest, apparently of the coachman of the Trippenhuis brothers. Then we walked through the Cuyperspassage near the Centraal Station. It is a road tunnel decorated with Delft tiles showing different maritime scenes. It is such a charming tunnel but no one notices the surroundings while cycling through it (In fact I had cycled through it a few times and never bothered to stop).

Oudemanhuispoort

Our next halt was definitely a hidden gem, the Oudemanhuispoort. It is a covered indoor street where thousands of books are sold. It was just so quaint, so hidden. It had closed down for the day when we went, though I told myself I will come again when it’s open. It hasn't happened yet, maybe some day. And then I finally saw the underground cycle park under Centraal Station that I had heard about so much, but never been to. And I was impressed. The Netherlands sure is impressive, building a huge underground parking for cycles under the Station to ease public transport. Very visionary and impressive.

View from Nemo museum

Our last stop of the day was the roof top restaurant on top of Nemo Science museum, with a birds eye view of Amsterdam. It’s another of my favourite spots in Amsterdam, so open and so relaxed. And the sunsets there are quite stunning. And with this view is I ended my third try at finishing my Amsterdam walk.

My fourth part of the walk was limited to exploring one area, the famous 9 Straatjes (streets) of Jordaan. They are a network of 9 parallel streets, full of small eclectic boutique shops. Selling clothes, jewellery, furniture and anything else that’s unique and quaint. The streets were beautiful, but too crowded. Also as shopping isn’t for me, I didn't stay there long. Though I still walked into some shops, and found some things I enjoyed, like photographs taken by a famous Amsterdam photographer - Arden. I also got a bit sentimental when I saw them, as I was soon going to be leaving the city.

BrouwerIJ cafe

And barely a week before leaving the city, I finally finished the remaining part of my walk. I started with the Oba, a huge library building in Noord, with a stunning rooftop restaurant and terrace with a magnificent view of the city. I felt that I should have come there earlier sometime for sure. And the last stop of the day was the original brewery of BrouwerIJ with a nearby windmill and two cafes still run by the owners right next to it, serving Belgian style tasting beers (the actual brewery has already moved out of town). At night, that whole area was twinkling, and it was tough to accept that I would soon be saying goodbye to this gorgeous jewel of a city, Amsterdam.

I would recommend anyone visiting Amsterdam to definitely walk around and see these (plus many more) hidden gems which I discovered over the four years there. There is no dearth of these in town.


Living in Amsterdam

There are many other activities you can do In Amsterdam. Below are some other things I did, in addition to the ones listed above

• Walking around in Centrum and the Canal district - these areas are just stunning to explore. And I never tired of walking there, in summer with all the colourful flowers, and in winter with all the fallen leaves. In fall with the oranges and yellows around and in spring with all the new leaves coming out. This city is stunning all year round! 
• Eating at the various rooftop restaurants with views of the city. Or at the hundreds of terraces (eating in the open by the canals). In winter or in summer, they are always open. Also try out the Foodhallen in West and Zuid when you want to eat indoors in a lively environment
• Another gem I discovered much later was to look for small restaurants in the villages around Amsterdam, and just drive there. They were so picturesque, located along a canal or a farm, serving tasty food and easier to get to compared to going to Centrum (with a car of course)
• Cycling around the city, it’s so therapeutic. You can cycle anywhere and discover new things every day
• Swimming in the canals or Amstel river (or SUP-ing or skating when the ice freezes over). There are many spots for these activities, though of course the swimming happens mostly in summer
• Exploring the countless museums in town
• Attending the many festivals in summer (every park has a few), exploring all the art fairs and art galleries in town
• Checking out the Sinterklaas celebrations before Christmas, as well as events celebrating festivals of other cultures (I was a regular at the Holi celebrations, Garba events, Durga Pooja and Diwali events, mostly around Amstelveen)
• Visiting the day spas around

King’s Day celebrations (April 2022, 2023, 2024)

King’s Day is the annual celebration of the Dutch King’s birthday which is celebrated across the Netherlands. It is a national holiday and many events are planned around it – concerts the night before, flea markets and roadside parties on the day. 

King's Day flea markets

The flea market is quite popular especially among the kids, as on that day they get to sell their old stuff. According to tradition, on King’s Day, anyone can sell any of their old stuff. And so specific areas are earmarked for these markets. Kids (and even adults) go to those areas a few days earlier and mark out their spaces for The Day. And on the day, everyone is outside on the streets trying to buy or sell stuff. For the children, it’s a good chance to earn some extra pocket money. And for the adults, a good way to clear out their houses (and buy more stuff to take their space 😆.

King's Day crowds

All the cities and villages in the country host their own full day events, with stalls and music and dancing. And Amsterdam hosts the biggest of those parties. There are crowds everywhere in town, on the roads, and rest on boats in the canals. All the boats get blocked very soon. There are outdoor markets and parties everywhere. At the pubs, on the streets, in restaurants and homes.

People can put speakers in their windows and have music playing all day. And they do. And people in the streets stop there and dance. As much and as long as they want. Amsterdam turns orange that day. Everyone is dressed in bright orange, wearing anything (or everything) they have in that colour, as an ode to the King’s house, the House of Orange. Everyone is out there, having a nice time. It's just a full-on national party all day, and it's amazing to just be a part of it.

King's Day crowds

I celebrated three King’s Days in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam. And all of them were different for me, as I did different things. The first time we walked all around town for a few hours just enjoying the music and festive mood everywhere. The busiest areas in Amsterdam were around the canals of Jordaan, which are quite popular with locals and tourists alike. It was just crazy there! It was so full of people that at one point we got stuck in the crowds, and barely moved 3 meters in 30 minutes! It was a bit scary actually and I was wondering what would happen in case of a stampede! (I never went to Jordaan again on King’s Day). So after escaping this Jordaan crowd, we just went to an outdoor party on the Rokin, and danced all evening at the same place, not moving at all (to avoid the crowds).

The next year, I spent the King’s Day outside the Onder de Ooievaar where we danced away the whole evening. It was a place suggested by the locals and so was not that crowded as the previous year. And we chose to just stay at one spot, to avoid running into any crowds anywhere. And interestingly, the day finishes by 8 pm! By then everyone is too tired to do anything else, so everyone heads home, and the municipality starts cleaning up the same evening. And by the next morning there is no sign of what happened there the night before.

Selling on King's Day

The last year, I had a completely different experience. For one, I set up my own little shop to sell some of my paintings to the crowds. It was fun to be out, and I did sell a few too (which I had never expected). And in the afternoon, we went out in my neighbourhood, Oud Zuid to see how King's Day is celebrated there. We saw very different kinds of parties happening - less touristy, and more local. That’s when I realised the experience of King’s Day varies a lot based on where you spend the day.

This day is quite unique to the Netherlands, I have never seen anything like this anywhere else. To be honest, I was not impressed initially with this holiday as I don’t think a lot really happens – it's just a big party for the whole country. But it still somehow turns out to be fun 😊. Every year!


Keukenhof Gardens and tulip season (Spring 2022, 2023, 2024)

Keukenhof Gardens

I love the tulip season. It’s fabulous. In 2022 (and then again in 2023), we visited the Keukenhof Gardens which are these huge flower gardens situated near the town of Lisse. They are known as the Garden of Europe and every year during spring, these gardens open to the public, showcasing hundreds of different types of flowers - tulips, hyacinths, orchids and so on. They have beautifully landscaped gardens with hundreds of flower beds (and apparently 7 million tulips) in all possible colours. It’s just a spectacular display of colours and a breathtaking experience to walk along the riot of colours everywhere.

Orchids show

In addition to all the tulip gardens everywhere, Keukenhof gardens also have four indoor pavilions where specific flower varieties are displayed. And these displays change every month. Once, we saw a fascinating display of hundreds of orchids. Once there were some exotic and unique types of tulip plants there. Once there were hundreds of varieties of lilies on display. The sheer variety seen there is incomparable. The whole garden has been curated so well, you can easily have a delightful day out among all the colours. And there are many other activities to do in the park. You can climb a windmill. You can even take a boat which takes one through the nearby polders through the tulip fields. It's just lovely to be at the gardens, and you never want to leave. Both times, I enjoyed the experience totally.

Tulip fields around Keukenhof

All around the gardens, the whole Lisse area is full of thousands of tulip fields, in different colours – yellow, orange, red, deep purple, pink and many mixes in between. The fields are a pleasure to drive through and stop at. Field after field of colourful tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, with water canals in between and windmills at the edges. I visited the Lisse tulips fields some 9-10 times in the spring of 2022, 2023 and 2024. Sometimes I would cycle there. And sometimes when I would be driving back from office in the Hague or Rotterdam, I would just take a detour and drive through the fields. Being there with colour all around was just so exciting, so uplifting. I also once went there in a saree for a photoshoot. It was just so much fun. Going to the tulip fields was definitely one of my favourite activities in spring, I loved it!

Tulip fields

Tulip fields

Keukenhof castle (Nov 2021)

Keukenhof castle

We went to the Keukenhof castle on a short day trip during the winter lockdown of 2021. It’s a small castle in Lisse, near the Keukenhof gardens itself. When we went there, the castle was already closed but the gardens around it were open. To be honest, it did not really look like a castle, more like a big house, with some gorgeous fields nearby. The gardens were pretty though and the LAM museum interesting. I would say this place is skippable, except it's free. So if you just want to go somewhere picturesque for a day out, it’s not a bad option.


Naardenmeer ice skating (Jan 2024)

I had heard a lot about how Amsterdam canals freeze in winters and one can then skate on them. Due to global warming, the number of years this happens has reduced. In 2021 the canals had frozen but I hadn’t moved to the Netherlands yet. So all I could do was listen to all my colleagues talk about it, in every single Zoom meeting! So this was an experience I really wanted to get a chance to feel for myself.

I got my chance in Jan 2024, when for a day, some lakes around Amsterdam froze! And I heard about it somehow (there are specific whatsapp groups in the Netherlands where this information is shared realtime). So I grabbed the opportunity, scrambled to find a place to rent skates from and was off to skate at a naturally frozen waterbody. To this specific lake called Naardenmeer, near Naarden, 

Frozen Naardenmeer

When I reached, I could see streams of people heading towards the lake, and many coming back. I was just crossing my fingers that it wouldn't start melting before I reached it. And then I got the chance to skate on a frozen lake, for the first time in my life! It was a huge lake, with dried vegetation all around. And I went round and round in circles. Oh my god, the joy of flying on the water, with a cold breeze on your face. I cannot explain the high I got being there that cold freezing winter morning. There were so many people around, parents getting their children to experience this, old people reminiscing of the time this was more common and so on. Apparently it used to be a community event, for when the weather was bad.

The people there were experts, so I kept asking them if the lake is safe to skate. And when I was skating, it felt like I could hear the sound of cracks at one end. I still braved it for a few hours. During the breaks, I chatted with the others and learnt about how the experts skate, what tools they carry to get them out of the water in case they fall in, and so on. I also saw some of those expert skaters going off with their tools, skating on the smaller streams nearby, frozen but more at risk to melt.

It was such a great experience I had and I am grateful the lakes froze at least once before I left. (The canals and lakes froze again in Jan 2026, but I wasn't as jealous as I would have been if I hadn't got this chance to skate in nature). Also interestingly, in summer 2024, I went on a long bike ride around Amsterdam, and I passed by this lake. The surroundings felt familiar and I felt I had been here before! The whole ambience was etched in my mind. Though it looked so different in summer, lush green and bright. When I came back home, I checked and realised that was the same lake, Naardenmeer that I had skated in winter. 

Vinkeveen swimming (Sep 2023, June 2024) 

I had seen a reel about Vinkeveen on instagram, so decided to visit it. And I liked it so much, I visited the place a second time too. Vinkeveen has a huge lake, where homes have been built on narrow strips of lands jutting into the lake. Each house has an outlet to the lake and the place looked amazing in the reels, especially from above. When we went there though, we realised it was tough to find access to the water as the waterfront was all private and accessible only via homes. And there were no walking paths along the water. 

Vinkeveen lake

So we drove around a bit till we found one public access to the lake (on Island 4). And there it was full of people. They were swimming and diving, enjoying a day out in the sun. We had no idea we could swim here, so had not come prepared and so couldn’t swim. It felt like a big miss. So we just sat on the banks, enjoying the sun. The sunset looked gorgeous too. 

In the end we did have a nice day there, though we never got to see the views I saw on the reel. While driving back from there, we were quite impressed with the palacious houses everywhere. Only later I found out that it is an area where the rich live, similar to Wassenaar, Bloemendaal and Aalsmeer. 

That summer in 2023, I had marked Vinkeveen as a place to visit again for a swim in summer. And I did the next year. The lake was full of activity that sunny day. With people all around swimming, diving, picnicking and just enjoying a summer day. We swam in the waters and just chilled by the lake. We had such a fabulous day out, so near home and so easy to access. And this is what I love so much about the Netherlands. The Dutch have found ways to create so many activity options with the limited resources they have. If there is a lake, they just create facilities there so that people can swim! I love that!


Beaches around Amsterdam

The Netherlands has a long coastline, and it is lined with beaches. Or let’s just say, some sand 😊. To be honest, these beaches aren’t what you would expect when someone says – ‘I am going to the beach’, but they are definitely better than not having them 😉. They are basically long stretches of sand next to the sea, where you can go and spend a day reading a book on the beach if it's not a very windy day. Or walk on the beach or spend time at the restaurants (which line all the promenades) and have a nice leisurely meal. Quite often it’s windy, and the restaurants provide protection from it. Either way, you rarely go into the water as it’s too cold (of course, the Dutch do because they don't feel the cold 😂). All the beaches look quite similar, so there is not a lot of difference between them. Still they are nice to go to.

I have visited a few beaches nearby, mostly on sunny days, and I would say, they are a nice break from city life for sure. Also their proximity to Amsterdam is a definite plus, you can be there within 30 minutes to an hours drive, and it almost feels like you are on holiday. I went into the water only once though, when we drove to the Zeeland Islands in the south-west of the Netherlands. There are a few other beaches I visited, like Bergen aan Zee, Enkhuizen beach, Texel, Wassenarse Slag and in the Zeeland Islands. You can read about them in this article and this article.  


Bloemendaal aan Zee (May 2023)

Bloemendaal beach

Bloemendaal is a beach close to the other famous Zaandvoort beach, and the locals say it's less crowded than that. Either way, both are very close to Amsterdam, around 30 mins in low traffic. We went there one summer afternoon, and the parking situation did not show that. Still it was a very nice long sandy beach, and we had a nice day out, sleeping in the sun when the wind let us. The water also felt clearer than normal and we walked in the water for a while.


Hoek van Holland beach (Dec 2023)

One winter evening, while in the Hague, I decided on a whim to visit a beach, the Hoek van Holland Strand. Its location is interestingly placed, at the hook of the entry for all boats to Rotterdam port. It was a bit of a drive to get there, and the approach wasn't impressive, as you drive by the port on one side and the beach on the other. But once there, it looked impressive.

Hoek van Holland beach

The beach was huge and long. And the promenade was lined with restaurants, big and small. They were all open even in the winter, though empty at that time. Apparently people still come to the restaurants on the beach in winter, though in the evenings after work. And there were so many seagulls and birds around. It felt like the people crowds had been replaced by the bird crowds.

Gezellig cafe

Even though it was too cold, I went for a walk along the beach. It was quite a long walk and would be more fun in the summer. But there was only as much I could be out in biting cold. So I stopped for a hot chocolate at one of the cosy restaurants and soon left. Still I had enjoyed the day. There is definitely something in being out on a beach on a windy day, something that clears the mind. It even has a name in Dutch 😂, it's known as uitwaaien. Which refers to spending time in the windy dunes or beaches, as a way of wind therapy. I did not know the word then, but it looks like that’s what I was unknowingly doing. 

IJmuiden beach (September 2022)

IJmuiden beach

We ended up at the IJmuiden beach by mistake as Zandvoort beach was closed due to the F1 race that weekend. And the entry to the beach was not too inviting, as you need to drive past a few industries to get there. But once there, I actually liked it. It was quite an open space, with not too many people. And the water was warm enough, the beach clean enough to get into the water. It was blissful to be there in summer.

The beach is located right next to the IJ Canal which links the sea to Amsterdam. And this is the canal all the big ships use to get to Amsterdam. It was in some way calming to see all the large ships and cruise liners move through this canal, slowly.


Noordwijk beach (August 2022)

Noordwijk beach

The Noordwijk beach is slightly north of the resort of Scheveningen, and was a nice place to spend an afternoon. It has some nice beach clubs to just sit and enjoy the sun. But the smell of seaweeds was not that helpful.


Scheveningen (June 2022)

Scheveningen is a very popular seaside resort of the Netherlands, very close to the Hague. It has also been the muse for many Dutch painters. When we visited the beach, it was a really hot day. So it felt like a “real” beach place. We first walked into town, it was a nice cute little village with its own history. It also had loads of beach houses, huge hotels and so on all along the beach. Clearly it was popular.

Then we walked along the promenade, which was lined with beach bars and clubs. And the atmosphere was totally festive – it almost felt tropical to be there. We had lunch at a beachside restaurant and then went to lie on the sand for a while. The beach was full of people, and the water with kite surfers. You can easily see that this was definitely a happening and popular beach in the area. There was a music festival happening in the evening, for which people started coming in. All in all, I loved the vibe. Though surprisingly I never went back there over the next 3 years. Maybe because it was too crowded?


Zaandvoort (September 2021, April 2022, July 2023)

Zaandvoort beach

This was one of the first beaches I drove to, in fact the same weekend as I got my car. And I must say, it was beyond my expectations. I hadn't expected much from a beach in the Netherlands. Zaandvoort seemed like quite a popular place, even in fall as it's just a 30 mins drive from Amsterdam. The beach was the usual but it was lined with loads of nice places to eat next to the sea. I couldn’t get into the water as it was too cold and windy, but I did spend a nice sunny day enjoying the sun and sound of the water. And then visited the beach again twice in summer, when it felt more inviting. To eat there or sit on the sand.


Other Amsterdam blogs

Summer in New York and Connecticut

Manhattan skyline

Last summer I spent two weeks in the US, in the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. I was going to be working remotely while also visiting a place I had lived in before, New York. Inspite of work, I did get out a bit to catch up with old friends. And since I wasn’t touristing, I spent my time like a local. It was my first visit to the city after 13 years and I looked at it with new eyes. Somehow I liked the city this time. I felt that living there is nice, comfortable and convenient. I also experienced suburban life living in Connecticut, my first visit to the state. And I was impressed with it too. Sharing some of my thoughts from this time in the States.


 Getting there

The flight from London to New York was a day flight, and as there were no clouds, I got to see the earth from above. And I love that - it gives a new meaning to all we studied in geography, when we actually get to see all the interesting landscapes down below. Flying to New York, we flew over the island of Newfoundland and it had so many lakes, they were all visible from the air. Then we flew over a few other islands, all the way till New York. They all looked so picturesque from above. Especially a place called the Bay of Fundy where the sea appeared reddish! That was quite a sight. All the islands and beaches looked very inviting, shining in the sun. Surprisingly, I had never seen them before or been there even.


Trip down memory lane: New York and New Jersey

My flight landed at JFK and I was staying with friends in New Jersey. And I realised I had forgotten the geography of New York 😂, also that there is no good public transport connecting the airport to Jersey City. So I had to sit through a long 2 hour taxi ride in the traffic to get to where I wanted.

The drive did feel nostalgic though, there were moments and sights that felt the same as before. Like a mini Eiffel tower on top of a building, some billboards, the bridge, pastel houses on the hills - all triggered a memory of the time I had been there before. Crossing Chinatown with its energy, approaching the highrises of Newport, it was just like driving through the past. So at least the long drive gave me that 😂.

Working with a view

Over the next week, I worked during the weekdays, catching up with friends in NY in the weekday evenings and getting out of town on the weekends. I was staying along the Jersey waterfront, in Newport. During the days I worked from our apartment, with a view of the New York skyline. That was quite a good backdrop to the work. The weather, though supposed to be hot as it was summer, had surprisingly turned cold and rainy, but I survived.

Along the waterfront

In the evenings, I would go for a walk or run along the waterfront, till Exchange Place or Hoboken. The entire path is quite active especially in the evenings. The weather was a bit rainy and windy while there, still the views made up for it. The New York skyline across the river was just as stunning and mesmerising as it had been when I had lived there before. The views are incomparable. Whether at night or during the day. It’s an experience I don’t think I can tire of easily. And just like 15 years ago, I photographed it incessantly once again 😂. 

Newport

Newport is full of highrises and malls, the new part of town. And so many of our Indian friends either live there or lived there 20 years ago. Downtown Jersey City was completely different though. Just walking 20 mins from Newport to Jersey City took one to a world 50 years earlier. It had older and less high buildings, with more character and a European feel to it. More natural greenery, more space. And it felt so much more relaxed. I loved (re)visiting it. 

WTC pool

I made a few trips to the City too. I saw all its different areas in a different light, and it felt so grand and lively. In downtown, I was quite impressed with the new WTC station and memorial pool built there (they hadn’t been finished when I lived in NY). The WTC is also finished now and visible all the way from midtown Macy's, along Broadway. That was quite impressive to see. Also there were many old grand colonial buildings, churches and parks across downtown which had a charming beauty to it. Overall though, it still felt too claustrophobic to me, with all the high rises and the scaffolding everywhere - they somehow took away from its charm.

Peter Cooper Village

Midtown felt a lot more open and inviting, like the place I would like to live. I walked around the East Village to the places I had lived in and enjoyed. The old houses on tree lined streets, with quiet all around. It was so peaceful, so serene, so charming, not like the NY we hear about. The area around Union Square felt like a pleasure to walk around. I was also amazed by all the large murals and art on the buildings here, it definitely felt new (or I hadn't noticed it before).

I walked all the way to Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. And fell in love with it again. With all the greenery and fountains and landscaping and activities between the apartments. An oasis of green and quiet life in the craziness that is New York. I loved going there, again. And then the nearby waterfront was gorgeous.

New York

Uptown felt great too. One of the evenings I met a few friends in Central Park and enjoyed the summer vibes there. People all around just picnicking in the good weather, just that. Walking around in uptown was also fun. The roads were so wide and open. All the restaurants there were buzzing. It felt nice to be there.

And I shopped - New York is a haven for shopping. It was as much a pleasure as it was convenient to shop now as then. I visited all my old favourites, Macy’s, Loft and Century 21.

I made two outstation trips too. One of the summer days (the hottest during my stay actually), we drove to Jersey Shore. We first stopped at Saravana Bhavan in Edison, and had a filling meal. Then we drove to Ocean’s Grove. The drive was about 2 hours and through green countryside. And when we reached Ocean’s Grove, we could see it buzzing. The beachfront was lined with pastel coloured wooden houses, holiday homes of the ones who love the sun. They looked cute. The trip however wasn’t!

Oceans Grove

We spent an hour trying to find parking, and couldn't! We even drove to the neighbouring Asbury Park Beach. And it was the same story. So we just stopped the car for a while, got out, checked out the beach, (told ourselves it’s nothing great 😂), drove to a nearby Starbucks, had coffee and came back. Jersey Shore seemed like such a popular place, though I don’t know why. Also my friends learnt later that to get a parking at Jersey Shore, one had to reach there early morning or around sunset. Well, for next time.

My other outstation trip was to Woodbury Commons, an outlet mall a few hours away from town. We took public transport for this trip, taking a shuttle bus from Penn Station to get there. It was a bit tough to find the right bus, but we did. The drive was comfortable and through the lush green countryside. The mall was also in a green wooded area and it felt nice to be out of town, though the shopping was not that successful.


Living the good life in Connecticut

The same day as the outlet mall shopping, I took a train to a small town in Connecticut (I realised now that the US does have some public transport, you just need to be on it). The Connecticut coast is where the rich of New York move to when they have earned enough. They live a luxurious life in huge suburban houses in the middle of nature. These towns are spread out, with access to watersports, hiking etc., a convenient high street and a small community where everyone knows each other. There are trains from Grand Central to these commuter towns along the coast. And the rich New Yorkers live the good life here, commuting conveniently to NY for work when needed.

For the next week, I stayed in a place called Fairfield, near Southport, along the Connecticut coast. And what a different life it was. A huge house in the woods, with its own sauna and pool. And deer came to visit us every day. I got quite lazy there, just enjoying being outdoors in nature. During the day, I worked outside by the pool, in the sun. And in the evenings, I walked or ran around in the neighbourhood. The area around was lined with grand colonial houses with huge gardens around. It was also a bit hilly, so it was strenuous to walk and run there.

Fairfield

One evening we drove to a restaurant in a nearby town, the Hudson Malone and I was impressed with the decor and vibe there. The restaurant and the area around had an interesting history of slave traders and lack of industries because of that. Also it hit me that to go to good restaurants, we had to drive far. Also that everyone around knew all restaurants in the 50 mile radius, there were just so few of them.

Fairfield Boathouse

Another evening I decided to walk into town, the city centre. So I set off from our house and just followed Google Maps all the way till the harbour. I walked through residential areas with grand houses. Past the town centre with a few restaurants. Past a small river meeting the sea, ending at a boat house with people enjoying fishing and kayaking around. The sunset at the end of the walk was stunning, and the houses there felt so idyllic. The stunningness of this life cannot be described. Though the lack of a proper pedestrian sidewalk was a bit risky. Thankfully my friend picked me up from there, so I did not have to risk my life again walking along fast moving traffic without a sidewalk, trying to come back home.

Outdoor concert

One of the weekend days, we drove around town seeing the different areas in town, how the houses were different in the different parts, from the grand to the lavish to the magnificent. We visited some local farms to pick up natural produce (which was quite expensive), drove by the local churches and schools and so on. Then we went to the town centre and I shopped (again), at Loft. The high streets here were self sufficient, to avoid people having to drive into the City for their needs, and the stuff available there was classy (given the demand). While at the high street, we ran into an outdoor summer concert in a local park. They were playing songs from the 90s, and the average age was 60 😊. It felt like the entire town was there (And we were the only 4 non-whites in the entire crowd!). I loved the concert, being in the pleasant summer air, enjoying music from a time we remember.

One another weekend day we drove to the Housatonic Rail Trail, a hiking trail built on the remnants of a train line. The walk was so refreshing, covered by trees on both sides. And there were many people walking and biking here. We walked all the way under the trees, till the lake. I loved it, country life can be so good and convenient. There was a leisurely feeling I got when there, it was just so relaxing. And lazying. We had to visit the beach that day too but somehow ran out of time 😂.

Fairfield

Overall, living in Connecticut felt like living the leisure life, ‘grand houses, nature, outdoors, drives, farm food’, and so on. It felt good, luxurious, peaceful - the big life. But how is it for the long term sustainability of the world? And for mental health, of being connected and living with people? I don't think anyone felt the lack of it, so my guess is it doesn't matter much. But I did end up with questions on the ‘Big American Dream’. Anyways I loved it, so I was happy.

New York skyline

The journey back from there was quite convenient too. It was easier to take the train to JFK directly from Connecticut than from Jersey City (which is closer). A commuter train to Grand Central Station, and then with 2 connections (the LIRR and the AirTrain), I was soon in JFK. The commuter train passed through stunning countryside places, with cities, rivers, forests and so on all along. And soon it was time to fly out.

Leaving the US, I felt it can give people a good life. And it felt good to experience it.

Dubai, the city of lights

Hatta Lake

In October this year, I spent a few days in Dubai, a layover while returning from London. I was working remotely, so I did not have a lot of time to explore the city, but I did get out in the evenings and the weekend, and what I saw, I liked!

On weekdays after work, I explored some nearby local places, and on the weekend I ventured out to explore the countryside. I enjoyed all the experiences, especially how convenient everything was.


Dubai shopping

It’s tough to be in Dubai and not shop 😂. Two of the weekday evenings, after it had cooled down a bit, we visited outdoor places nearby, which had a cultural aspect to it, but of course they included shopping too. One evening, we explored the Al Fahidi and Al Seef areas around Dubai Creek. It is a long stretch of old historic huts along the creek, some made of stone and some of wood, preserved in their original form. Now it has been converted into a waterfront walkway, a tourist hangout place, with the huts turned into handicraft shops, restaurants and museums.

Dubai Creek

We walked all along the water, enjoying the evening breeze, while also checking out the shops around. It was nice to be there, especially as everything was all lit up including on the other side of the creek. And regular boat taxis were plying along the Creek, transporting workers between different stops. The whole place had a very festive feel to it, though it was just a normal day.

We also saw the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise boat which has been converted into a stationary hotel, and the sheikh's yachts next to it, all along the waterfront. Dubai really is another name for luxury. After that, we walked through Meena Bazaar and all the Indian shops in that neighbourhood. I was amazed by how crowded and active that place was, even at night. And with the number of shops selling jewellery, clothes and so on!

Another evening, we visited Global Village, which is a huge entertainment and cultural park in the open desert, about an hour's drive away. We drove by so many new developments and then the open desert. And then Global Village suddenly appeared, all lighted up in the middle of the endless desert.

Lake and Dragon boat

It is a massive outdoor park with pavilions from around 30 countries across the world, designed as a place to spend a full day exploring. The pavilions showcase the country’s culture, as well as sell products from there. Plus there are foods from different countries, shows going on on the central stage, and loads of restaurants. And in the centre, there is a lake with a dragon boat in between. People can boat there too. And all around are grand pavilions, all lit up. I think this is when I decided to give Dubai the epithet of ‘City of Lights’.

The pavilions

There is just so much to see, it's not possible to explore the place in one go. So we shortlisted a few countries we wanted to see. Though I must say, some pavilions were definitely better to visit than the others. We first walked into Turkey and that was amazing - they were selling a lot of local handicrafts, pottery etc.. Then Thailand was selling a lot of textiles. Plus the mangoes from there were very tasty. I was excited to see Japan and the Americas, but they were definitely not representative of all that the country had to offer. In fact, they weren't even selling authentic products! The Americas were selling branded shoes 😂.

Afghan jewellery

One of my favourite pavilions was Afghanistan, they were selling so many products which aren't generally available in markets - jackets and caps made of fur, juices from local fruits, tribal jewellery and so on. I also liked the Iran one, it was quite well set up and quite grand. We initially didn't visit the Indian pavilion as we thought it was home only. But when we went in, it was impressive. It had a lot more space than the others, and was selling a lot of good stuff. We walked into a lot more countries like Egypt, Sri Lanka, China and Korea but we weren’t impressed by them either. In China, they were selling anything and everything, as everything nowadays is Made in China 😁.

Latin American dance

Each of the country pavilions also had small stages inside where dancers were showcasing local dance and music. I liked the Turkish and Latin American performances, while the Japanese one felt quite slow. We also saw one performance on the main stage called “All aboard”, where they showed a bus of students visiting different parts of the world, represented by their dances. When the bus stopped in India, the dance was Bollywood but the background showed a poor part of some town with just doors painted in different colours. I was not happy to see that, is that all they could find to represent India? What about the forts and temples and handicrafts and himalayas and nature and so on India has to offer?

Anyways, there was just so much to see, we spent about 4-5 hours there and even then it was not enough. By the end we were exhausted, though still wanted to check out the other stalls. Overall we enjoyed our time there, and could go back too. I would love to check out the dances in all the pavilions. One of the other days I also visited an outlet mall, and found some good deals. So I guess Dubai being a shopper’s paradise is definitely true.


New Dubai

The Palm

I also spent some time visiting friends staying in New Dubai, and that felt so different than Old Dubai. Wide roads, lots of greenery and loads of new developments everywhere. I spent some time on The Palm, which has definitely become more full. As when I had visited in 2016, it was still being developed. Now it's fully developed and occupied. Also apparently it had been decided initially, that there will be no skyscrapers on the Palm, but now they have changed their policy and built one, with another on the way.

I walked into a mall there and was blinded by all the shopping and lights. The central pathway lined with the palms was nice though. Then I walked around the waterfront with a friend who lives there, and realised that as a tourist, you cannot access most of the sea front here. I was very impressed with the living there, all the restaurants on the beach, the many malls, and water activities available nearby. It also felt so relaxed, and green. And I liked the lights there too, especially Atlantis the Palm. It all looks magnificent at night.

The same day I also visited a friend’s villa, and was impressed with the luxurious life one can have in Dubai. With independent houses, greenery all around and even a private pool with each house. And they also had a lake nearby. Also sitting outside in the evenings is a luxury not that easy to come by in Europe, that sounded appealing too. I was slowly warming up to Dubai.


Hatta Lake

On the weekend, we decided to get out of the city and explore the Dubai countryside 😀, to Hatta Lake. It is about 1.5-2 hour drive from Dubai. We left in the afternoon, so that by the time we reached, around 3 pm, the temperature would have started to cool down.

Entry to Hatta

We spent the whole afternoon there, and it was amazing. The drive to Hatta was mostly through the desert. It was mostly empty, though the initial part had a lot of greenery. There were also some villages on the way, which looked very different from the city we had left behind. We also crossed Sharjah during the drive. Then we drove through dry desert mountains, where everything was dry and rocky. But the roads and services all the way were great.

Hatta lake

Hatta Lake is an artificial lake created by Hatta Dam and is surrounded by rocky desert mountains all around. It wasn’t very crowded when we reached as the tourists hadn't reached yet - they all turn up in buses after 4 pm when the weather has cooled down a lot. We were surprised with all the tourist infrastructure there. There was a parking space with all amenities. And shuttle buses to get from the parking lot to the dam and lake. At the lake, there was a centre for water activities like boating, kayaking, etc..

Kayaking in Hatta

We parked on the dam itself and walked across to the viewpoint, getting some panoramic views of the lake around. The water was a beautiful green. And the sun made it even brighter. I kayaked around in the lake and was amazed by the scenery around. Brown rocky mountains all around, with some birds flying around. And the water so green. It was so peaceful. And so surreal, a lake in the desert.

Sunset at Hatta

After kayaking, we had a hearty meal of Indian snacks like bhelpuri and vada pav, right on the dam. They were welcome after the strenuous activity of the afternoon. We saw the sunset on the lake, and it was stunning. With all the yellows and oranges around. I really liked this location.

After the lake, we went to Hatta Heritage Village but it seems like that is still being developed. We did see some old ruins there - an old watchtower, old irrigation canals and a fort being renovated - but the shops were all closed and there wasn't much to do there. While driving back, we saw the Sharjah Mosque on the road, all lit up too, it looked quite grand.

On this drive is when I realised that the UAE is quite huge, in fact much larger than the Netherlands. Other than the cities, the rest is an endless desert. Dubai is such a surreal place, luxury in the middle of harsh desert conditions. I felt a lot of respect for the Sheikhs then, it isn’t easy to have such a vision for building a global city out of the desert lands they inherited. Hats off!


Everyday life

I also noticed a few small things during my stay which I found interesting. 

• Dubai airport was so bright even at midnight when I landed - it was blinding 
• I was staying in Old Dubai, in the Al Mankhool area. It was full of apartments but not skyscrapers. And so many of the houses were lighted up with Diwali lights. Plus they were still lighting fireworks for Diwali. That was quite a surprise. Old Dubai is full of Indians, a lot more than I had expected.
• It felt like Hindi was the second language of the city. So many people speak Hindi, even some of the Arabic people, especially the ones in shops and other services 
• Apparently traffic has grown a lot in Dubai over the last few years, and pollution is also rising which was not the case when I visited the last time. It was quite surprising as Dubai generally manages to keep living quite convenient and under control. 

Overall, I was impressed with Dubai and thought that it could be a nice place to live. Easy and convenient. And what it lacks in weather and nature, it tries to make up for in other ways.