Before I started flying to different international destinations, I’ve been going around different Philippine destinations. I remember in 2012, I had 4 trips in 4 consecutive weekends – I went to Cebu, then to Bacolod, Legaspi & Puerto Princesa. I may not have been to all 81 Philippine provinces, but I can say I’ve been to some of them.
Falling in love to a place you’ve been to maybe a cliché but it really happens. I enjoy every single place I visit but I don’t necessarily fall in love with it. It takes jaw-dropping views, fun & exciting inland & island tours, great company & tasty food for me to fall in love with a place. Today’s P’s List will feature 5 Philippine destinations where I can say I fell in love with & I won’t get tired of going back again & again.
Boracay
It may be the most touristy & commercial island destination in the country but it is still Boracay. The island’s white sand beaches, spectacular sunset & relaxing holiday vibe make it a unique beach destination. The island isn’t famous for nothing. I’ve been to the island a couple of times & I keep on coming back. It’s one of those islands where you can fly in, lie down in the fine white sand & just relax thinking about nothing.
Continuously hailed as one of the world’s best islands, Palawan stole my heart since I visited the island in 2012. I’ve been to Puerto Princesa once, Coron once, Port Barton twice & El Nido four times & I still look forward to visiting the island again. Palawan has pristine beaches, world-class islands, stunning views & rich marine life. My favorite spots / activities in Palawan include Iwahig firefly watching activity in Puerto Princesa, Malcapuya Island & Kayangan Lake in Coron, Nacpan Beach, Big Lagoon & Entalula Island in El Nido & Turtle Point, Twin Reef & Maxima Island in Port Barton. It has everything an island destination can have; it is hands down my favorite domestic destination next to home.
I went on a spontaneous weekend trip to Siquijor with friends in July 2017. I feel in love with how simple & untouched everything is in the island. The island is relatively unknown compared to its neighbors but has the beautiful Paliton & Salagdoong Beaches, the one-of-a-kind Cambugahay Falls, the interesting Balete Tree & the old but preserved Lazi Church. I instantly feel in-love with the island on my first visit & I want to go back & explore it again.
I may not be a surfer but I surely fell in love with Siargao on my first visit. The beautiful tour locations (in the morning) & the crazy party vibes (at night) made this Siargao a great place to visit. I fell in love with Sugba Lagoon, enjoyed Magpupungko’s tidal & rock pool & liked the tour around Sohoton. The jellyfish sanctuary visit was really cool. I also loved Cloud 9’s island vibe. Ahh, I want to go back to Siargao soon!
Nothing beats a place called home; Albay will always be my favorite. You may find it biased but hey, you can’t blame me for being one. It’s where I grew up & where my family is. Add to it the spectacular view of Mayon Volcano, which I can see from our house’ gate. I miss home, I can’t wait to go back when this pandemic is over. Albay is the place which I’ll never get tired of visiting.
I honestly can’t wait to visit these places again. I know international travel won’t be allowed in the next few months but I hope the government will allow domestic tourism as soon as it’s already safe for everyone. How about you? Which Philippine destinations do you always keep on visiting & why? Share your own list in the comments section below!
Do you have any questions about the destinations mentioned above? If yes, you may send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Feel free to follow me on my social media channels for more information on cheap fares, thrift hacks & fun lists & itineraries – Facebook & Instagram. Thank you for joining me in today’s list. Until the next one!
Last October to November 2019, I flew to Europe all by myself for 19 days & went around Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark. I never thought this trip that took 7 years to plan would finally happen & that I would do everything alone & DIY – no help from any travel agency, consultant or whatsoever. If you’ve been following me the last few months, I’ve shared every single detail of this Euro trip from city itineraries, flight reports, to hostels & even local food. You can find all posts under the Going Solo in Europe category.
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Going to Europe for a long trip like this is not a cheap trip to do. Some people spend hundreds of thousands on airfare & accommodation & add probably another hundred for food, pocket money & tours. I didn’t have that much savings for this kind of expensive trip so I did a lot of research to make it happen in a relatively affordable budget. AND I DID IT! I flew to Europe for 19 days around 4 countries including airfare, accommodation & a 12-hour Singapore stopover for less than ₱120,000 all in. Let me share with you how I made this trip of a lifetime possible.
Disclaimer: There are ways to make this trip even cheaper than what I spent – staying in cheaper hostels, taking low-cost carriers / buses with cutting trips, etc. – but I wanted to make it special (as a first time) & splurged a bit on some parts like food (& beers), high-rated hostels & better transportation options. Also, I only chose to visit 4 countries instead of hopping on from one country to the other after a day or two to have a better appreciation of every country / city. I am not a fan of rushed trips; I enjoy staying longer in one place or country.
I took the risk & booked a return ticket to Europe with Singapore Airlines during their January promotion with BPI Credit Cards. I got the economy class ticket from Manila to Amsterdam via Singapore & Copenhagen to Manila via Singapore for only 719.23 USD. The ticket includes 30-kilogram baggage allowance on all sectors, in-flight meals & snacks, personal entertainment screens & their 5-star Singaporean hospitality. My BPI credit card charged me ₱37,669.40 including foreign transaction fees. Not bad for a ticket to Europe considering it’s with Singapore Airlines, right?
Months before the trip, I figured out the route I’ll take & the countries I’ll visit. Then, I booked air tickets for my inter-European transfers. Train tickets were more expensive & would take a few changes while bus trips, even if cheap, will take ages & a few transfers before you reach the next city / country. I paid €67,40 for a plane ticket from Brussels, Belgium to Prague, Czech Republic on Brussels Airlines. I booked another ticket from Prague, Czech Republic to Copenhagen, Denmark on Czech Airlines for 1,588 Kč. Both tickets include 23-kilogram check in baggage. I got charged ₱4,000.85 & ₱3,658.88, respectively for these 2 tickets.
I booked these 3 tickets without a Schengen tourist visa. Some people don’t recommend this, but I took the risk & did it. I was confident that time that I will be granted visa for this trip & luckily, I got one.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Europe is not cheap. A dormitory bed in a hostel costs about €30 to €40 a night, depending on the room configuration & location. Hotels & private rooms are more expensive. I can’t afford them. I booked my hostels 4 months into the trip. All these hostel bookings had free cancellation options if I don’t push through. I became picky with the hostels I’ll stay with since it was my first time in Europe. I stayed in popular & high-rated hostels found in central & well-recommended locations.
I stayed with Generator Hostel in Amsterdam (₱8,885.82 for 4 nights – paid in Philippine Peso), Sleep Well Youth Hostel in Brussels (€122 for 4 nights – paid during check-in), DREAM Hostel in Prague (1,790 Kč for 4 nights – paid via credit card on check-in) & Steel House in Copenhagen (US$ 116.24 for 4 nights – paid via Agoda). I paid ₱26,117.54 for 16 nights in these 4 countries – roughly ₱1,632.25 per night in Philippine Peso or €28,49 per night in Euros. I think I still got a good deal from these hostels! It would’ve been cheaper if booked my stay at least 8-10 months before.
Travel Insurance
Schengen tourist visa applications require a travel insurance with up to €30,000 medical coverage for the duration of the trip, some even up to 15 to 30 days after the trip. I got my travel insurance coverage online from Standard Insurance; I got their Travel Protect Policy which covers up to €37,500 medical coverage for 19 days. I paid ₱1,918 for the 19-day coverage.
Traveling around Europe alone isn’t easy. I made sure I was connected to the internet for the whole duration of the trip. I bought an internet sim card from Pinoy Traveler’s Unlimited Data Sim Card on Facebook. The sim card was operated by Three UK & it included 12 GB of 3G/4G data & unlimited call & text in Europe & UK & 9 GB of 3G/4G data outside Europe & UK for 30 days. The sim card cost ₱1,600 with free shipping. The data, call & text services worked well during my stay in Singapore, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark.
Travel Tax
All Philippine passport holders are required to pay a travel tax of ₱1,620 before going out the country for holiday. I paid the travel tax right before I checked in for my flight from Manila to Singapore.
Daily Budget & Unexpected Expenses
I mentioned in my Europe thrift hacks post that I set a daily budget of €40 for food, transportation & entrance fees. I spent more in some days but I was traveling on a €30-€35 per day budget. There were days where I had to buy last-minute museum tickets (Heineken Experience & Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam), join guided tours (Canal Tour in Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam & Marken in Holland & Kutná Hora in Czech Republic) & go on side trips (Utrecht, Bruges, Ghent & Český Krumlov) which cost me more. I also bought last-minute train & bus tickets in Belgium & Czech Republic – the downsides of not following an itinerary.
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I splurged on beers in all 4 countries; I paid more for food in Denmark (food there is expensive) but I’m happy I still had about €120 cash left at the end of the trip. I counted all my expenses from pocket money, to credit & debit card transactions & debit card withdrawals for 19 days. I spent ₱34,327.78 (around €600) for 17 full days (travel days not included) on food, transportation, walking tours, entry tickets, guided tours & beers – about €35 per day on average.
Singapore Stopover
Chicken rice fix in SGThe Jewel at Changi
My flight from Manila to Amsterdam had a 12-hour layover in Singapore. I took this time to meet 2 friends – one for lunch + milk tea & one for early dinner. I also used this time to walk around the beautiful city, check out a city library & walk around The Jewel at Changi Airport. I spent around S$50 (₱1,859.4 conversion that time) on this 12-hour stop – food, drinks & transportation included.
Summary of Expenses
After all the costs & numbers mentioned above, let’s see how much I actually spent for the trip.
Exchange rate at the time of trip: €1 = ₱57.3 Exchange rates of purchases & withdrawals vary. There you go! I spent ₱117,092.85 pesos for a 19-day trip around 4 European Countries – Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic & Denmark – with air tickets, accommodation costs & a 12-hour Singapore stopover included. If you’ll include the transportation expenses during the visa application process, to & from the airport when I left & arrived, it’ll be somewhere around ₱118,500 – still less than ₱120,000!
Don’t get me wrong, ₱117,092.85 is a very big amount but we’re talking about a 19-day trip to Europe here flying with one of the world’s premium airlines – Singapore Airlines & visiting first world & expensive countries like Netherlands, Belgium & Denmark. I couldn’t believe this when I listed all my expenses after the trip. I wanted this trip to be fun, memorable & spontaneous & I’m happy it turned out to be a trip of a lifetime. This solo trip to Europe is so far my longest, most expensive & most memorable experience I’ve had in my life. Every single peso spent was worth it!
Blog List
In case you’re interested in the posts about this trip, check out the blog list below.
Thank you for joining me in today’s Euro trip summary. I’ve made use of the pandemic to finish all the posts about this trip. It’s a shame that my next planned trip to Europe this October won’t push through, but it won’t stop me from planning my next trip to this beautiful continent. We may all be stuck in our own homes but we’ll surely go back to the time when travelling is safe & sound. It’s never too late to give up on your dream trips to Europe! Make use of this downtime to research about the cities & countries you want to visit & plan out the route you’ll take.
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Do you have any questions about anything mentioned above? Is there anything you want to ask how I planned the trip in general? Or maybe how I did it? Feel free to post your questions in the comments section below. You can also send it via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.
Feel free to follow me on my social media channels for more information on cheap fares, thrift hacks & fun itineraries – Facebook & Instagram. I’ll finish the post with this.. I DID IT – 19 DAYS AROUND NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, CZECH REPUBLIC & DENMARK FOR LESS THAN ₱120,000 ALL IN & I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
In case you didn’t know, I went on 19-day trip around 4 countries in Europe late last year. I started my trip in the Netherlands & went around Amsterdam, Utrecht & North Holland. From there, I took the bus & went to Belgium. I stayed in the country for 4 full days & walked around Brussels, Bruges & Ghent. I flew to Czech Republic & settled in Prague for another full days. I also took day trips to Kutná Hora & Český Krumlov. I finished my trip in the beautiful city of Copenhagen (blog to follow) in Denmark. The details & posts that talk about this Europe trip of a lifetime can be found under the Going Solo in Europe category.
Steel House Copenhagen
Steel House Copenhagen is one of the city’s newest & renowned hostel properties. The hostel sits in the former Danish Union of Metalworkers building which has been transformed into a modern & well-designed luxury hostel accommodation. The hostel lives up to its luxury hostel vibe by providing hotel-like amenities & extraordinary shared facilities which you will know more about later in the post. The hostel has 253 rooms which are divided into dormitory & private rooms.
The hostel is owned & managed by Arp-Hansen Hotel Group – Copenhagen’s biggest chain of privately-owned & centrally-located hospitality properties.
Location & Access
Steel House Copenhagen is located in the hip neighborhood of Vesterbo, next to Nørrebro, Frederiksberg. It is in Herholdtsgade 6 & is 2-minute walk away from Vesterport Station of the Boulevard Line. It is also 10 minutes away by foot from Copenhagen’s main train station known as Københavns Hovedbanegård or København H. It is also 10 to 20-minute walk to most of Copenhagen’s tourist spots.
The nearest convenience store is 2 minutes away; the nearest supermarket is 3-5 minutes away. There are many pubs & restaurants near the hostel. Copenhagen Airport (CPH), Københavns Lufthavn in local language & Denmark’s main airport, is 30 minutes away from the hostel & can be accessed via the train (walking included). The journey from Copenhagen Central Station to Copenhagen Airport Station takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The hostel’s location is perfect. It is within the city & is walkable to almost everywhere in the city center.
Room Options & Rates
Steel House Copenhagen has a total of 1,154 beds in 253 rooms which guests can occupy in 1 night. These rooms are divided into private & dormitory rooms. The property has 64 private rooms offered in single, double & twin bed (with & without balconies) configurations. It also has 54 rooms with 4 dormitory beds each formatted in 2 semi-private bunks. The largest type of room they have is the 6-bed dormitory rooms in 135 rooms. The dormitory rooms are configured into mixed or female-only rooms. Nightly rates vary per room, bed & season. The beds in the 6-bed dormitory room are usually the cheapest. It can go as low as 125 DKK (Danish kroner) per night.
Private & dormitory rooms all have their own shower & toilet areas with quality shampoo, liquid soap & conditioner. Rooms have enough storage space (lockers for dormitory rooms) for luggage. All rooms have air conditioning. Each dormitory bed has a luxurious mattress with fresh linen, a personal power socket / outlet, a reading light & a small pouch or storage space by the bed. Private room guests have access to televisions in their rooms plus the option to upgrade to rooms with wooden terraces. The hostel provides towels to all guests free-of-charge.
I stayed in a 4-bed mixed dormitory room for 4 nights. I booked my stay with Agoda & paid $116.24 for all 4 nights – later charged as ₱6,210.98 by my bank. The rate didn’t include breakfast. The dormitory beds are semi-private with unique design. The mattress was comfortable to sleep with & the facilities are clean & well-maintained. The hostel provided towels & big lockers which fit my medium-sized luggage. Our room had a nice view of Sankt Jørgens Sø (St George’s Lake) in Copenhagen.
Guest Facilities & Amenities
Steel House Copenhagen offers a long list of facilities & amenities which all guests can enjoy. This is by far the longest list of amenities I’ve had in all hostel of the day features in this website.
Free Wi-Fi – All guests have access to ultra-fast Wi-Fi connection inside the rooms & in the common areas.
Café & Bar – The hostel has an in-house café & bar where guests can grab something to eat & drink. They have a happy hour promo of 1+1 on Carlsberg & Tuborg beers every Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Breakfast Bag – The hostel sells breakfast bags every morning for 49 DKK. They don’t have breakfast buffets or breakfast meals; these healthy breakfast bags will do. It has a bun, a small bottle of juice, a fruit bar & a cup of coffee or tea.
Free Unlimited Water Refills – One of the best things about Steel House Copenhagen is the free unlimited water refills from the tap in the common area. Tap water in Denmark is clean & potable.
Communal Lounge Areas – The hostel has spacious communal lounge areas beside the café & bar. Guests can choose from the comfortable couches to the wooden tables & chairs.
Night Concerts & Jamming Sessions – The hostel hosts small concerts & jamming sessions in the communal area beside the café & bar. They invite local artists to perform in the lounge area & to serenade or jam with the guests.
Private Amenities & Communal Toilets – All rooms have their own private hot & cold shower & toilets complete with complimentary shampoo, conditioner & liquid soap. There are also communal amenities in the basement for those who are in the common areas.
Self-Service Kitchen – The hostel has a luxurious & fully-equipped kitchen which guests can use during their stay. Access to this kitchen costs 20 DKK for the duration of stay. Guests who buy access to this kitchen can store food in the fridge & cook their own food. This kitchen room is open daily from 6:00 am to 12:00 am.
Fitness Center – Steel House Copenhagen has a small gym or fitness center with limited equipment. Access to this fitness facility costs 20 DKK for 2 hours per session. The fitness center is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm daily.
Swimming Pool – Guests can enjoy a bath in the hostel’s 40 sq m swimming pool for 20 DKK. The pass is good for 2 hours. The swimming pool is open daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Games Room – Guests can kill time by playing pool, table football or shuffleboard in the games room.
Cinema Room – The hostel has a small cinema room that can accommodate up to 25 people. They show movies & sports games in this communal room found in the lower ground floor.
SoMe Garden – Steel House Copenhagen has set-up 12 communal & free-for-all tablets where guests can browse the internet, open their social media accounts, catch-up on YouTube videos & plan the next leg of their trip. It is also the perfect place to do some work if you are working in between holidays.
Venue Area – The hostel has a multi-purpose venue or space in the lower ground floor for small events like comedy shows, band concerts & presentations.
Television Room – Guests who want to catch-up on shows & news they’re watching can do so in the television room found in the lower basement level.
Paid Luggage Storage – Guests who need to leave their luggage before check-in & after check-out can store them in the storage room for 20 DKK for 3 hours, 35 DKK for 6 hours & 50 DKK for 24 hours.
Laundry Facilities – The hostel has a laundry room in the lower ground floor. Access to these self-service laundry facilities cost 20 DKK per guest.
24-Hour Reception – Steel House Copenhagen’s reception area is open for 24 hours. There will always be someone who will smile & welcome you every time you arrive at the hostel you.
Express Check-in & Check-out – The hostel has a cool express check-in & check-out system. Guests who will check-in need to complete the guest form in one of the computers in front of reception then just claim their access cards from the staff. Guests who will check-out only need to drop their access cards in the drop box by the reception area.
Welcoming & Friendly Staff – The hostel’s staff are very welcome & friendly. They greeted me with a smile when I arrived from the airport. Those in the reception smile to everyone going inside the hostel. They even engage guests into small talks. These lovely people made my stay memorable.
Daily Activities – Aside from the night concerts & jamming sessions, Steel House also hosts other activities with guests such as games & quiz nights, yoga & capoeira sessions, running activities & pub crawls. Schedules vary per week so it’s always best to check the weekly activities posted inside the elevators.
Free Walking Tours – The hostel has partnered with the touring company to offer a free (well, tip-based) tour around Copenhagen. This walking tour happens every day & starts at 10:20 am in the reception area.
Basement Car Parking – Steel House has 60 car parking spaces underneath the hostel. Guests can park their cars in this parking facility for 210 DKK per 24 hours. Car parking spaces cannot be reserved & follows a “first come, first serve” policy.
Bicycle Rental – Copenhagen, just like Amsterdam, is a great city to cycle around. The hostel offers bicycle rental for 125 DKK for a day until midnight. I didn’t have the chance to cycle around the city but it’s something I’ll do next time.
Lift Access – Hostel guests have access to lifts up to their rooms. This makes luggage easy to be brought up to & down from the rooms.
Secured Hostel Access – Steel House gives their hostel guests a key card or access card that only works on your specific level & room. Only guests can go up to & down from their rooms.
Experience
My 4-night stay in Steel House Copenhagen & around Copenhagen was the perfect way to end this 19-day Going Solo in Europe trip. To be honest, there were other relatively cheaper hostels around the city. But I opted to treat myself by staying in this hostel. I paid more to stay in Steel House Copenhagen & I had no regrets. Who would ever think I’ll stay in this luxury hostel for 4 nights in such an expensive country like Denmark?
This hostel impressed me from the time I arrived in the hostel up to check-out. The staff welcomed me with their best smiles, pointed me to the express check-in kiosk then gave me my key card afterwards. They also granted my request of staying in a lower bunk bed. They have small chitchats with the guests every time they order in the bar & café.
The room size was enough for 4 people to stay in. The lockers were big to fit my medium-sized luggage. The semi-private bunk beds had a nice design; the bed was comfortable to sleep in. I like that each room had a private toilet & shower. The rooms are cleaned daily. My only issue with the bathroom & toilet is its automatic lighting system. The bathroom lights turn off when they do not detect any movement for a certain time. I always need to go out of the shower area to activate the lighting system.
The hostel makes sure that all guests have a good time by organizing daily activities from walking tours, to daily exercise sessions, games & quiz nights to jamming nights & pub crawls. The weekend happy hour 1+1 promo on beers is a big plus for me. Beers in Copenhagen or in Denmark in general are expensive compared to Prague’s so these promos are much appreciated. It came to a point (during my last night in Steel House) where I ordered for 4 glasses of Carlsberg & got 8 because of the happy hour. Don’t worry, I only had 4 & the other 4 was for my friend Mads.
One thing Generator Amsterdam, Sleep Well Youth Hostel Brussels & DREAM Hostel Prague had which Steel House Copenhagen didn’t is buffet breakfast. I know they have breakfast bags for 49 DKK but it would have been a full-package if they had this kind of breakfast option for guests. I guess I only expected them to have one because all my 3 past hostels had it. However, it’s not a major issue for me. I still enjoyed the treats inside the breakfast bag.
Steel House also made up for the breakfast part by having an unlimited free water refill option for guests. The other 3 hostels I stayed with didn’t have this option. In a continent like Europe where is more of a luxury, having the unlimited free water refill feature is such a lifesaver. Thank you, Steel House, for this amenity.
Steel House Copenhagen has the best range of facilities & amenities in all the hostels I stayed with so far. Imagine a hostel with a fitness center, a swimming pool, a self-service kitchen, games room, lounge area, television room, cinema, events space, café & bar? Even though access to some of these facilities come with a price, I still can’t over the fact this hostel has these amenities which are mostly found in hotels. Take note, all these areas are all clean & well-maintained. Steel House Copenhagen is one of a kind – they live up the expectations of being a luxury hostel.
Overall, I had an excellent stay with Steel House Copenhagen. This was the best hostel among the hostels I’ve stayed with in this trip & probably in the top 3 hostels I’ve stayed with in my life. The hostel has been superb in all aspects – from the rooms, the beds to the communal facilities, amenities, staff & guest activities. I realized I got so much more than the ₱1,552.75 (roughly $30) I paid per night. Will I go back to Steel House? Yes. Will I recommend this hostel to everyone? Hell yes! Look no further, book your stay with this hostel when you are in Copenhagen. Oh, book early as they sell out all 1,154 beds on some days.
In case you have questions to Steel House Copenhagen, you may reach them on the following platforms:
What do you think of Steel House Copenhagen? Have you ever stayed in a hostel that has hotel-like facilities like this? What & where is this hostel? How was your stay? Share your luxury hostel experiences in the comments section below. Do you have questions about my experience or about the hostel? You may also send them to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I will try my best to answer these questions as soon as possible.
Sometimes, the best things happen when unplanned. True enough, this happened to me when I took an unplanned afternoon visit to Utrecht, Netherlands last October. Yesterday, I shared with you details about my few days around Amsterdam. In those 5 days, I took trips to different cities & towns outside the center – Utrecht being one of them.
I messaged my Europe-based friends weeks before the trip & tried to set-up meet-ups during the trip. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I caught up with my Amsterdam-based friend Tobias on my 2nd day in Amsterdam. I also got a reply from Megan, another Dutch friend I met in Krabi in 2015. Megan & I didn’t plan out where & when we’ll meet until when I was already in the Netherlands. We then decided to meet in Utrecht, the city where she’s based. This resulted into an unplanned afternoon in another canal city; perhaps a more beautiful & authentic one than Amsterdam.
This city wasn’t in the plan – but hey, found myself in Utrecht one afternoon during my stay in NL!
Utrecht a city found in the very center of Netherlands. This populous city used to be the city center of Netherlands during the Middle Ages. The city lost its center to Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. Currently, Utrecht houses Utrecht University, the largest university in the Netherlands. The city has other academic institutions making it an important city for Dutch education. People normally come & live in Utrecht to study & finish school.
Found this uniquely-designed building outside Utrecht Centraal, near Hoog Catharijne in Utrecht.
Utrecht is 25 to 30 minutes away from Amsterdam via train. I took the intercity train from Amsterdam Centraal & arrived at Utrecht’s main station, Utrecht Centraal. Tickets cost €19 return. From there, I walked around the city, went in & out of different shops & passed by the Oudegracht, the city’s old canal. I met up with Megan after 2 hours of exploring & enjoyed some Dutch snacks over beers.
Let me share with you photos I took during the walk around the city & meet-up with my lovely friend, Megan. This entry will be more of a photo blog – don’t forget to check out the captions to know about the sightings.
The view outside Utrecht Centraal – the left side is modern; the right side view is old & traditional.TivoliVredenburg is one of Utrecht’s modern buildings. It is a music complex, concert & events hall.
Oudaen Restaurant
On my way to Oudegracht.
Oudegracht – Utrecht’s old canal which runs through the center of the city. Beautiful sighting!! 🙂
Holland Tulips!!!
View from a random alley.
One of the few favorite photos I took in Utrecht during that afternoon visit to the lovely Dutch city!
St. Martin’s Cathedral, Utrecht is under renovation during my visit last October.
Dom Tower of Utrecht: One of the city’s main sights is also under renovation.
The world’s biggest bicycle parking garage is found in Utrecht under Utrecht Centraal. Cool beans!I love how Utrecht’s weather is different from that of Amsterdam’s. It was a clear sunny afternoon!Tried a Dutch local snack called Olliebollen (translates to oily ball); their local version of doughnut. I also tried other local snacks – bitterballen (deep fried meat balls), cheese sticks & fried shrimp.A photo with my friend Megan – the reason why I visited Utrecht. Had a great afternoon with her!
That ends my short but enjoyable visit to the city of Utrecht. It was not in the plan but I didn’t regret any time or money spent in this beautiful city. Amsterdam’s canals are beautiful; but from what I saw in this brief visit, Utrecht’s canals are way better. The canals give a certain local & unique Dutch vibe than that of Amsterdam’s. For sure there were other nice sightings or places to visit in the city but I had to go back to Amsterdam before the dark.
Have you been to Utrecht before? What do you think of the city & its canals? Which one do you prefer? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any question about Utrecht? Feel free to shoot an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
One last photo of Utrecht – look at that peaceful canal & the colorful & tall old houses around it. 😍
Thanks for reading up to this part. I hope you enjoyed the beautiful photos of Utrecht. Watch out for the next post on this Going Solo In Europe Series. I’ll take you to the Dutch countryside next time.
The long wait is over! It’s here; it’s time to start my Going Solo in Europe Blog Series! I know most of you are waiting for these blog posts. You guys want to know where I went, what I did in the countries I visited & how I managed to survive this trip by myself. I have a lot of stuff to share; how I wish I can everything done in no time. Please bear with me as I try to write & post one blog after another in between my busy work schedules. Now, let’s get this thing started.
Finally made it to Europe last year!! Started my 19-day Euro trip in Amsterdam in Netherlands! 🇳🇱
Last October-November 2019, I went on 2.5-week trip to Europe all by myself. It was my first time in Europe; first time to be far away from home for so long. I did everything from scratch – booked my own tickets & hostel accommodations, applied for a Schengen tourist visa, researched my route & planned the cities / countries I wanted to visit. It was hard at first but the excitement for the trip helped out carve a rough plan for this 19-day trip to Europe.
PS. I shared a few details about this trip in my 2019 Year In Review post. Check out this post if you are eager to know more about the route I took.
This solo trip of a lifetime started with a return ticket I booked with Singapore Airlines in January 2019. The ticket cost me roughly $720 & it included flights to Amsterdam, Netherlands & back from Copenhagen, Denmark. It was the cheapest ticket & route during that promotion. I read articles & forum posts in the past advising that the Netherlands Embassy is the easiest embassy to obtain a Schengen Visa – thus explains why I got a ticket arriving in Amsterdam. Months of planning passed & about 1.5 months into the trip, I got my tourist visa from VFS Netherlands. Click this link to know how I applied for a visa all by myself, without the help of any tour agency.
In the past posts, I shared with you how my flights went from Manila to Singapore & Singapore to Amsterdam aboard one of the world’s best airlines, Singapore Airlines. Make sure to check out those posts to know how is it flying with such well-regarded airline. After flying 3 hours to Singapore, having 12 hours layover around Singapore & flying another 13 hours to Amsterdam, I finally made it to Europe! Today’s blog will talk about my first destination in Europe – Amsterdam.
amsterdam
Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. This populous city is known for its beautiful canals & it’s unique houses. The city’s history dated back in the 12th century when this reclaimed fishing village around a dam in the Amstel River started to become an important port in the country’s economy. It then developed into one of Europe’s financial & trade center to which it is still like that today. Fun fact: The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange in the world. This also explains the city’s big role in the history of European financial market. The city is also the center of Dutch cultural heritage.
going around amsterdam
Amsterdam’s public transportation system is simple & efficient. There are a number of options available to visitors – trams, trains, buses, ferries, taxis & even bicycles. Majority of the tourist destinations can be reached by riding the tram. There are various ticketing options for these transportation systems depending on the length of validity of the ticket. I tried GVB’s 1-day / 24-hour ticket for €8. This allowed me to have unlimited rides in GVB-operated buses, trams, trains & ferries around Amsterdam. The unlimited pass was not worth it in my opinion.
The Netherlands is a bicycle-friendly country. All roads have bicycle lanes, even up to the smallest roads in the countryside. Dutch people use bicycles in their everyday lives. I caught up with my friend Tobias, whom I met in Kawaguchiko, Japan last November 2017. He brought his bicycle & he asked me to try it & cycle around the city. It was a surreal experience but it was very cold. I never thought I would cycle around Amsterdam!
Caught up with my buddy Tobias who’s based in Amsterdam. We met in Japan in November 2017.
Amsterdam Schipol Airport (AMS), Netherlands’ main international airport is located 17 kilometers away from the city. Trains & shuttle buses connect the airport to the city. I took the intercity train from Amsterdam Schipol Airport Station to Amsterdam Centraal Station for about €7 one-way. The journey took about 20 minutes.
The best way to go around Amsterdam is by foot. I walked to & from my hostel everyday & around the city for the most part. Walking around the whole day was tiring; glad the cold weather made up for it. Walking also saved me some money; it was also a good exercise while on holiday.
free walking tour
One cool thing about travelling around Europe is the presence of free walking tours. These tours run on a tip-based system. The tour guests or joiners walk around the city with a guide through a personalized route (made by the guide) & get more information about the city’s history & culture. At the end of each tour, the joiners give tips to the guide as a ‘fee’ for the tour. The guides receive any amount of tip in these kinds of tours.
There are a number of walking tour companies that run in Amsterdam. I joined SANDEMANs NEW Europe’s Amsterdam walking tour with Karl. He guided us around the city, told stories of how Amsterdam & the Netherlands started & gave recommendations on what else to do & where else to go. Karl’s tour ran for about 3 hours with a 15-minute break in between.
These walking tours run every day. They offer tours in English & Spanish languages. Schedules & bookings are available in Sandemans website. Believe it or not, I had so much fun in this walking tour up to the point where I joined SANDEMANs NEW Europe’s walking tours in Brussels, Prague & Copenhagen. The walking is the best way to know a certain city in Europe.
amsterdam sightseeing
I stayed in Amsterdam & around Netherlands for 5 days. I wanted to go around the country at my pace, visit the countryside & explore more of what the city has to offer apart from all the canals. Believe it or not, I didn’t get the chance to visit all possible spots in those 5 days, I wish I stayed more. I’ve been to a lot of places in those 5 days, check out these places below.
Amsterdam Canals
People go to Amsterdam to see the canals. The city has about 165 canals which makes about 100 kilometers long when combined. The Amsterdam Canal Ring, which comprises most of the canals in the city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized in 2010. The beautiful old & crooked houses add up to the majestic views – from the hundreds to bridges over the canals.
Damrak
Damrak is the main street that connects Amsterdam Centraal, the city’s main train station, & Dam Square, the city’s town square. This is the “main street” to the center of Amsterdam. This 750-meter street has old buildings, shops, hotels & restaurants.
Dam Square
Dam Square is Amsterdam’s town square. It is the place where the free walking tours start. It is also where the Dutch war memorial dedicated to the fallen Dutch World War II solders is located.
Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam
Opposite the Dam Square is Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam, commonly known as the Royal Palace Amsterdam. This palace is the king’s official reception palace. The palace is open to visitors on normal days. Tickets cost €8 per person.
Amsterdam Centraal
Amsterdam Centraal is Amsterdam’s biggest & main station. The station has trains that can take you around the Netherlands & even to other countries like France, Belgium, Germany & Switzerland.
Van Gogh Museum
Van Gogh Museum is an art museum dedicated to the works of world-famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh. The museum showcases hundreds of paintings made by Vincent Van Gogh during his time. It also has galleries that feature his modern counterparts & modern exhibition spaces. The museum is located in Museum Square in Amsterdam South. Tickets cost €19 & are available for purchase online.
Rijksmuseum is the Dutch national museum dedicated to the country’s arts & history. It showcases the country’s history, art & development from the middle ages to the 21st century. Museum tickets cost €19 & can be bought online before the visit.
Vondelpark
Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s most famous park, located near Museumplein at the south of the city. This park is a popular recreation place for the locals. The park becomes a venue for shows, events & concerts during summer.
Anne Frank House
Anne Frank House is a house & biographical museum dedicated to Anne Frank, a Jewish wartime writer / diarist. Located at Prinsengracht 263, this house is the exact house where Anne & her family lived during the World War II. Anne Frank became famous on the publication of her diary; the diary that documents their life while hiding for more than 2 years during the World War II. Her translated diary, The Diary of a Young Girl, sold millions of copies worldwide.
They sell majority of the tickets online at least 2 months before the date. They also sell limited tickets at the museum doors on the day itself. Tickets get booked fast so make sure to plan out your visit. Tickets are at €10.50 including a booking fee of €0.50.
KINboat Open-Air Canal Boat Tour
Right outside the Anne Frank House is the boarding station of KINboat’s Open Air Canal Boat Tour. This 1-hour open boat canal tour took me around the Amsterdam canals for an hour. Our boat driver / tour guide showed us some interesting houses & important buildings around the city; also gave us some details of the city’s history & culture. We used an electric & environment-friendly open-air boat for the tour; which explains why the tour costs a few more euros than the usual canal boat tour.
I bought the open-air boat ticket about 15 minutes before the tour itself. Tickets cost €16 per person & are available online.
Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas
Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas or Basilica of Saint Nicholas is Amsterdam’s main catholic church. Located in the old district, just a few steps outside Amsterdam Centraal, this basilica is a popular tourist attraction to Catholics visiting Amsterdam. The church was built over 130 years ago & still sports the neo-baroque & neo-renaissance style of architecture. Entry to the church is free of charge.
Oosterpark
Oosterpark is the public park located behind the hostel where I stayed with. The massive park has a big pond with birds & different animals. People go here for recreation & relaxation in the morning until late afternoon.
Heineken Experience
One of the famous contributions of Netherlands to the modern world is Heineken Lager Beer. The beer originated in Amsterdam in the 1870s & was made through the efforts of Gerard Heineken. The lager beer has captured the attention of Europe, won several awards & continued its expansion until it became a global brand.
Heineken’s first ever brewery was transformed into an interactive museum called Heineken Experience. This guided tour showcased how the beer started brewing in the past, how it was produced & how it conquered the world. This interactive tour takes about 1.5 to 2 hours & includes 2 glasses of beer. Tours can pre-booked online. I got my ticket about an hour before the tour & it cost me €18.
Red-Light District
De Wallen is Amsterdam’s famous red-light district. This area is composed of hundreds of places offering legal sexual services. The alleys are characterized by transparent glass windows with ladies (legal prostitutes) seating or standing behind under a red light. The area also has cafes & coffee shops selling cannabis & all other stuff you can think of.
Leidseplein
Leidseplein or Leiden Square is a small entertainment square located at the northern tip of Vondelpark. This square has cafes, bars, restaurants, music venues & dance clubs where tourists primarily go to at night. I came to this place & met up with my buddy, Tobias whom I met in Japan in 2017.
Rembrandtplein
Rembrandtplein or Rembrandt Square is another entertainment square found in Amsterdam. Named after Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn, this square used to be a butter & dairy market where local farmers go to & sell their products. Nowadays, this area is known as one of the city’s nightlife spots. The square now has many cafes, bars & restaurants around it. It is also one of the famous areas for hotels in the city.
missed places
I was in Amsterdam for 5 days & I didn’t have the time to go all places. I also went one afternoon to Utrecht & a day up north to the countryside. I missed a few places which I will definitely put on my list when I go back. These places include A’Dam Lookout, MOCO Museum (I missed the Banksy special gallery during my stay), Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, NEMO Science Museum, Jordaan & Bloemenmarkt (which I heard was super touristy – need to see it still).
People usually go to Amsterdam for just 1-2 days but I think there’s more to see than just the Dam Square, the Amsterdam Canals & the museums. The city may be too busy, too full of tourists but it has an unexplained impact that would make you think of visiting over & over again. It’s been months since I’ve been to Amsterdam & I am dying to go back. I want to just walk around the city, enjoy the beautiful views from the canals, savor the sights of colorful crooked houses & learn more about the city through the other museums. Amsterdam is & will be always be special. It was my first city to visit in Europe & will always be one of my favorites.
Have you been to Amsterdam in the past? What are your favorite places or sightings in the city? Do you also have that feeling of wanting to go back to the city in the future? If you haven’t been to Amsterdam, is it one of the places where you want to go? Let’s engage into a discussion. Share your thoughts & experiences in the comment section below. Do you have any questions about Amsterdam? Feel free to send the questions to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Thanks for joining me in Amsterdam, the first installment of my Going Solo In Europe Series. Watch out for the photo blog about the beautiful Utrecht!
