Category: Travel

Review of the Amsterdam: Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam & Marken Bus Tour in the Netherlands | Travel Tips for Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Amsterdam was a beautiful city that I could have spent many days exploring during my trip last Spring. We stayed at the lovely Sir Albert in De Pijp neighborhood and loved every minute – if you want more information about our time in Amsterdam, see our Top 10 in Amsterdam blogpost here.

But, my husband and I also wanted to see the Dutch countryside and leave the city for the day. I researched a few weeks before we left for our trip and found the perfect tour that gave us a glimpse into the quieter villages in the Netherlands. The GetYourGuide Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam & Marken Bus Tour ticked everything on my list and more. We booked the tour and are so happy that we did!

A few things about why this tour was a good pick for us. First, I love to travel, but often get stir crazy and a little motion sick on bus rides that are too long. This tour was perfect because we boarded a bus and headed outside the city with each stop being 30 minutes or less from each other along the way. It made the day seem jam-packed with exciting activities and new sites to see without wasting time traveling on a tour bus. Second, it can be fun to explore new locations via rental car or train, but this tour allowed us to learn more and provide insight into the historical and cultural context for each village without having to worry about parking or transportation schedules. Third, we had some free time in the cheese factory, Volendam, and Zaanse Schans to explore on our own. This allowed my husband and I some time to grab lunch, do some shopping, take photos, and relax! All of this for under $40 each, it was a great deal and so worth it.

For photos and fun, I brought my red 35mm Holga toy camera with us. My husband gifted it to me a few years ago for Christmas, and I’ve loved traveling with it ever since! I’ve included a few photos I took during our tour noted in the captions.

Now, some more information on each stop on this tour:

Once we booked the tour we were given a clear location of where to meet our group, just a couple metro stops from our hotel. It was organized when we arrived at our departure point, and it was easy to find our bus. Already stress-free!

Our first stop was Marken, a tiny town in North Holland where we got off the bus and had a short walking tour. It was picturesque with a few small shops and boats in the harbor. We took this tour in mid-May and – word to the wise – it was chilly in the morning. We ended up each purchasing a cozy sweatshirt at a shop here because we were so cold! But we didn’t mind since we love a good keepsake.

Holga photo in Marken
Holga photo in Marken

Next up we had a cheese tasting at Henri Willig, a cheesemaker since 1979. The cheese factory gave us a short demonstration and tour, then lots of cheese tasting! They offered a great variety of flavors such as truffle and garlic & herb. I’m a big fan of Gouda, so it was heavenly. The site had a great gift shop and lots of cheeses to buy. These made lovely souvenirs that we took home for friends and family!

Our third stop was at Volendam where we had another short tour, and then a bit of free time to meander. We grabbed lunch at a quaint pub-style spot right in the harbor called De Lunch, which was recommended by our tour guide. We strolled the harbor and did some shopping before heading back to the bus.

Holga Photo on Volendam’s Boardwalk

After lunch we stopped in Edam. This is a canal-style town that was cute to take photos and stroll along. We had a short walking tour here before heading to our last stop.

Holga double exposure in Edam
Holga photo in Edam
Holga photo in Edam

Lastly, it was off to Zaanse Schans, our final, and debatably, most beautiful destination of the day. This is where we saw and experienced the iconic windmills. We had free time here to explore, take photos, and carefully climb up one of the windmills. It was a bit scary, but exciting to see one operating up close. We learned from the shop keeper that the working windmill grinds down raw materials into paint pigments. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience! We grabbed some hot cocoa and had a snack outside, taking in the views before heading back to the bustling city of Amsterdam. For those interested, there is also a wooden clog making demo and small museum at Zaanse Schans as well.

Holga photo in Zaanse Schans

If you’re planning a trip to Amsterdam or the Netherlands, I hope you consider booking the tour here. Also, if you want a more detailed look at recommendations for Amsterdam, see my previous post: Top 10 Travel Tips for your first time in Amsterdam, Netherlands!

❤ Natalie

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Top 15 Things to See & Do On Your First Trip to Japan

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1. Sensō-ji Temple (Asakusa – Tokyo)

Sensō-ji Temple is a stunning ancient Buddhist Temple (the oldest in Tokyo) located in the Asakusa District and surrounded by shopping, restaurants, and beautiful photo ops. There is so much history here and you could truly spend an entire day wandering around and looking at the architecture. I’d recommend doing a walking tour like this one of the temple and the rest of the Asakusa district. It’s a great way to start your trip in Japan!

2. Robot Restaurant (Shibuya – Tokyo)

I mean. You can’t go to Japan without visiting the famous Robot Restaurant. You can catch a glimpse of the crazy action in my YouTube video here! Make sure to stop by the Cat Cafe in Shibuya before the show too. 🙂

3. Shibuya Scramble (Shibuya – Tokyo)

You’ve probably heard of the “Shibuya Scramble” or the Shibuya Crossing, a popular pedestrian intersection where you can watch thousands of people “scrambling” through Shibuya. I’d recommend watching from above at the Shibuya Skydeck. Shibuya is sort of like the Times Square of Tokyo, with bright lights, endless restaurants, and lots of people visiting from all over the world.

4. Harajuku District (Tokyo)

No visit to Tokyo is complete without visiting the Harajuku district. This is where you will witness the incredible fashion, shopping, food, and younger culture of Japan. It’s bright, energetic, and busy. There is so much to see and do in this part of town so make sure to set aside time to wander and shop!

5. Fushimi Inari Shrine (Kyoto)

The Fushimi Inari Shrine is probably one of the most memorable spots from our trip. It is a Shinto shrine filled with hundreds of bright red gates. You can wander the paths for hours, or you can take the steep 2.5 mile hike to the top. We only made it about halfway to a viewpoint of the city of Kyoto, which is where most people decide to stop and turn around. But go for it if you want to say you climbed to the top! I definitely recommend going on an early morning tour like this one to avoid crowds!

You can check out my YouTube video about our visit to the Inari shrine here!

6. Gion District (Kyoto)

The Gion district, or “geisha district”, is an extremely old and historical part of Kyoto. It’s filled with wooden structures, izakayas, and teahouses. You’ll find travelers and locals alike wearing traditional kimono. It was an incredibly beautiful and magical part of our trip. We stayed in the Kyoto Inn Gion The Second hotel and absolutely loved it.

7. Chion-in Temple (Kyoto)

This temple actually wasn’t originally on our list to visit, but it was close to our first hotel we stayed in, the The Kyoto Hana Hotel, and we couldn’t take our eyes off of it. There is a LOT to see here and so many places you can sit and meditate, photograph, or admire. This walking tour includes the Chion-in Temple, as well as a few other famous landmarks in Kyoto, so it might be best to be pushed along a little so that you can use your time wisely. 🙂

You can check out our visit to the Chion-in Temple in my YouTube video here!

8. Kyoto Gyoen National Garden (Kyoto)

This was another place we stumbled upon while wandering through Kyoto. We were on our way to Honke Owariya, the oldest restaurant in Kyoto, Japan, established in 1465! They are known for their handmade soba noodles. On our way there, I looked at the map and saw a giant park called Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. There were so many beautiful plants, flowers, buildings, and gardens here. The Kyoto Imperial Palace was especially stunning! This morning walking tour of Kyoto will take you through this park if you’re interested!

9. Owakudani Mountain (Hakone)

Owakudani Mountain is a truly magical place. It’s known for it’s “black eggs” that are boiled right there in the hot natural spring water. It’s known to bring you 7 years of good luck if you eat one! There is a cute visitors center at the top of the mountain and a gorgeous view of Mount Fuji if you’re lucky enough to have a clear day. As a photographer, I loved seeing the volcanic steam rising from the mountain. The black eggs weren’t too bad, actually, but the curry bun we got at the visitor’s center was delish! If you take this tour of Hakone, you get to take the cable car up the mountain to Owakudani.

Watch my YouTube video about our day at Owakudani Mountain here!

10. Hakone Open-Air Museum (Hakone)

The Hakone Open-Air Museum really sticks out in my mind because it was such a peaceful and inspiring place. We went on a rainy day so it was super quiet and meditative. There is a foot bath with natural running spring water that we rested our weary feet in for at least an hour. It was so nice and much needed. This tour includes the Open-Air Museum, as well as Owakudani Mountain mentioned above. We also stayed in a gorgeous guesthouse called Irori Guesthouse Tenmaku, which was incredibly memorable and unique, in the best way.

11. Onshi Hakone Park (Hakone)

If you’re in Hakone, you absolutely need to catch a glimpse of Lake Ashi at some point. I’d recommend a tour like this one so you can take a ride on the epic pirate ship that coasts around the lake. As a photographer, I loved wandering around Onshi-Hakone park and taking photos of all of the beautiful plants, flowers, and views.

12. Nara Deer Park (Nara)

If you google Nara, Japan, the first thing you’ll see is wild deer everywhere. It’s so fun to feed them and it is super memorable. I’d plan to walk through Nara Park on your way to Tōdai-ji Temple, mentioned below. Or, take a walking tour or bike tour of Nara to make sure you don’t miss anything!

You can watch my YouTube video about our day in Nara here!

13. Tōdai-ji Temple (Nara)

Tōdai-ji Temple is gorgeous, and a must-see if you’re in Nara. There is also a lovely view of the city from the area around the temple. The temple also houses the largest bronze Buddha statue in the country! My husband was amazed by the building because it’s also the largest wooden structure in Japan! The walking tour or bike tour will bring you to the Tōdai-ji Temple too. 🙂

You can watch my YouTube video about our day in Nara here!

14. Kōtoku-in Buddhist Temple

The Kōtoku-in Buddhist Temple is located in the quiet and peaceful town of Kamakura. I loved this temple because you can actually walk around INSIDE the giant Buddha. I had a very memorable moment while visiting this statue and I’ll never forget it. This half-day walking tour will bring you to Kōtoku-in, as well as a few other key stops in Kamakura.

Make sure to watch my YouTube video about our day in Kamakura here!

15. Kamakura Zaimokuza Beach

I couldn’t visit Japan without visiting a beach. Kamakura Zaimokuza Beach was beautiful and it was a perfect way to end our trip. The half day walking tour I mentioned above will also bring you to this beach. We stayed at the Kamakura Prince Hotel, which had a stunning view of the ocean. I’d also recommend Moana Makai if you’re looking for a restaurant!

Make sure to watch my YouTube video about our day in Kamakura here!

I hope these travel tips give you some insight into the magic of Japan and everything it has to offer. I’m hoping to visit again next year! Feel free to leave any thoughts, comments, questions. I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned in my travels. 🙂

You can read a more detailed post about these landmarks on my photography blog here. Or check out my YouTube channel to see all of our travels!

❤ Myles Katherine

Amsterdam Travel Tips: 10 Things to Know Before Your First Visit

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  • 1. Stay in De Pijp – Staying at the Sir Albert, of course! De Pijp is a down-to-earth neighborhood that is easy to stroll and not quite as noisy as the city center. It is filled with lovely restaurants and has great streets and canals to meander. It’s also a 20-30 minute walk to the city center and red light district or a quick metro ride!
A little duck fancied himself a ride on our vessel
  • 3. Visit the Tony’s Chocolonley Headquarters – Tony’s Chocolonley is a Dutch chocolate company that was created to combat the exploitation in the cocoa manufacturing industry. Not only is its mission important, its chocolate is amazing. Conveniently, its headquarters are based in the heart of Amsterdam. The company has creative flavors, bars, and snacks to choose from. But if nothing on the menu tickles your fancy, then you can actually make your own chocolate bar – amazing, right?!
Blueberry Deluxe with a scoop of saffron ice cream. Heavenly.
  • 6. Try bitterballen. If croquettes and beef stew had a child, it would be a fried baby bitterballen. You simply cannot leave Amsterdam without trying one. We ordered them at cafe t’Smalle, and they were so delicious!
  • 7. Check out a museum – We opted for the Van Gogh museum. You can purchase tickets ahead through the museum’s website. If you prefer to enter through a guided tour, you can purchase tickets and the tour here. While we didn’t do a tour this time, I recommend booking your tickets ahead of time for the day and time slot you want to go. I would set aside a minimum of two hours for the Van Gogh museum. If you’re short on time, the Kattenkabinet (cat museum) is quirky and cool with a lovely gift shop! It only takes 45 minutes to an hour to explore.
  • 8. Enjoy a cocktail date night – The Flying Dutchman was a perfect date spot, but be sure to make reservations! It had an inspiring menu showcasing classic cocktails throughout the ages and a robust whisky collection.

Til next time!

❤ Natalie

(This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links.)

Review of the Complete Douro Valley Wine Tour with River Cruise in Portugal | Travel Tips for Porto, Portugal

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Before we left for Portugal, I spent a whole day researching day trips from the city of Porto. I knew I wanted to get out of the city and visit a few of the vineyards because, well, you can’t really visit Porto without drinking port wine! When I found the Complete Douro Valley Wine Tour with a River Cruise by Viator, I knew it was exactly what we were looking for. I didn’t want to do anything too exhausting. I really just wanted to look at beautiful views and drink port wine. This tour was EXACTLY that. If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, you can check out my full YouTube video about our tour on my YouTube channel here!

We met our tour group super early in the morning and hopped on the bus. We were greeted by our super sweet and cute tour guide, Margarida. Our first stop was the beautiful town of Amarante. We only had about 30 minutes here to grab a pastry or a cup of coffee, peek into one of the churches and snap a few photos of the view. It was a quiet and gorgeous little town though!

Our next stop was the first vineyard, Casa dos Barros. It had a stunning courtyard covered in vines, free-roaming peacocks and delicious port wine. One of the workers at the winery showed us to one of the wine cellars and gave us 3 different port wine tastings, along with cheese. She was absolutely hilarious and so entertaining. We then enjoyed lunch at the winery in a lovely dining room, along with the rest of our tour group. It was a full 4 course meal, a salad, soup, main entree, and dessert. We had both white and red wines served alongside our lunch too! While the food wasn’t anything too exciting, it was substantial enough that we were content and full. Plus, we were there for the wine anyway, and the wine was delicious!

We made our way back to the tour bus and enjoyed the incredible views of the Douro Valley. The morning was cloudy but it finally began to clear up as we made our way to the traditional rabelo boat ride on the Douro River. By the time we were cruising the river, the sun was popping out and we were able to witness the rolling hillsides and beautiful vineyards along the river. The boat ride was quite slow and peaceful, which actually made me rather sleepy. But I thoroughly appreciate a slower pace on these tours because I’m typically exhausted from traveling. As a photographer, I loved this part of the tour because I was able to take some gorgeous photos of the Douro River as I sat in my seat, watching the hills slip by. It was rather meditative, and exactly what I needed after a few days in the hustle and bustle of Porto.

After the boat ride, our bus driver took us about 5 minutes up the road to our next stop, Croft Port. It’s one of the oldest wine producers in the world and was truly the most beautiful vineyard I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s because the weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and we’d already had a few glasses of port, but we couldn’t get over the scenery. We were given a tour of the vineyard and one of the workers told us about the process of port wine-making. We were then handed three tastings each; a white, a ruby, and a tawny port. They were all amazing. We bought a bottle of the white port for only 10 euros, which is insane. It was so incredibly refreshing. We wanted to stay there forever because it was such a magical place.

On the ride home, almost everyone took a nap as our tour guide filled us in on a few more facts about the Douro Valley. We got back to Porto just in time for dinner. And yes, we enjoyed even more port wine with our dinner. 🙂 We went to the most incredible vegetarian restaurant, Espécie. I’ve honestly never had a dessert as delicious as the sticky toffee pudding. I’ve been inspired to try to recreate that dish at some point back home. SO. GOOD.

I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Porto. It’s the perfect getaway from the city and it’s so relaxing. Any age group could go on this tour. The port wine was as delicious as I’d hoped it would be and we learned so much about the history and process behind it. This might have even been one of my favorite bus tours I’ve been on so far in Europe. I didn’t get carsick and I didn’t feel like it was too rushed. Most of the day was spent looking at stunning views and drinking port wine, which is precisely what we were hoping for. 🙂 I’d say it’s a 9 out of 10 on the tour scale. It was lovely.

If you’re interested in booking this same tour, you can find it here. And make sure to check out my Viator shop to see all of our favorite tours around the world so far! And you can see more videos from our trip to Portugal on my YouTube channel!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read all about our adventure! Make sure to check out our blog post about our favorite Cute and Affordable Hotels in Porto and Lisbon, Portugal. Or you can read about our 3 Hour Food & Wine Tour in Porto here!

Have a lovely day!

❤ Myles Katherine

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Review of the 3 Hour Food & Wine Tour in Porto, Portugal with Viator! – The Best Tours to Take in Portugal

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To be honest, I didn’t know a whole lot about Portugal before our trip. What I did know was that it was going to be absolutely beautiful and that we would be drinking a lot of Port wine. I also knew that it was one of the easier countries to move to from the US, if I ever get that urge to flee off to Europe. That was enough to convince me to plan a trip! I booked our flights and hotels with Booking.com and didn’t look back! To calm my nerves though, I decided to book a couple of tours during our trip so that we weren’t left trying to figure everything out on our own in a country we knew very little about. For our first full day in Porto, I booked a 3 hour food & wine tour through Viator. I’m so incredibly glad we did because it was the perfect way to get acquainted with the city of Porto. Our tour guide, Cristina, walked us past stunning landmarks and filled us in on the history and the culture of Porto. It really helped us get our bearings for the layout of the city and got us excited about the rest of our time in Porto. Cristina was extremely engaging and even sent our group a personalized email at the end of the tour with all of her recommendations for the city. I’ve pretty much decided that I want to take a food & wine tour at the beginning of every trip now because we learned so much! Plus, who doesn’t want to be handed tons of local snacks and drinks that are guaranteed to be tasty! It really took a lot of the guesswork out of traveling, which is nice when you’re exhausted and jet-lagged upon arrival in a new place.

Our first stop was Confeitaria Imperio, a cute pastry and tea shop located on the Rua de Santa Catarina ((St. Catherine Street). It’s a great street for walking and shopping if you’re looking for a pedestrian street with lots of restaurants and people-watching! We tried the delicious pasteis de nata (cream pastries) that Portugal is known for, and our tour guide told us to try them with cinnamon which was a game-changer! I could eat these all day long. We were offered tea or espresso to go alongside them as well. Our guide filled us in on the history of green wine, AKA Vinho Verde, and how the Portugese women used to get away with drinking this “green tea” back in the day when women weren’t supposed to drink alcohol. It’s insane to me that women had to deal with that, but that’s a blog post for another day!

Booking.com – Save 15% or more on your 2024 Summer Getaway!

Our next stop was a quick walk through the Mercado do Bolhão, a famous marketplace in Porto known for selling tons of fresh produce, cured meats, local cheeses, tinned fish and lots of other things! You should definitely visit this market if you’re in Porto! Cristina told us all about the history of codfish and why the Portugese use it in so many recipes! We then walked to A Favorita do Bolhão, a small local wine shop and grocery store. We were given the option for white, red or green wine. Nearly everyone tried the green wine, of course, since it’s one of Portugal’s specialties. It was delightfully effervescent, bright and tangy. It was quite a bit like a blend of white wine and champagne.

(our cute tour guide, Cristina, and her assistant ^^^)

We then continued our walk to a local bar called A Provinciana where we tried the Super Bock, the best-selling beer in Portugal, alongside a bifana sandwich. Bifana are traditional Portuguese sandwiches made with sliced pork and a tasty white wine and garlic sauce. It reminded me of a sloppy joe! We also sampled codfish fritters and learned a bit more about the types of liqueurs that the Portugese like to enjoy.

Cristina walked us through the famous and stunning Sao Bento train station and shared a bit of history about Porto.

Finally, it was off to the final stop of the tour to try Port, Lado Wines by Avepod. We got to sample all three styles of Port, the white, the ruby and the tawny. My husband, Chris, and I both like the tawny the best, but they were all delicious. We were even allowed to pour a little extra in each of our glasses at the end if we wanted! I’m absolutely obsessed with Port wine now. It’s like wine, but sweeter and stronger! It’s filled with flavor and nice to sip on before or after a meal. The tour was from about 3-6pm so afterwards we had plenty of time to stroll along the river back to our hotel and grab some more Port wine along the way!

I just loved every minute of the tour because I’m typically the planner/leader on every trip. I finally was given the opportunity to relax and allow the tour guide to lead the way. I didn’t have to pull up apple maps or google the best place to get a beer. I definitely intend to use these types of tours to my advantage in the future. Plus, we got to meet a few Swifties in our tour group that were also planning on going to Lisbon to the Eras tour later that week, just like us!

If you’re interested in signing up for the same tour with Viator, you can find it here. Or if you’re traveling elsewhere, you can check out our Viator shop to see what other tours we recommend around the world! I also posted a YouTube video about our Food & Wine tour with Viator here!

If you’re looking for hotel recommendations in Portugal, make sure to check out our blog post here.

I hope this post gets you excited about your trip to Portugal! We had an absolute blast. We also went on a full day trip to the Douro Valley with Viator too. You can read the full blog post about that tour here!

Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

❤ Myles Katherine

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