Month: June 2022

Amsterdam

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For a visit to Amsterdam starting with a free walking tour is a great way to get great insider knowledge and local anecdotes. The Sandeman’s guide is great, and doesn’t hold back on talking about local issues as well as the city’s history. One thing to note is that although they’re free, you’ll still have to pay a €1.50 “entertainment tax” per person.

For a different approach to the canals, we recommend trying a rental boat.

Now, lots of folk might want to visit a coffee shop or two while in Amsterdam. Things have changed slightly since pre-pandemic, and now most of them operate as take-away only.

Google Maps tells you which ones are “dine-in”, so you should have a good idea where you can chill before you get there.

A “must see” are those windmills. Getting to Zaanse Schans from the city takes half an hour by train, then you have a short walk through a cute little Dutch town with the scent of chocolate from the factory wafting over you. 

Other highlights include endless samples in the cheese shop, trying on traditional clogs, sitting in a giant clog, and catching the “ferry” across the river.

You can catch it from beside the last windmill on the trail, and you’ll quickly realise it’s just a little motorised boat operated by a cute older Dutch couple.

And if you’ve got time on the way back, it’s worth stopping off in central Zaandam

Paddleboarding in Costa Rica

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Paddleboarding requires different conditions to surfing – you’ll probably be looking for calmer waters and fewer waves.

And Costa Rica is rightly famous for the quality of its surf and sealife, but it’s also a very convenient consideration for getting the water conditions just right, since its two coastlines will see favourable water conditions at different times of the year.

The western coast, exposed to the Pacific Ocean, will see powerful waves during the ‘green season’ (May-November), while the eastern coast, facing the Caribbean, will perk up from December-March for the dry season. So simply pick your coast depending on your sport – or do a cross-country trip to get a bit of both.

On the western coast, Tamarindo is well-known as one of the country’s most popular spots for watersports, with plenty of surf schools and paddleboarding classes or beginners – and just as many crowds.

But instead we’d take a trip over to the trendy town of Montezuma on the slightly more remote (and thus, less busy) Nicoya Peninsula. It’s got a huge nature reserve, a ton of reliable beaches, world-class restaurants, and a beautiful-but-possibly-haunted cemetery island if you happen to be into that sort of thing.

From there, head south along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and eventually you’ll come to the Osa Peninsula – and the waters of the sheltered Golfo Dulce.

This extraordinary ecosystem (actually one of the world’s few tropical fjords) offers calm waters for paddleboarding, as well as visits from humpback whales, whale sharks and more.

Those peaceful vibes are perfect for testing your mettle with a bit of paddleboard yoga, too. Just be careful not to drop the downward dog if a friendly whale bumps into your board.

While you’re in the vicinity, check out the absolutely stunning Golfo Dulce Retreat – it’s a fully-sustainable eco-lodge operating on its own power grid, only accessible by boat and sitting in a plum position between the rainforest and the beach.