The last stop of our Europe vacation was a layover in Amsterdam (yay for multiple country flight deals), my second visit to the city and Stephen’s first. With just a day in the city we kept our schedule light and flexible. We weren’t able to fit in a canal ride or visit the Van Gogh Museum, two of my favourite activities from my previous visit, but enjoyed walking along the canals, dutch pancakes and even a bowl of ramen.

Using points we stayed at the W Hotel, which was a great central location that allowed us to walk everywhere. The breakfast buffet at their restaurant Mr Porter was also ridiculous. A wide assortment of freshly squeezed juices, plates of cured meats, hot dishes, cooked vegetables, fresh fruit, so much cheese and a menu with made to order egg dishes. I will be missing Stephen’s platinum status on our next trip.

What We Ate

Cafe de Klos – Deemed the best ribs in Amsterdam by the Internet, Stephen and I headed to Cafe de Klos for lunch after checking into our hotel. After an almost hour wait (you had the option to wait at their sister pub down the street), we were seated at the bar with beers and menus. Unfortunately I was still feeling the after effects of food poisoning from Italy so only nibbled on a smoked rib. We ordered a French Onion Soup for me, which was cheesy and delicious but overpriced at €6.75 for the portion size. Overall, Stephen liked the ribs and the restaurant was cozy but the most memorable part of the meal was the wait.

The Pancake Bakery – Eating Dutch pancakes are a must in Amsterdam and The Pancake Bakery is a popular spot for savoury and sweet crepes. I recommend ordering one savoury and one sweet pancake to split, we opted for the bacon, ham and cheese and lemon and sugar, to get the best of both worlds. The crepes are thin but large and filling. Even though we arrived early in the day, here was a line and I find the queue moves slowly. Once we were inside, it’s easy to spot the slow turnover of tables. On a next visit, I’d be happy to venture elsewhere for my pancake fix.

Ramen-Ya – Full Review Post

Vleminckx – Belgian fries are another must eat in Amsterdam. We headed to Velminckx, a hole-in-the-wall stand, and self proclaimed best fries in the city, which the Internet agrees with. This judgement I could get behind. The thick cut fries were freshly made with a perfect crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. The mayo was thick and creamy. We really should have bought two cones instead of splitting one.

What We Did

Sandeman Walking Tour – Aside from wandering around the city on our own, we signed up for the free walking tour of Amsterdam with SANDEMANs (optional tips for the guide at the end of the tour). The 2.5 hour tour covered most of the inner city and was a good mix of history, fun facts, humour and information. It was a great introduction to Amsterdam with a tour guide who was super engaging and lively. After the tour ended, he stayed around to chat and give out recommendations.

Of all the places I visited during my Southeast Asia trip, Siem Reap stole my heart. Exploring the Angkor temple ruins was truly an unforgettable experience and one outside of my comfort zone. Personally, I prefer concrete jungles to green ones and often don’t take the time to enjoy nature. Siem Reap though, was breathtaking. Despite blazing sun and the possibility of poisonous snakes, each temple we visited wowed me with their architecture and engineering. I also enjoyed learning about the Khmer empire and seeing the shift from Hinduism to Buddhism in the temples.

The Hubby and I spent 2 and a half days temple hopping in Angkor Archaeological Park with our certified guide and private driver. Other transport options include by tuk-tuk or bicycle. I would highly recommend hiring a guide from the Cambodia Tourist Guide Association. Licenses guides had a uniform and have spent time training with UNESCO and the Ministry of Tourism. Our guide was friendly, soft spoken and very knowledgeable. I won’t go into the history of the Khmer empire because it’s not my specialty. I did find skimming through the Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Empire) page helpful before visiting each country to get a sense of the history and culture.

Tips

• – Bring plenty of water, a hat and if necessary a UV umbrella. Many of the temple sites were cleared of trees and the sun can be intense.
• – For some temples (including the upper level of Angkor Wat), visitors need to have covered shoulders and knees. For us, I had a white, light knit cardigan and we bought two pairs of the pants being sold at any street vendor. This was a good cheap, easy solution as we hadn’t packed any long pants for the trip.
• – Take your time and make a list, there are literally hundreds of temples to see in the 400m2 park.
• – Go early, the park opens at sunrise and to avoid the tour buses of tourists, try to visit the more popular parks in the morning and aim to be back at your hotel by 2pm to rest and avoid the hottest hours of the day.
• – Hire a guide, they’re well trained and I learned so much about Khmer history. At only ~ $20 USD/day, our guide added so much to our time in Siem Reap.
• – Be respectful. Some of the temples are still active and in use by Buddhist monks.
• – Don’t wander off, stick to the path unless your guide tells you it’s ok. Some more remote temples have only recently been cleared of landmines.

These are the temples we visited:
Rolous Temples – Made up of 3 structures, Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei. Built in the late 9th century
Banteay Srei – Built in the 10th Century, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
Angkor Thom City – Capital city of the Khmer empire, 4 elaborate entrances into the city from each cardinal direction.
Bayon Temple – Built the late 12th or early 13th century, most well-known for the many depictions of smiling Buddha of all sizes. Located inside Angkor Thom
Angkor Wat – Siem Reap’s most well-known temple, the largest religious monument in the world and almost entirely intact/restored. Built in the 12th century.
Ta Prohm – Built the late 12th or early 13th century. Trees have grown back over the temple and around the stone bricks. This was the temple featured in the Tomb Raider movies with Angelina Jolie.
Beng Mealea Temple – Still much restoration work to be completed, much of the temple is still collapsed. Fewer tourists visit this temple and it was very scenic and calm.

For our honeymoon, The Hubby and I spent 5 nights in Bali. However since we arrived in the evening on the first day and spent our last day lounging around the resort, we truly only spent 3 days exploring the island. Our itinerary was tight, and we did end up cutting a few activities (no underwater scooter). Since we were in Bali for only a short time, I decided to stay at one resort and hire a driver, rather than moving from city to city. We chose to base ourselves in Nusa Dua, where many of Bali’s luxury resorts are located, because we wanted to spoil ourselves and enjoy the stunning white sand beach.

Tips

• – Tackle one area of the island at a time. Traffic in Bali was awful, at one point we even decided to hop out of the car and walk to dinner, rather than crawl along on the road.
• – Prioritize, what’s more important? Catching the sunset at Tanah Lot? Or Avoiding crowds? In general, I prefer to avoid crowds.
• – Money exchanges were literally every few steps, and each offered a different rate, which fluctuated daily, sometimes hourly. We exchanged USD to the amount of IDR we needed for 2 days at a time. With the ease of money exchanges (many open at 8am and close around 6pm) and the fact that IDR is difficult to exchange back into other currencies, I wouldn’t worry about having IDR before landing at Denpasar and exchange only the amount needed for a few days at a time.
• – The monkeys in Ubud are fearless. I would not recommend a visit for anyone who’s not comfortable with the thought of having monkeys randomly jump on you without consent.
• – Hire a private driver, the cost is fairly low (~$50 USD/day) relative to the convenience.
• – Bargain. I am not good at haggling and don’t think I made a single purchase that was well-priced. I think I got better by the end of the trip, but I’m sure I still overpaid for every souvenir.
• – Take advantage of the fresh tropical fruits. Mangosteen every day!
• – Massages are incredibly well priced. We really enjoyed the service and treatment at Bodyworks

Day 1 – Ubud

Explore the green rice paddies in Ubud. At the very touristy area, as we hiked through the paddies, there were people collecting “donations” to maintenance. However, as you wander, you may run into the toll booths multiple times and the villagers may be pushy and aggressive with their collection efforts. After that, we stopped by a cafe close by that served Luwak coffee and walked us through the process. We drove into the city for lunch at Naughty Nuri’s and to visit the Monkey sanctuary before heading back to relax at the resort.

Day 2 – Ubud

Spend the day with one of the many cooking classes in Ubud. The day starts early with a tour of the morning market, before turning hands-on. After preparing a traditional Balinese meal, classes will end around 2pm, the perfect time to head to a massage. Both the cooking class and massage should be booked at least one day ahead of time. Originally, I had planned for dinner at Locavore, but they were all booked a day ahead. I would recommend making reservations at least one or two weeks ahead of time. If you have a chance, I would also recommend picking up some fresh fruit to enjoy throughout the week.

Day 3 – Seminyak

Start with a visit to Tanah Lot early to avoid the crowds. Grab a lunch of Babi Guling on the way to a beach club, Ku de Ta or Potato Head to spend the afternoon people watching and enjoy the sunset. Both clubs have direct access to the beach, loungers and DJs. We sipped on cocktails until the evening set in. For dinner I would recommend trying Mama San or Sardine.  

Day 4 – Nusa Dua (Optional)

Relax at your resort, stroll on the beach and take a dip in the pool. We spent the day lounging and snacking on fresh fruit and chocolates. While the ocean was too choppy for us to venture into, I enjoyed my beach time sipping on coconut water and reading.