1. It’s free: CouchSurfing.net is a nonprofit organization funded by donations from its members. All commercial activity is forbidden from the site, which is entirely free to use. Hosts who attempt to charge couchsurfers essentially break the site’s moral code and are therefore removed.
   Of course, nightly hotel payments can put a large dent in your budget, and for some prospective travelers, they can be the difference between going and not going. The site was created to make such trips possible for young people who otherwise couldn’t afford them.
2. You choose the host: Profiles enable members to share their personalities, pictures and accommodations. The more information that’s provided, the more likely you are to find the right match. It’s not completely random like a hostel, and you won’t have to deal with the surprises that come with staying with a dozen random people. Ideally, you’ll find someone with similar interests as you — that way, you’re more likely to bond with them and have a more enjoyable experience as a result. When traveling, the social connections you make with new people from different cultures is half the fun.
3. A good host is your best asset during your travels: If you’re traveling somewhere with which you’re unfamiliar, a good host can act as somewhat of a tour guide, informing you of the must-see sites and events. What food should you eat and where should you eat it? Which places are too touristy? Where are the best places to meet members of the opposite sex? Any possible dangers that should be avoided? You can’t beat the insight provided by someone who actually lives there.
4. You choose whom you host: It works both ways. If you feel a prospective couchsurfer isn’t a good match and would ultimately be an inconvenience, you don’t have to accept them as guests. You also shouldn’t feel obligated to host someone when you’re otherwise busy and they would become a distraction. Hosting is an undertaking in itself — almost as much time and care should be put into it as when you’re traveling. There’s an unmistakable sense of satisfaction that results from inspiring an experience a fellow couchsurfer will always remember.
5. Most couchsurfers are young people: According to the site’s statistics, 1,022,273 (38 percent) of its members are 18 to 24 years old, 867,097 (32.2 percent) are 25 to 29 years old and 396,230 (14.7 percent) are 30 to 34 years old. Couchsurfing is an activity for young people who want to explore and have fun. In all likelihood, you wouldn’t find and enjoy the best bars in Paris without a companion with similar social habits.
6. The most desirable cities have the most couchsurfers: Couchsurfing wouldn’t be as appealing if most of its member were located in undesirable cities. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. The top couchsurfing cities — meaning those in which the most members live — include Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, Montreal, Vienna, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, New York and Barcelona. Been there, done that? Overall, members can be found in 230 countries and territories and more than 67,000 cities. You’re certain to find a host in a place you’ve never seen.
7. It’s a community: Admittedly, couchsurfing isn’t for everyone. It takes a certain personality to thoroughly enjoy it and sometimes even tolerate it. But once you really get into it, you’ll discover it’s an authentic community with local meet-up groups and events. You can search for them on the events forum, where you’re bound to find something in your city.
8. It’s an easy way to make new friends: The goodbyes you exchange with your host on the day you depart don’t have to be final. If you’ve bonded with them, invite them to stay with you at a mutually convenient time, or perhaps they’ll invite you for a return trip. The most remarkable aspect of CouchSurging.net is that members have the ability to cultivate worldwide networks of friends. If you really adore your friends in Berlin, for example, the city could become your home away from home, and a foreign haven from the mundane existence to which you’ve become accustomed at home.
9. Your security is valued: You may have reservations about participating in such a community, and for good reason. Most people don’t trust their neighbors, let alone someone from halfway around the world. The founders of the site know this, and have implemented methods to secure members’ trust. Each profile allows personal references from couchsurfers who’ve stayed with that person and enjoyed their experience. Additionally, an optional credit card verification system ensures a member’s name and address are valid, and a vouching system highlights the community’s most trusted members.
10. Your privacy is protected: With customizable privacy settings, members can choose what information they wish to display on their profiles and who can search and see them. According to CouchSurfing.net’s privacy policy, “When users submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and off-line.” In other words, your name, location or anything else you enter won’t be shared with third parties.

However, Brouwerij ‘t IJ they did a courageous attempt to get rid of this stigma. And with some elements of success, as the beverage card features 10  local brewed beers.

A quick tasting of the first four tells that this attempt was rather fortunate.

A Friday afternoon is probably the best time to visit this old brewery that is located right next to an old windmill. In the pub, that slightly reminds the visitor of a tasting room, it is crowded with a vivid mixture of die hard locals just having finished their work and Loney Planet tourists.

Having drunk a few of their local brewed specialities like Natte and Zatte, people start to interact with each other and in only one hour an open minded and well willing traveller could get to know half of its local pub population. Besides, there are no other options than talking to the stranger next to you at the bar, as tables don’t seem to exist in the first area of the tasting room.

A sweet blonde one, an amber coloured bitter brew or a trappist beer, each beer has its own quality. With a local snack called Osseworst, a sausage of raw meat, and a portion of Dutch cheese with mustard a pub crawl should probably start here. Not end, because the brewery is officially not a pub and therefore closes at 8.00 PM.

The brewery is located on a stone’s throw from Artis Zoo.
The tasting room is open every day from 15.00 to 20.00

Regular guided tours of the brewery. A tour lasts about half an hour and are suitable for groups of up to a maximum of 30 people.

Brouwerij ‘t IJ
Funenkade 7
1018 AL, Amsterdam

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

Born in 1679, Wynand Fockink liqueur distillery is acually managed by the two eager owners (no more part of the Fockink family). They spend their time to experiment new mixtures and tastes, producing the best jenevers ever! This is what you can see (and taste!) during the visits of distillery (Monday till Friday from 10.00 until 17.00 hours, Saturday from 13.00 until 18.00 hours, 9€) and at the tasting room (open daily from 15.00 until 21.00 hours).

I have been just yesterday and I tested something completely new: liquors made with the receipt of 300 years ago, when sugar was something missing in Europe.

In the same place Wynand Fockink organizes workshops (in English 14-16 every second Sunday of the month and in Dutch every last Sunday) and sells his products (a range of over 60) at the Liquor Store (sunday closed).

So, folk, when you are near Dam square and when you want to experience a well done liquor (every shot costs about 3€), stop in Pijlsteeg 31 & 43 (10 seconds far from Dam Square).

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

Are you a lonely tourist lost in Amsterdam and you don’t know where to go on a Saturday night? Fear no more, because you are probably not the only one!

Saturday night, 10 PM. Location: Cafe de D’oude Herbergh, within a stone’s throw from the long and famous shoppingstreet Kalverstraat. I am on my way to a Couchsurfing meeting.

Time for a beer. When I walk towards the bar to get myself a Heineken I start talking to this German girl who stands next to me. Within two seconds I am in the middle of a conversation with someone I barely know. She tells me that she just recently moved to the capital to do an internship.  And like so many others in this town she is looking for a cheap place to stay.The darkhaired guy standing next to us overhears our conversation and joins in.

Three hours later I have spoken to at least ten people of ten different nationalities. From ‘locals’ to tourists just visiting town for a couple of days:  The differences between those travellers seem endless. But what these bunch of young people do have in common is the fact that they are here, this Saturday night, to meet other people and to share stories, experiences, humour and…Heineken beer.

When I leave the bar to go dancing with my friends in the OT301 (another great place to go) I am happy to have met so many different people who all share one passion. Travelling.

Become a member of Couchsurfing and then click on this link to find out more about the Couchsurfing meetings. http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=93192

Café D’Oude Herbergh
Handboogstraat 17-19
Amsterdam
CS Meeting: Every Saturday night

OT301
Overtoom 301
Amsterdam
http://ot301.nl/page=site.home

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

One week ago I had the pleasure to spend half an hour with the Iranian-born Sahand. His idea is something inherent to the basic nature of mankind: sharing experiences and learning from each other.

Almost 8 years ago he tested his idea in his parents’ house  and it worked. Two years later he started Cafè Mezrab (watch this video) and now everything is a gallery at Domselaerstraat 120 (Amsterdam):

“Amsterdam is a multicultural place but often people withdraw with people from their own culture. We create a space for talent from various disciplines and countries to meet and share.”

Activities organized at Mezrab (click here for agenda):

- Every Monday: documentary film, 20:30
- Every Wednesday: fiction film, 20:30
- Every 1st Friday of the month: Dutch storytelling, 20:00
- Every 3rd Friday of the month: English storytelling, 20:00… drop by and tell a story!

Entrance is free, but donations very welcome.
All films are spoken or subtitled in English.
Tea, Iranian soups and more!

So people, again: if you want to enjoy something really authentic and free in Amsterdam, consider to pay a visit to Mezrab!

Doei

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

It is a perfect place to relax with a beer or a tea while watching an interesting movie.
Besides cinema, there is live music about three nights a week.

Where is Jeffrey during the rest of the week? He is also active with his “underground cinema at OT301 (Sunday night, 20,30, 4€  entrance) and at CAVIA (Thursday, 20.30, entree 4€… really fair!).

A nice quote from Jeffrey: “No rush: I like a cinema from underground, something able to awaken heart and brain.”

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

Hi people,

if you are vegetarian or vegan, you like healthy food and simple and cozy alternative places, then you would like eating at “De Vliegende Schotel”, which in english means “The Flying Dish” .

The restaurant is run by nice people which try to use just organic food in a lot of different recipes from all over the world.  The meal is really tasty, the portions are good, prices are ok. They use a lot of sprouts beans because they have more nutritional.

It’s a very nice place, especially if you don’t like fancy restaurants..

The kitchen is open everyday from 4 p.m. to 10.45 p.m. and the restaurant close 11.30 p.m.

The address is Nieuwe Leliestraat 162-168 the phone number is 020 6252041.

Eet smakelijk !!!

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

Last week I was looking for good black hash and De Tweede Kamer seems to be one of the most recommended places in Amsterdam.
Open since 20 years they have some of the best hash and weed in town, from Holland, Afghanistan, Morocco.. It’s not very cheap, but can be ok.

I would suggest avoiding the most expensive qualities, at less you are so rich that you don’t care, because for what I know is not acceptable. Especially some hash that are made here in Nederlands are nothing so special and they could cost much less. But everyone is free to spend his money in the way he wants.
De Tweede Kamer, which in Dutch means “Second Chamber” and refers to the upper house of the Dutch Parliament, is located in the center, just few minutes walking from the Dam.

Heisteeg 6 Tel. +31 (0)20 – 4222236
1012WC Amsterdam
Nederland (Noord-Holland)
Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday 10 am – 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 10 am – 2 a.m

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

Located on the northern banks of the IJ,  NDSM – Werf is an old shipyard transformed in an underground cultural center at the end of the 90′s, when a group of artists, theater people, skaters and architects, known as Kinetisch Noord, approached the city council with a plan to redevelop the place.

The area host the NDSM hall, a hangar of 20,000 sq. meters, and two historic ship reused for housing workshops and artists’ studios. The aim of the project, in fact, is to offer facilities for artistic disciplines, small crafts and independent organization and a place for exhibitions, try-outs, performances, festival and parties. In total there are 10,000 sq. meters of workshops, a 2,000-sq. meter skate park, 4,200 sq. meters for other youth activities and 6,000 sq. meters of exhibition and theater space.

You can easily go there by taking the free ferry in front of the central station.

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.

So, all you need is a VoKu.

VoKu stands for Volks Küche, a German expression that means ‘People’s Kitchen’. A VoKu is a place where you can have healty vegetarian (or sometimes even vegan) meal for a little damage, and a good occasion to meet interesting Amsterdammers. Many squats and social centers across the city organize weekly VoKus. Here’s a partial list.

Binnenpret – every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday

Joe’s Garage – every Monday and Thursday

Molly – every Thursday

De Peper at OT301 – every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

Remember that the Dutch eat early and generally the vokus start at 7 pm. Don’t be late and remember to reserve your dinner in time, calling the phone numbers you’ll find on each website.

Eet smakelijk!

This blog is run by LivingAmsterdam.com, an initiative of Robin Travels to promote the Socially Responsible Tourism.