As a blogger based in Okinawa, sharing travel and lifestyle content while capturing photos and videos both domestically and internationally, I’m sharing my solo trip to Europe: the Netherlands edition. I’ll be sharing my experiences and impressions to give you ideas for your own trip to the Netherlands. I hope this serves as inspiration for your future travels abroad!
It’s been a while since my last post in the Europe travel series, but I’m excited to continue writing!
In my previous blog post, I shared about my journey from Nice, France, to Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. This time, I’ll be sharing about a big event I encountered on my first day in the Netherlands. Check out the photos and read on to see how it all unfolded!
・What day is April 27th in the Netherlands every year?
・What is King’s Day?
April 27th is King’s Day, a celebration of the King’s birthday. It’s a national holiday, and people dress in orange clothing and accessories to enjoy parades, flea markets, and music events throughout the streets. In Amsterdam, in particular, there is a massive festival, and the entire city comes alive with a party atmosphere. It’s a great opportunity for visitors to experience Dutch culture firsthand.
As for why the color orange is worn, it comes from the royal family name.
・A joyful King’s Day overflowing with happiness in Amsterdam
Saturday, April 27th.
When I bought my plane ticket, I hadn’t realized it would be King’s Day in the Netherlands.
I only found out about this holiday shortly before my trip, when a friend living in the Netherlands told me.
She warned me that the city would be crowded that day, so after arriving in the Netherlands, I was worried about navigating with my suitcase through the crowds. As soon as I arrived at Amsterdam Central Station, I could already feel the festival vibe. The station was packed, and many streets were blocked, requiring detours. Without my friend, I would have been completely lost in this unfamiliar place. The crowds were so overwhelming that I gave up on exploring the station.
・After checking into the hotel along the canal, I explored the city.
Since the subway was running, I took it from Central Station to the hotel along the canal.
True to the Dutch style, tulips greeted me at the entrance, and fitting for the occasion, they were orange – so cute! Even the sweets offered in the lobby were all orange lol.
After dropping off my luggage, I’m heading out to soak in the King’s Day atmosphere.
I had actually worn an orange sweater in advance when I boarded the plane, and I was so glad I brought it with me.
In front of the hotel, there was a canal with a bridge over it. Even though the weather was a bit gloomy, the place was packed with people. Music was playing, and I spent some time on the bridge watching people crossing the canal by boat, waving to them as they celebrated.
Music was coming from the boats, and everyone looked like they were having such a great time that I couldn’t help but feel happy too. This was how my first day in the Netherlands went!
By the way, this canal is part of the Amsterdam Canal Cruise tours, where you can explore the canals that weave through the heart of Amsterdam. It’s a great way to see the city from a different perspective!
The streets were so crowded that it was almost impossible to walk smoothly. The whole city was filled with music, with DJs and people dancing everywhere. But everyone seemed to be having such a great time!
・I managed to find a Thai restaurant for dinner.
Most of the open places during the event seemed to be bars, so it took me quite a while to actually reach a restaurant with all the crowds.
But eventually, I found this Thai restaurant.
Now that I think about it, I had Thai food on my first day in Paris too…
Baibua Thai Restaurant Geelvincksteeg 6H, 1017 BE Amsterdam
We toasted with wine. With so many people around, I guess they ran out of glasses because they served it in plastic cups. They did have my favorite Pinot Noir, but we tried South African wine, and it was actually pretty good.
The staff here were really friendly, and fitting for King’s Day, they even painted the Dutch flag on my face.
My hunger was satisfied, but when I looked at the prices in euros and converted them to yen, everything was quite expensive. Just the shrimp Pad Thai was about 3,600 yen! It was a casual restaurant, but the prices were about three times what you’d pay in Japan.
Still, it was my first time meeting up with friends on this trip, so I didn’t feel lonely. It was nice to enjoy dinner while chatting.
Thank you for showing me around the city!
During my stay, I also got to try some Dutch home-cooked dishes, which I’ll cover in a separate post.
・It was fun, but beware! For travel beginners, it’s better to avoid big events like this at the start of your trip.
The wild, free-spirited festivities went on all day, but by the next day, the canals and streets were calm, as if nothing had happened.
Even though the subway was running, the all-day event caused traffic disruptions and made getting around difficult, so traveling with a suitcase wasn’t ideal. I wondered if taxis would be available.
Even local friends mentioned they weren’t fond of the crowds, but since my hotel was in the city center, avoiding it wasn’t an option.
I personally enjoyed it, but if you find yourself arriving on the first day of your trip during such a major celebration, be prepared for a steep increase in the difficulty of navigating the area.
Despite being overwhelmed by the grand Dutch holiday, I was satisfied with my first day. Stay tuned for the next post about my stylish hotel stay along the canals in Amsterdam!
