We’ll take any excuse for a party, and this is a good one. The Dutch will soon be celebrating King's Day, a big old knees up to see in the King's birthday. Swap that crown for a party hat, Your Dutch Maj!
27 APRIL, KING'S DAY
King's Day isn't just an excuse for the Dutch to wear orange, although they do like to do that. It's the biggest street party of the year, and thousands of people flock to Amsterdam to don orange wigs, t-shirts and do fun things like drink beer in the street. So grab a couple, and head to the boat parade on the Prinsengracht canal, where friendly locals might invite you on to their deck for a dance. Elsewhere, DJs blast music as residents gather outside the city bars. Orange is compulsory. iamamsterdam.com
WINKEL 43, NOORDERMARKT
You're going to be hungry a lot of the time in Amsterdam. We don't know why, but maybe it's something to do with the Dutch air. So satisfy your cravings at Winkel 43, where mammoth slices of apple pie come with generous swirls of squirty cream and refreshing mint tea. If you're still hungry after all that, the city is dotted with handy vending machines selling burgers. We tried one; you should too. winkel43.nl
ROOM MATE HOTEL AITANA
The party continues at this centrally located hotel. Signs through the rooms read "will you sleep with me?" and our answer, as always, is YES. Rooms are modern and pretty good value: a double comes in at around £100, which means more spending money. room-matehotels.com
