Amsterdam 2013 - River Cruise

Being a city full of picturesque canals, one of the best ways to see Amsterdam is to join a river cruise. There are many companies offering these popular cruises, and most of them operate from piers near the Central Station. 

House boats are a common sight in Amsterdam. It must be every boy's dream to live in a tree house or a boathouse, and it is good to see some people have turned their dreams into a reality. 

Real estate in Amsterdam is very expensive - and living in a boathouse used to be a more affordable option, but not anymore. Some of the more elaborate boathouses cost much more then apartments. In fact many of these boathouses operate as B&Bs so the next time you visit Amsterdam, why not stay in one of these instead of a boring standard hotel.

Our river cruise was actually free - it was a complimentary cruise provided by Gassan Diamond - one of the leading diamond merchants in Amsterdam. The only catch is the cruise ends at their factory - where you will be taken through a sales presentation. They want you to buy the diamonds of course - but the presentation is very professionally done and there is no pressure at all. Interestingly our presenter was a Mr Chen from Singapore - a very charming man with perfect sales pitch. Needless to say there were some in our group who fell prey to it - willingly of course.

For those who are not into diamonds - they also have a gallery full of luxury watches and other jewelries. There is no escape !