Little Bear makes you want to give hugs
Submitted: September 7, 2011
Stayed: August 2011
My daughter and I stayed here in August 2011. We had a wonderful time. Anno is the most helpful, compassionate, congenial host that you would want. I got off the plane with a raging sore throat and he phoned around in Dutch and found an English speaking doctor to give me advice on the phone. I stayed in the very cute bedroom and my daughter slept in the main room on the futon. The bedroom has an open space for the door, so I worried about my snoring, but she did not complain. We did not want to taxi from the airport, so we took the airport shuttle to the Bridge Hotel, which is a couple of blocks away. Note that the google map slightly misidentified the address, so we had to go a block further.
The Nieuwe Achtengracht canal is away from the center, but still on the ring of canals that surrounds the center. It is not a busy or noisy canal, but we did see the occasional neighbours out on boats. .The full river life of the Amstel is three blocks away, with restaurants, tours, canal cruises, etc. In the houseboat, you step out the kitchen window and you are on your little terrace to watch the world go by; unfortunately we had quite a bit of cool and rainy weather. The metro system was also down, but there are substitute buses which we used to get around.
It is an moderate walk from Little Bear to the zoo, and also to the Museum of Dutch Resistance, though I rode a bike there. You are also close to the Troppen Museum, which we had to save for next time.
If you like to be a bit away from the maddening crowd, and if your group is small enough, this is a superb location, and again, Anno is a huge help if you have questions. He is completely fluent in English. You are close to the University, where we parked our rental bikes, and even a neighbourhood coffeehouse, though rumour has it that tourists are now to be illegitimized as customers. The grocery store is about three blocks. The water supply is good, with hot water on demand, and the toilet is completely modern. You can look down in the shower and see the canal. ;-)
We have many happy memories, thanks to the LIttle Bear(s).
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Girls Getaway,
Tourists without a Car,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children,
Romantic Getaway
Helpful votes: 2/2
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