A common sight on the streets of Amsterdam are bakfiets, tricycles with wooden boxes that Dutch parents seem to have no qualms about using to transport their children. Young children
Q&A: Making the most of going Dutch.
Last Updated: May 30, 2011
How do you get around Amsterdam? You can try renting a bike or take a boat ride. If not grab a taxi.
So what is worth seeing? Take a trip to the development at Schiphol Airport, the KLM and Air France hub that has been modelled on a city. The Dutch government has also funded development of the Superbus, a form of public transport that can travel at 250kph on solar power and is being marketed to the UAE.
What about places to stay? Unless you enjoy the cosy confines of a prison cell, avoid the Lloyd Hotel, a boutique establishment imaginatively housed in a former jail. Rooms range from 5-star, outfitted with a grand piano or a bed for eight, to 1-star, where "guests are offered the use of a bathrobe free of charge, for their little stroll to the bathroom".
What about places to eat? The Lloyd's restaurant, in keeping with the Dutch penchant for fried items, has an entire category for crunchy, oily bites. Bitterbal, a deep-fried lump of meat tidbits, can be delicious when dipped in mustard and accompanied by a fizzy drink.
What else is worth nibbling? Liquorice.
The contraptions embody two things to remember when doing business in the Netherlands: practicality and environmentalism.
Design is ruled by clean lines and functionality, and green companies such as electric delivery trucks are sprouting up across this land of windmills and tulips. An adventurous venture capital scene pushes forward the innovation.
The national funds for a carbon-free future ultimately stem, as in the UAE, from old-fashioned fossil fuels. The Netherlands is home to Rotterdam, Europe's biggest port and the world's third-busiest site for ship refuelling. The port has fostered ties with the Gulf region, from hosting a Kuwaiti refinery to investing in a joint venture to develop Oman's main port. It is soon to be home to one of the world's largest coal power plants that will capture some greenhouse gases before they can endanger the climate.
Whether you are venturing here to recruit a young eco-designer or to check on your crude oil shipments, you will have no trouble finding Frette-covered pillows and four-course meals.
In Amsterdam, the Canal House, which opened last month, is in the trendy neighbourhood of the Nine Streets. The modern hotel has been put together from three townhouses on the water and is owned by the same company that created Paris' L'Hotel, considered to be the first boutique establishment.
Top 5: Places to eat in the Netherlands
1 Fyra, a high-priced hideaway with an excellent menu.
2 Stanislavski, a cafe in a theatre.
3 De Kas, in a greenhouse in which the rhubarb and "first potatoes" you eat are grown.
4 Japanese Pancake World, where "Hiroshima" is on the menu.
5 Mazie in The Hague, experiments with carrot foam and hazelnut mayonnaise.
A short drive south is industrial Rotterdam and the quainter The Hague, home to the UN's International Criminal Court and government functionaries. Stay at Hotel Mosaic, a renovated building within walking distance from the royal palace and a €1.70 (Dh8.95) tram ride from the central train station.
If you can, steer clear of taxis, which charge €15, and use public transport. Even better, hire a bike, and if you are lucky enough to rent a bakfiets, stuff your suitcase next to the kid up front.