Summer is approaching and that means it’s time to book that last minute flight and have a great escape over a long weekend. 

You want somewhere chilled but also exciting and obviously filled with culture! Amsterdam is a city with an abundance of all three of those things plus a whole lot more - as we're sure you've probably heard. 

With a city so packed it can be hard to work out what to narrow it down to, so I thought I’d help you by taking a trip and letting you know my pick for the 5 things to do whilst in Amsterdam.

Visit a ‘Coffeeshop’

Let’s face it, this is the sole reason half the tourists visit Amsterdam in the first place. 

The coffee shops are really nice places and not at all how the uninitiated might imagine. The staff are friendly for the most part and happy to advise those of us that aren’t regular visitors. 

Try not to buy too much as you’ll no doubt want to try lots of different shops around the city. It’s well worth having a look online at the menus and checking out reviews of the shops to make sure you are getting a good deal. 

We recommend going and sitting inside with a coffee (the name coffee shop isn’t a joke, the coffee is really great) and just relaxing. Do as others do and bring your own paraphernalia because not everywhere will have some to lend out. You can get this stuff in just about any shop in the city. 

Oh and don’t go into a place labelled “Café” or “Koffiehuis” and try to buy weed, that’s just as bad as trying to buy some in your local café at home.

Journey through the Red Light District

The walk through the infamous Red Light District was really something. There is absolutely nothing like it anywhere else I’ve been. There’s not too much to say on the subject as it is hard to put the atmosphere into words but just go and you’ll understand. So, so strange.

Go to Amsterdam's Museumplein (Museum Square)

There are a few reasons to do this but you’ll want to save it for a sunny day. First off you need to get the compulsory cliché photo with the ‘I Amsterdam’ sign so you can use it as your Facebook cover photo for the next three months. 

Secondly take a look a look at the building behind the sign. What you are now staring at, open mouthed, is Rijksmuseum. Amsterdam has a vast array of unique and wonderful architecture but this was my personal favourite. After you’re done gawking you can sit and relax with some food in the lovely park and move on to the next attraction.

Plenty other strange museums around the city too - from the famous sex museum to Rembrandt house, and of course, as we'll chat about, the home of Vincent Van Gough.

Visit Van Gough

Technically this could be included in the point above as it one of the three museums located in the square, but I felt this one deserved some special attention. 

A perhaps unexpected highlight of the holiday was the visit to see the masterpieces inside the Van Gough museum. The art is truly mind blowing and a must see. 

It was pretty strange to see all of the pictures that you see on TV and learn about in school in real life and it definitely left an impression. Even if you’re not an art enthusiast this one should be on your list. Hell, it should be on your list even if you’re not going to Amsterdam.

Enjoy the alcohol

Bit of a strange one and probably not the thing that jumps in to your head when thinking about the Dam but the Dutch have a rich history filled with beers and spirits. 

Home of Heineken, Grolsch and Bols, not to meantion being the birthplace of Genever (The spirit that Gin was inspired by and reason for the phrase “dutch courage”) you should definitely immerse yourself in activities Amsterdam has to offer. 

The Heineken factory tour and a visit to The House of Bols come highly recommended. After all, what’s a holiday without a few drinks.

If you're looking for a more out of town/tourist experience and to really take in the culture, get along to Canvas - an art gallery and cocktail bar on the 7th floor of a building that turns into a club on Fridays and Saturdays. Music policy comes from funk and soul to house and techno, and with an open air panoramic view of the city from the balcony outside, this is a place a bit off the map that is well worth a trip.

The Dam square has plenty good nightlife going for it too - pretty much tourist central come dark. We ended up partying in an old comedy club called Chicago Boom where half the rooms are filled with folk smoking and the other half is electronic music. It was pretty insane.

                                                                                                                                Robbie Ambrose

From China to the United Kingdom and The Edinburgh Playhouse, Immortal Chi wowed the Scottish capital with an entirely unique production on 13 June.

The show, from the team behind the acclaimed Shaolin Warriors, was created and directed by Erick Villeneueve – director of Cirque du Soleil – and the choreography of the show is truly commendable.

The outrageously talented martial arts were offered up by fast-moving, high-jumping experts who showed off everything from impeccable weaponry skills and balancing acts to amazingly timed flag and ribbon work which left the audience on the edge of their seats.

Accompanying these expertise were Chinese drummer women – also profoundly skilled in their art – who brought a real sense of the traditional culture to the Scottish audience that will have been very rarely seen before.

Throughout the performances, whether men or women, ribbon or drum work, martial arts or weaponry, the choreography was impeccably timed and irresistibly flowing. The traditional Wushu techniques, acrobatics, and drumming really brought the traditional out to the Scottish crowd, and while at times it proved a little confusing, much work must have gone in to the perfection of the routines, a factor which did much to improve the standard of the show.

Certainly, one of the biggest shocks of the evening was at the end of the show when the cast of the production took their bow and a quick headcount showed there were only 15 men and eight women involved in the entertainment.

The martial art work and acrobats had moved so quickly that at times it seemed like there were double that number on stage. It felt we were watching the kind of guys who control in kung-fu video games and think ‘it’d be cool if there was actually someone who could do all this’.

The costumes during all of this was wonderful too – the Chi master sporting a traditional red outfit while the rest of the cast switched between signature white and more warrior based costumes.

It was a shame that the props weren’t quite up to task at times though. While the Shinais and bamboo shafts were more than up to scratch, the spearheads and swords looked flimsy, wobbling as their holder performed.

This took away from the insanely badass martial-arts being performed – which were effectively 15 Chinese guys showing off the seemingly endless mannerisms in which they could beat the shit out of me if they really wanted. It was really quite impressive, it’s just unfortunate the props didn’t match the talents of the cast.

The original score was a joy to behold however, with wonderful violin driving a traditional Chinese soundtrack. During some of the multi-media work, which projected large concept scenery on to the big screen and saw an individual perform around it, the live showing became somewhat more sceptical and illegitimate, but during these segments the music was at its best – saving a section that was otherwise not quite up to the high standards of the rest of the show.

Elsewhere, the comedy value on offer from a makeshift postman ties in crowd participation with martial arts and played on stereotypes established in the movies to provide an enjoyable break from the fast-pace of the rest of the show.

Verdict: There wasn’t much storyline, but that didn’t take away from what was a wonderful showcase of Chinese culture in the end. Occasionally it was a little confusing, and as mentioned the props could have been improved, but ultimately it was a unique production which captured the traditional Chinese experience well for the Edinburgh crowd.

                                                                                                                                   Stuart Kenny

First things first, the West End production of Let It Be currently touring the UK shouldn’t be described as a musical.

The gargantuan rise of The Beatles from a small time Scouse four-piece to the masters of rock ‘n’ roll and all the narratives that occurred along the way would no doubt lend itself wonderfully to a theatrical production, but Let It Be is not that show. There is no narrative, barring some scene-setting archive footage which tracks the band’s progression, and dialogue is used minimally in order to allow for as many songs as possible to be played from the Beatles catalogue.

That said though, the production is certainly one that does not struggle to entertain. The show knows what it is – a showcase of four very talented musicians providing a tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time – and it provides the big stage necessary to turn a tribute act into a production worthy of the theatre stage.

Former Fame Academy man James Fox impresses with vocals as Paul McCartney, the Italian Michael Gagliano looks the part and sounds great as John Lennon, and John Brosnan’s George Harrison and Ben Cullingworth’s Ringo Starr looked on form as well. A well rounded grouping then, and one which were up to the task of doing the great band justice.

We start off at The Cavern in Liverpool, hearing the likes of ‘I Saw Her Standing there’ and ‘It Won’t Be Long’, and soon move to the Royal Variety Performance in 1963, where we hear favourites such as ‘Help!’, with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ soon following. All of this is performed by the team in an effort to re-enact very precisely the past performances of the group at specified venues, and while at times rigid, they do a good job. Shea Stadium also features, although a visit to the Ed Sullivan Show comes first that prompts a great rendition of ‘Yesterday’ from Paul.

The simple truth of this production becomes apparent pretty quickly. While there isn’t much narrative, the musicians are more than commendable and it’s needless to say that the songs on show are brilliant. Good songs and good musicians make a good night.

The show does rely heavily on a fat dose of nostalgia to drive it forward, but this tactic clearly struck a chord with the Edinburgh audience (not least the 65-year-old to my right who unleashed deep sighs of delight throughout the production). The costumes were familiar and well chosen and the archive film footage focused on events from around the 60s, not just relating directly to the band.

It was the kind of show you would expect to see if you went to see a big name band at The SEE Hydro in Glasgow rather than a production in the West End in London though, an example of this being seen in the fact that any brass or string input was added electronically rather than performed live.

Indeed, the show made use of a simplistic set, but provided what was needed – all the footage and costume changes worked well to provide a clean transition from that famous early Beatles suit and bowl cut look to the more contemporary, hippy vibe later on.

Getting back to the on stage performance though, when the band stopped trying to copy the exact movements of The Beatles in past gigs to take on the more concept range of tracks performed in the later years, they seem to come into their own. Continuously impressive performances pleased the crowd after the interval; the show moved fast and entertained.

By the end of the night, as the group closed with ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Hey Jude’, the entire theatre were on their feet, twisting and shouting, waving their hands and reverberating the words back to the band on stage. It was an enjoyable night of Beatlemania for fans, and one dominated by nostalgic amusement.

Verdict: There is no prevailing storyline, no narrative, and really nothing but the music to drive this production on from the start. Over the course of the two and a half hours though, that didn’t prove a problem. The talented four-piece musicians performed well, the songs, of course, are still wonderful, and the overall production provides its audience with continuous fun.

                                                                                                                                         Stuart Kenny

I spent a few months living and working in Vancouver, Canada, recently on a semester abroad from university. Fair to say it was pretty awesome.

You probably all know the place – situated in the south west corner of Canada, there’s a truckload of beautiful scenery, endless bacon and maple syrup and more crazy ice hockey fans than you can shoot a puck at.

The hardest thing about writing this little feature, then, is just picking out what to include. There’s really no end to what you can get up to, but let’s try and start to narrow it down with a breakdown of my top five things to do in Vancouver:

Explore the Neighbourhoods

The first thing you will notice while wondering around the city is how diverse it is, both in architecture, scenery and residents. The downtown area is split into various historic neighbourhoods – Chinatown, Yaletown and Gastown – each with a very distinct character.

I highly recommend you visit them all, as they all have something different to offer. My personal highlight was Gastown, you’ll know you’re there instantly by the unique lights that line the streets and a feel that closest resembles the steampunk trend.

Eat Out

Eating out is Vancouver’s favourite activity and it’s easy to see why. With a truly enormous variety of restaurants and over half of Vancouver’s population speaking a first language that isn’t English, you’ll be sure to find fantastically authentic food across the city.

Don’t be too shy in jumping into somewhere where the menu isn’t in English because they are often hidden gems. Chinatown is obviously the place to fill your Asian cravings and Yaletown has a great selection of more American, barbeque styled menus. Also be sure to grab some sushi at night. Many places do a cheap night menu after about 9:30 pm and it is delicious.

One place to definitely eat at is Cambodian and Vietnamese eatery Phnom Penh. As the top rated restaurant on Urbanspoon, a reservation is essential. We managed to get a good group of people along and bought a whole bunch of different dishes to share. This is definitely the best way to eat as everything is excellent.

Venture Outside Vancouver

One of the greatest things about Vancouver must be its location. If you manage to work your way through the attractions in the city (you would have to be there a while) or maybe fancy a change of scenery, then there are many places within a few hours drive that could be brilliant holiday destinations in their own right.

The US and Seattle are great for a visit but if you’re after something a little more picturesque then you can head over to Vancouver Island, home to Victoria, which can only be compared to a quaint British seaside town. An entire day can be spent just wondering around admiring the beauty.

The other essential travel destination nearby has to be Whistler Blackcomb. A mountain biking mecca in the summer months and snow sports heaven for the other half of the year, it isn’t to be missed for any active enthusiast. Even if you’re not a keen participant Whistler plays host to various spectacular events such as the Fire & Ice Show.

Do the Grouse Grind (on a clear day)

Grouse Mountain is situated a few minutes north of Vancouver and can be reached by the city’s public transport system. Once you get there you can either get the cable car up or go up the trail. The walk is not to be underestimated. I consider myself a fairly fit guy and I was pretty winded by the end.

It isn’t a long hike but it is steep. Prepare by bringing water and wearing appropriate shoes. Also be ready to be embarrassed by the locals who run up the mountain for a bit of fun.

Once you get to the top there is a simply stunning view of Vancouver, but it doesn’t stop there. You can see all the way Washington state in the US and miles in every other direction. I would advise venturing outside the cafe to climb to the top of the small peak (it only takes a few minutes) and you’ll be able to see the dramatic mountains to the north.

Go to the Hockey

If you’re in Canada this should be compulsory. The Canadians LOVE hockey. The game is fast paced, full on and reasonably easy to get the gist of, so what’s not to love?

The spectacle is great and the atmosphere during the game is really something special. Ideally try to catch a Canucks game but if you aren’t too sure about the whole thing or it’s a bit out of your price range then Vancouver is also home of the Vancouver Giants. The Giants are a WHL team so the quality is still great and the tickets are far cheaper. We managed to get rink side for $20CAD which was really something. Whichever you go to see you’re bound to have a great time.

                                                                                                                              Robbie Ambrose