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Teleport Birthday Celebration in the Red Light District

As some of you might know Amsterdam Teleport Hotel has recently turned 1 year old, which was a year of growth, success and joy for all of us. Although we had a great birthday celebration with our guests in the hotel on the day itself, it took the team a while to throw our own little party. And since we’re starting a new collaboration with SANDEMANs Tours we’ve decided to use the opportunity and go wild with the Red Light District Tour, some drinks in between and a festive dinner as a finishing touch.

Our fun start

Same as the last time, when having a day out with our amazing team, we gathered at the hotel, grabbed our rental bikes (so easy to ride!) and headed to the city center through the green beauty of Westerpark.  Having  a beer before the tour sounded like the right thing to do and so we found ourselves at  gezellig ‘t Loosje that had become our favorite bar at the Nieuwmarkt. It’s one of those typical Dutch brown cafés-so nice and cozy for a glass of beer or two in a good company. Our Canadian/Dutch tour guide Lee met us at the bar and the adventure was on!

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Blue lights in the Red Light District?

We were surprised to start the tour with the alley of windows with blue lights instead of red ones, but it turned out to be a part of De Wallen with a special twist. Little did we know that that florescent blue was indicating the windows of transsexual sex workers, and not exactly the regular ladies we were expecting to see. Well, the change of light might be quite helpful for some men looking for an adventure after a few drinks-sometimes you can’t tell the difference, so the blue color is the safe guide. So unless you’re deliberately looking for transgenders or transvestites (and it’s only 5% of them in the Red Light District), you might need to have your eyes open  and pay attention to such signs as a small penis hidden in a fence. By the way, we haven’t encounter any male prostitutes throughout the tour, so too bad for our female part of the team.

Casa Rosso

Then we got introduced to the biggest sex theater in Amsterdam, where it’s all about adults entertainment that goes way beyond regular strip dancing. Casa Rosso can make anybody sweat with their daily erotic shows performed by hot talented artists who might interact with you directly, especially if you’re the bachelor(ette). We finally uncovered the secret of the swans of the Red Light District, as our guide explained that Casa Rosso lured them there, and we bet it was something special.

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Peep Show it is!

Maybe our team got a bit too excited after the curious stories about the scenarios at the sex theater, because Janneke and Bianca sneaked into the small booth of the  Sex Palace Peep Show. What exactly they were watching remains a mystery, but it was either a couple having sex or somebody pretty masturbating. And all you pay is 2 Euros for 2 minutes! Ask them whether it’s any different from watching a porn-most likely so as it’s live.

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Is that really a church?

Yep, the 800-year old Oude Kerk is indeed located in the heart of the Red Light District. And it’s a huge question what came first-the church or the windows with the ladies, as they’ve always been there together. How convenient it would be in old times-the sailors come to Amsterdam, sin with a prostitute, and the church is right there to pray for forgiveness. Not far from Oude Kerk our guide led us to the smallest alley of the district, where you can pass only one by one (it does create an intimate vibe!). This tiny passage is right next door to Oudezijds Voorburgwal, which is full of The Bulldog coffeeshops (not that their weed is too good though).

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The Banana Bar

In case you’re wondering what could be happening in the Banana Bar in the Red Light District, then probably your fantasy isn’t wild enough for Amsterdam. It’s all about bananas and ladies here: visitors pay money to see a woman putting a banana in herself and they’re even allowed to have a bite of the banana. The rest we leave up to your imagination, besides we haven’t seen it ourselves.

For those of you who are wondering where the ladies behind the windows come from, the majority of prostitutes of Amsterdam are from Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. Dutch sexworkers are so rare, that they put out a “100% NL” sticker on their window being proud of their unique position among the other ladies.

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The Old Sailor

And just like lots of the clients of the Red Light District, our team went for a relaxing drink at the Old Sailor Pub, which turned into way more drinks than just one. That’s how it goes (fast and easy) at this bar, where locals and tourists come together after sexworkers watching. We had a great tour with SANDEMANs’ guide, and some of us got excited it seems. You can tell from the sex shop purchase of one of our colleagues (let’s pretend we don’t know the name) and some spicy parts of the video on our Facebook page.

Wrapping up with Japanese

Of course our day out as a team and Teleport’s birthday celebration couldn’t be finished only with drinks, so our bodies and souls were craving for some good food together. We couldn’t choose better than unlimited sushi at Mojo Japanese Kitchen, where we indulged ourselves with authentic cuisine, amazing company and toasts for the success of Teleport Hotel.

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The World of Amsterdam Red Light District

Even if visiting the Red Light District isn’t the main reason for your trip to Amsterdam, the chances are that you will check it out anyways. It remains one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city with the sex workers offering their services legally and the curious crowd staring at them. You can walk down the narrow streets of the district and just watch the half-naked girls in the red light windows, or you can truly get to know what it’s all about, how things work and have an eye opening experience. No, we don’t try to talk you into getting a prostitute, but instead encourage you to take one of the great Amsterdam Red Light District tours.

SANDEMANs Red Light District  Teleport’s Team favorite!

Have you arrived to Amsterdam alone and are eager to explore its most controversial neighborhood but need a company for that? Then this option is the right fit for you with a cheerful guide telling interesting stories of the Red Light District, introducing you to its sex culture with numerous windows (including elite streets), sex shops, video cabins and even the Prostitution Information Center run by a former prostitute. You will discover the hidden sculptures (of course, sex industry related!) and visit an S&M specialist.

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Famous Twin Prostitutes Tour in Amsterdam

What’s the retirement age for sex workers? Do you think that only young attractive girls can offer themselves in the Red Light District? Then meet and greet the most popular ex-prostitutes in the Netherlands, who worked in the industry for 50 years before retiring! These twin charming ladies will reveal all the secrets, answer any of your questions and tell you all about being a prostitute in Amsterdam. And yes, you can totally take a picture with them! Other highlights of the tour include visiting the World’s First Condom Shop, some street art on the way and even a cannabis shop.

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Red Light District Tour with a Local

This more authentic tour will give you not only a nice overview of the Red Light District, but also show you the blue lights area with transsexual prostitutes, which might be different from a regular tour there. You will also visit a local brewery, the oldest building of Amsterdam, a temple in the heart of the Chinatown and the well-known Weighbuilding at Nieuwmarkt. And the best part is that all these attractions will be presented to you by a local, who knows all the hidden stories and parts of the city.

Red Light Workshop

This workshop can become a very unusual experience in Amsterdam for the bravest ones, as it involves you getting behind that red light window, and not as a client, but a worker. Former sex worker Mariska will teach you all the small details about the profession and let you feel the daily life of a prostitute in Amsterdam. Some theory and practical exercises will make you ready to take a seat behind the window and see how the passersby react. No customers will be allowed to come in (so you don’t to do the actual job), but you will have a complete understanding of the business and unique pictures of yourself behind the window.

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Don’ts of Amsterdam Red Light District

Whether you browse around the Red Light District on your own or are part of a guided tour, there are certain rules that you need to follow. These are the most important ones:

  • Don’t take pictures of the ladies in the windows! If you do so, you might get in trouble with the bouncers of Amsterdam or the sex workers themselves, as they can pour some bleach-laced water or ammonia at you.
  • Don’t knock, tap or spit on the windows. Respect the labor of the ladies and don’t interfere with their job.
  • Don’t buy anything from people on the street, whether it’s drugs, stolen bicycles or cookies. If you want to try the famous Dutch weed, just go to a coffeeshop-there’s plenty of them in Amsterdam.
  • Don’t be afraid of the Red Light District, but be aware of the potential pickpockets that look for an easy target like a tourist staring at the red light windows with his mouth open.
  • Don’t pee on the street or into the canal, as fines will be applied. And don’t throw anything into the canals, whatever it can be (including yourself!).

But most of all, have a great time in Amsterdam, explore its every corner, learn new things about the city and be ready for surprises!

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