1. If you are visiting the Statue of Liberty (which you just completely must) then aim to go really early. I have been twice, the first time we went early lunch time and had to queue for about 2 hours. The second time, I did my research. The first ferry is at 8.30am - so we got there for 8am and barely had to queue. It was so much better. The only downside was, none of the food places were open on the island. The souvenir shop however, was open. 

2. You need to visit both The Empire State Building and The Rockefeller Centre. You may wonder why you would need to do both. You need to do one in the day, and one in the night, as the view is incredible both light and dark. I almost missed seeing the night time skyline as I was super tired. But my friend dragged me there and I'm so glad I didn't sleep through the experience. 

3. Times Square is so much better at night. There is much more atmosphere and the brightness and lights are incredible. Its still good in the day, but better at night. I have walked through Times Square at 5am and there is still loads of people about. 

4. Don't forget to tip. This is a general American thing, not just New York. It's the thing over there, you need to tip in restaurants, in taxis, at the bar, and in hotels. If you don't tip, it is considered very rude, and sometimes they will actually ask you for their tip.  Try and have dollar bills available for smaller tips. 20% is usually the average tip amount. 

5. None of their prices include tax, so don't be surprised when you get to the till and its actually a bit more than you thought. Also try and keep in mind the exchange rate. I find when something says $10, I see it as £10 - but its not! Its cheaper!

6. The 9/11 memorial is the most emotional place you will ever visit. It's a must visit. But if you intend to go the museum, you will need to book online before hand. I have never been inside because I forget to book every time.

7. Make sure you walk around other areas that just tourist areas. New York is an amazing place, but sometimes I think the non tourist areas are the most interesting. 

8. It's quite difficult to get a big bag onto the subway. They have turnstiles to get in, so unless you have someone with you to help, you will struggle with big bags on the subway.

9. You can get a week pass for the Subway for about $35, which is pretty incredible considers you can pay like £12 a day on the London Underground. Be wary of the subway at night though. Don't travel alone. 

10. You will encounter some very 'different' people in New York. I have had people sing to me, strangers trying to get money off me, and various other strange things happen. It's all part of New York. You will also meet the happiest most over enthusiastic people, as well as the grumpiest people ever. Just embrace it. 

11. Wear comfy shoes, you will find yourself walking distances you didn't even know where possible. There is nothing worse than having blisters and sore feet on holiday. Especially in a destination where a lot of walking is involved. But don't worry if the pain begins, a yellow taxi is always around. 

New York was always my dream and goal when I was younger.  Whilst at university, I have New York page markers to remind me that if I read the pages, one day I would get to go. And it worked...kind of, I went not for work, and not as a famous make up artist, but just as a tourist. 

1. Red Light District

There is nothing seedy about this I promise. The Red Light District was one of the most interesting places I have ever visited. Walking through brings many different emotions. You will cringe and feel sad for the girls (and guys) that you see, but there is also that school girl immaturity that will make you find the whole place funny. It is so much bigger than I ever imagined and also very busy. A strict rule is that you are not allowed to take any pictures whilst there, so dont try and get a selfie with any of the girls. One of the best things I did when there was visit The Red Light District Museum. This gives you more of an insight to the area, you can see examples of the rooms they are in, and also what got them to this point. It is ver sad to see, as a lot of the girls are there due to drugs. You can also stand in a window and see what it is like to have everyone looking at you the way they do when they walk past - dont worry you get to keep your clothes on, and it is obvious it is a museum.

2. Anne Franks House

My biggest recommendation if you are planning on visiting Anne Franks House is to get there as early as possible. We went late morning and still queued for 2 hours (in the hail stones) to get in. If I am honest, I didn't really know the full story of Anne Frank before I went, and was not really fussed about visiting, I purely went because my friends were very keen to go. I am so glad they persuaded me though as it was a very interesting experience. You get to walk around the house, watch videos and read many interesting things throughout. Again, you are not allowed to take pictures as you walk through - you can only do that if you are Beyonce apparently, but I do things cameras and phones an be a distraction sometimes, so I think this is a good thing.

3. Canal Boat Ride

One of my most enjoyable moments of my trip to Amsterdam was the canal boat ride. Luckily the sun made an appearance for this trip and it was so relaxing. On the boat we went on, we got headphones so we could have a guided tour of the whole trip. You could pick what language you hear and they tell you what everything is. It is very interesting to listen to but also I found some of the journey I didn't need to wear the headphones as I was so relaxed looking at the scenery. It takes you all around Amsterdam and you can get some great photos. The canals are everywhere in Amsterdam, as the city is pretty much made up of canals so the journey can go on for about an hour. 

4. The Iamsterdam Sign

A great photo opportunity. I believe there are a few of these signs around as I have seen there peoples photos and they have a different back drop to the one we were near. The signs are very busy in the day, but if you can get to them in the night there is no one about so you can get some cool photos. You can climb on the letters - not that I'm encouraging you, incase you break an arm or something. But it is a must have photo if you are visiting the city. A challenge is trying to get the whole sign in one picture. As you can see... I failed. 

5. The Sex Museum

Let be honest, if you are going to Amsterdam, you have to go here. You will see some of the weirdest things you have ever seen in your life at this place. It was tacky and fantastic experience. There was one room that you have an option to skip, and personally I did skip it because it was a bit too much, but the rest of it is pretty entertaining. After visiting a museum of a very similar nature in New York, I can confirm that this one is much more amusing. When in the building, you are allowed to take photos, which can mean you end up leaving with some very 'different' photos on your camera. Maybe  not the kind of pictures I should post on here. The place is quite small and hard to spot from the outside. So here's a picture, so that you know what you are looking for. 

6. The Ice Bar 

My final place is a 'visit with caution' place. This is due to the fact that I personally had a bad experience, however I think the place would be a lot more enjoyable if that hadn't happened. Like most ice bars, it literally is just a bar made of ice. You get to wear the big blue coats with a hood and some gloves. Unfortunately we were bought our tickets from a man who told us we could go in the next group, so we downed our drinks and went and put the coats on. When it was time to go in, a separate member of staff said we were queue cutting and was very rude. When we explained the man had told us we could go in, he said in front of everyone (customer included) that we were liars and he had never spoken to us. Obviously that did not start us off with good vibes and it put a downer on the rest of the visit. I have been to other Ice Bars with no issue though and it has been pretty fun.