I went to three of the Caribbean islands. The three islands were Curacao, Bonaire, and Aruba. These islands used to be the ABC islands, but recently they changed. All of the islands are located close to Venezuela. It is warm year round. The ocean water is filled with beautiful fishes. The water is clear along the western part of the islands. While the eastern part are rugged with lava rocks or cliffs with pounding waves from the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the locals recommended me to snorkel or dive along the western parts of the islands. The water is calmer with abundance of coral reefs and fishes. Plus you avoid hammer head sharks. I had visited Aruba five years ago. Just a few weeks ago, this island is becoming more busier than before with tourists and it was during the low season of October.
My first stop was Curacao. An island with a sense of flair and many activities. As you know, all of the islands are small and have their own uniqueness. The locals speaks mostly four languages; Dutch, Spanish, English, and Native language. The Arawak's were the first people to inhabit the island until the Dutch and the Spanish people arrived. Later on they brought the slaves. So you can understand why they had to learn all four languages by the time they graduate from school. In addition, majority of the income comes from tourist which even benefits to communicate with so many diverse visitors.
As I stepped off the plane, I suddenly felt a sense of adventure. It was warm and humid with scattered showers. I walked outside and found that there were familiar eateries from the U.S. I believe it was Cinnamon Bun, Sbarro, etc... The good thing about this airport is that there are plenty of car rentals. You definitely would need a car rental (Hertz, Budget,..) to get yourself around the island. You can drive around the whole island in one day if you like. I'd realize that staying in the Westpunt is the best for me, because it is more calmer and relaxing. It is the hidden gem of the island. Don't expect high rise hotels or lines of stores. If you want something like it you would need to head down to Willemstad (30-40minutes away). There are more bustling, restaurants, stores, over there.
We stayed in the Lodge Kura Hulanda Westpunt. We drove there in our small, white, Daihatsu car. It was ideal, because of the small roads. The land is filled with greenery. The climate is very pleasant for the plants, so it is very common to have them grow off the roofs or outside walls. The lodge is beautifully landscaped to make it seem like you are in the forest. The lodge we stayed are made to have 3 separate tenants. Inside it is tiny, but the cute architecture won my heart. Each day you let them clean your room, they would give you a Hershey's chocolate. The lodge is guarded 24 hours. It is a resort that meets most of my needs. Such as, directly from the beach, library (made like a Tahiti Hut), bar, pool, cave, diving/snorkeling rentals, bar & grill near the beach. They even have a walkway down the cliff for you to check out the Indian caves and to snorkel. Make sure the water is in calm condition before you enter the waters. The resort is not huge, but it have all the amenities, plus friendly staffs.
So many hermit crabs along the coastal beaches.
The yellow building was taken when I was walking around the resort. I did not stay here. I think it is a residential home. The resort also sales part of the land to the public I believe. The landscape is gorgeous right above the cliffs and ocean. This place is a bit hidden. Just follow the signs once you arrive to Westpunt, pass the local homes and you are there. Sometime kids would walk home along the small roads, so drive slowly and carefully.
If you want nice soft sandy beaches you would have to travel away a few miles down south from the Lodge. Not to say the beach inside the resort is unpleasant, it is mostly covered with large broken coral reefs along the beach. The other beach is open to the public, but don't forget to take all your valuables with you. Even for a few seconds. One of the place I really liked and snorkel is the Knip Bay. When the sun shines onto the waters. The water illuminates from light blue to turquoise hues. It is beautiful. Buses filled with tourists would stop here once in a while. I bought an inflatable for myself to lie down on the waters. It is bright pink. This color against the bright blue water would have drawn a lot of attention from the tourist above looking down from the cliffs. Yet, I still felt I was in Paradise Island. If only I had taken this picture when the sun was shining onto the waters.
Knip Bay Beach in Westpunt, Curacao
Food
The good thing about staying at Kura Hulanda Lodge is that we got free wireless. I was able to use my laptop and search for the best places to eat around Westpunt. I realized that the best restaurant in the island is less than a mile away from the resort. It is very romantic, serene, friendly staff, outdoor dining under the stars, soft music, and unique table settings. The food is deliciously cooked and seasoned. I love curry, so I got myself a curry dish with chicken and rice. I felt like I was home even though I was miles away. My hubby had ox tail stew with rice and he loved it. We also tried the conch tacos which tasted pretty good. It didn't taste too salty or chewy. The place only opens on certain evenings. Try to get your reservations to ensure your seats. Initially, I was afraid to enter the area, because it looks like a home from the outside. I saw customers parking in front so I knew it was a genuine restaurant. The name is Landhuis Misje. They even have a website. To enter you go through the big gates into the back. The waiter was really friendly and fun the whole time we were there. I saw a falling star while gazing the night sky. Some dishes are expensive, but overall it is the best tasting restaurant in the island by visitors from Tripadvisor.com.
Iguana and lizards are everywhere.
Willemstad, Curacao
Throughout the island I saw different and bright painted buildings and homes.
Very unusual arts and souvenirs.
Most of the fruits and vegetables here were brought from Venezuela through boats. They dock and unload their goods at the floating market and sells them to the locals in Curacao.
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