On Sunday, May 15, my friends, Hannah and Arielle, and I arrived in Curaçao. Curaçao is a beautiful 444km2 island in the southern Caribbean Sea and it is part of the Dutch Caribbean region. It is located about 65 km north of Venezuela. Together with Bonaire and Aruba it constitutes the ABC islands.
Surprising as it may be for most people, despite its name, Curaçao is not a place in Brazil or an old Portuguese colony. In 1499, it was colonized by the Spanish and later, in 1634, by the Dutch. It was an important place for trade, commerce and piracy, as well as a centre for Atlantic slave trade. In 1863, the Dutch abolished slavery and in 1954, Curaçao and other Dutch Caribbean colonies were joined to form the Netherlands Antilles. In 2010, the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved and Curaçao became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since then, Curaçao is an autonomous country, but its politics are still heavily influenced by the Dutch government.
Curaçao is a hot and semi-arid country with a rainy and a dry season. When we were there, it was very dry and hot. The landscape is marked by cliffs, cacti, iguanas, hummingbirds and flamingos. The coasts are partially sandy but there are many cliffs too. It’s really beautiful to go diving and snorkelling around the island, because you get to see a lot of beautiful coral, fish and even sea turtles.
If you want to get to Curaçao from Europe, you have to fly via Amsterdam and with KLM. For us, the trip to Curaçao was a bit of a mess; it was the moment when the airline-strikes started. Hannah and I had checked our flights a few weeks earlier and we had realized that our flights had been modified without any notification. My flight from BRU to AMS was supposed to be at 9 AM and it had been changed to 6 AM with a flight to Curaçao at 9 AM instead of 11 AM. This was quite inconvenient, because it meant I had to sleep at the airport; not having any transportation to the airport that early. Hannah’s flight had been modified too. She was supposed to fly on Saturday morning and arrive in Curaçao the same day. Now she would have a layover of one day in Amsterdam. She had already booked her hotel in Curaçao and she didn’t want to stay one night in Amsterdam alone, so she called KLM and got a flight from Zurich to Amsterdam on Sunday instead. She would take the same flight to Curaçao as Arielle then. As my flight had been changed, I was entitled to modify it for free and so I called KLM to change for the later flight too, so all three of us would be flying together. Everything seemed okay and I got a confirmation email with the modified schedule. However, the day before the flight, while doing the online check-in, I realized that I was doing the check-in for the earlier flight; not the one with Hannah and Arielle. This was very annoying and I was quite unhappy, but it was too late now to call KLM again and get this corrected.
So, in the end, I had to sleep at the airport and take the early flight to Curaçao while my friends would be arriving a couple of hours later. However, it turned out that I would still be flying with friends: at the airport in Amsterdam, I ran into a few friends from Saarbrücken (Germany) who were going to Curaçao too, to attend this year’s JCI Conference of America. We were even sitting next to each other and, so, the flight was much more fun than expected. When we arrived at the airport in Curaçao, they even gave me a lift to my hotel – they had rented a car.
Arielle and Hannah had no trouble arriving in Curaçao and their flight was okay. Still, flying with KLM was very messy at this time. We would be going to Guadeloupe later, so no flight back with KLM, but all the other Europeans flying home after the conference ran into a lot of trouble. Their flights were cancelled or changed, or they couldn’t do the online check-in because KLM said they did not take the inbound flight to Curaçao, so they couldn’t travel back to Amsterdam. Well, they were in Curaçao, how else would they have got there!? In the end, they made it back home, but they did have a big delay on their way home.
It would turn out later that all airlines were going to have a messy summer with delayed flights, cancellations, lost or delayed luggage and angry customers. So, we were lucky we travelled at the beginning of this crisis, not later.
When you go to Curaçao, I recommend you book a car before arriving. If you want to go anywhere, visit anything on this island, you definitely need a car. We rented a car with RW Rental; this company is owned by the deputy president of JCI Curaçao and not only did we get a discount, we also knew this is a good company that we would not have any trouble with. They brought the car to our hotel, we checked it, signed the paperwork and paid the deposit. When we were done, they picked the car up at the hotel again and everything went smoothly.
For our first couple of nights in Curaçao, we stayed at the Bario Hotel in Otrobanda. From the first moment I saw the hotel, I was in love. The staff was not very helpful in getting any information on the island, but they were very kind and friendly. We had a huge apartment with 2 rooms, a living room with a kitchen and a small private balcony. The bathroom was very spacious and you could have fit 10 people in the shower. So, the apartment was great, but the best thing was the hotel itself. It has a big courtyard with cosy, colourful tables and chairs, a swimming pool and you can eat and drink there. The food and cocktails were very good and we enjoyed staying there a lot.
We stayed there only until Wednesday, then we moved to the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort. We were changing our hotel not because we didn’t like it, but because we were attending the Conference of America of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) which would happen just next to this hotel. The Marriott Beach Resort was also very nice with a private beach, two big pools and many other facilities. Also, the breakfast was absolutely amazing. However, the atmosphere was much better in the Barrio Hotel. I don’t need a fancy room to have a good time; next time I would stay in the Barrio Hotel the whole time.
Let’s talk about what there is to do in Curaçao except attending JCI conferences.
On our first day, on Monday, we booked an online walking tour through Otrobanda. You book it online and you get a map and some audio files telling you everything about this area. Otrobanda is a very colourful and beautiful place. Unfortunately, you can see very well how much Covid has hurt this area: there are many poor people, houses are abandoned and deteriorating. It was quite sad and in the same time, it gave us a good picture of the local culture. So, we walked around, enjoyed the sun and had some beer. For lunch we went to Maira’s Kitchen. The food there was very good and the staff was very friendly.
After discovering Otrobanda, we crossed the Koningin Emmabrug and went to the other side of Willemstad. We walked around for a while, but didn’t like that part of the city much. It’s supposed to have a great night life, but during the day, there is not much happening. We sat down, had some drinks and local food and Hannah and I went to the Fort. The old fort is now used to host restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. We decided to come back later that night to have dinner there. A few hours later, after resting for a while, we came back to ‘Dal Toro’, a nice restaurant in the old fort. They have a terrace on the sea side with a beautiful view, so we sat outside for dinner. We were joined by my German friends. I thought it would be nice for Hannah and Arielle to get to know some other participants of the JCI conference before the actual conference, so they would know some people already. The waiter who served us was very lovely and friendly. Obviously, all of us ordered fresh fish. Hannah and Arielle wanted to try some local fish, but it turned out that the local fish is not very good. Still, we had a wonderful evening and it was nice to spend more time with my German friends.
On Tuesday, rented a car and discovered the rest of the island. Hannah and I both have a driving licence, so we could split the driving, sometimes her, sometimes me. First, we wanted to go see some cliffs on the north-west side of the island, called Boka Grandi. Unfortunately, the road was much less accessible than we thought. It was fun driving, but, at the same time, we were a bit afraid of getting scratched on the car. So, we drove carefully and decided to leave the car at some place and walk the rest. We then discovered that it was far more walking than we had expected and as the landscape remained mostly the same, we decided not to go as far as the Boka Grandi. The area was surprisingly dry and the fauna and flora were marked by cacti, iguanas and, at the cliffs, crabs. It was very beautiful and the force of the sea was stunning.
We spent a couple of hours walking around and then moved on to our next destination: the Curaçao Aloe Vera farm. We were a bit disappointed that there were no visits possible and that there were not many explanations about the farm. Only in the shop, you could watch some videos and get some information. Still, it was mainly about selling their products and the shop keeper was quite unfriendly and we didn’t stay very long. The best thing about this place was that we saw a beautiful hummingbird.
From there, we went to Curaçao Ostrich farm with a quick stop at Serena’s Art Factory. My guide book spoke very highly of this place and said it has art workshops, but, in reality, it was not so exciting and there were no workshops. They are specialized in creating sculptures of the ‘Chichi’, a fat lady I’m sure you have already seen. The sculptures were nice but very expensive and while going through the Art Factory, we were mostly afraid to touch and break anything.
The Ostrich farm, on the contrary, was fantastic. We had lunch there: an omelette with ostrich eggs and a burger with ostrich meat. Delicious! We also walked around the garden, saw some ostriches and marvelled at all the colourful peacocks everywhere.
We decided that we had done enough sightseeing and walking for the day and went to the Jan Thiel Beach. We had some drinks, enjoyed the sun and went swimming for the first time. I absolutely wanted some goggles, but I couldn’t find any… There were 2 or 3 souvenir shops at the beach, but they were very expensive and I was not willing to spend so much money for low quality goggles.
On Tuesday night was the first official JCI event and, luckily, it happened in our hotel. JCI Colombia, who will organize next year’s Conference of America, was hosting this party. There was music, games and a fantastic atmosphere. I was very happy to see many good old friends I hadn’t seen in a while.
On Wednesday, we first checked out and then went to the Christoffel National Park. Our destination: hiking up the Christoffel Mountain. From the entrance of the park to the parking lot for hiking in the park, the road was very narrow and steep. There was a lot up and down and many tight turns. Definitely nothing for weak stomachs. Fortunately, it was a one-way street, but we did fear the way back seeing how difficult the way there had been. And we were right about that; the way back was even worse, but I and the car were a great team and we managed well.
We had checked out the hiking road and we had read some reports from people who had done the hike. It didn’t seem very long nor very exhausting, so, we started laughing when we saw the sign at the beginning of the path saying you should bring at least 2 L of water per person and be careful. Turned out, the sign was right and we ran out of water on our way back. My recommendation: bring a lot of water, sun crème and food. The thing is, the hiking path up the mountain is like a canal in which hot wind blows and the sun and heat melt you. I have been having issues with blood circulation and we had to make a lot of stops. Arielle was running up the mountain like it was nothing, but, for me, it was very difficult. Still, it was worth it. The hike was beautiful and the landscape was very different from what we had seen the previous day. Everything was green and colourful. The view from the top of the mountain was stunning. So, I absolutely recommend you do this hike, but be prepared.
After our exhausting hike, we went to the sea side. First, went to Playa Grandi. The special thing about this bay is that there are lots of turtles there. I guess this is not an accident; the people who live and work there feed the turtles to attract tourists. We didn’t have much cash left, but we managed to negotiate with the rental guys to get a pair of goggles so we could dive around the bay. The turtles were very beautiful and it was fun watching them. They came very close to us and I was a bit afraid they might bite, but they didn’t. We also had some snacks at the bay, typical Dutch bitterballen; I love those!
On Tuesday night was the first official JCI event and, luckily, it happened in our hotel. JCI Colombia, who will organize next year’s Conference of America, was hosting this party. There was music, games and a fantastic atmosphere. I was very happy to see many good old friends I hadn’t seen in a while.
On Wednesday, we first checked out and then went to the Christoffel National Park. Our destination: hiking up the Christoffel Mountain. From the entrance of the park to the parking lot for hiking in the park, the road was very narrow and steep. There was a lot up and down and many tight turns. Definitely nothing for weak stomachs. Fortunately, it was a one-way street, but we did fear the way back seeing how difficult the way there had been. And we were right about that; the way back was even worse, but I and the car were a great team and we managed well.
We had checked out the hiking road and we had read some reports from people who had done the hike. It didn’t seem very long nor very exhausting, so, we started laughing when we saw the sign at the beginning of the path saying you should bring at least 2 L of water per person and be careful. Turned out, the sign was right and we ran out of water on our way back. My recommendation: bring a lot of water, sun crème and food. The thing is, the hiking path up the mountain is like a canal in which hot wind blows and the sun and heat melt you. I have been having issues with blood circulation and we had to make a lot of stops. Arielle was running up the mountain like it was nothing, but, for me, it was very difficult. Still, it was worth it. The hike was beautiful and the landscape was very different from what we had seen the previous day. Everything was green and colourful. The view from the top of the mountain was stunning. So, I absolutely recommend you do this hike, but be prepared.
After our exhausting hike, we went to the sea side. First, went to Playa Grandi. The special thing about this bay is that there are lots of turtles there. I guess this is not an accident; the people who live and work there feed the turtles to attract tourists. We didn’t have much cash left, but we managed to negotiate with the rental guys to get a pair of goggles so we could dive around the bay. The turtles were very beautiful and it was fun watching them. They came very close to us and I was a bit afraid they might bite, but they didn’t. We also had some snacks at the bay, typical Dutch bitterballen; I love those!
From the Playa Grandi, we slowly went back to Willemstad, stopping at many beaches and bays to take pictures and enjoy the afternoon. We event saw some flamingos. Our longest stop was at the Kokomo beach which was close to Willemstad and had a nice bar where we had lunch. There is a swing in the water and it’s a nice place for swimming.
There are many more places where you can stop and have a swim or just enjoy the beach, but we wanted to get to the Marriott Beach Resort to check in and get ready for the opening ceremony of the JCI Conference of America, so we didn’t explore all of them. Also, we had to give the car back.
The rest of our week in Curaçao was all about JCI, at least for me. Hannah and Arielle didn’t like the program so much; they spent a lot of time at the pool, sleeping or relaxing. I did go to some seminars and workshops and all three of us attended a dance lesson and a painting workshop at the beach. One afternoon, we also rented goggles at the Marriott Beach and we went snorkelling. Unfortunately, the sea was quite disturbed by seaweed and you couldn’t see that much. Still, we saw some amazing coral and a couple of colourful fish and we had a great time.
Every night, there were some parties and one was at the Landhuis Chobolobo, a curaçao liqueur distillery. We got a tour before the party started and we learned that the liqueur is not necessarily blue, as you might think, and we got to try a few different kinds of curaçao.
Some other night, there was a “global village” where each country had a booth with typical drinks and food.
On our last day, we got a bit of a scare. The conference COC team had organized a medical team to do Covid tests for all participants who needed one to travel back. I had asked Arielle and Hannah to check travel restrictions before our trip, but I thought I would double check and I realized that we did need a test to enter Guadeloupe, our next destination. For Hannah and I no problem, we just took the antigen test and got our results within a few hours. Arielle, however, was more complicated. She wasn’t fully vaccinated and, in theory, she needed a PCR test. It was not entirely clear if she could enter the country at all without a vaccination or only with a PCR test or not at all. It was all very messy and got us quite stressed out. In the end, everything worked out well, but the times when vaccinations and health checks were still required were very complicated for everyone. Thankfully, today, half a year later, this is in the past and no longer necessary.
And that’s all about our trip to Curaçao. It is a beautiful island with many magnificent beaches. The country has an interesting history and it is worth a visit. However, I believe, if I ever were to come back, I would book a trip across the ABC islands and only have a short visit of Curaçao, not a whole week. For me, there were just not enough hikes and activities apart from diving and snorkelling.
Leave a Reply