My first time taking a bus abroad was in Curacao. With a free day, I decided to take the bus and ended up riding the entire route. It was mostly because I got lost and just decided to stay on the entire time. For roughly $2, I was able to view a lot of the island. We rode through local neighborhoods where schools were dismissing, beach areas where flamingos were going about their normal day, and the driver gave me commentary throughout. This lasted for about two and a half hours.
Afterwards, I had a meal that I still remember years later mostly due to the service from a server named Mary. She was super nice and provided great service. She asked me about any dietary needs or allergies which I didn’t have and proceeded to make recommendations. I simply told her to bring out some items that she was certain I would enjoy and she nailed it. I’ll never turn down a meal that comes with a view and being on the waterfront with a sunset at my fingertips was a great way to close out the day and wrap up my first visit.
My second visit was in late 2021, I had a ton of flight points since I was grounded due to Covid. When I returned five years later, the island was just as I’d remembered with some facelifts. This time I stayed at the Marriott and noticed the hotel had undergone an extensive renovation, but still maintained its original charm. I ventured out much more to the western part of the island. I was able to book this flight with some points with a layover in Aruba. This was my first time flying Divi Divi Air which is a Caribbean airline. The flight is roughly 40 minutes between Oranjestad and Willemstad. It’s a smaller plane and every bump and turn can be felt, but all in all it was an easy flight and I’d book again in the future.
There was a day spent getting reacquainted with Willemstad. It was a lazy Sunday and I was out having lunch in town. There was some local entertainment happening with a female DJ playing some tunes that were easy to jam to and singers who were beyond amazing. Stumbling upon this was great. This time I didn’t get stuck on the Emma Bridge when walking across. The boats were still sailing and most of us just watched as the sun was setting.
I wanted to see more of the western side of the island, so I booked a tour that included snorkeling with turtles at Playa Grandi and a visit to Knip Beach. Both beaches were equally great in their own way. Most of the snorkeling I’d previously done required boat access, but this was easily accessible from shore. The guide did a great job of capturing photos so that we didn’t have to. It’s imperative to be careful not to touch the turtles, but we were on their turf and were mindful of that. The last stop at Knip Beach was the icing on the cake. While walking up, the view of the beach can’t be missed. The water itself was so blue it was hard to miss. There were some small restaurants for food and drinks and the main event itself which is where I chose to spend all of my time. As my second visit came to a close, I was reminded of all that Curacao had to offer and why it should be on everyone’s list.
