#3 Caribbean; What to do in Curacao part 1?

in #life7 years ago (edited)

Hello Steemians!

Bon Bini Dushi! Wherever you are in Curacao, ​​whether it is at the entrance of Shete Boka or at a small restaurant in trendy Pietermaai, you will be greeted with a cheerful Bon Bini or Bon Tardi. Dushi Curacao (Oh and beware, certainly do not confuse it with "Sushi" because it does mean quite the opposite of 'Dushi') is thus a very cheerful island to be at. You will be greeted by the locals and they certainly will take the time for a chat . Think of live music with a view at the sea, bounty beaches and delicious food. Big chance this island will steal your heart. In my 1.5 week @ Curacao I have done a lot....

Things to Do in Curacao?

Shete Boka and its seven mouths of the sea

What a force of nature!. Water splashes up, caves are overflowing with salt water and when a group of tourists walks upto the entrance of the Shete Boka they feel the drops splashing on their skin. Shete Boka is a natural park in the west of the island which also is called West Point. At the park you will find a total of 7 Boka's, or 'mouths of the sea'.. This is one place in Curacao you should be visiting. Would you like to see more of Curacao's nature? Then combine it with a visit to Christoffelberg, it's on the same route.
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Walk through the historic city of Willemstad

Willemstad has a rich history and during your Curacao visit you should definitely spend an afternoon for a walk. The rich history is immediately noticed when you see the colored colonial houses and forts on both sides of the St. Anna Bay as you drive at Queen Juliana Bridge. Houses on the Handelskade show the dates of construction (1708; Penha shopping).

To learn as much as we could about Willemstad we booked a tour with a guide. He took us to the Kura Hulanda Museum, a place where history is perhaps more present than at any other place in Curacao. Actually, you should not go to Curacao, without making a visit here. At Kura Hulanda you will learn about what happened years ago when there was still slavery. Other interesting places in Willemstad are the Floating Market, Plasa Bieu (lunch from 11: 00-15: 00) and the Queen Wilhelmina Square, where you will find the famous 'Dushi' and 'Curacao' signs.

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Discovering hotspot Pietermaai

From Willemstad it's a small walk to Pietermaai district. A neighborhood where you really didn't want to go in the past. It was dangerous, many houses were empty and there was nothing to see. Since 2015 buildings are refurbished and hotels / cozy restaurants opened their doors. We slept some nights in the beautiful design hotel 'Pietermaai Apartments' and ate at restaurants like Mundo Bizarro, N05 and Ginger restaurant. It's hard to imagine that walking through Pietermaai wasn't such a great idea in the past . Nowadays thanks to the beautiful architecture, trendy hotspots and cozy bars/restaurants it's a pleasure to walk around. Definitely thake your camera; Kodak moments all around!

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Coconut ice from your own coconut at Asis Fruit Wagon

Asis Fruit Wagon is known by its funny billboard which says 'Groeten & Fruitswagen' (greetings & fruitswagon) instead of 'Groenten & Fruitswagen'(vegetables and fruitswagon). But since I have been there I believe that the Venezuelan owner of Asis Fruit Wagon (Guzman) is defintiely famous for its wonderful coconut ice cream. First you drink the coconut juice from the coconut and bring the empty shell to Guzman who then chops it open, runs away and minutes later comes back with the most delicious coconut icecream!. Also be sure to try a smoothie if you are @ Groeten & Fruit!, Guzman makes every kind of smoothie you want. So we tried a mango with banana juice. You'll find Asis Fruit Wagon at Caraccasbaaiweg. Also a perfect stop if you are cruising around by car!

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Imagine yourself on a deserted island 'Klein Curacao' with the crew of Miss Ann

Klein Curacao, Curacaos little sister which is about 1.5 hours of travel, is a paradise that seems to lie in the middle of nowhere. An old lighthouse and two shipwrecks is everything there is on the island. We went to Klein Curacao by boat from Miss Ann and skipper Peter. The trip wasquite challenging due to the waves but at the same time quite spectacular. Suffering from seasickness? I would definitely recommend a pill! Fortunately schipper Peter mentioned on arrival the trip back would be a lot smoother. Once arrived at Klein Curacao you can find a spot under a palm tree and enjoy breakfast with the crew of Miss Ann. Then after breakfast we all quickly grabbed our stuff and explored the lighthouse and the shipwrecks. Walking along the coast you will see various pieces of coral and lizards. After lunch we went on a snorkel tour where we encountered some turtles!

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Well...I honoustly ran out of time... I really do have a lot more to tell about Curacao but it definitely takes more time than anticipated.... ; ) Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed reading this article....If so, please do follow me, I will update regurarly!

Thx and have a wonderful day!!!