car rental recommendations for Curacao?

[thespoons]

We're going to be in Curacao in mid-August, staying at Westpunt. Looking forward to some good shore diving. We've been to Bonaire once before, but my wife wanted some place a little more upscale.

I'm just wondering what people's current advice on rental car companies there are. We're staying for a week (getting in on a Saturday). But there's a slight complication in that some rental places close earlier than our flight gets in - just after 9pm. I know some have shuttles but it'd be nice to be able to stop and buy a few things that night and dive the next day without having to go back to town and get then car then drive back to the dive shop (we'll probably pick someplace not far from Westpunt). Just seems like a lot of wasted time. We're leaving back out at 3pm so that shouldn't be an issue.

So, that probably knocks out AB which I've seen recommended. Who else would you recommend? Any gotchas out there?

Also, so many of the cars I see are fabric seats. Do they get mad when you have slightly soggy divers sitting in them every day? Of course, I'm pretty sure they never complained in Bonaire...

 

[diversteve]

Budget at the airport is open til 10:30 - Locations - Curacao Budget Rent a Car

we'll probably pick someplace not far from Westpunt

Like http://www.gowestdiving.com/ ? Nice facilities and their shore dive is Playa Kalki/Alice in Wonderland - IMO one of the best. Carrying tanks up the stone stairs is a pita but they're supposed to be working on that. [user]bryan.[/user] is their GM.

a little more upscale.

If that's either Lodge Kura Hulanda or All West Apts. Go West is also on-site.

A little east in Playa Lagun, Discover Diving has a drive up dock. Also if you're on the main road, just past the airport going west Relaxed Guided Dives also has a fill station on property.

IDK how late they're open at night but Centrum Market is the place for groceries. As you leave the airport there's a rotary. The sign points right to Westpunt. Instead go straight thru - it's probably labeled Piscadera. About a mile down at the 2nd stoplight the market is on the SW corner. There's an old white water tower on the hill left it it, can't miss it. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Centrum-Supermarket/137533762941892 They also sold $1 styro coolers (old shipping containers) for the drive out. No dry ice though IIRC.

 

[tom041959]

We were in curacao the first week of June and rented from National.Our flight got in at 7 pm and they were still open around 8pm by the time we got thru customs.We rented tanks and dove on our own so we rented a pick up truck.the rental was about 350.00 us.As far as any thing being open at the time you arrive most stores are closed the California market might be open at that time.no problem with damp seats we just brought a change of close with us.Hope this helps
Safe Diving

 

[thespoons]

Well, the problem is from what I've seen 9pm + overhead is a bit late for at least some rental companies. I was thinking Budget might be it, but I didn't know how they compared and if anyone else had any recommendations.

As far as lodging, we're already booked at Marazul. The king size bed was just too tempting. I hate the whole "shove to singles together and call it a queen" thing.

And the "upscale" comment was referring to the whole island as compared to the bare-bones dive-dive-dive paradise of Bonaire.

Thanks for the replies folks.

 

[handben]

And the "upscale" comment was referring to the whole island as compared to the bare-bones dive-dive-dive paradise of Bonaire.

Thanks for the replies folks.

Compared to Bonaire, Westpunt has much less going on in terms of non-diving activities. It is very sleepy and quiet on the far end of the island. You will have to drive to Willemsted which is about an hour each way to get to town.

 

[thespoons]

Yeah, she's fine with SLEEPING where it's quiet.

From what I read it was more like 30-45 minutes each way. Not true? Or are these people just putting the pedal to the metal?

 

[Damselfish]

I remember around 30 minutes from town to Habitat which is only partway to Westpunt. A bit less to get to the outskirts of town, like the Piscadera Bay area where there's some hotels/restaurants/groceries. So certainly 45-60 and probably closer to 60 to Westpunt. At least at first - it gets and feels quicker as you get used to the route and have some practice dodging the goats and potholes.

When we used to stay at Habitat (now closed) we drove into town often for dinner. When we stay in Westpunt, we rarely do - we say we will but it's far enough that when the time comes we just don't feel like it.

 

[thespoons]

Thanks for your note, but that's certainly unfortunate. I was going mainly off this trip report:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/lesser-antilles/453264-curacao-trip-review.html

in which they claimed the drive from Marazul to Willemstad was 30 minutes. Now I have to consider cancelling with Marazul, if that's even possible without some huge penalty. Not sure my wife will enjoy being THAT far from town.

Of course, everything else nearer town was so much more expensive and not nearly as nice, so her frugality might override that.

 

[diversteve]

No, that's pretty accurate. Especially to downtown. With no traffic late one night we drove from Westpunt to Piscadera Bay which is the resort area in West Willemstad in just under 45mins. The distance doesn't seem that far but the infrastructure in Curacao has been decaying for a while so the roads outside of town are pretty bad.
IDK how much that's improved since the Dutch took it back over a few years ago since we haven't been back since then.

Marazul to West Willemstad - the Piscadera/Blue Bay area - might be [-]30[/-] 40/45 mins. On the main road with no traffic. I'd actually go thru Westpunt and take the north road back, the south is a lot hillier and twistier than it looks on the map. They meet mid-island either way. And the south road runs thru Lagun and couple other residential areas first which slows it down more.

Also they seem twistier than what's shown on the map. About the same distance to the airport. Downtown is a little farther, downtown on the Punda (other) side (more of the shops/restaurants/town etc.) would be closer to an hour as you go slightly inland, cross the Queen E bridge then drive SE to the waterfront. There's only one main way across to the Punda side of downtown - all the shops you see in the ads are on that side. Otrabunda along the waterfront is the cruise dock.

We also drove from Playa Lagun to downtown in about 45mins. - I wasn't really timing it. Lagun is about 10mins. closer than Marazul. That was along the south road though.

The shuttle from Lodge KH to Hotel KH downtown takes just over 45mins. But that's a professional driver who knows how to read the traffic patterns downtown when the ships are in. We didn't and spent 20mins crawling along about 2-3 miles. We finally gave up, parked and walked in once we could see the swinging bridge. (reference point near the shops)

The other thing to consider is what is out in Westpunt? There's (charitably) 1/2 dozen restaurants - at the Lodge KH, Janchies, Rancho el Sobrino, Sunshine's Place and possibly two others. Along the main road Landhuis Daniel is about the nicest dining in that area. I honestly don't know where all the local people eat/shop but it's not out there. One afternoon there was a minor traffic jam on the road west so maybe they go to town for everything?

Along the road and in a few of the smaller towns there's a couple small toko's - mini-markets that specialize in just a few things and one slightly larger market on the road back. There's also another small market in Lagun but she's only open during the daylight or something - slightly eccentric woman runs it. Even St. Wilbrodjus (sp) where the big church is didn't have much of anything nearby.

We anticipated that so after spending a couple of days in Lagun, we moved back to town - Piscadera Bay for a week. While in Lagun we did all the dives west of there, Lagun, Jeremi, the two at Westpunt etc. plus Nos Kas (Habitat Resort) and Porto Mari (same road) After that we concentrated on sites like Varsenbaai and points east. Except we did run out to Sunset Waters once. Both resorts have closed in the last 5 years.

You've seen the steps down to the water at Marazul right?

 

[thespoons]

Errr... yes. What about the steps?