Curacao resort Suggestions Please

[DocVikingo]

Hi Mike,

Don't get me wrong, I like the Marriott & staying on Marriott points is a very good thing.

However, I don't find the shore diving off Marriott anywhere near as good or convenient as that off Sunset Waters or Habitat Curaco. Also, the odors from the refinery occasionally reach the Marriottt, but not over to Sunset/Habitat. Yes, it has a casino, but a pretty modest one. Also, I prefer a place that's a little less busy & doesn't have a parking lot full of cars outside.

Depends on what one prefers.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Damselfish,

Yes, Sunset Waters has a free shuttle into town, but like Habitat the hours are pretty worthless ---> http://www.uirc.com/sunsetwaters/willemstaddowntownshuttle.htm

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Damselfish]

I don't know if you would get tired of eating at the Marriott on AI. Might be a good deal overall, but there's a number of hotels and restaurants in walking distance and it's not far to town. Not that the food at the Marriott is bad, but just a matter of whether you are into trying a variety of interesting restaurants, or just want to get fed.

(The Sjalotte restaurant in Floris Suites Hotel across the street was very good and even good service, though not cheap.) Hook's Hut was pretty good too, though very much on island time.

 

[cxg31s]

Yes, the Sunset Waters shuttle runs day trips into town for free and the hours aren't convenient for dinner.

But it's important to note that you can also hire it to go into town for dinner at night. It's MUCH cheaper than a cab or renting a car, very convenient and safer than trying to drive home late at night on tricky roads, especially after a few drinks. Just talk to the hotel desk or the shuttle driver about arrangements.

I've stayed at Sunset Waters twice, both in 2004, so like Doc's article, my info isn't very current, but I will be happy to answer any questions on the hotel or diving. I loved the hotel and the dive op and would go back in a heartbeat!

 

[tvictory]

Unlike the others (at least when I've been there), the all-inclusive plan at Sunset Waters includes the cold beer (and wine, booze, etc). The food is decent and it's not buffet lines -- you order a la carte whenever you want to.

 

[cxg31s]

Unlike the others (at least when I've been there), the all-inclusive plan at Sunset Waters includes the cold beer (and wine, booze, etc). The food is decent and it's not buffet lines -- you order a la carte whenever you want to.

That's right--liquor was included and that was a nice bonus. With all that, SW was cheaper than Habitat. If you go to SW, try the drink I made up while I was there: Curacao cream liquor, Curacao chocolate liquor, vodka and ice, á lá mudslide style. I called it a Chocolate Kiss. *drool*

 

[Scott M]

"I don't know if you would get tired of eating at the Marriott on AI. "

True but they also include three on-site specialty restaurants that are very good and included in the package. If I remember right they had an Italian rest, Japanese and one other. All were good. The diving from the Resort was not spectacular but we traveled to different sites anyway so no big deal there. Lots of good diving all over. I would recommend the Marriot for over-all value. For just diving, Habitat seems to have a very good set-up.

 

[Damselfish]

Marriott has a Japanese restaurant? Where are they hiding it?

 

[Scott M]

"Marriott has a Japanese restaurant? Where are they hiding it?"

My Bad!, I was thinking Breezes and typing Marriot. Not enough off gasing I guess.

 

[scubatexastony]

We are thinking about going to Curacao. We are pretty experienced divers (I've been diving since 1960). Want a resort that offers boat dives, good shore diving, OK food, and very cold beer. Any suggestions??

Thanks

Greg

Get a car with enough trunk space to lock up the valuables, drive and dive, boat diving to a couple places like watamula or the cave, might be worth the time and money. I don't drink beer, hot or cold, but there's places all over the island that serve up amstel good and cold. Night life begins around 10-11, but then I'm not a night life person... Lots of good resturants around Willemstad.

Sunset has a decent house reef as well as Breezes. Sunset is close enough to Mushroom to do boat dives there, and has a good crew. Lions Dive (for me) is in a bad spot as currents are pretty strong and you need to go to Sea Aquariums front yard to have a really nice dive, or go a bit more east to Cornelius Baii, an excellent reef. Tug boat is interesting, and east to Directors bay from Tug Boat makes a nice dive as the wall is really nice.
Blue Bay has Gardens and Blue Wall, one of the nicer facilities as there's showers and such. Mark and Suzy from the-Dive-Bus are just west of Breezes at Marie Pampeon and the dive to car pile is one of our favorite night dives. Porto Mari has a good shop and a unique reef system worth making a trip there.

The west end at Playa Kalki has Alice in Wonderland and Oceans has an onsite shop, it is another favorite. There's Grote Knip, Kline Knip and Playa Kenepa just to the south, but no dive facilities, so take the tanks with. The stairs down to Kalki makes renting the tanks there worth the money!

Of course I'm not on my vacation and my approach might be different if I were planning a weeks stay at a resort, YMMV.

course there's also, abo, varsenbaai, kline curacao, playa lagun.........

plenty of good diving to be found. cold beer and a nice resort, listen to the vacationers....

bon bini na curacao í spera na mira abo riba e isla!

tony