first time visit to Curacao

[Damselfish]

An alternative to the apartments would be to stay at the Kura Hulanda Lodge. A very nice property with a pool and what look from the outside like really nice rooms, but no kitchens and the diving is slightly less convenient.

The oceanfront rooms (very nice) have kitchenettes. The gardenview rooms I think some have kitchens.

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Westpunt is rural but pretty safe. Many guests at the Lodge will walk the half mile to us for dinner and have justification for eating the brownie. If you like to hike, David has cleared miles of trails at the end of the island for his local boys bike club. Many will jog (not me) or hike them to see the views. Christoffel is 5 miles away and Shete Boca only 3 miles, 2 other natural places to explore. A young couple from the Lodge had dinner with us on Saturday and then met an employee in town for drinks and salsa - the dancing kind. They left the party early and were back at the Lodge at 3AM. They weren't divers and still only went into town a couple of days out of 12. I was in Coral Estates this week. Habitat is being renovated and there is construction. Depending on your travel dates, we went to Porto Marie for our dive.
Westpunt is very casual and user friendly and many return again and again which makes it nice for us to see them again. We have some notes on this end of the island. You can find them on our web site Curacao Sunshine - Rental Property on the Island of Curacao
My suggested boat dives would be Watamula, yes with an s on dives. Seriously there's something special on every dive. Right now there has been 2 sea horses spotted in front of All West and 2 in front of Ocean Encounters West/Lodge, no boat required. Just in time for the Bumblebees and her camera!

 

[TN Traveler]

The upstairs garden view rooms at Lodge Kura Hulanda have full kitchens (open air) - the ocean front rooms also have cooking facilities (kitchenettes downstairs - full kitchens upstairs) - the small, downstairs garden view rooms only have a refrigerator and coffee pot. Plus the food at the restaurant is very good, for those times you don't want to cook when Sunshine's is not open. If you stay at the Lodge there are lots of places to walk at night - also fun to explore the caves at the end of the property.

Sunshine - make sure BumbleBee doesn't scare the sea horses away - I am looking forward to seeing my 1st Make sure to save us 2 loaves of Banana Nut Bread - we will pick them up on the 6th.

 

[chauncy19]

I am interested in staying at All West Apartments, is there good walking there too?? we like to walk or Jog early in morning. Okay my wife likes to jog early in am. i'd rather dive. but since we're both going is there a good place to jog or walk in early morning (sunrise).
thanks

 

[jd950]

Thanks for the corrections on the Kura Hulanda. My apologies for my misstatement. I guess the best bet for walking and jogging would be the trails David made? Maybe walking and jogging in the area around Sunshine's, the dive shop and the Kura Hulanda would work, too, if you don't mind getting barked at a lot by dogs.

By the way, another lodging option is the apartment that David and Sunshine have. I always tend to forget about it because it is much larger than we need, but it's an easy walk to the dive shop and Sol Food is right downstairs.

I wasn't that impressed with Habitat when we visited there for a dive and lunch last Summer, but since it is being renovated, maybe we will drive down again for a dive and lunch next time we come to the island. But it can't be as good as that Indonesian place we went to with Sunshine!

 

[TN Traveler]

I don't know how diving at Lodge Kura Hulanda/Ocean Encounters West could be any more convenient. You walk down the stairs from either the Lodge Property or the OEW parking lot, gear up, walk down 5-6 steps to the beach and walk into the water - a short swim (surface or underwater) and you are at the reef. If I tell the folks at OEW that I will be diving in the morning, they have a tank waiting - if I am doing a boat dive, gear is onboard.

OEW has a room where you can store your gear - hang it up on a rack outside after you finish diving and they move it inside at the end of the day. If you want to do a night dive - get tanks from OEW before they close, put them and your gear in a locked room with locked cabinets next to the restaurant and go diving when you are ready. Your room key opens the room and you get a key and lock from the desk at the Lodge. Normally the folks at OEW will pick the tanks up from the room before you get down in the morning.

My wife says it is easier diving than a liveaboard.

 

[scubaniels]

To stay i would recommend the Scuba Lodge. A small but very nice hotel in downtown Willemstad. It's in a kolonial building right on the sea. For really good diving... Drop me an email. Small groups 6 to 8, advanced divers and all the sites around the island. East, West, North and Klein Curacao.

Happy planning

 

[Curacao Sunshine]

Bees, Niels is who we are going to Eastpoint with next Wednesday.
He's right about the Scuba Lodge. We've had a couple of guests who have split their time between us. It's a smaller venue so more personal attention than the big hotels. It's next to (or almost) 2 very nice (fancier) restaurants; Moon and Lanoevo and less than a mile walk to the floating bridge etc. Many divers there go diving with Niels and/or The Dive Bus. If you want more night life and restaurants it's a good alternative. We (including the above posters) are a wee bit biased to the west end. I try to remember some are happier in the city because Curacao has something for everyone.
Bob, there are a lot of places to walk, jog or hike. Get on down here and we'll, OK maybe I'll volunteer David to show you. Try Bing go to maps, go to Curacao, go to the north west end, be sure you are on 2d and aerial you'll see some of the trails and check out "the eye of the island" You'll see the Lodge to the west, All West above the fishing boats and we are in a couple of houses over the pier. Seahorses need a higher magnification.

 

[TN Traveler]

Since my eyesight is rapidly going downhill - I'll let Cindy spot the seahorses and point them out to me. She is real good at finding the small stuff. But I'm better at spotting eagle rays and other open water fish.

Getting harder and harder to read my gauges even with +2 diopter in my mask - but I still take better pictures.

 

[chauncy19]

Thanks Sunshine!!! you're the best. Hoping to get there soon but its looking like NEXT thanksgiving time. Oh well....But...you never know