Double-Dipping in the Dutch Caribbean

By Hideaways Editor Pat Chaudoin

Maybe you know that the ABC Islands of the Netherlands Antilles--a self-governed entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands--are so named for the alphabetical order of the three main islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao (pronounced "CURE-a-sow"). But did you know that each island has its own distinct personality, cultural feel, and topography? As I discovered on a recent visit, Aruba is a beach-bum's paradise, Bonaire is a world-renowned dive destination, and Curaçao is colorful, quirky, and culturally rich. And though Dutch is the official language of all three, most locals also speak Spanish, English, and a local dialect called Papiamento, a combination of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and Afrikaans.

Most important for visitors, this island group lies outside the hurricane belt, just 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela. The weather is nearly perfect straight through fall, with low humidity, cooling trade winds, and days of almost guaranteed sunshine--at least during the dry season, which runs April through October. But "dry season" is something of a misnomer, since it implies a corresponding "wet season"--and these islands are anything but wet, being arid and desert-like, with an average rainfall of only 20 inches a year. If you're looking for a lush tropical getaway like St. Lucia or Jamaica, this isn't it. Happily, the tradeoff is great sailing, diving, water sports, and sun-tanning weather pretty much every day.

Since I'm not a diver, I passed on visiting Bonaire and opted instead for a perfect "double Dutch" of culture on Curaçao and idyllic beach days on Aruba. If you have the time, you really should work both islands into your travel plans for a nicely rounded vacation--something easily done with a quick 20-minute flight aboard regional carrier InselAir.

Beach-a-Go-Go

Aruba is by far the better known of the two islands, and Americans make up the majority of its visitors, followed by Brazilians and Venezuelans. During a frigid winter, who could resist escaping to that nearly 10-mile stretch of beachfront on Aruba's northwest coast? It's one long, grand sweep of white sand bordered by warm, neon-turquoise water--a bustling playground for kids and adults.

As you wind your way from the airport through Aruba's capital of Oranjestad to the hotel district, you first hit Eagle Beach. This is the quieter, more laid-back area where the majority of low-rise hotels, condos, and time-shares are gathered. Then you enter the high-rise section of hotels on busy Palm Beach, where almost every chain imaginable is lined up in a row: Hyatt, Radisson, Riu, Holiday Inn, and the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, where I was staying. Thankfully, the Aruba Marriott is at the far northern end of the high-rise district, with only the beautiful, brand-new Ritz-Carlton to its northern side. So as Aruba beachfront goes, this is one of the quieter stretches. That said, there are water-sports concessions everywhere--the beach is public, and vendors can set up shop wherever they like.

Inside, the 388-room Aruba Marriott was a bustling place as well, with folks heading in and out of the casino or gathering in the lobby bar to watch a World Cup game. I was staying on the Tradewinds Club level, the exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel on the resort's top (8^th) floor. As soon as reception saw my reservation, a bellhop was called over for my bags and I was escorted to the Club's 8^th-floor private lounge/check-in desk. This lounge also is where Tradewinds guests enjoy complimentary meals and snacks throughout the day, including a full American breakfast of eggs, meats, pastries, and fresh fruit; sandwiches, salads, and an assortment of desserts for lunch; afternoon tea; and a spread of hors d'oeuvres and an open bar each evening. Given what I overheard about the cost of breakfast alone on Aruba, the value of staying on the Tradewinds level seems obvious.

Equally important to me, Tradewinds guests have a reserved beach area toward the less-congested northern end of the property. Here, exuberant Hermina, beach attendant extraordinaire, guides you to your thatched palapa with lounge chairs and perfectly tucks in your towels so the wind doesn't blow them away. She even creates a towel-pillow for your head! This excellent level of service was everywhere, including at the resort's "pop-up" seafood restaurant, Simply Fish. This unique toes-in-the-sand dining experience takes torches and linen-clad tables right to water's edge each evening, just in time for sunset. The food was fresh and delicious, and the sunset view with sailboats bobbing in the water wasn't too shabby, either.

The best part of my Tradewinds Club room was the view from my huge balcony that overlooked the freeform family pool--there's also a quiet adults-only pool--and an amazing panorama of the beach and hotel strip. The beds were comfy and the bathroom was fresh and updated, but I have to say, the room furnishings seemed dated and the rugs were downright worn. I also could hear occasional noise through the door connecting to the adjoining room--my advice: book a non-connecting room.

The timing of my trip to Aruba was serendipitous, during opening week of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Excitement for the event was at fever pitch, and Dutch fans wore an ocean of orange at beachside bars during The Netherlands' games. A few bars and restaurants along hotel row even set up giant screens on the beach and televised the most popular U.S. and Dutch matches at night, drawing crowds of exuberant fans--no doubt fueled by alcohol--that you could hear exploding into cheers up and down the beach each time their favorite team scored.

As magnetic as the beach at the Aruba Marriott is, you should try to get off that lounge chair and see some of the island. My quick stay was punctuated by a couple of fun half-day excursions: a well-run four-hour snorkel/catamaran sail operated by Red Sail Sports ( http://www.aruba-redsail.com) that included lunch and an open bar (a steal at $72/adult), and a wild-and-crazy off-road safari ride to a natural pool with De Palm Tours (http://www.depalmtours.com), whose drivers gave us a great overview of the island while imparting some fascinating history ($99/adult).

Not in Kansas Anymore

You truly switch gears when you arrive on Curaçao. The first thing I noticed as I made my way through the airport was the extensive Dutch being spoken. European visitors far outnumber Americans here, and the whole island has a relaxed, laid-back vibe.

I connected with my driver, Marlin (yes, like the fish), and off we went to lovely Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort on the island's southeast coast. The 45-minute drive took us over towering Queen Juliana Bridge, which crosses St. Anna Bay in Willemstad, Curaçao's capital. The bridge connects the historic quarter of Punda, founded by the Dutch in 1634, with the equally historic district of Otrobanda, established in 1707. Driving over the 185-foot bridge gave me an amazing perspective on the city.

Anyone who is at all familiar with Curaçao has no doubt seen photos of the quaint, brightly colored buildings that line the waterfront of Willemstad Harbour. As the story goes, one of the first Dutch governors on the island was taking a carriage ride through the city and complained of a migraine from the intense sunlight reflecting off the city's dazzling white buildings. He ordered that all buildings be painted in varying pastel shades--which has continued to this day. Some versions of the story say it was later discovered the governor held the majority share in the local paint business. Whatever the case, Willemstad's colorful waterfront and wonderfully preserved historic buildings have earned it the distinction of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As we worked our way to the resort, Marlin gave me a quick lesson in Papiamento. From my college Spanish, I quickly picked up "bon dia" (hello) and "bon tardi" (good afternoon). "Danki" (thank you) wasn't too hard to figure out, either. Then there's "dushi," the local term of endearment that means "nice" or even "sweetie," and is found on everything from T-shirts to bottled water.

My language lesson was cut short by our arrival at the entrance gates to Santa Barbara Plantation, a glorious expanse of 1,500 rolling oceanfront acres that encompasses private residences, a 120-slip marina, a Pete Dye-designed golf course that snakes along waterfront cliffs, and the 350-room Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort. Though not a hideaway in size, the resort certainly qualifies in terms of being tucked away in its own serene, secluded setting, with nothing around for miles. If you were of a mind to, you could easily hunker down here for days, being waited on hand and foot, playing the Old Quarry Golf Course, lounging by the various pools or on the white-sand beach, snorkeling and diving, and dining at the resort's four restaurants.

My immediate impression of the elegant open-air lobby was, "What a view!" A strip of shallow turquoise sea gathered to a deep cobalt blue just offshore, and huge ships cruised along at the horizon line, many of them tankers from Venezuela heading for Curaçao's busy oil refinery. I was handed a refreshing glass of blue Curaçao liqueur on ice, checked in, and then whisked off by golf cart to the resort's Sea Traditions rooms, a very private enclave of upscale accommodations separated from the main part of the hotel by a winding walkway.

Secreted away in several one-story buildings with just a handful of rooms each, Sea Traditions is the perfect choice for honeymooners and other romantics. The butler pointed out the highlights of my spacious room and explained how to operate the plantation-shuttered sliding doors that opened onto my private terrace. Right off my terrace was the deserted Sea Traditions pool, with its cozy-looking cocoon loungers for two. And beyond the pool were the golf course and that to-die-for turquoise sea.

It's "Dushi"

My days were spent relaxing by one of the two main pools, a chilled Amstel Bright in hand, and swimming at the long stretch of beach adjacent to the pools. There's also a full-service spa, a nicely equipped gym with ocean views, and an on-site water-sports concession, Ocean Encounters, to set you up with diving, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Dining at Santa Barbara was a real treat, whether it was sushi served in the grand lobby each evening or delicious Mediterranean cuisine at Medi. One night, I joined some new friends for fresh seafood at Shore American Grill, where we shared delicious appetizers of jerk sea scallops and crab cakes with wasabi mayonnaise. My meal of perfectly grilled mahi-mahi was made even more amazing by watching the chefs flourishing their utensils in the open-air kitchen.

One thing to note: Unless you've rented a car and are prepared to drive fair distances--or you don't mind a somewhat pricey cab ride into Willemstad--you're something of a captive audience at Santa Barbara as far as dining and entertainment go. The resort does offer an all-inclusive rate with three meals daily, unlimited beverages (alcoholic and soda), and discounted golf fees (starting at $233/night/person through December).

That's not to say there aren't things to do within 30 minutes of the resort. I toured a nearby aloe vera plantation, where they grow the plants for their own line of health and beauty products called CurAloe (http://www.aloecuracao.com). I came away with aloe-infused soap, night cream, and body lotion--a unique and useful souvenir of the island! Just down the road, I stopped in at Serena's Art Factory (www.chichi-curacao.com) for a look at the Dutch artist's colorful ceramic Chichis®, voluptuous caricatures hand-painted by local women as part of a cottage industry designed to provide income for stay-at-home moms.

One windy afternoon, I joined a small group for a sail aboard the luxurious 85-foot sailing yacht, Domicil ( http://www.saildomicil.com), ably crewed by captain/owner Hans Robben and his first mate, Christine. We were treated like royalty as we sailed the island's southern coastline, learning tidbits of history from Hans and being served drinks and tasty hors d'oeuvres by Christine.

But by far the high point of my visit to Curaçao was an excursion with Substation Curaçao ( www.substation-curacao.com) aboard their mini Curasub, which is used for scientific research and can descend to a depth of 1,000 feet. Crammed in like sardines, four of us and our pilot, Barbara, crept down the reef wall to 548 feet, where daylight fades and the marine life becomes smaller and less colorful. Rising back up to a depth of 188 feet was like Dorothy opening the door to Oz, as Technicolor fish, coral, and sponges magically "reappeared" along the reef.

At some point during your stay, preferably toward the beginning, I'd suggest taking a private island tour. I spent all day with a wonderful woman named Bigala, hitting the high points from Willemstad--with its designer shopping, waterfront cafés, "floating" produce market, and unique pontoon pedestrian bridge--all the way to the far end of the island at Westpunt, where we had lunch at a popular locals hangout called Komedor Krioyo. Bigala also filled me in on some of Curaçao's fascinating history and its lesser-known secrets--like the "adult" resort and casino on the island's north shore, where legalized prostitution is handled in a very Dutch fashion.

As for its history, Bigala pointed out the island saltpans where slaves worked to harvest the salt that was essential for preserving fish and meat. These days, the salt ponds are home to flocks of wild flamingos that are feasting on brine shrimp--which, by the way, give the flamingos their pink color.

Bigala also regaled me with the story of Leonard B. Smith, a New Englander who sailed to Curaçao in the late 1870s with a schooner full of ice from frozen Maine rivers and convinced the locals to drink chilled beverages. He started the island's first (and very successful) ice business, as well as its first electric and water facilities. Smith also was responsible for building Willemstad's floating pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay. When he died of a heart attack in 1898, at just 59 years old, Leonard B. Smith was one of Curaçao's wealthiest residents.

As you're out and about investigating the island, you'll also discover that, unlike Aruba, Curaçao has almost 40 smallish cove beaches tucked here and there, mostly along the island's southern coast. According to Bigala, each has its own personality, from quiet and tucked away to a hangout for locals or a haven for tourists. Any of these beauties is the perfect place to spend an afternoon swimming and snorkeling in the clear, protected waters.

Just like ordering a two-scoop ice cream cone because you can't settle on only one flavor, I can't imagine traveling that distance and not sampling both Aruba and Curaçao. Each offers a distinct experience that, when combined with the other, creates a vacation combo that can't be beaten.