judy geyer

has anyone stayed or heard of Porto Paseo Hotel or Holiday Beach? Also has anyone sailed on the Insulinde from Curacao? Any suggestions on staying on Aruba vs. Curacao? <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR> <BR>Judy

Suzanne

Not sure about the hotel or ship in question, but we did see it while in Curacao. It's probably a nice sail. <BR> <BR>Haven't been to Aruba, but I would definitely recommend Curacao. Our friends live there and thinks its the best place on earth. I would agree. Aruba is full of tourists because the island is heavily promoted. Curacao is not touristy. Everyone speaks English and it' very clean, neat and friendly. While I was there I hear someone come off a cruise ship saying "This is a lot nicer than Aruba." So there you are. <BR> <BR>Enjoy the island. <BR> <BR>Suzanne <BR>

Karen

Hi Judy: This is probably the first time I have written on this forum to disagree. Been to Curacao and twice to Aruba. I would be hard pressed to find one thing that I preferred in Curacao. The beaches in Aruba are beautiful, the restaurants are great, bus transportation reliable and the islanders friendly. There is lots going on in the evening in Aruba as far as Casinos nightlife ect.Dinner cruises, snorkling excursions ect.Really neat to rent a car and travel to the ocean side the ways ect are great. Snorkling is good at De Palm island and baby Beach. Little Knip beach is very pretty in Curacao but you need a car to reach it.Also the floating market is nice so is the little cafes at the Fort overlooking the sea. Been to Aruba twice and would go back in a heartbeat. There must be some reason why tourist like to go there??Karen

Susan

Hi, Judy <BR> <BR>My husband and I were on Curacao (& Bonaire) last June; haven't been to Aruba. If you scuba, Curacao is wonderful. We had a great time, but there is not much to do if you are not divers. I haven't heard of the hotels you mentioned, nor the Insulinde. Have fun!

Debbie

Judy-The Porto Paseo Hotel in located in Outrabanda (literally meaning other side), across from downtown Willemstad. It has a small casino in it-all the casinos in Curacao are small though. We enjoyed our trip last year to the island-as Suzanne said, it's not as touristy as Aruba, but rather more laid back and relaxing. If that's what you're looking for in a vacation, then you'll enjoy the island. We also found the islanders to be both friendly and helpful. English (and Dutch) are widely spoken. Enjoy wherever you decide to go-in fact, you could day trip from one island to the other on your vacation so you can compare for yourself. Definitely visit Knip Beach in Curacao-it's quite stunning-and if you go in the 'off-season' during the week, it'll probably be deserted as well. Bon Bini !!

kgall

we are planning a trip to curacao this spring. anyone know about the relative cost of food, rental cars, and other vacation items on the island. Also, is there a ferry service to other nearby islands, for day cruises? thanks.

Debi

kgall - this is in response to your question. We're going to Curacao on the 25th of February, and I did a bunch of research on it. There are no ferries between the islands - you have to fly between them (unless you're on a cruise or some kind of boat charter). If you go on travelocity, you can do a search between Curacao and Bonaire (or Aruba) - and you'll see that there are regularly scheduled hops between all the islands...