Aruba/Curacao Combo Trip Help?
 

I am planning my honeymoon, and would like to split my time between Aruba & Curacao. Is inter-island flight accessible and affordable? Are there any major travel companies that could offer a trip to both? I see a lot of deals for Aruba, but nothing for Cur? Am I going to have to book my own flights etc.? I'm also thinking of the Hyatt in Aruba and the Marriot in Cur. Any info or comments would be appreciated!<BR>TY.

Stan: I have been to all three ABC's and would recommend combining Aruba with Bonaire rather than Curacao, especially on a honeymoon. Bonaire is very laid back and natural with spectacular snorkeling, flamingoes in the wild, etc. Aruba is more commercial as is Curacao, however, Curacao was more expensive and much more difficult to drive around in. We flew to Aruba and then had to pick up an inter-island flight to these islands which wasn't difficult and can be booked in advance. We stayed at the Sonesta in Curacao which was beautiful. We did have a great time at the many "local" beaches in Curacao moreso than in the hotel district or the commercial areas.

Karen,<BR>you recommend Bonaire, but say that you had a better time at the Cur beaches? That is the main reason I was leaning towards Cur, because I heard the beaches in Bon are less that spectacular and very rocky? I'm not worried about expensive, since most islands are. Can you please inform me of the airlines you used for the inter-islands?<BR>thanks!

Don't know about inter-island flights, but I'm totally committed to the Marriott in Curacao(which used to be the Sonesta about three years ago). It was a great vacation experience. Very comfortable beds and beautiful rooms. The staff person who can help customize tours for you does a great job. They really take care of every detail and the entire staff from the valet to the wait persons are wonderful!

Stan: The beaches in Bonaire are not rocky. In fact, pink beach is one of the most beautiful I have ever been to. In Bonaire, we did a lot of walking into town or to restaurants. It is much less developed and populated than Curacao. The snorkeling was the best ever. It also had a great windsurfing bay with lessons. It was very easy to drive around in with a lot of interesting things to see such as salt ponds with nesting flamingoes. There were nice beaches in Curacao also but it is much more difficult to drive around and quite expensive, especially in the hotels. Sorry but I can't remember the name of the interisland line. Chances are it has changed since then anyway! Some day I am sure you will experience all three ABC's so I wouldn't sweat your decision as you will have a great time regardless!

Hate to disagree, but I found the beaches in Bonaire extremely rocky. If you stay at the Divi Flamingo, they have a very nice small sandy beach, but when we drove to most of the public beaches (including Pink), we found it impossible to find even a towel-sized spot of coral-free sand. I've done a lot of shore diving in Bonaire and so I can vouch for at least 15 beach/shore spots-- you can't comfortably walk barefoot on any of them. Bonaire is the best island on earth for undisturbed diving and windsurfing, but it's not really a beach island. (I know I'm not answering your initial question of inter-island travel, but thought I'd jump in for the beach question!)

The inter-island flights between Curacao and Aruba are constant and pretty cheap. We only spent a bit of time in Aruba, but mainly stayed in Curacao and Bonaire. If you're a diver - go to Bonaire. If you like some diving, but really want nice relaxing beaches, maybe a casino (small), lots of restaurants - then go to Curacao. We stayed at the Marriott there - we really liked it. If I remember correctly, I made all the flight reservations through US Air (I was a frequent flyer) and they helped me book the interisland pieces (I had a great guy) - but you could do that yourself - we just went on Travelocity and looked at the options. We also left several hours between our takeoff/arrival in Aruba and when we went to Curacao. We took tours of Aruba each time we had to come to the airport. Maybe you could get a deal through Marriott for both islands - both Marriotts were beautiful. We loved Curacao and would definitely go back.....