Which ABC Island to visit?
 

My husband and I are looking to getaway in early September but we can't decide where to go. We went to Aruba on our honeymoon and loved it but would like to try something new that is not in the hurricane belt. Which island is the best of the ABC islands for non-divers who snorkel and enjoy a relaxed nightlife, music and good food?

Amy, <BR>We spent a week in Curacao and loved it. <BR>Bonaire is mainly for divers, not much else there. Aruba has lots of tourism, Casinos, and nightlife. Also more crowded. <BR>Curacao is a mix of the others. It has great snorkling but is also quiet. Restaurants are good not great. People are friendly. It's a fun island to explore (Hato Caves, SeaAquarium, nature preserves, old Dutch Mansions, old city (Punda and Otrapunda)) It also has casinos. One drawback is in the center of Willemstadt, the largest city is a huge oil refinery. If you can avoid being near this (most of the resorts are) do so. <BR>Hope this helps.

We went to Aruba and tried Curacao next and found it to be mediocre. Last year we went to Bonaire and it was great. We don't dive, but love to snorkel and it was world class! There was a lot to see on the island. We rented a car and drove all over and it was great. We spent 2 weeks and could have spent 2 more. <BR> <BR>The people were great, there were lots of good restaurants and at night there were the casinos. It wasn't overcrowded like Aruba tended to be. <BR> <BR>You can also check on Grenada, it hasn't had a hurricane in like 50 years.

John and Cheri, <BR> <BR>Thanks for your feedback. What are the best hotels to stay at on either island? One with pools, a/c, other amenities, etc.

Hi Amy - Let me jump in here ... We stayed at the Princess Beach Hotel while in Curacao earlier this year. It's a large complex about 15 minutes from downtown Willemstad (hotel provides free daily shuttle service to town) that has about 7 individual buildings on it. Most are motel like structures (2 stories max), but the newest, and the only tower, is called the Ambassador wing. Rooms are large and all have a balcony. The beach is nice, but somewhat small by other island standards. There's a casino, 2 pools, 2 good restaurants and about 4 other nice restaurants no more than a 10 minute walk from the PBH. This is a Crown Plaza property (upscale Holiday Inn). A step up from this would be the Sonesta, which was just recently acquired by Marriott. Up one more notch would be the Kudashi Cliffs, at Westpunt, or the western tip of the island. John can shed some light on that one !! <BR> <BR>If you're interested in Curacao, check out their website at www.curacao.com - it pretty comprehensive and up to date! <BR> <BR>I can highly recommend Fort Nassau restaurant - the view is spectacular, and the food delicious - expensive, but worth it !! Even the oil refinery looks better from the view at Ft Nassau.

We stayed at the Princess Beach also and I cannot recommend it. Just the bugs in the room alone were enough for me not to say ,hey stay there! <BR> <BR>In Bonaire we stayed at the Plaza. It had the nicest beach, tho still small, and it had all the amenities. The food wasn't that great, but with Richards less than 1/4 mile down the road we didn't care. The price was average and the rooms were very nice. The bathrooms were huge. The bathroom at the Plaza was bigger than the whole room we had at the El San Juan last year!

Amy, <BR>We were in Curacao on a cruise and I'm <BR>glad of it because we really hated the <BR>island. The clerks in the shop were <BR>rude to us and the downtown area is just <BR>that, a hot crowded city full of mean <BR>people. If you've been to Aruba and <BR>loved it I can't believe that you would <BR>like Curacao, but that's just my opinion. Aruba is one of my favorite <BR>islands. If you decide to go to Curacao <BR>I hope that you enjoy it much more than <BR>we did.

I always marvel at how people can have such opposite experiences in the same place!

Don't try to start something else.

Bonaire has some awesome snorkeling. For info on hotels and flights: <BR> <BR>1-800-228-1502

We spent a week at the Sonesta Resort in Curacao and loved it. The beach is not fabulous, but the pool area and the rest of the facilities are lovely. Downtown Wilelmsted is charming and picturesque and a great place to visit. Only problem with the C island is that there is no nightlife outside of the casinos. There is great snorkeling in Curacao also.