Planning a Trip to Netherlands Antilles

It is a busy cruise ship port, so it is best to know ahead of time when the ships are in and avoid the city. A better option is Marigot on the French side of the island. For an odd experience, watch the planes land and take off over the beach just outside of Philipsburg.

Want to try real, local cuisine during your stay in Curacao? I recommend you to visit the "Plaza Bieu" (Old market) in Punda, downtown Willemstad. It's behind the post office. Here local women prepare all kinds of "kuminda krioyo" (local dishes). Sit down and enjoy the Curacao athmosphere and a delicious dish at very reasonable (cheap) prices!

Bonaire is a divers paradise. It is basically the tip of a mountain sticking out of the water so you can dive the sides of the mountain sloping into the water all day. They call these dives "wall dives". I went with a Dutch dive master that had trianed the fish. He could pick up a French Angel fish out if the water for a photo op and then put it back in the water it would swim around him and then he would take it out again for another photo op. You have to be careful diving the walls. One person on our dive had a tooth squeeze from going so deep. You don't realize how for down you are going, you easily reach 100' depth before you know it. Another neat thing about the island and it's people. i had a friend from HS who was form there, is the crazy mix of cultures and ethnicities. They speak a language, I beleive it is called papiamiento. It is a mixture of 5 languages. I know it has Spanish and Dutch, I believe French but I am not sure of the other two. The other thing you might here about is the hill. It is like a pimple on a flawless face. But a facinating pimple, none the less. Aruba is flat, completely flat. Like that old joke, a Pirate's dream, a Sunken Chest. but it has one boob. This one hill. lol. I have a weird sense of humor, sorry!

It is a busy cruise ship port, so it is best to know ahead of time when the ships are in and avoid the city. A better option is Marigot on the French side of the island. For an odd experience, watch the planes land and take off over the beach just outside of Philipsburg.

Windward Side is a gem lost in time! The island has just one round that circumnavigates the island, you can't get lost. Many of the islanders are descended from pirates. Take a walk to the highest point which takes you into the rainforest. If you complete the walk, you will receive a certificate in Windward Side which confirms you have climbed the highest point in the Dutch empire!

Saba is a great day trip from St Marten. Usually a destination for divers, there is a spectacular walk to the peak of this extinct volcano which is now crested by rainforest. Look out for the small lizards which are particular to Saba, they have beautiful leopard markings. There are plenty of humming birds here too.

If you want to have fun and party, come to Willemstad. Dutch Caribean. It is nice! Always nice wheater and lots of friendly people. I spent there 6 months and I think I am going back to experience it again ;).

The city is alot of fun to go see with great shopping, bars and restaurants, but make sure you go in groups after dark. Some of the locals can be a bit shady after dark.