Observations of the Practical Kind: Dushi Curaçao

We spent a fantastic week in Curaçao in the first week of December 2022.

Curaçao is one of the three "ABC islands" (along with Aruba and Bonaire) in the Dutch Antilles of the Caribbean, not far from Venezuela's coast.

Traveling to Curaçao

It was relatively easy to visit Curaçao with American Airlines flights between Denver International Airport (DEN) and Curaçao International Airport (CUR) [with layovers at Miami International Airport (MIA) in each direction].

When returning to the United States through Miami International Airport, it is necessary to pick up checked bags at baggage claim and re-check them for the connection flight to other domestic airports in the United States. One must also go through a TSA security line in Miami International Airport to board the connecting flight. We were happy that we had allowed sufficient time for all of this between our connecting flights returning from Curaçao to Denver.

COVID and Curaçao

Our December 2022 trip to Curaçao was largely unaffected by COVID. We did not have to show proof of vaccination nor provide a negative COVID test to travel to Curaçao. We did need to fill out an online Digital Immigration Card no more than 7 days before arriving in Curaçao and were required to show that at the Curaçao Airport.

Getting Around Curaçao

We rented a car at Curaçao International Airport and that allowed us to get around Curaçao fairly easily. Most of the roads are one lane in each direction and there are frequent roundabouts. There are some speedy and sometimes aggressive drivers in Curaçao, but we found driving in Curaçao to be easier than driving in Dominica, primarily because there are no deep ditches alongside the Curaçao roads to worry about and driving is on the right side of the road. Google Maps worked fairly well providing us directions to get to our desired destinations, but it occasionally recommended that we drive the wrong way down some one-way streets in Willemstad.

Many streets in Curaçao lacked signs with street names or the signs were difficult to see, but Google Maps made this less of an issue. Most signs with directions are in English. We occasionally needed to drive on dirt roads that could be rough (especially when going to Tugboat Beach, Director's Bay, and Cas Abao Beach), but our front-wheel drive vehicle made it successfully.

All of the locals we talked to spoke and understood sufficient English to have conversations. In fact, it was impressive how easily the people of Curaçao that we met could switch between Dutch, English, and local language Papiamentu (Papiamento).

Money in Curaçao

The primary currency in Curaçao is the Antillean Guilder (ANG), but nearly every service and product we saw advertised listed prices in United States dollars (USD) as well and the dollar was accepted everywhere we went. The Antillean Guilder (sometimes called Florin) is fixed to the United States dollar at a ratio of 1.8 ANG per 1.0 USD. There is a slight advantage to using Antillean Guilders versus dollars when making purchaes in Curaçao because the typical conversion ratio used for simplcity is often 1.75 ANG per 1.0 USD. Because ATMs on Curaçao typically offered withdrawals in ANG or USD, I typically preferred getting Antillean Guilders because of this slight conversion rate difference.

Credit cards are widely accepted in Curaçao and we found that Visa credit cards must be charged in dollars instead of the local currency. One exception to the general acceptance of credit cards is gas stations. Gas stations on Curaçao require cash payments made in advance. The cash payments can be in Antillean Guilders or U.S. dollars. Once the cash is paid to the teller, the teller opens the pump to the amount of cash paid.

Other Observations About Curaçao

These are some other miscellaneous observations about Curaçao:

Curaçao can be hot and dry any time of the year and was for much of the time we were there, but we experienced several quick but really wet rainstorms in our first few days there and on one last morning there. They were never as frequent as we saw in Dominica, but much more common than we expected.
The majority of tourists we saw in Curaçao were Dutch.
Tips can be added to credit card payments at restaurants (this isn't always available in all countries).
We always paid our restaurant bill at our table.
Tap water and food (including fresh produce) in Curaçao is considered safe.
- CDC: "Food and water standards in Curaçao are similar to those in the United States. Most travelers do not need to take special food or water precautions beyond what they normally do at home. However, travelers visiting rural or remote areas that are served by unregulated water sources such as private wells should take special precautions to ensure the safety of their drinking water."
- By the end of our week in Curaçao, we were eating salads and uncooked vegetables and had no issues with foodborne illness.
Ketchup is offered with french fries in smaller amounts than in the United States (or not offered at all) because mayonnaise is the preferred condiment in Curaçao.
Ice was frequently served with water and soft drinks when dining out in Curaçao. This is in contrast to many other countries outside the United States in which it is common to have no or very little ice provided with water and soft drinks.
The one downside we experienced in Curaçao is that cigarette smoking appears to be allowed in restaurants (at least those with outdoor seating). Although we were outdoors, the strong smell of cigarette smoke reduced the satisfaction of Curaçao's cuisine in a couple cases and caused us (who don't smoke) to sneeze and cough in one case. Fortunately, this was only an issue for three of our meals, but it did remind me how happy I am that cigarette smoking is not allowed in dining areas in many parts of the United States.