We’ve been to the Caribbean over a dozen times, with 10 of those trips being to St. Martin as our primary destination. Obviously, we love SXM, but the time had come to broaden our horizons.<br><br>We’d done some previous research on Curacao, and it ranked high on the list of places we wanted to visit. So with only five precious nights available for our vacation in late 2002 (Nov. 28-Dec. 3) we decided to take the plunge on Curacao.<br><br>Inevitably, comparisons were made in our minds between the two islands. What follows is not just a trip report on Curacao itself, but a comparison of many features of the two destinations.<br><br>GETTING THERE:<br>In order to be able to take this vacation, we had to find a good deal on airfare. So, we flew Air Jamaica, and on the way down, it went like clockwork. We both marveled at how fast the flights down seemed to go. Of course, it didn't hurt any that our connecting gate in Montego Bay was next to Margaritaville, so the hour or so between flights went very quickly with the help of a cold drink and some tasty conch fritters. <br><br>Coming back home was a different story and I now know why this airline has such a bad reputation for delays. It began when our flight left Curacao 2-1/2 hours late. We figured we would have to make a run for our connection if we were going to get it on time. Only trouble was, when we got off the plane in Montego Bay, no one knew what gate the flight to Chicago would be leaving from, or even when it would be leaving. This was true not just for the flight to Chicago, but also flights to Philadelphia, Newark, Atlanta and a couple other cities. Some passengers started to get surly, gate agents started to cop attitudes and it was basically a big, ugly mess, with hundreds of confused passengers crammed into a small hallway trying to figure out where to go. The whole process was very disorganized and we ended up taking off about 2-1/2 hours late on this flight as well.<br><br>But, to be honest, I've been in situations with U.S.-based airlines that were just as bad in their own way, if not worse. So, the best thing to do is take it all with a grain of salt; remember that in the end, it was a good flight if you get where you were going safely, within at least a few hours of the originally scheduled time and with a minimum of discomfort.<br><br>Coming into Curacao, the approach to Hato International revealed the first major difference between this island and St. Martin: cactus and lots of ‘em. The spiny stalks, known locally as kadushi, grow everywhere. Curacao is an arid island, with ample trade winds. I had heard about Curacao’s ever-blowing breezes, but we were not on the island during the windiest time of the year. Overall, I would say it seemed no breezier than SXM, although it did get gustier occasionally. We never found the wind on Curacao to be unbearable; to the contrary, it usually kept us from feeling overheated. Without some breeze, this place would be hotter than hell!<br><br>CAR RENTAL:<br>We used Avis for our rental car, getting a Toyota Yaris (similar to a Tercel) with 51K miles on it. Another difference between SXM and Curacao: I found no information either before or during our trip that indicated the presence of strong independent rental agencies that would be preferable to U.S.-based chains. Although I did look into a couple of independents, they all seemed to be higher priced and less flexible with their offering. The service and car provided by Avis were fine and I would certainly use them again. Rental prices were slightly higher than SXM. Driving on the island is easy and orderly, the best of any Caribbean place I’ve visited. Unlike SXM, there were no “suicycle” drivers to cause fear, nor did there seem to be a “stop your car anywhere” style of driving among the locals.<br><br>OUR HOTEL:<br>We stayed at the Floris Suites, located in the same Piscadera Bay area as the Marriott and Sheraton. This is a 72-room European-style “boutique” hotel…truly one of the nicest hotels we've ever stayed in, anywhere. We had a "royal suite", which was a 1-bedroom with separate living room and fully equipped kitchen. The hotel had been designed from top to bottom by a renown Dutch interior designer who put his attention to detail on every aspect from the lobby to the room appointments and even down to the design of the coffee cups and saucers. The closest thing that comes to mind in the U.S. would be a Hotel W, in the sense that it’s stylish and modern in its design.<br><br>I walked around the grounds of both the Marriott and Sheraton was convinced we chose the right place with the Floris. The Sheraton looked a little run down. The Marriott was beautiful and had a superb beach, but it seemed to have a bit of a stuffy attitude, e.g., they had rules about where you could go barefoot, etc.<br><br>The only negative I could find about the Floris was that it's not directly on the beach, although it does have its own beach that is about a 5-7 minute walk away. But the grounds of the hotel were so nice, we really didn't miss the beach not being right there. The Floris has a beautiful, lushly landscaped pool and often we were content to stay right there. And with our own kitchen with beer, rum, soda and snacks, it saved us some money on the bar tab, too.<br><br>DINING:<br>In general, we found food and drink to be more expensive than in SXM. Part of this I attribute to the fact that this was just our first visit to Curacao and we haven’t yet found the island’s equivalent of “Talk of the Town” where you can get a yummy meal and drinks for two for about $25. All but one night, we spent at least $100 for dinner, but I have to note that we always got a bottle of wine and often ordered dessert. There is a 5% sales tax in Curacao in stores and restaurants that boosted the dinner tab, too. Some places also charged a 10-12% service charge. In all cases, menus and wait staff were clear and open about whether or not the establishment had a service charge, and we never felt pressured to leave a full tip in addition to the service charge. In all restaurants we visited, service was professional, efficient and gracious. It is worth noting that the European custom is followed; that is, the server will not bring you the check till you ask for it. The American approach of presenting the check before the customer requests it is considered extremely rude outside of the U.S.<br><br>The style of food in Curacao is diverse. As a Dutch island, Indonesian cuisine is very popular there. Virtually every day, either John or I had a meal that included chicken sate in the classic peanut sauce. Our most memorable meal was at a restaurant called Ryjstaffel Indonesia. The meal included tapas-sized portions of somewhere between 15-20 different dishes. Even though St. Maarten also has Dutch roots, the only restaurant I’m aware of that features Indonesian rijstaffel cuisine is Wajang Doll in Philipsburg. On either island, this is a cuisine worth exploring! Be sure to bring a good appetite!<br><br>Another evening we ate at Jaipur, an Indian restaurant in the Kura Hulanda Hotel complex. Their specialty is tandoori, and if you tell them you like your food spicy, they will put your tastebuds to the test. My chicken tandoori actually brought streams of tears to my eyes, but I enjoyed every mouth-searing bite.<br><br>Other meals included Blues at the Avila Beach Hotel, Hook’s Hut on the beach near our hotel and Shallotte within our hotel. All were good, with professional, gracious service, but I still believe SXM beats Curacao hands down when it comes to dining.<br><br>THE ISLAND:<br>Curacao is physically larger than St. Martin, and this allows them to be light years ahead of SXM when it comes to respecting the environment. Although the island has a large population, it is less dense than SXM and there are several areas set aside as parkland. Curacao is starting to explore some ecotourism. There are many stretches of undeveloped land, with the wild kadushi cactus reflecting the island’s arid climate. In other areas, you’ll find canopies of leafy trees that somehow thrive in the dry climate. We also saw a preserve of wild flamingoes. Other wildlife includes a healthy population of lizards, everything from small chameleon-like critters, to good-sized geckos to big, beautiful iguanas.<br><br>Yet at the same time, Curacao is very cosmopolitan. The main city of Willemstad is perhaps five times the size of Philipsburg. It is very prosperous, with many government offices, banks and thriving businesses. There didn’t seem to be as much contrast between the “haves” and the “have-nots” as one would typically see on other Caribbean islands. I suppose Curacao has its level of crime like anywhere else, but at no time did we see evidence of any or feel uncomfortable in any place we drove or walked.<br><br>In general, everything seems very well kept and orderly, from the condition of the roads (which included four-lane divided highway) to the distinctive architecture of Willemstad to the overall lack of litter on the roadsides. The additional revenue Curacao brings is through its sales tax, in addition to what they siphon off of the other islands in the Netherlands Antilles through collection of taxes there, does at least seem to be well-spent in infrastructure.<br><br>BEACHES:<br>We only got to explore a few beach areas of Curacao. Unlike SXM, not all beaches are free to the public, although most can be accessed with a modest entrance fee. Neither is the sand as smooth as on SXM; it is necessary to either have tough soles on your feet or to wear beach shoes into the water to avoid the sharpness of rocks and chunks of coral.<br><br>Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent on all of the beaches we visited on this trip. One main difference we noted between Curacao and SXM is that the umbrellas are permanent structures, either in the form of palapas or hard-shell umbrellas that mount into concrete stands. I think this is because of the higher winds often found in this part of the Caribbean. But it also meant that if you wanted to stay in the shade, you had to move your chair around as the sun moved, and it also limited the number of umbrellas available to beach-goers at any one time.<br><br>Curacao is supposed to be a top destination for diving and snorkeling. We brought our own snorkel equipment with us, as we always do on Caribbean trips, but for some reason neither one of us ever felt like snorkeling much. I spent no more than 10 minutes with my face in the water; John didn’t snorkel at all the entire trip. I suppose it was a shame to miss the opportunity, but it just wasn’t high on our list of priorities.<br><br>SHOPPING:<br>Though I’ve been known to make a purchase or two at Touch of Gold in SXM, in general we are not big shoppers. I did notice a few jewelry stores around Willemstad, including the ubiquitous Little Switzerland, but I can’t offer any input as to quality or selection.<br><br>There is an ample selection of tourist shops that cater to the cruise ship passengers, including a typical Caribbean outdoor market that sets up near the pier when a ship is in. There is also a very modern mall near the pier that was just starting to open when we were there in early December.<br><br>One thing I can speak about is grocery stores. The supermarkets in Curacao are as large and well-stocked as any in the U.S. In fact, the majority of the brands sold are American brands, which was a little disappointing as we love the European shopping experience you find at a store like Match in French St. Martin. Brands we did NOT see in Curacao but wished we did included the soft drink Ting and Carib beer. We also did not find the wide variety of rums at rock-bottom prices that we’ve grown accustomed to in SXM. What WAS everywhere was Amstel beer, considering it is brewed right there on the island. We toured the brewery, as well as the Curacao liqueur factory.<br><br>SIGHT-SEEING:<br>If you get bored on Curacao, you must be doing something wrong. In addition to all the beaches, the town of Willemstad, the Amstel brewery and the Curacao liqueur factory, there are many other attractions, including several museums and the Sea Aquarium. <br><br>The only museum we visited was the anti-slavery museum at the Hotel Kura Hulanda complex. It is a very well-done exhibit that chronicles man’s inhumanity to man throughout history and across the continents. I certainly learned some new things there and found the exhibit to be very touching. There are also archeological artifacts on display, dating back to the earliest years of civilization. The value of these can’t even be counted and they were amazing to see.<br><br>THE BOTTOM LINE:<br>Would we go to Curacao again? Absolutely! It’s a charming and delightful island. The people are friendly, the scenery is beautiful, the architecture is distinctive.<br><br>Did it get into my soul the way St. Martin has? Not quite…while I would definitely return to Curacao, I can’t say that I would feel driven to return there 10 times in six years like I did with SXM.<br><br>But it did provide positive reinforcement on the concept of “broadening ones horizons”. Maybe in the future we’ll alternate our Caribbean trips between SXM and other islands. What it ultimately comes down to: so many islands, so little time!<br>