Couples trip to Curacao / Celebration of 30th Wedding Anniversary - Just returned from one week in Curacao, and wanted to share some insights. I found reading the forums on TripAdvisor helpful in planning our trip, and hope to offer some useful advice to others. This was our first trip to Curacao. We had visited Aruba before and had a great time there, although both my wife and I found Aruba lacking a bit of color as it is rather arid. I planned the trip for my wife and I to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. I did lots of research using TripAdvisor Forums, Google searches, and used Expedia to purchase a Hotel and Airfare package. I reserved a room at Avila Beach Hotel for 4 nights, and then an Air BnB unit for the last 3 nights. I chose Curacao because of the location, out of the major Hurricane area and because of the time of year we were traveling. I began planning the trip about 6+ months ahead or our departure. I chose Avila Beach Hotel based on reviews and pictures of the property. The Hotel was fabulous and exceeded my expectations! I chose a room in the Ocean Blues Adult only section. Our room (291) was located on the second floor at the end of the section of rooms, and we had a balcony over the water... it was breathtaking, and so were the sunsets. While at the Hotel, my wife and I enjoyed a Couples Massage at their wellness center. It was very relaxing and well worth doing. I set up a Dinner on the Beach at the restaurant on the Hotel grounds, The Pen. The ambience was incredible. The food was top notch, and the service was First Class. Our server, Janeska, was a young woman, born and raised on the island. She was so positive, and helped to make our evening memorable. The Hotel has two beaches, or coves that offered amazing snorkeling. My wife and I snorkeled every day. The variety of fish and the colors was incredible. We did not purchase a meal package, as I researched there were many restaurants in the area, and we explored often. I rented a Jeep Wrangler from Move It Car Rentals, a local company, and was quite pleased with their service. Carlos, the owner, brought the jeep to the Hotel, and we went over paperwork in the lobby. Driving around Curacao is a must do. Speed limits are not posted, but we kept it around 30-40 kph on local roads, and 60-70 kph on more major highways. There are a lot of Round-abouts on the island. Carlos advice was "if there are two lanes going into the circle, stay in the left if you plan to go around more than one turn". It wasn't bad at all. Before leaving for Curacao: Definitely download the Digital Immigration card to your phone and complete it. It will make entering easy. I tried downloading the Airside app based on others reviews, but I had difficulty with the download, so I didn't have it. Check www.cruisemapper.com to see if any cruise ships will be in port when you are there. You may need an adapter for electronics, depends on your room. I sent emails two weeks before our trip to confirm all the reservations I had made. We brought our own Snorkel equipment and it was a good decision. Curaco's airport is not overly large. It was very clean and easy to get around. I arranged for a Shared Shuttle to get us to our Hotel. We shared a Taxi/Van with 6 others , but luckily we were the first dropped off. The ride was only about 20-25 min. Restaurants we ate at: outside of Avila there were two close by (1-2 blocks away): MosaCana (Latin/Caribbean fusion) - delicious Guac and Chips, Tacos, and tasty drinks. Rozendaels (Dutch/Caribbean) - outside seating, beautiful tables, decorations. Excellent service. Mia Familia Pizza (Sunday - Pizza & Lasagna only!) - PIzza was excellent! St. Tropez Boutique Hotel/Restaurant - Breakfast with a view of the ocean. Very good! When we first got our Jeep rental, we drove to Tugboat Beach, and it did not disappoint. We rented two lounges, and had a couple of beers at the Beach Bar. The snorkeling was very good, neat to see the Tugboat submerged below, and a large anchor too. Disappointed we didn't see any Seahorses, but the fish we saw were amazing. Drove northwest to Sabana Westpunt midweek for our Air BnB. The drive was very nice. We stopped at New California Supermarket to pick up a few things for breakfast and snacks. Good selection of things at the market. While on the west coast we visited multiple beaches. Definitely bring Water Shoes as many of the beaches are somewhat rocky. We saw lots of Turtles at Playa Piskado. there were local fishermen bringing in their catch of the day. Pelicans sat nearby as one fisherman cleaned his catch. There was a local man that used a club to bang on the dock and get Turtles to come near. We kept our distance from him. There were some vendors selling souveneirs in the parking area. Our favorite beach was Playa Porto Marie. The admission was $15 for the two of us and we got two lounges for the day. There were bathroom facilities and a Bar/Restaurant on the beach. The food was very good, and so was the service. Our favorite restaurant on the West Coast was Isabell off the Beach. Quaint little place, food was excellent! Definitely try to make a reservation if you plan to go! There were lots of things we planned to do, but didn't get around to. We didn't want to rush anything, but just enjoy ourselves. Majority of tourists were European, predominantly Dutch, so there were lots of conversations we didn't understand. Safetywise, we didn't feel unsafe at all. There were some areas that seemed run down (boarded up, or under construction), but the island is beautiful! The people were very friendly! As American's we had to remind ourselves we were on Island Time, and slow down now and then. Most places accepted Credit Cards (we used Visa), but they also accept US Dollars. Tip: bring plenty of $1, $5, $10, and $20 dollar bills (nothing larger)... they come in handy for tips and renting things at the beach. Overall, we had a Memorable trip, and will definitely go back to visit! Final tips: Pack light!!! Shorts, T-shirts, bathing suits. I only wore long pants on the plane. Bring a refillable Water Bottle. Backpack for the beach/exploring. Water Shoes!!! Towel clips (to keep your beach towel on your lounge). Your own Snorkel Gear (so you don't have to rent/borrow).

Great driver. - Great driver. He was very accommodating. We had a very long airline delay. He also picked us up at another location.

Reliable and Professional - On time and reliable pick up services for our first time on the island. Definitely would recommend! Made the experience stress free!

Prompt and professional service - We experienced flight delays coming from ATL into CUR. I communicated with the travel company and they responded every step of the way. Our driver, Patricia, was amazing! She was kind, friendly, and very accommodating. I am very grateful that they made a bit of a stressful experience (flight delays, delayed luggage, etc.) so much better!!

Pleased!! - We had a great experience. Their driver’s were dependable, on-time and friendly. They even made sure we had a booster seat for my child!!

Ylonka was a wonderful... - Ylonka was a wonderful driver! It was great to talk to her on the trip to our resort. We really enjoyed learning what it’s like to live on Curacao.

Great welcome to Curacoa - Angelo told us all about the island and the sights on our trip from the airport to Sandals. Very friendly

##Best cab ride Ever - Our driver was excellent gave us history lessons, gave on time, patient, and friendly. ❤️ 😍 💖 The best service and extremely safe!!!

Great Service - Excellent service from the hotel back to the airport! A bit of delayed communication /responses would be only negative