Curacao

General Information

  • The currency is Netherlands Antilles Guilder (ANG). The exchange rate (Feb, 2015) is 1 ANG = $1.78 US Dollars. Sometimes ANG is also printed as 'naf'.
  • WikiTravel Link
  • Carnival is a big holiday here and is observed in the middle of February.

Air travel

  • Arkefly has flights several days per week straight from AMS. Prices are about 500 EUR round-trip.

Accommodation

  • Airbnb: Cute vacation home with sea view is a decent solution, but has many catches. Definitely read the description about unlocking additional rooms and extra electricity costs.
  • Airbnb is your best bet here. there are many listings, but be careful of hidden costs.

Getting Around

  • Busses travel the island and are a cheap way to get around. The small vans can be identified by the license plate starting with 'BUS'. Destination will have to be negotiated with the driver before boarding. Expect to pay 2 ANG.
  • Scooters can be a fun way to travel the island, but beware highway-like roads with a high speed limit. TMF Scooters rents from $21/day for long periods. Buggy Adventures will rent for $25/day for a week or $35/day.

Food and drink

  • Boosty, Thoughtful Food has the best salads on the island, but is rather expensive. Still, it is comfortable to spend several hours at and people are friendly/will leave you alone.
  • Ribs Factory has excellent ribs at not-outlandish prices.
  • Wine Factory has the bets selection of wine on the island for fair prices. They will deliver 4+ bottles for free, or less for around 10 ANG.
  • Pika is a local hot sauce/salsa. It is comprised of local peppers, vinegar, and chopped white onions. As a hot sauce it definitely falls on the side of more vinegary than spicy.

Hacking places

Curacao is sorely lacking in places to hack. Often your accommodation will be better, but can grow tiresome after a while.

  • Boosty, Thoughtful Food has good wifi and air conditioning, but during peak meal times it can get loud with kids running around.
  • McDonalds McCafe (Santa Rosa)is a decent place for work, but suffers the same noise problem. 10Mbit/1Mbit.
  • Iguana Cafe has seating with an excellent view of the pontoon bridge, and can be quiet during the daytime, but beware the misters if your electronics are sensitive to water. In the evening it because raucous with many people and live music. Wifi is provided by the city-wide Curacao Free Wifi