Aruba
January 18, 2023
Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao
Table of Contents
- 29 days
- 2023 Winter
After a few years of green and wet tropical destinations, we thought we’d try more dry and desert-like islands. We also looked forward to experiencing Dutch-influenced islands rather than English or Spanish. And we enjoy snorkeling from shore, which is possible on all three islands.
All three islands gave us what we were looking for. Bonaire was beautiful though there isn’t much to do if you don’t scuba dive. Still glad we went. We liked the beaches on Aruba though it seemed the most crowded, perhaps because of where we stayed. We loved Curaçao and I can see returning and spending even longer.
Table of Contents
- 29 days
- 2023 Winter
After a few years of green and wet tropical destinations, we thought we’d try more dry and desert-like islands. We also looked forward to experiencing Dutch-influenced islands rather than English or Spanish. And we enjoy snorkeling from shore, which is possible on all three islands.
All three islands gave us what we were looking for. Bonaire was beautiful though there isn’t much to do if you don’t scuba dive. Still glad we went. We liked the beaches on Aruba though it seemed the most crowded, perhaps because of where we stayed. We loved Curaçao and I can see returning and spending even longer.
Food & Beverage $36 per day*
Average per person per day. We ate out no more than once per day, with a drink with dinner. The rest we bought from the supermarket.
Lodging $78-$144 per night
Curaçao was the least expensive (and most spacious) at $78 per night. The two places we stayed on Aruba were the most expensive, with the Dorado Eagle Beach topping out at $144.
Transportation $1,200 per person
Includes flights between islands, a rental car on each island, fuel, and the odd taxi.
Entertainment $185 per person
This covered national park fees for each island plus the new tourist tax for Bonaire, which is $75 per person.
* In US dollars at time of trip. Bonaire uses the US dollar. In Aruba and Curaçao the local currency is pegged to the dollar.
Days 1-6: Aruba
Activities
- Going to the beach
- Hiking at Arikok National Park
Snorkeling
The Plan: Aruba has a reputation for great beaches, which we will be ready for mid-winter.
The Reality: We did like the long, white sand beaches on Aruba. They weren’t as good for snorkeling as we’d hoped. We didn’t see anything worth getting our gear out for.
Related Posts: The first post describes daily activities and destination. Other posts cover anything that generated lots of photos!
Days 7-14: Bonaire
Activities
- Going to the beach
- Driving around
Hiking atWashington-Slagbaai National Park Other hiking?Snorkeling
The Plan: We like to snorkel from the beach and we heard Bonaire has lots of places where you can do this, so snorkeling is our focus here. However, we can’t miss a park with an interesting name like Washington-Slagbaai either!
The Reality: We didn’t end up snorkeling since we didn’t want to deal with the rocky entries and there wasn’t much hiking in the park but it was interesting to drive around the park and the whole island is beautiful.
Related Posts: The first post describes daily activities and destination. Other posts cover anything that generated lots of photos!
Bonaire
January 24, 2023
Washington-Slagbaai National Park
January 25, 2023
Bonaire Beaches
January 26, 2023
Days 15-25: Curaçao
Activities
- Going to the beach
- Driving around
Hiking atChristoffel National Park Other hiking?- Snorkeling
- Exploring Willemstad
The Plan: Like Bonaire, it sounds like Curaçao has lots of options for beach snorkeling, and more sandy beaches. So snorkeling will be a focus here too. We also look forward to colorful buildings in Willemstad.
The Reality: Hey, we finally ended up snorkeling! We enjoyed that plus Willemstad and the beaches in general. We were too lazy to hike.
Related Posts: The first post describes daily activities and destination. Other posts cover anything that generated lots of photos!
Curaçao
February 1, 2023
Curaçao Beaches
February 1, 2023
Christoffel National Park
February 9, 2023
Days 26-28: Aruba
Activities
- Going to the beach
The Plan: We’d originally planned to fly back from Curaçao but it ended up working better to fly round-trip from Aruba. So we’ll spend three days near the beach before heading home.
The Reality: That’s just what we did!
Aruba (Eagle Beach)
February 12, 2023