Curacao on a budget!

[CaribbeanBound]

Willemstad, Curacao

The local currency is Guilders. The quick math is $1.00 US = 1.50 Guilders. It was really closer to $1.59 when we were there. We berthed at the Mega Pier, a short 10-minute walk to the Queen Emma floating bridge. We walked around the town in the morning then headed out by local bus ($1 US / 1.50 Guilders) to Hato Caves. There are a couple of bus terminals. We caught a bus from the bus depot located NNE of town, just across a small bridge beyond the round "New Market" building. Note: A taxi to Hato Caves from the Mega pier was quoted at $25 each way. Considerably quicker, but very expensive. Board the "Punda-Hato-Souax" bus. The bus ride to Hato Caves is 45 minutes. (The return was 55 minutes). The bus stops ("BusHalte") directly in front of the caves. Walk to the bar, pay $8.00 US for a guided tour, plus tip, and wait for the next tour to begin. Hato Caves is worth the trip. We were given a very interesting guided tour and history of the cave. This cave has about 300 small fruit bats which will not bother you. We saw maybe a dozen active bats during the tour.

 

We originally set out to see the caves in the morning and wanted to enjoy Kon Tiki beach in the afternoon, but never made it. If we were to do it over again, we would go to Kon Tiki beach first thing in the morning, return to the ship for lunch and do the Hato Caves in the afternoon. We understand that Kon Tiki is a beautiful protected beach with excellent snorkeling beyond the reef. Only $3 each for a chair and $5 for a thatch roof hut you can lay under.

 

Here are more of our Secrets of the Caribbean!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.

[jp2001]

Thanks for the tips!

[2old4this]

We are all on a budget of some kind - small or large - and while in Curacao the goal ought to be to make the most out of seeing the people, the island, the beach and the bat cave. No better way to do that and keep the cost down than by island bus. See you on the Punda-Hato-Souax bus in October 2009.

 

Willemstad, Curacao

The local currency is Guilders. The quick math is $1.00 US = 1.50 Guilders. It was really closer to $1.59 when we were there. We berthed at the Mega Pier, a short 10-minute walk to the Queen Emma floating bridge. We walked around the town in the morning then headed out by local bus ($1 US / 1.50 Guilders) to Hato Caves. There are a couple of bus terminals. We caught a bus from the bus depot located NNE of town, just across a small bridge beyond the round "New Market" building. Note: A taxi to Hato Caves from the Mega pier was quoted at $25 each way. Considerably quicker, but very expensive. Board the "Punda-Hato-Souax" bus. The bus ride to Hato Caves is 45 minutes. (The return was 55 minutes). The bus stops ("BusHalte") directly in front of the caves. Walk to the bar, pay $8.00 US for a guided tour, plus tip, and wait for the next tour to begin. Hato Caves is worth the trip. We were given a very interesting guided tour and history of the cave. This cave has about 300 small fruit bats which will not bother you. We saw maybe a dozen active bats during the tour.

 

We originally set out to see the caves in the morning and wanted to enjoy Kon Tiki beach in the afternoon, but never made it. If we were to do it over again, we would go to Kon Tiki beach first thing in the morning, return to the ship for lunch and do the Hato Caves in the afternoon. We understand that Kon Tiki is a beautiful protected beach with excellent snorkeling beyond the reef. Only $3 each for a chair and $5 for a thatch roof hut you can lay under.

 

Here are more of our Secrets of the Caribbean!

http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/caribbean-secrets.html

These are our very detailed personal reviews, hints, and tips for ports of call that you will be visiting.

[2CoolCanucks]

Oh totally agree! Island bus is great! Easy, safe and inexpensive.

And since most everybody speaks English, all you have to do is ask and people love to help you out. Very friendly island.!