Bon Bini - welcome - calls out to me in a friendly voice that couldn't have been warmer and sunnier than the wonderful climate here. After a flight of almost ten hours, I have landed on Curacao, one of the three ABC islands in the Caribbean.
Bon Bini! Just the sound of this exotic Creole language, Papiamentu, brings a smile to my face. Eugine, my driver, speaks this typical mixture of Spanish, Dutch, English and African. Over the next few days, he will show me around his island (440 square kilometers), far removed from the classic Curacao travel tips.
The first thing I learn is that the houses here are so colorful because of a law dating back to the 1950s, when every citizen was supposed to paint their home a different color. Otherwise the white of the buildings would have reflected the sun too much.
Wonderful alleyways and a mix of cultures
That's why I'm not surprised that the commercial buildings in Willemstad look as if they've fallen into a pot of paint - a must-see on any trip to Curacao.
The combination of Dutch colonial buildings from the 17th century and Caribbean flair cannot be found anywhere else in the world,
Eugine explains to me proudly.
The Queen Emma Bridge divides the small island metropolis into two historic districts, called Punda and Otrobanda. Eugine takes me into the old town with its wonderful alleyways, where the flair of 50 nations can be felt at first hand. This is one of my favorite Curacao travel tips, because it smells wonderful here! The food stalls in the Old Market are great places to eat. We treat ourselves to a portion of keshi yena, a traditional dish: baked cheese filled with minced meat. Delicious! It is accompanied by plantains and Ava Lamunchi - a refreshing lemon water.
Freshly fortified, we leave the city and head inland. We pass beautiful plantation houses such as the Klein Santa Martha boutique hotel. There are still 55 of these country houses on the island today. Some of them have been converted into museums or art galleries.
After so much sightseeing, we treat ourselves to a little time out on the beach - Curacao's beaches are an absolute dream! Eugine drives me to one of them. The idyllic Playa Kenepa Grandi - also known as Knip Beach - delights me with its light yellow sand, turquoise sea and bright blue sky. I am in love!
I realize that people who live here love nature, the sea, good food and music to the full. I enjoy the rhythm of the island at a percussion workshop, dancing to the sounds of salsa at the beach bars of the Sea Aquarium Beach, barefoot at a pleasant 30 degrees. Exploring Curacaro for travel tips? No need at all! Just follow your instincts. Curacao my Dushi Korsou - my sweet Curacao, I'll be back!