Dreaming of snow-white sandy beaches, sunshine, cruise liners, blue sea, and tropical Latin-salsa music? On the Dutch ABC islands you will find it all…and much more. Why would you book your flight to these amazing islands?
ABC stands for Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. The languages that are mainly spoken on all islands are Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento and a whole year round an average temperature of around 30 degrees celsius Travelling by plane to one of these islands and hopping to the next island can be expensive, but we found you the best value flights.
Aruba
Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. The citizens of these countries are all Dutch nationals and the capital city is Oranjestad. As a tourist, you can travel to Aruba on a budget. You can find cheap flights and budget hotels, apartments, or holiday homes. After landing at the Queen Beatrix airport, you can either go by taxi or with your rental car to your accommodation. Depending on the location of your stay, some iguanas will bring you a visit for breakfast. They are totally harmless and like a bit of fresh food. The top attractions are Wreck diving, fantastic white beaches, a visit to the capital city with its Dutch colonial architecture. Pastel-hued buildings with a Spanish and Caribbean twist jostle along the tidy streets. Arikok National Park covers almost 20 percent of the island. The California Lighthouse, and buy a refreshing cocus drink which the locals prepare on the spot. And what do you think of visiting the Donkey sanctuary? The currency used in Aruba is the Aruban Florin, but the US Dollar is also widely accepted
Bonaire
Bonaire is one of the three special municipalities of the Netherlands that are located in the Caribbean Sea. They consist of the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba and form together with the BES islands. Bonaire (including the islet of Klein Bonaire) is one of the Leeward Antilles. The rich history dates back to 1568 where the Dutch and the Spanish were fighting to take over the Caribbean islands. The slaves had to work in the salt pans, which is still one of the main sources of income. The slave huts are free to visit. Close by the salt pans, you find Lac Bay, a stunning sea pool for windsurfers and for a canoe tour in the mangroves and you will pass by some pink flamingos which are definitely worth a stop to take a beautiful picture. Kralendijk is the capital city, from there you can take a boat ride to Klein Bonaire. STINAPA is a foundation that really takes care of nature. To go into the sea, you have to pay a few Dollars (the main currency of Bonaire) to STINAPA so that they can maintain the seabed and the Washington Slagbaai National Park. Believe me, it is worth every cent. For this reason, it is one of the best diving spots in the world, and for snorkeling, you will see amazing colorful fish right next to you. Bonaire is full of wild donkeys. Actually, they are not wild, but very cute. They play around, in the capital city, and they want to be cuddled when you walk or drive next to them. With only 16,000 people living on the island, it is very laid back and you won’t find any traffic lights.
Curaçao
Curaçao is the busiest island of these three Caribbean islands. Once out of the plane, you will realize the Dutch influence with a tropical tint. The capital city is Willemstad and is full of old-style Dutch houses painted in beautiful tropical colors. The island is one big party. The nightlife is stunning, dancing the whole night to Latin music, and there are many live concerts of famous artists and DJs, and events like Carnival and Kings day. Mambo Beach is the most famous entertaining beach together with the bar Wet & Wild for a ‘hot’ weekend. Any type of traveler will like Curaçao. Cruisers, families of all ages, divers, adventure travelers, couples, and groups of friends can all find things to do in Curacao, and accommodations offerings range from five-star resorts to budget hotels. Diving is the number one sports activity. Underwater you’ll see sea turtles, eagle rays, sharks, eels, lionfish, and fish species unique-to-Curacao, like the yellow-spotted sand goby and spotted four-fin blenny and many shipwrecks. Who doesn’t know the liquor ‘Blue Curaçao’? Yes indeed, you can visit the factory and try all the different flavors, please be careful when driving home with your rental car.
