| Curacao Nov 13-20, 2011 $1595 diver, land only, dbl occy $1395 snorkeler, land only, dbl occy Curacao is one of the most vibrant and exciting islands in the world with world-class diving and snorkeling in waters so vividly blue you think you must be dreaming. On this one island you can experience relaxation, romance and adventure,
everything you need for the vacation you deserve... This HUGE Package Includes:
Pricing (estimated) Curaçao vibrates with the colors of the 17th century Dutch buildings of the capital, Willemstad. Around the countryside you can also visit Curacao’s trademark yellow Plantation homes or "landhuizen" which are often now art galleries or restaurants. Willemstad is built on either side of a spectacular natural harbor and is a wonderful place to stroll, enjoy outdoor cafes and elegant shopping. In fact, Willemstad is on the UNESCO world heritage list for its beauty and charm. You can visit Willimastad on your own with our rental vehicles or take advantage of our free resort shuttle three times a day. Daily Itinerary Day 1 – Sunday Tonight the tour leaders will host a pre-dinner “get-acquainted” wine and cheese party. This is a great opportunity to sample several varieties of delicious Dutch cheese and since we’re just a few miles from South America, Chilean wines will also be present! At this time they’ll fill you in on the plans for the week, organize any dive classes and answer any questions. For dinner tonight you can enjoy the beautiful ocean view from Kura Hulanda’s house restaurant, which might be the perfect thing after a long day of travel! Fall asleep tonight with the sound of the ocean waves… Day 2 – Monday Off shore the reef begins in very shallow water. Large coral heads are scattered about, and it’s not unusual to spot eagle rays, turtles, and LOTS of moray eels on this reef. Large schools of jacks regularly sweep in from the deep water and mesmerize the divers. The coral is so thick and healthy it’s sometimes difficult to find any open crevices among the coral heads, but when you do they’re almost always home to a resident spiny lobster! After a couple dives on Playa Kalki’s incredible reef, and lunch at the beachside café, we have options for the rest of the day. A short drive south along the coast will take us to the small town of Lagun...and the wonderful little beach that fronts another fantastic offshore dive site! A sandy bottom (often with feeding eagle rays) eventually gives way to a healthy reef formation that extends in both directions. You can easily do two or even three dives here! Tonight we’ll be doing a shore dive or snorkel behind the resort at Playa Kalki. This is a great opportunity to do your Advanced Night Dive, or work on your Night Specialist rating! Lots of different critters come out at night in Curacao...giant tarpon shadow the divers, while lobsters, morays and crabs are all out feeding as well. After the dive a relaxing dinner at Watamula Restaurant will be the perfect ending to the day! Day 3 – Tuesday After lunch this afternoon we can load up the vehicles and head out for a short road trip...the nearby secluded bay of Klein Knip. This is what shore diving and snorkeling is all about! Like many Curacao shore sites, Klein Knip is a beautiful little beach surrounded by dramatic cliffs. The clear blue water of the bay has excellent visibility and is almost always calm. The bottom is sandy closer to shore, but a very healthy reef system starts in deeper water just offshore. Snorkelers find the best marine life along either side of the bay at the base of the cliffs, and on scattered coral heads in slightly deeper water. Tonight we have options...a night dive or snorkel behind the resort...or dinner at one of the fun local restaurants? Or both?? Day – 4 Wednesday Snorkelers will also have a wonderful time here, as the oceanside cliffs provide a perfect habitat for all sorts of marine species. When we’ve had enough of Daaiboobaii, we again venture off in search of the perfect dive…we’ll wind our way on tiny bumpy roads through the quaint villages and soaring cactus to the bay of Cas Abao. This bay has lots of perks…beach chairs, umbrellas, a dive shop to refill our tanks, a restaurant and bar…AND another of those darn reefs offshore! Once again we’ll spend the rest of the morning having fun in the sun…exploring and relaxing. After our diving and snorkeling, Cas Abou is the perfect place to enjoy a beachside lunch, too! This afternoon is free to nap in a hammock, do a shore dive at the resort, take a boat dive on one of Curacaos famed offshore sites, or just relax by Kura Hulanda’s gorgeous pool. In addition to the diving and snorkeling, Curacao also has some great hiking trails, mountain bike areas, horseback rides and windsurfing spots. Day 5 – Thursday Tonight we’ll have a shore dive at the resort for anyone that’s interested...or perhaps you’d like to do a night boat dive! Day 6 – Friday Offshore the sand gives way to a double reef system bisected by a large sand channel. A thick blanket of healthy coral and gorgonians carpet the reef from sand bottom to reef top. Schools of grunts, rainbow parrotfish, grouper, wrasse, damselfish, and even seahorses can be found here. It seems as if every nook and cranny is home to a crab, urchin, or anemone. This reef is so extensive that you can easily do two dives here and not see all of it! Best of all, in between dives we can enjoy all of the hospitality and amenities that Porto Mari can offer. Even though our dives will be outstanding...you’ll soon see that the fun is just beginning! After our dives we’ll drive across the island to visit some of Curacaos lesser known but fascinating places. First stop is the Curacao Ostrich Farm for lunch...not to worry, they serve plenty of dishes without ostrich! In fact, their café is very popular with the locals for lunch. After we eat we’ll have a guided tour of the ostrich farm in open vehicles. The guides will explain how the farm operates and educate you on everything you ever wanted to know about ostriches. Next on our day of exploration is the Aloe Vera plantation just next door. They’ll give us an interesting, educational and informative tour of their plantation and production facility, along with a demonstration of how aloe is harvested and processed. But wait, the fun’s not over yet! Now we’ll visit a very unique personage known to very few people outside of the island...the White Witch of Curacao. Living quietly in the countryside, growing herbs, plants, and concocting her own potions, the White Witch is fascinating character. She can teach you about herbal remedies, explain about natural healing powers, and even mix you up a love potion! Tonight you’re free for dinner…perhaps a quiet meal at a corner table of the resort restaurant…or maybe you’d rather go into Willemstad and sample one of the 70 different eateries the island is famous for? Native cuisine, French, Italian, Indonesian, Chinese, and practically anything else you name can be found here! As an option, your group leader can organize a cooking course at a kitchen in Willemstad...learn how to prepare local cuisine from a local!
Tonight we’ll have a fun “farewell dinner” planned at a local eatery. We can relive our adventures for the week and maybe even compare photos and dive stories!
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