Habitat Curacao?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

T

TheWizard

Contributor
Messages
225
Reaction score
10
Location
Reading, MA
# of dives
200 - 499
Just back from a week at Buddy Dive on Bonaire and, while I'm sure we'll be back for a 5th Bonaire visit, I'm thinking a 2nd Curacao dive trip is calling me as well.

We stayed at Sunset Waters for 5 nights in 2004 and just did boat dives with them, no rental car.

Next Curacao trip, I'll rent a car and do a combo of boat dives and shore dives. So is Habitat pretty much the "best" place to stay for that sort of thing? "Best" here not meaning most luxurious with cost no object, but best overall for folks who dive a lot and are outside the resort for a good part of each day.

I don't have time or enthusiasm to check out every dive op and resort on Curacao, so I'll rely on your comments to point me in the right direction, thanks...
 
Hi Thewizard - we stayed at habitat for part 1 of our honeymoon... there is a trip report from me here somewhere ..here's the link
 
Hi Reading,
We moved to Curacao 2 years ago from NH. David's cousin, Meg Bond lives in Reading. come on down!
Not sure when you are going to visit. Habitat is going through a lot of renovations including the addition of a sandy beach :( They seem to be progressing but I don't go to that area very often to see exactly how much.
It seems you enjoy the West end diving. There are a lot of private rentals (Home Away or VRBO) in Coral Estates (above Habitat), Condos and apartments in Lagun and here in Westpunt there is All West Dive Apartments (with tank room and stairs to the bay), the higher end Lodge Kura Hulanda (adjacent to Ocean Encounters West) and condos and apartments like our vacation rental. I don't think Habitat ventures much past Mushroom Forest so you would use OEW to go to Watamula and other sites farther to the west. Since we live in Westpunt, we're pretty biased to the area. It's a comfortable place for a lot of divers.
 
I would try and stay away from Habitat for now. I just got back and they seem to be in a transition period in all areas. The restaurant is nice and the food is good.....when you get it. I know "island time" and it does not bother me but on night it took 2 hours to get our meal and then another night 2:45. I had to go to the bar to get my drinks.

The dive op is fine and very good DMs. However they are understaffed for the amount of divers they have. We got shut out of 2 morning dives because the boat was filled (20 divers). They have 2 boats but not enough staff to have both boats to go out.

They have an infinity pool which is nice and clean but for the 70 rooms in the resort they only have 18 lounges which are taken up before 8:00. As Sunshine said they are working on a beach and a retaining wall which is making the area very muddy. It only effects your entry and exit for the dive from the pier.

Reception was very good as they attended to our needs in a timely manner. The rooms were fine as I don't spend many waking hours in there.

Habitat has potential but for now I would try something else.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
lmorin:
Hi Sunshine--where do people buy food when staying at All West Apts?
Click to expand...

I'm not Sunshine, but having stayed at AllWest, I can tell you that I and most people I have spoken with make a trip down to Centrum market. About a 35-45 minute drive from Westpunt. There are several other stores in that general area including a Cost U Less, and Sunshine can tell you about them, as she shops most of them frequently, but for the typical tourist it is usually important to save time and Centrum seems to be the best one shot store for most of us.

Closer to Westpunt by about 15 minutes is the California market and an Asian-owned market whose name escapes me. Smaller selection of stuff and I think some prices are higher.

Sunshine, do I have the details right?
 
OK, this is good info so far.
Westpunt on Curacao is sounding a bit like the East End of Grand Cayman, where I stayed last January for a week. We had to drive a bit to find places to eat, etc, but all in all, it was a good experience, not like staying in a captive all inclusive place.
I think I'll change my primary focus to Westpunt then...
 
In that case then.......
Depending on your flight. Centrum closes at 8PM, 2PM on Sundays. Oassis is a couple of miles down the road from Centrum and open until 9PM. There is now a small Chinese store just after Daniels on the road to Westpunt, it also closes at 9PM.
From the airport, exit right. At the rotary with tall metal sculpture go 1/2 way round. At the 2nd set of lights, take a right. Centrum will be on your left and Oassis a few minutes down the road and just off on the right. FYI If you take a left at the 1st set of lights, there is a large local store, L'Esperamos on the left at the next light. Across the street on the right is Cost U Less. It's more of a warehouse style store. Just before it you can find a Botika (pharmacy) and La Curacao (if you are old enough to remember, like a larger Woolworth's). Back on the main road you'll see a gas station on the right before you come back to the rotary. It might be open 24 hours a day because it's always open when I pass late at night or early in the morning - just in case you forget to fill your rental....
From the rotary it's a little over 20 miles to Westpunt. You will pass Daniels, a higher end restaurant but with excellent pancakes for breakfast and lunch (trust me). Then the small store is on the left adjacent to a Chinese laundry. In Tera Cora there is the California Market but for the extra 6 mile drive you'll find much more at L'Esperamos or Centrum. There is also a doctor, Botika and gas station (closes at 8pm). You'll realize you are in the country as you drive through a variety of plants and trees and admire the hills and mountain. Barber is the other larger town. It has a gas station, church, bank, local market, a small store and a good size country store called MM Centro. Turn opposite the church and go up the hill about a mile and a half. It's on the right hand side. You'll find almost everything you need except a lot of produce or dairy products. It's surprisingly well stocked. You'll pass Christoffel Mountain and Shete Boca brfore you come over the hill to Westpunt. Out Toko (store) is miniscule. You'll need to shop elsewhere. Here in town you have a few menus at the Lodge Kura Hulanda, can eat here at Sol Food (only Fri. Sat. and Sun), jaanchies (local food), or Rancho Sobrino. There are a few other places to eat as well. Ocean Encounters West is the dive shop in town. The staff is great and if I had to recommend just one dive it would be to Watamula, a must do boat dive. We find that most people who stay in Westpunt are mostly divers and very low key laid back people. Hope to sea you in town!
 
Curacao Sunshine
thanks for info but wondering if you could explain the food shopping once you are at West End apartments or Westpunt in general? Would be nice to shop before we get there but I am not sure when AA gets in? Some how thought it would be 8pm ish. if true I'd rather just get to westpunt on night one.
thanks
Please TheWizard tells us about your trip after you do it!!!
I am excited about going to Curacao--- just wish it was sooner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom