Curacao - March & April 2021

J and I reached a milestone anniversary in 2020. Prior to the world getting put on hold, we'd had a big trip planned for which we'd saved for a long, long time. Obviously we kept delaying that due to the pandemic, ultimately going in March/April of 2021.

We originally debated where we should go. I wanted Europe, he wanted this hemisphere. I wanted Iceland, he wanted warmer. I suggested British Columbia, he asked if we could try the Caribbean. J was fine with me picking the destination, so long as it was someplace tropical and nice.

I had a very few, very particular criteria with a Caribbean destination, specifically as we were scheduled to visit in September originally:

• I ideally wanted someplace somewhat out of the path of hurricanes. (Bigger problem in September than March/April.)

• I wasn't really looking forward to us spending the whole trip with traveler's diarrhea, so I wanted someplace that treated their water to the level it was approved by the CDC. This weighed far heavier than you'd imagine for my search.

• I wanted to not get either of us murdered or abducted, so I looked for low crime rates.

• Stuff to do other than just the beach. I prefer to not get skin cancer, as I've got about the fairest skin possible.

• Admittedly, I'd like somewhere not super-basic. I like original locations and unique activities.

I did a ton of research, and came across the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, all part of the Dutch Caribbean islands). Close to the coast of Venezuela, they are largely not affected (or are at least less affected) by hurricanes. We were originally planning this trip in a world where the pandemic hadn't yet existed, so I wanted a place where we weren't just tied to beach chairs - I wanted lots of activities and things to do, but not too touristy. After a great deal of research (because that's how I do), here was my line-item assessment of each of the islands:

• Aruba - Has a desalination and water treatment plant, so safe water. However, it is the most touristy of them all. Had a lot to do, but almost all of it involved the beach. Horseback riding... on the beach. ATV tours... on the beach. You get the idea. Also, it's largely white European expats, so I felt like a visit would only so-so support the local people. Three Bears equivalent = Mama Bear

• Bonaire - Also has a desalination and water treatment plan. Is a scuba diver's paradise - which sounds awesome, but neither of us knows how to do. It is largely black African descendents as population. Three Bears equivalent = Papa Bear (Tourism wise, the scuba focus sort of made it too hard/unobtainable.)

• Curacao - Checked all of my items off my very exacting list. Desalination/water treatment plants, low hurricane likelihood, very low crime rate. And, delightfully, it was the largest of the islands with a ton of variety in activities - an aquarium, submarine experiences, an inland flamingo sanctuary, the Blue Curacao plant tours/bartending experience, snorkeling and scuba diving, national parks with hiking and mountains, a jungle with a wrecked plane, etc., etc. Also largely black African descendents, so supporting local. Three Bears equivalent = Baby Bear (Just right!)

You've probably picked up on the theme that I research allllll the things, so I spent a lot of time finding the ideal resort. Because I can't resist a bulleted list, here were my ideal criteria:

• Small, small size. Ideally less than 30 rooms, but I really try to stay below 50 rooms. The easiest way to find these is to look for "boutique hotels."

• Best-in-class ratings, ideally garnering a "Best of" award in the Caribbean category on TripAdvisor's annual list.

• Budget mattered to us. We had a set amount per evening, including meals.

• Unique. I don't have anything at all against a chain, but I'd love a unique experience and to support local.

We ended up going to Baoase, a luxury boutique resort on the southwest side of the island that matched every one of those criteria when it garnered a top-ten TripAdvisor rating for the entire Caribbean in the year preceding (and multiple times since). It has its own private restaurant and chef formerly from a Michelin-starred restaurant, amazing bungalows, a private beach, and more. We got a Superior Beachfront Pool Suite, with its own little private beach area and small infinity pool. This came in handy during the 10ish days we were onsite, as we had to cancel all of the sundry activities I'd had planned because the island had to close down due to COVID. We were stuck at the resort the whole time... and I actually learned how to relax. It was amazing, and we are planning on hopefully going back with the kids for our next milestone anniversary next year.

Here are a few of the many, many photos:

Phone photo of the main beach and restaurant, as seen from the water wall. Full-service beach - with legit the best cocktail I've ever had. Since I generally don't drink much, they made me a virgin version.

Phone photo taken from the beach shown in the previous photo, this shows the bay created by the small man-made island, leading out to the ocean. I appreciated this little bay, because I'm apparently a garbage swimmer.

J enjoying the infinity pool by our little private beach/bay. One of many, many Coronas he enjoyed in this little pool-let.

Phone photo of some local youth enjoying dusk, with a cruise ship in the far distance.

Every single night at 6pm, you could find me here. That pictured dock and ladder of ours was horrifically slippery due to algae, which made every day's trip snorkeling a little adventure!

The algae ladder didn't stop me from snorkeling every single day, as I fell in love with it. This low-quality photo demonstrates why it might not be a bad idea to NOT get a knock-off GoPro on Amazon instead of the real one.

Despite the underwater camera's overall poor quality, I love this photo of J. He is a far, far stronger swimmer than I am.

There was a ton of fun sea life on our little beach, including these mollusks (?), as well as local tropical birds and reptiles.

Since we went, Curacao also now has a Sandals. However, we will go right back to Baoase next time. It's got a great comparative price for the amount of luxury provided - a similar hotel in, say, the Bahamas would be well over $4000/night. And it's still tiny/boutique, while Sandals is ginormous and more cookie cutter.