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Home , Aruba, Aruban florin, Bonaire, Guilder, Kralendijk, Willemstad

, & CURAÇAO 777 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © 599-9 % 599; Curaçao: 599; Curaçao: % 297; Bonaire: 297; Bonaire: % Aruba; Bonaire; Curaçao Aruba; Bonaire; Aruba: included in ticket; Bonaire: international US$20, interisland US$6; US$6; US$20, interisland international Aruba: included in ticket; Bonaire: Aruba: Aruba: ; Bonaire: diving; Curaçao: city and rural charm diving; Curaçao: Aruba: beaches; Bonaire: Aruba: 104,000; Bonaire: Aruba: 104,000; Bonaire: Dutch, Spanish, English, Bon bini (Welcome!) Aruba: Oranjestad; Bonaire: ; Curaçao: Kralendijk; Curaçao: Aruba: Oranjestad; Bonaire: Arubans; Bonairians; Curaçaoans Aruba: Aruban (Afl); Bonaire Bonaire Aruba: (Afl); Aruba: 181 sq km; Bonaire: 285 sq km; Curaçao: 471 sq km 285 sq km; Curaçao: Aruba: 181 sq km; Bonaire: Most nationalities do not need a visa Most nationalities do not need a visa Visa for a 90-day stay on each of the ; p812 see Phrase Phrase Population 138,000 14,500; Curaçao: Official Names People Curaçao: international US$22, interisland US$7 US$22, interisland international Curaçao: Language Money code tax Departure for Famous Antillean & Curaçao: = = NAf1.78 or ANG); US$1 = Afl1.79 (NAf €0.65 = UK£0.51 Area Area Capital

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These differences, plus others like wealth and population size, have brought the ABCs to have plus others like population size, wealth and differences, These And just as you start generalizing about all three you have to stop, as they are really really to stop, as they are And just as you start you have generalizing about all three

Slaves, Dutch traders, Indians, pirates and more have all contributed to the rich and unique to the rich and all contributed have more and pirates Dutch traders, Indians, Slaves, up and finding their own identities. You wish to get acquainted with all three. with You may wish to get acquainted up and finding their own identities. as the Netherlands , these three islands in the are now busy growing Antilles are islands in the Lesser as the , these three where they are today: three very separate places going in their own directions. Once unified their own directions. places going in separate very today: three they are where mixes commerce with Unesco-recognized old Willemstad and a coast of hidden beaches. old Willemstad and a coast of commerce with Unesco-recognized mixes trates on its natural pleasures. Meanwhile, Curaçao is busy working is busy Meanwhile, Curaçao hard to play hard. It natural pleasures. on its trates who blows off school. Ringed by some of the most fabulous reefs on the planet, it concen- who blows off school. Ringed reefs by some of the most fabulous thousands of tourists a year who find winter refuge on its fine beaches. Bonaire is the kid is the Bonaire on its fine beaches. refuge year who find winter thousands of tourists a quite different. Aruba is the kid of the door for others – in this case hundreds who opens different. quite heavy Spanish influence on top of the Dutch and African. on top of the Dutch heavy Spanish influence trade routes, they are not like the islands of the Eastern either, as they have a a either, as they have Caribbean not like of the Eastern the islands are they trade routes, these small islands are far away in every other sense. Although they have long been on the have Although they other sense. far away in every these small islands are stew that is the ABCs: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Close to and , Close to Venezuela and Curaçao. ABCs: Aruba, Bonaire that is the stew

Curaçao Aruba, Bonaire & ARUBA, BONAIRE & CURAÇAO the Caribbean hurricane season, although hurricaneseason, the Caribbean to earlyDecember. Theislandsusuallymiss month. Much of thisfallsfromSeptember eraging alittleover 1in(2.5cm)of rainper and T-shirt. Theislandsare fairlydry,av- breezy, butmostlyyou’llbefineinshorts itcangetis abitwarmerandatnight round isaperfect noon 28°C(82°F).High Average year- temperature fortheABCs CLIMATE &WHENTOGO HIGHLIGHTS 778 ITINERARIES „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „

linked byaroadthrough lush lands beaches onthejagged westcoast,all hotel’s back dock recognized naturalbeautyfromyour really theminimum. Lucky you! butamonthis wouldbeastart two weeks your bestof allthree. Take aslongyoucan; each islandandthencompare andpick find yourfavorite anddive spoton Beaches andDiving taste. your on oneislandortrytwo, depending on One Week lands. required toenjoyanyof the three is- there,stay asthisistheminimumtime Days Three Bonaire’s village of acapital wonderful littlerestaurants andbars of Nighttime Kralendijk Beaches Curaçao’s itage, withthegritof abusy port Unesco-recognized Dutch colonialher- Willemstad beaches touristed of Aruba’smanyfine white Arashi Beach Reefs Bonaire’s

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RB,BNIE&CRÇO • ihihs ARUBA, BONAIRE&CURAÇAO••Highlights Cold beer Tour ofCuraçao’s Aruba beachaccess Bonaire Tanks ofairforaweekdivingon Night atbeach resort Eitherhave avery relaxing time US$200 ( p802 ) Immerse yourself in Pick one of the ABCs and Pickoneof theABCs US$2toUS$3 ( p791 ) Savor theleast- 79) no Unesco- Enjoy ( p799) 89) xlr hidden Explore (p809) Decide you’re goingto ( p797 ) Samplethe Free US$100to US$300 US$20 of postwartourismandscubadivingdidthe nored bytheworld.Notuntilexplosion lives farmingandraisinganimals,largely ig- slavery ended,theirdescendentslived quiet African slaves whoworked flats.After thesalt colonization. after many differences, mainlyduetotheirhistory cally, thecultures of thethree islands have proximity geographically andalphabeti- Fordespite their not tolinkthemsoclosely. were beeasierforoutsiders MLC, itmight andCurley andtheirinitials Larry Moe, say, If Aruba,Bonaire andCuraçaowere named, THE CULTURE respectively. Curaçao’s history,see p780 , p792 For informationonAruba’s,Bonaire’s and and p799 , HISTORY can be almost sleepy. April. Outsideof timestheporttowns these ships runsOctober forcruise toseason cheaper othertimesof theyear. Thehigh islands are more accessibleandrates much the Otherwise, season. crowds duringhigh December toApril,thenyoucanjointhe cold youare. Ifyoujust have towarmup dumped alot of water. feels newanditlargely is,withwealth coming people whowere simplylooking forsun.It looking forwork in therefinery andDutch America joined byimmigrants fromLatin andwere laterdigenous population survived nored duringthecolonialera. Here thein- any geographic advantage, soitwas large ig- life are fading. the homeof commuters –traditionalwaysof to bemade. Outinthecountry–increasingly The populationisgrowingandthere’s money times relaxed, frenetic andbuttoned-down. isatAmerican andEuropean.Willemstad today are amixof Latin African-Caribbean, after slavery endedandtheculturalroots slaves, butitssuperbportdrove itseconomy travelers fromaround the world. yet welcomingof by theopportunitybrought rooted intraditionalways, African- is alarge islandwithasmallpopulationof totheoutside. Theresultisland openitself a couple passed tothenorthin2007anda couplepassed Bonaire waspopulated withafew thousand As always,whenyougodependsonhow Aruba hadneitherresources toexploitnor Curaçao wasalsopopulated byAfrican lonelyplanet.com