WHERE IS CURACAO
Summary: The basic things about Curacao.
Yes, Curacao is definitely a place. The biggest island among the five-member island of the Netherlands Antilles group, Curacao is basically a flat island of about 40 miles or 64 km in length, encompassing around 171 square miles.
A popular vacation spot in the Caribbean, Curacao is proud of its duty-free shopping, rich culture and well-preserved tropical ambiance. This arid island is home to a great number of world-class beaches with long stretches of white sand. The tropical setting with its hilly terrain and undisturbed countryside makes it famous to most tourists.
Curacao as part of the Netherlands Antilles has Dutch as its primary form of communication. Papiamento, Curacao’s official language – a combination of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and African languages. English and Spanish are also widely spoken on the island. Curacao’s local time is GMT -4, which means it is 4 hours advance than the Pacific Time zone. Its international dialing code is +599. For outgoing calls made from Curacao, the code is 00 followed by the respective country code. Local telephone numbers all start with the number 9. A GSM network is available in Curacao, thus internet access is available.
Curacao is generally a safe place. However, precautions are still advised when traveling alone or away from main roads especially at night. Curacao is free from diseases associated with most tropical places, although mosquitoes are nuisances especially during rainy days. Sunburn is also very common to a hot island like Curacao.
Shopping is a big thing in Curacao. Wandering along Willemstad, Curacao’s capital city, one can find the most-talked about duty-free merchandise. Willemstad also takes you back in time with all the splendid historic structures. Charming restaurants and cozy hotels can also be found within the city.
The music of Curacao is basically derived from Africa, Europe, US, Latin America and the Caribbean. Its official beat, Tambu, is created using the drums and the chapi (hoe). Tambu is widely used in the carnival festivities in Curacao happening from just before Lent. The carnivals are famous world-class attractions up to date.
After learning all the basic stuff about this enchanting place called Curacao, you may now have acquired a vivid picture of what’s it like there and how much fun one can have on a visit. And you would have to agree that it is not just a place, but THE place to be!
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