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Places to Visit in Kralendijk, Netherlands Antilles, America

Places to Visit in Kralendijk, Netherlands Antilles, America

Kralendijk is the capital city of Bonaire, an island as well as a special municipality of the Netherlands. It is home to the main port of the island and is famous for its marvelous beaches, different entertainment options and numerous historical monuments. Kralendijk is geographically placed between 12.1507° N latitude and 68.2767° W longitude.

History of Kralendijk:

Kralendijk houses many colonial buildings dating back to the 17^th and 18^th centuries, Fort Oranje is the major one which was initially constructed in 1639 to protect major harbor of Bonaire. There were English settlements established next to fort with name Playa in 1810 and it was conquered by the Dutch who renamed as Kralendijk in 1840. The Divi Bonaire Hotel is one of the historical identities of Kralendijk.

Connectivity to Kralendijk:

Kralendijk has its own airport, Flamingo International Airport served by many prominent airlines namely the United Airlines, Tiara Air, Insel Air, Delta Air Lines, Arkefly and Divi Divi Air with direct flights to Curaçao, Miami, Amsterdam, Houston, Aruba, Las Piedras, Newark and Houston.

There is no public bus service in Kralendijk but car and taxis are serving the requirement of transportation.

Tourists can hire taxi almost everywhere on the island including airport and city center. Bicycle and scooter are other modes of transportation. Water taxi services are available from the Kralendijk port in neighboring beautiful Klein Bonaire Island.

Food and Shopping in Kralendijk:

Kaya Grandi is the main shopping street of Kralendijk housing many 19^th and 20^th century shops with a variety of products including handicrafts, perfumes and cotton clothes. Kralendijk also houses many bookstores and departmental stores.

The prominent food corners in Kralendijk are listed here below:

Gio’s Gelateria & Caffe
Between 2 buns
Pasa Bon Pizza
Wil’s Tropical Grill
Donna & Giorgio

Things to do in Kralendijk:

Snorkeling
Diving
Visiting historical sites
Shopping

Places of interest in Kralendijk:

World War II Monument:

The World War II Monument was constructed to commemorate Bonaireans who died during the Second World War. Construction is unique and a must watch.

Wilhelmina Park:

Wilhelmina Park is located in the pleasant environment offering different activities including recreation options for children. It was named in the honor of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

Protestant Church:

Protestant Church was built in 1847 for Dutch people who lived in Bonaire and in 1868 church tower was added.

Van Walbeeck Monument:

The Van Walbeeck Monument commemorates the 300th anniversary of the first governor of the Netherlands Antilles, Johannes van Walbeeck. It was built in 1934.

Museo Boneriano:

The Museo Boneriano exhibits the different artifacts, mainly related to the history and culture of Bonaire.

Other places of interest near Kralendijk are:

Eleanor Roosevelt Monument
Welcome Seat
Customs Building
Fort Oranje
Government Office Building
Betico Croes Monument
Bernardus Church
Plaza Fraternan di Tilburg
Former St. Franciscus Covent
Public Beach
Cultural Park Mangazina di Rei
Bari Reef
Bonaire Kiteschool
Rooi Lamoenchi
Coral Casino Bonaire
Instituto Folklore Bonaire

Best time to visit Kralendijk:

The months of October and November will be best time to enjoy different water sport activities in Kralendijk.

Accommodation options in Kralendijk:

Kralendijk is home to several prominent accommodation centers, Plaza Resort Bonaire is the major one located at J A Abraham Boulevard offering different water sport activities such as snorkeling and windsurfing at on-site PADI dive center and charges US$190-300 per night. A list of the major hotels and resorts in Kralendijk is as follows:

Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino
Buddy Dive
Sand Dollar Condominium Resort
Sorobon Beach Resort
Hotel Restaurant Rochaline
Eden Beach Resort
Plaza Resort Bonaire
Hotel Bonaire Inn
Casa Atman
Oasis Guesthouse
Landhuis Wanapa
Tropical Inn Bonaire
Club Laman Caribe
Port Bonaire Resort
Caribbean Court Bonaire

Tourist Places to Visit in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, America

Curacao is an island and one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. The country of Curacao is made up of major island, Curacao and another uninhabited island, Klein Curacao. Willemstad is the capital and largest city, Netherlands Antillean guilder is the currency and Dutch, Papiamentu and English are the official languages of Curacao.

Geography of Curacao:

Curacao is placed in the southern portion of the Caribbean Sea at the coordinates of 12°11′ N 69°00′ W. It spans a total area of 444 sq. km.

History of Curacao:

There are two theories about the origin of name Curacao, one theory claims that, Curacao was derived from the Portuguese word ‘Coracao’ (heart) and another theory states that, Curacao was the name of the native community of Curacao.

Curacao was one of the five islands that form Netherlands Antilles which was dissolved on 10^th October 2010, when Curacao became the constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands along with Sint Maarten.

How to reach Curacao?

The airport of Curacao Hato International Airport is placed around 13 km away from the capital city, Willemstad. HIA operates scheduled flights from and to major North American cities including Toronto, Miami and Amsterdam in Netherlands and most of the Caribbean destinations.

Curaçao Mega Pier is the major Cruise ship landing point of the island and tourists can hire taxi, scooters, bike and car at any of the local travel agencies of Curacao. Buses are also helpful.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Curacao:

Roman Catholic forms 85% population of Curacao, followed by other communities including Hindus and Muslims. Bulawaya dance is a typical dance style and Krioyo is a major local cuisine of Curacao.

The capital city, Willemstad holds most of the major and modern shopping centers of Curacao and list of the prominent restaurants in Curacao include:

On y va picnic
Seaside Terrace
Oceans Restaurant
Old Dutch Cafe
Bistro le Clochard

Things to do in Curacao:

Diving
Snorkeling
Boat tour

Places of interest in Curacao:

Curacao Maritime Museum:

Maritime Museum of Curacao holds more than 500 years old ship models, navigation equipment and nautical charts related to Curacao’s maritime history. It also conducts guided tours every Wednesday and Saturdays afternoon. The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Tuesday to Saturday.

Christoffel National Park:

Christoffel National Park is at the West Point of the island, maintained by Carmabi Foundation. It is home to the highest point in Curacao, Mount Christoffel (1292 feet) and Boca Grandi, which is an Indian cave where the Arawak Indians left many beautiful paintings.

Curacao Sea Aquarium:

Curacao Sea Aquarium is a prime attraction of Curacao offering different activities, especially the dolphin interaction. Advance booking is offered and price may vary on the activities chosen by the tourists.

Other places of interest near Curacao are listed below:

Playa Jeremi
Playa Porto Mari
Habitat Beach
Mambo Beach
Mikve’ Israel Emmanuel Synagogue
Klein Curacao
Playa Kalki
Playa Grote Kenapa
Playa Kleine Kenapa
Fort Nassau
Fort Amsterdam
Hato Caves
Shete Boka National Park
Christoffel National Park

Best time to visit Curacao:

From January to September (dry season) is the best time to visit Curacao to explore beaches and national parks.

Accommodation options in Curacao:

Curacao is an attractive island with numerous striking beaches, water sport centers and historical structures. It is also famous for its world class resorts, casinos, spas and hotels. Here is the list of major hotels and resorts in Curacao:

Hotel Pelikaan & Casino
Curacao Airport Hotel
Clarion Hotel & Suites Curacao
Howard Johnson Inn Hotel & Casino
Howard Johnson Curacao Plaza Hotel & Casino
Veneto Holiday Beach Hotel
Plaza Hotel Curacao
WAVE Hotel & Cafe
Otrobanda Hotel and Casino
San Marco Hotel and Casino
Trupial Inn
Sunscape Curacao Resort Spa & Casino
Hotel ‘t Klooster
Hilton Curacao
Lodge Kura Hulanda & Beach Club

Bonaire Tourist Places to Visit in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, America

Bonaire Tourist Places to Visit in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, America

Bonaire is an island as well as a special municipality of the Netherlands, located in the Caribbean. It was earlier a part of the Netherlands Antilles along with other five islands (Aruba, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten). It became a special municipality within the Netherlands when Netherlands Antilles was disbanded on 10^th October 2010. Kralendijk is the capital and the largest city of Bonaire.

Geography of Bonaire:

Bonaire is located west of Curacao Island between latitude 12°11′ in the north and longitude 68°15′ in the west. It occupies an area of 294 sq. km.

History of Bonaire:

Bonay was the original name of Bonaire, taking from the Caquetio people. Later it was changed as Bojnaj and finally its name was changed as ‘Bonaire’ during the colonial period of Spanish and Dutch. The literal meaning of Bonaire in local language is ‘Good Air’.

How to reach Bonaire?

Bonaire is served by Flamingo International Airport which is located in the capital city Kralendijk with scheduled flights to and from Amsterdam, Curaçao, Atlanta, Miami, Aruba, Las Piedras, Houston and Newark. FIA is catered by Arkefly, Delta Air Lines, Divi Divi Air, EZAir, United Airlines and many other renowned airlines.

Currently there are no scheduled ferries operating between Bonaire and nearby islands but tourists can use water taxis to reach Bonaire.

Some boat tour operators include:

Bonaire Pirate Cruising
Oscarina
Bowalie
Woodwind

Taxis and rental cars are highly available at the airport and major hotels on the island.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Bonaire:

Creole language, Papiamentu is a widely spoken language all around Bonaire, followed by Spanish and English. Dutch is the official language.

Bonaire is home to 3 departmental stores, a jewelry, an electronic shop, 3 flower shops and plenty of cloth stores. The prominent food corners in Bonaire are as follows:

Gio’s Gelateria & Caffe
Cactus Blue on the Beach
Between 2 buns
Pasa Bon Pizza

Things to do in Bonaire:

Windsurfing
Kite boarding
Sea Kayaking
Mountain Biking
Scuba Diving
Snorkeling
Fishing

Tourist Attractions in Bonaire:

Washington Slagbaai National Park:

The Washington Slagbaai National Park is one of the major identities of Bonaire having the mountainous Brandaris which is the highest point of the island pointed at a height of 240 meters. The park is situated on the north side of Bonaire and was the first nature preserve of Netherlands Antilles when it was established in 1969.

Lac Bay:

The Lac Bay or Lac Cai is renowned for wind surfing activity, located on the eastern side of Bonaire. It receives a large number of wind surfers including both locals and tourists during peak tourist season.

Atlantis Beach:

Atlantis Beach is one of the eminent beaches as well as kite surfers paradise in the Caribbean, situated on the western part of Bonaire. It can be reachable by taxi or scooter.

Other places of interest in Bonaire include:

Bonaire Marine Park
Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire
Klein Bonaire
Bari Reef
Hilma Hooker
Bachelor’s Beach
Cultural Park Mangazina di Rei
Lac Cai
Witte Pan
La Machaca Reef
Flamingo Sanctuary
Lake Gotomeer
Fort Oranje
Bonaire Kiteschool
Bolivia Caves
Rooi Lamoenchi

Best time to visit Bonaire:

From October to November will be the best time to visit Bonaire while the weather will be supportive and hotel rooms will be cheaper.

Accommodation options in Bonaire:

Bonaire houses several reputed accommodation centers ranging from large resorts to small privately owned houses. Splurge resorts charge around $100 per day. A list of the major hotels and resorts in Bonaire include:

Harbour Village Beach Club
Coral Paradise Resort
Hotel Restaurant Roomer
Bellafonte Chateau de la Mer
Caribbean Club Bonaire
Divi Flamingo Beach Resort and Casino
Buddy Dive Captain Don’s Habitat
Sand Dollar Condominium Resort
Coco Palm Garden & Casa Oleander
Sorobon Beach Resort
Hotel Restaurant Rochaline
Eden Beach Resort
Plaza Resort Bonaire
Tropical Inn Bonaire
Club Laman Caribe

Top Tourist Places to Visit in Netherlands Antilles, America

Top Tourist Places to Visit in Netherlands Antilles, America

The Netherlands Antilles or Dutch Antilles was a self-governing Caribbean country under the Kingdom of the Netherlands but now the country has been disbanded. Under the different legal status separated islands remain part of the kingdom and now these islands are commonly referred as the Dutch Caribbean islands.

Netherlands Antilles comprises of two island groups such as the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) in the Leeward Antilles group and the SSS islands (Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius) in the Windward Islands group. Both these groups were in the Lesser Antilles.

History of Netherlands Antilles:

The Netherlands colonized six islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius) during the 17^th century and in 1954, formed a new constituent country of the Netherlands Antilles. Aruba formed as a separate country in 1986 under the Kingdom of Netherlands. Curacao and Sint Maarten became two new constituent countries, when the remaining Netherlands Antilles were disbanded in 2010 and the rest of the islands got status of special municipalities of Netherland. Willemstad is the capital of Curacao.

How to reach Netherlands Antilles?

Hato International Airport is situated in Plaza Margareth Abraham of Curacao, one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is located around 13 km away from the capital city of Curacao, Willemstad. American Airlines serves Hato International Airport with everyday flights from and to Miami. Other airlines that serve HIA include Avior Airlines, Air Berlin, Insel Air, Tiara Air.

Curacao is also connected to neighboring and nearby islands by cruise ships.

BUS and Konvoi are the two types of buses serve Curacao Islands and other local modes of transportation include taxi and car which charges $45 USD per day.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Netherlands Antilles:

Dutch Caribbean islands follows mixed culture of the Netherlands and Caribbean and the natives follow both Caribbean and Dutch festivals. J’ouvert parade and Bulawaya dance are very famous in Dutch Caribbean islands.

Willemstad is the capital of Curacao and Dutch Caribbean islands, holding most of the luxurious restaurants and large shopping malls of DCI. The famous restaurants in Curacao in DCI are:

The Wine Cellar
Sol Food
Mangos
Playa Porto Mari

Tourist Attractions in Netherlands Antilles:

Museum Kura Hulanda:

The Museum Kura Hulanda is located in Willemstad of Curacao showcasing the culture of Curacao and the African slave trade. It is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day and entry fee is $9.

Queen Juliana Bridge:

Queen Juliana Bridge is the highest bridge in the Caribbean and one of the tallest bridges in the globe with a height of 185 feet. It offers great views of Anna Bay and Willemstad city.

Curacao’s Marine Park:

Curacao’s Marine Park is a perfect place for snorkelers and divers. It features Banda Abou National Park, Central Curacao Underwater Park and Curacau Underwater Park. Tourists can also purchase or rent snorkeling and diving equipments here.

List of other places of interest in Netherlands Antilles includes:

Postal Museum
Maritime Museum
Queen Emma Bridge
Christoffel National Park
Shete Boka National Park
Curacao Sea Aquarium
Hato Caves
Curacao Ostrich & Game Farm
Fort Amsterdam
Amazonia The Lost Cultures
Mikve’ Israel Emmanuel Synagogue
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue

Ideal time to visit Netherlands Antilles:

From May to November will be the ideal time to trip Netherlands Antilles, while the hotel rooms rate becomes cheaper.

Where to stay in Netherlands Antilles?

Curacao is the major island of Dutch Caribbean islands housing plenty of splurge resorts, star hotels and villas with latest amenities and services. A list of prominent accommodation centers in Curacao in Netherlands Antilles (DCI) is as follows: