Curacao

[BacknBlack]

Fred,

I am going to take your advice and stay at the Marriot or Sheraton. I figured if I didn't see anyone I liked at the clubs/bars I would hit Mirage late night especially Mon & Tues night. I did not realize there were strip clubs in Curacao. The two you mentioned La Havana and La Tasca what time do they close? Are the women Latino? I really like latino women. What are the prices like to get in, buy a drink and hang out. I know you said you can get an all-nighter for a $100 afer the places close. Curacao sounds like a fun time. I am surprised I never really heard anything about it. I figured it was mostly a couples spot like most of the Carribean. I will probably go sometime in the fall. Thanks for all the info.

backnblack

[Deep Sea Diver]

Back 'n' Black:

IMHO, the Marriott and Sheraton are well worth it in terms of their room accomodations and the resort itself (beach, food, pools, ambience, more upscale guests, etc.). Both also have scuba diving centers on the premises if you are a diver. I think there is a significant drop-off in quality from those two, from my experience at other hotels/motels, but that may be less important to you than some other things to spend money on. Last time I was there, the Sheraton was $120 US/night and the Marriott $160-$180. I think Holiday Beach was like $90-$100 when I stayed there--and it is across the street from La Havana, a strip club where the girls can be taken out after close for like $100 all-night. The above hotel prices are before the defacto ridiculous hotel taxes and the like. I would recommend the Sheraton of the 3 mentioned above for its price/value ratio--go to www.starwood.com and check to see if they have specials (they guarantee the best rates on their own site or they refund the difference + 10%).

In terms of the Club scene and finding pros, I have never really looked for that given my previous success with non-pros. As such, I cannot give you much information or quote you prices from experience. If I had to guess, based mostly on what others have told me down there, I would not expect that all night would cost less than $100 or more $200. This may sound like a lot, particularly relative to the DR, but this island has a far better economic situation than the DR (not so much a 3rd world environment with average income in US$ of like $8,000). Think of it as more like Mexico in terms of pricing structure.

The only place I could state with some certainty, with my own eyes, that there were pros is Zenzurro (mentioned in my previous post). Again, have never confirmed this so no guarantees they were pros and don't know the prices. I did speak with a couple while at the bar, making small talk with the neighbors at the bar, and just got that sense. BTW, they were absolutely gorgeous Colombian girls. In fact, maybe my radar should be turned on in the future (just for the sake of this board of course--LOL).

Something you should also know is that like other resort locales, the girls are down here to party. So if you are an attractive and personable guy, and on the younger side (under 40 say), I think you will have some luck at the clubs/bars. Women always seemed very approachable to me. It also helps if you can dance.

Lastly, Le Mirage is slow during the day, as many of the girls go shopping or spend the day with customers met the previous night. However, I have seen girls during the day that I never saw in the evening--the best girls are locked in their rooms with customers and you don't see them walking the premises at night. And, you may get a less hurried service (more GFE). I would spend my evenings at the clubs I mentioned and try for non-pros and pros. If all else fails you can return to Le Mirage late night or you can go to La Havana to get a girl for an all-nighter. La Tasca is another place on the Otrabanda side (there are others nearby as well) and the girls can be taken out for all-nighters. I have never brought back a pro to Sheraton or Marriott, but have not had any problems bringing back a better-dressed Dutch girl late at night(no sign-in required of me at either of those).

When are you heading down there? I am sure you will have a blast.

Happy Hunting!

Fred

[Enricos]

If you want additional info on Curacao, try www.k-pasa

[Deep Sea Diver]

Back 'n' Black:

I have never stayed at the Lion's Dive so can't say too much about it. I do know that it is reasonably close to the action--close in driving terms (the island is not that large--30 minutes top to bottom). If you can afford it, I would recommend staying at either the Sheraton or Marriott (located next door to each other) about 4 miles from the center. In fact, these hotels are in-between the downtown and Le Mirage (a/k/a Campo Allegre). They are probably the 2 premier hotels on the island. Both have excellent beaches and are beautiful properties overall. However, I can't comment on how girl-friendly they are (my guess is they are not). FYI, the quality of the beach varies significantly based on island location. A lesser hotel, without a beach but very centrally located, is The Plaza. It is on the water, but it has no beach (just rocks). Holiday Beach would be another option. Not as nice as Sheraton/Marriott, and not as expensive, but it is on a decent beach and even closer to the city center. Let me know if you need additional clarification.

Fred

[Deep Sea Diver]

Back 'n' Black and others:

Hope this report, although lacking in mongering detail, proves helpful to the Board!

I have traveled to Curacao several times in the past few years and the nightlife is abundant relative to other Caribbean islands. It is one of the few Caribbean islands I could spend a week on and not suffer from severe boredom. Curacao, being a Dutch territory, is loaded with beautiful Dutch women as well as some beauties from other Caribbean islands, Venezuela, and Colombia, among other South American countries. To the Dutch especially, Curacao is much like Cancun to the Americans—it is the place to go to party. KLM airlines has direct flights here I believe, which fosters the significant Dutch representation. In fact, there are quite a few younger Dutch (college-types) that work there during summer vacation. In terms of the locals, I have not seen and/or met many local girls that I would consider attractive (we all have different tastes of course).

Now, to the evening festivities. Although I cannot provide you with addresses, my memory is simply not that good, I found Curacao to have 1-2 really happening places each night, beginning Wednesdays of each week and ending Sunday night (Monday and Tuesday always seemed pretty dead). There may be others that I simply have never visited, but I think the following is fairly comprehensive. Some of the clubs are comparable in ambience to what one sees in major cities of the US. Most of the clubs close at 2 AM, but some close at 4 AM (you will see a migration from the 2 AM clubs to the 4 AM each night). You may want to check out www.curacao.com for addresses and the like.

I think it is very possible, from my experience, to hook up with a non-pro at any of the following clubs/bars. However, if you are not generally the type capable of doing so with non-pros in major cities across the industrialized world, my guess is your prospects for success will be similar here (local-type non-pros may be a different story though given the modest economic situation here).

Wednesday:
“Grand Café De Heeren” (a/k/a “De Heeren”) is the place on Wednesdays. It is a fairly relaxed bar, where all types hang out. Worth checking out, but being Wednesday, the scene is not as robust and exciting as other nights of the week at other clubs.

Thursday:
“Mambo Beach” (a/k/a “Mambo”) is the place on Thursdays (even more so on Friday-Sunday). Mambo Beach, as its name suggests, is located on the beach. It is an enormous beach-type club, with a large dancing area, a stage, booming sound system, and many tables on the sand. This place could have more than 1,000 people in it at peak times.

There will be a ton of beauties here. The demographics are generally 18-40s here, with most in their 20s, and all economic classes are represented. Generally, you cannot go wrong with Mambo any of the weekend nights (Thursday through Sunday). You will find many many Dutch and Latina beauties in there. There is another Bar/Club which adjoins Mambo that could also be quite good--you may not even know you left Mambo if you walk down the beach 200 yards to get there.

Friday:
"The Living Room" is the place on Friday night (Saturday is great as well). It is a combination lounge and dance club owned by a Frenchman, with velvet sofas/chairs throughout with a nice lighting and sound system. If you enjoy Big-City clubs of this type, you will feel right at home. This place, being relatively expensive for the island, tends to attract a more upscale crowd. I don’t recall if there is a cover charge. Lots of beautiful people here. After things die down here, people go to Zenzurro (2-4 AM), which is a dance club/bar. I have seen some beautiful pros here (2-3), sitting at the bar, if you want that—not completely obvious though. Vast majority of people are “normal”. Zenzurro is perhaps my favorite place on the island.

Saturday:
Mambo and The Living Room and Zenzurro late-night (see above).

Sunday:
Mambo’s biggest night (see above)—a must attend event. Things get started here at 5/6 PM. Also, I would highly recommend Hook’s Hut—located on the Beach very close to the Sheraton hotel but fairly isolated (4-5 miles outside of Punda/Otrabanda town center). You may want to go here first for live Reggae and dinner (food is quite good) and then migrate to Mambo. Hook’s is great for dinner any night.

Late Late Nights:
Cheers, not related to the chain in the States, is the place that people “in-the-know” go very late night (4-6 AM) Wednesday through Saturday. It is kind of a dive bar, but it is a pretty nice social environment—gets quite packed. I was taken there initially by a Colombian girl I met who lived on the Island.

Dining:
In terms of dining, I would recommend Plein Café for lunch—it is in the center of the square, across from a tiny park. It is good, fast, cheap, and allows you to view the passers-by. Hook’s is always a good dinner option. There is also a series of restaurants on the water just next to the Plaza Hotel, on the Punda side of downtown. All of the options there have been “decent”—no Le’ Cirques on this island if that is your definition of “decent”. Zanzibar is one of the better places on the island, but it is reasonably far from the center of ton.

Transportation:
Rental car highly recommended—a must-have IMHO. You will spend a ton of money on cab fare if you do not—the prices per mile are ridiculous and they do not have meters. You could pay like $5/mile if u r not careful. If you have a car, be watchful for stray goats, dogs, and other livestock (you’ll see this first-hand when down there).

Other:
If you are an herb smoker, u will find it very difficult to find high-quality product. But mediocre herb is available. Ask the busboys at your hotel/motel. Also, enjoy the Amstel Bright beer here. If you like Corona, this is even better IMHO and is brewed in the Caribbean (it is effectively a “Corona Killer” in the Dutch Antilles).

Have fun everyone and happy hunting!

Fred

[Charly]

Campo Alegre/Mirage Resort is still alive and kickin' (as of June 2002).
The quality/beauty of the girls has improved IMHO in the last 6-7 months. It's still 3 USD entrance and 30 USD for the girl (USD are accepted but pay in Guilders, that's cheaper). You have a selection of ca. 60 girls. So if you take your time you can easily be with two or three girls a night. The 30 USD buy you up to 30 minutes of private time with the girl in her little apartment. If you want more time (or have any - eerrrr - unusual fantasies) that will mean more DINERO.

I like the girls "recien llegadas" who only recently - in the last 2 weekes - have came to the Campo. They are still "fresh" and are still looking for a "novio" (boyfriend) or even a husband. They usually haven't seen much of the island and if you have a rental car should consider inviting your favorite girl for an island tour for the next day. You will see that GFE's are relatively easily available from the girls there. But be careful when you seriously fall in love with one of the chicas: Many of the girls have kids at home in Baranquilla, Cali, Bogota etc. and you might wind up getting very quickly a big family whether you want it or not.... :-)

If you want to know what girl is in what room and when she arrived, sign up on the Campo's homepage for their newsletter.

To get to Campo Alegre/Mirage either ask a taxi driver, or look up the direction on their homepage (www.campo-alegre-resort.com) or drive to the airport, leave it behind to your left and past the Hotel Holland - about 1 mile away on the left-hand side- you will see their pink neo signs at night. Turn left after you have passed the small hill on the left side. It's a small road uphill maybe 200 feet to the left is the Campo, hard to miss. From the Campo you have a nice view of Hato airport.

The mostly Colombian girls are between 20 and 40 years old, most are in the 4-6 region, some are 7-8. Haven't seen any 10 so far...If you know one pls give us her room number....

They are only allowed to work in the Dutch Caribbean for max. 3 months in a row for a max. of twice a year. That means at best they are 6 months on the Netherlands Antilles. They have to pay between 70 and 90 Guilders per day to their Antillean resort owners for their usually clean apartments where they receive their guests. Since they charge min. 50 Guilders per customer and the campo is open 24/7 they need only two customers a day to "break even". Only the not-so-good looking girls will therefore aggressively look for your business. The rest will wait for you to make the first step.

Those girls who only pay 70 Guilders for their apartments have to take part in the strip-tease shows that are part of the program several times a week I was told...

You can easily spend 5 or 6 hours there: you will find a bar, and a snack restaurant for your other 'needs'. Though the Campo is open 24 hours 7 days a week, most of the guests (70% locals and 30% tourists and others) arrive between 9 PM and 3 AM. By day you have only a small selection of girls and walking around is not very comfy because of the heat. The two restrooms are usually reasonably clean.

The atmosphere at the Campo is usually relaxed, though the other day I've seen a violent fight between a girl and a customer there too. Security is very good at the Mirage - for the protection of the girls and the guests.

If you've never been to the Campo and are planning to go to one of the ABC islands without your wive or fiancee, DO CHECK IT OUT! I can recommend it! IMHO Campo Alegre is at least 25% better than San Nikolas on neighboring Aruba Island (though tastes differ of course).

Regarding questions what hotels are guest friendly: On the campo homepage the folks recommend the Hotel Holland next to the airport. I can't confirm since I've seen it only from the outside. The hotel looks reasonably good and even has a casino. But: On the Campo every girl has a room available. You don't necessarily need to leave after 30 minutes. I stayed about 4 hours with one girl I liked. If you want to take her back to your hotel anyway I recommend to do so by day: If the girl dresses 'conservatively' she should be able to blend in with the vacation guests. By night this can be a real problem with most hotels. The big hotels (Marriott, Sheraton, Plaza) have tight security. Whether 'bribing' security will be successfull or not I don't know.

The policy of the Campo is that the girls should be there at least between 6 PM and 6 AM. However, this is usually not tightly enforced and - if you really want to - you can take the girl out at any time.

I think the resort hotels like Marriott (!) or Sheraton are great if you spent the days at the beach and the nights with the girls. The Plaza hotel in Punda is considerably cheaper (though not as fancy) and they drive you with a courtesy van to a nice beach outside of town. In any case I strongly recommend you to rent a car. They are available over the internet (travelocity.com, expedia.com) from ca. 35 USD upward incl. CDW. Taxis - for whatever reason - are pretty expensive (USD 20 one-way from Punda to Campo at night).

The other options you have on Curacao are either expensive (Club Havana near Holiday Beach Hotel) or slightly seedy (the SWs in Otrabanda on the opposite side of the Kura Hulanda Hotel, uphill, in that small side street in front of the night club and the little hotel in that street - can't recall the name of this hotel - but if you drive coming from the big bridge you wil see them standing right-hand one or two blocks before the big blue building - another hotel/casino which name I forgot...-).

Charly

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