Home Based Travel Agent - October 2008 - (Page 51)

ing and active nightlife, Curaçao offers first-rate beaches and excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities. While Aruba may have the honeymooners and spring breakers, Curaçao offers a more exotic, cultural destination that more and more travelers are beginning to discover. Beyond the Beaches Tourists and visitors can enjoy quite a few guided heritage tours, either by trolleytrain, by minibus, by boat or on foot. Day excursions are also popular with cruise ship passengers calling on Willemstad. Notable about Curaçao is its distinct architecture, dating back to the 1600s. Tourists can stroll historic Willemstad, which is divided into two sections: Punda, the eastern side, and Otrobanda on the western side. They are divided by the St. Anna Bay and connected by the famed Queen Emma pontoon bridge. When the bridge opens up for ships and tankers, a ferry carries passengers back and forth across the bay. Built in 1888, the “swinging old lady” is a major attraction itself. Crowds will gather to watch it rotate around a turning point on the Otrobanda side. Equally impressive is the Queen Juliana Bridge, built in 1974, which spans the bay at a height of 165 feet, offering drivers crossing over a stunning view of Willemstad. The trolley-train rides through the historic district of Punda and of Scharloo with its stately 19th-century mansions. For information and reservations, contact shorex@cura.net. The Maritime Museum organizes a guided museum tour followed by a boat trip through the waters of Saint Anna Bay and Schottegat. For information and reservations, contact info@curacaomaritime.com. Peter Trips offers cultural and historical trips to the inner city, Bandabou and Bandariba, the western and eastern part of Top: A colorful open-air market in Curaçao features fresh local fruits and vegetables Bottom: Sailing on Spanish Water at Santa Barbara Plantation the island. For information and reservations, contact peter-trips@carib-online.net. A good time to visit Curaçao is from January through early March, when its annual Carnival is in full swing. Curaçao features one of the largest and longest-lasting Carnival spectacles of the Caribbean, with hordes of fantastic floats, costumes and characters, plus Carnival royalty elected during full-scale beauty contests. For schedules and information, visit HB www.curacaocarnival.info. O CTO B ER 2008 Home-BasedTravelAgent 51 http://www.curacaocarnival.info

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Home Based Travel Agent - October 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Publisher’s Note Your Lifeline Agent Profile New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Charging Fees Cover Story: Divers’ Destinations For the Traveler - Cruise - Groups For the Agent - Cruise - Groups Top Hotels in Italy For the Traveler - Destinations - China For the Agent - Destinations - China For the Traveler - Destinations - Caribbean For the Agent - Destinations - Caribbean For the Traveler - Destinations -Las Vegas For the Agent - Destinations - Las Vegas Home-Based Agent Expo New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - October 2008

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