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Who are the Dutch people?

January 10, 2021May 28, 2020 by VSPC

Who are the Dutch people and how did the Netherlands become a rich country?

Who are the Dutch people, is a question that is being asked a lot and people also asked why are they so wealthy.

We come from the Caribbean Island of Curacao, a colony of the Netherlands. We were born and raised there and moved to the Netherlands to study, since we did not have a university back then on our island. Because the official language and the education in the colonies is in the Dutch language, the easiest way to continue with your academic education is the move to the motherland the Netherlands for further education given in the Dutch language.
We hope with the following explanation we can give an answer to both questions especially who are the Dutch people.

Facsinating history
The story of the Dutch People and the kingdom of the Netherlands is a fascinating one.It started to take off during the 80 years’ war which was fought against Spanish king Philippe II, son of emperor Charles V, who inherited the low lands and Belgium from his father. They are referred to in the history as Spanish Netherlands. The Dutch People wanted their independence and fought for it from 1568 to 1648 under the leadership of the Prince William I of Orange-Nassau and his sons and family after him.

During that time, the Dutch People who were also good ship builders and navigators, started to ambush and confiscate several Spaniards’ silver and gold laden vessels on their way from Mexico mines to Spain. They use this treasure to finance the war.

The Dutchmen became brave sea folk and were feared by Spaniards, Portuguese, French and the British. It is called the Golden Age.
The most famous Dutch naval commander and admiral was Michiel De Ruyter, who won all his naval battles fought between the Dutch at one side and England at the other side during the Anglo-Dutch naval wars (1664-1667). He was respected and feared by his enemies because of his tremendous insights and strategies during naval battles.
He even invaded England once in 1667 entering the Thames and Chatham river near London breaking chains placed at Medway over the river. There they looted British magazines and Hijacked the gilded flag ship Royal Charles, a three decked 100 guns and took it to Holland. He also destroyed 4 of the finest battled ships: the Loyal London (90 guns), the Royal Oak (76 guns), the James (82 guns) and the Charles V. With this valiantt action De Ruyter clearly established his name and gave a warning to London, in a way saying: don’t mess with us.

This was a very humiliating episode for the British and left an irreparable blow to their prestige. All because the Britain raided the Dutch Island of Schelling and when the Dutch People wanted peace, the British imposed too high demands to end the war and did not wanted to sign the peace treaty at Breda unless agreed with all their exorbitant terms. This in a way, left the Dutch People with no other way out than to retaliate and inflict such a damage upon the enemy, that they would gladly sign the peace treaty of Breda.
The treaty was signed in less than two months later.

As one historian put it: Had De Ruyter pushed through by taking London, that would have been the greatest naval success of all time, such that it probably would have changed the entire course of history with the Dutch Empire becoming the greatest the world had ever known!
For more information about this fascinating invasion story see link below.(http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Journals/Military_Affairs/13/4/The_Dutch_invasion_of_England_in_1667*.html)

Also, on land the Dutch People were feared, Prince William III of Orange, before becoming king of England, won several war battles from 1672 to 1678 against the famous Catholic king Louis XIV of France (Roi Soleil/ Sun King). He battled against armies that were sometimes five times the size of his own.

He also defeated in 1690 in the battle at the river Boyne in Nord Ireland, his own uncle and father in law, former King James II, who was allied by the French King and nephew Louis XIV. King James II was not happy being deposed and wanted to do a comeback to the throne.
William III was a protestant, son of Mary Stuart I, the eldest daughter of King Charles I. So, he was actually the grandson of King Charles I and nephew to King James II and also great cousin to Louis XIV. They were family!
William III spoke six languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish and Latin. He became King “Billy” in 1688 and sat on the throne with his wife and cousin Queen Maria Stuart II, who succeeded her deposed Catholic father James II, during the so-called Glorious Revolution. This Revolution was as a matter of fact also in a way an invasion of the Dutch by the army of William III, but this time around the Dutch were welcomed with open arms. The British wanted the protestant couple William and Mary to take over the vacant throne of their Catholic uncle and father James II.

Sir Winston Churchill paraphrased the following of King William III: “His sole purpose for living was to break the hegemony and dominant power of France.” He kept winning battles against Louis XIV except that of Neerwinden in Belgium, however it costed Louis XIV that many soldiers’ lives that he was forced to sign a peace treaty of Rijswijk in which he had to recognized William III as legitim King of England, Scotland and Ireland.

Because of all his victories over France the stage was set to yield Great Britain free passage to become a worldwide empire. William III died without children to succeed him, again the Dutchman felt short of taken over a world empire.

Colonial Canon Who are the dutch People. — Old Dutch canon on Curacao witness of the glorious colonial era of Rif Fortress.

Nevertheless, the Dutch People possessed many colonies for a while: South Africa, several trading posts in West Africa, Indonesia, Ceylon, Formosa (Taiwan), Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, New Amsterdam (New York), Suriname, Tobago and Caribbean Dutch Antilles: Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Sint Martin, Saba and Sint Eustatius.
The Dutch People were also the only foreign power that had a trading post and were allowed to do business with Japan on the Japanese island of Dejima (1641-1854) in the Nagasaki bay.

They also were the ones to have world’s first multinational company ever called East Indies Company.

The Kingdom

The Dutch People were back then a republic and became a Royal Kingdom in 1806 during King Louis Napoleon’s reign and his wife Queen Hortense. King Louis was the brother of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The Netherlands was later added to France after King Louis abdicated and became again a kingdom after the Waterloo defeat of Emperor Napoleon in 1814 and remained a kingdom until now.
King William I, a Prince of Orange-Nassau started the dynasty and reigned as king Over the Netherland, Belgium and Luxembourg from 1815 to 1840. In 1830 Belgium separated from the Kingdom and became a separate kingdom under King Leopold.
After William I his son William II reigned from 1840 to 1949 and after his early death William III his son reigned from 1849 to 1890, followed up by four queens: his wife Emma (regent for daughter Wilhelmina), Wilhelmina from 1890 to 1948, Juliana from1948 to 1980 and Beatrix n from 1980 to 2013. It was time for the return of a King: the son of Beatrix, King William Alexander is now swaying the scepter since 2013 together with his wife Queen Maxima.

Comparing the histories and behaviors we can see clearly huge differences between the mentality of our small population on Curacao in the Caribbean and the Dutchmen on the mainland of The Netherlands in Europe. The Dutchmen work hard and save every penny. They are not big spenders. So now one can better understand the expression “going Dutch.”
They do not like to show off with their wealth. They save money for their children and they on their turn for theirs, thus accumulating and passing on wealth to the next generation.

Dutch mentality

Apart from that they are people who are very eager to learn and are very innovative. Education and developing oneself is an important and leading sentiment and pillar in the society. They have some of the oldest universities in the world such as that of Leiden and Delft. If you want to pursue a carrier, there are always plenty of opportunities or scholarships one can apply for. Education in comparison to most nations in the West is not expensive.

The Dutch People were very innovative in arts and sciences. Have a look at their famous painters such as: Frans Hals, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Lievens. Later Painters are: Mondrian, M.C. Escher.

Or contemplate their architecture: The Dutch People have their own typical architecture, especially the façade which they exported everywhere they went: South Africa (Cape Dutch Architecture), Curacao (Willemstad Handelskade: Unesco Heritage), Suriname (Paramaribo), Indonesia.

They were also good in Cartography: Ortelius Dutch/Flemish creator of world’s first modern Atlas in 1570 (Theatrum Orbis Terrarum) is an example.

Other discoveries, Inventions and innovations by the Dutch People are:

Microscope by Anthony van Leeuwenhoek (1674)
Thermostat by Cornelius Drebbel (1620)
Electro cardiograph : Willem Enthoven (1924)
Discovery of Vitamins: Christiaan Eijkman (1929)
Submarine Snorkel: J.J.Wichers (1939)
Optical phase contract Microscope by Frits Zernike: Nobel Prize 1953
Blood bank and artificial heart: Dr Willen Johan Kolff (1943, 1957)
Metronome original idea of Ditriech Nikolaus Winkel but Johann Maelzel took his idea and popularized it.

Multi Media inventions:

Compact Cassettes (1962 by Philips),
Compact Disk (1979 by Philips: Joop Sinjou and Sony: Toshitada Doi)
DVD 1996 and Blu-ray 2006 also by Philips and Sony
Eprom 1971: Erasable programable read only Memory by Amsterdam born Israeli Dov Frohman
Bluetooth 1990s by Dutch engineer: Jaap Heertsen and Swedish engineer: Sven Mattisson both working for Ericsson in Sweden.
Computer Science and programming: Edsger Dijkstra ‘s algorithm, was considered as one of the most popular and widely used and opening paths for what later came known as structural programming (1970).
Python a general-purpose high-level scripting and programming language by Guido van Rossum.

Food and beverages

The modern chocolate, as we know it today, was a joint concept of the van Houten family. Coenraad van Houten added Alkaline salts to Cacao removing its bitterness. Casparus van Houten patented a method of pressing the fat out of the roasted cacao beans and furthermore they made chocolate cheaper by the production of cacao powder. So, the era of Chocolate consumption was started.
Gin (Jenever 1650) also presumably originated from the Netherlands. It is a spirit made of juniper berries. It became widely popular during the reign of William III of Orange as king on the British throne, who took it to Britain. The Dutch physician Fransiscus Sylvius is often credited with the invention of gin although there are some doubts about it.

The Dutch People have also produced 20 Nobel Prize winners such as:

Jacobus Hendricus van ‘t Hof (1901: Chemistry and Physics laws in solutions),
Pieter Zeeman (1902, Discovery of the Zeeman effect),
Professor Hendrik Lorentz (1902, Mathematically explaining the Zeeman effect)
Johannes D. Van der Waal (1910, Physics intermolecular forces and equations)
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (Phycisist 1913: Superconductivity and material behavior around absolute zero degrees)
Tobias Asser (1911: Peace and international Laws)
Willem Enthoven (1924: Invention Electro Cardiogram)
Christiaan Eijkman (1929: Discovery of Vitamins)
Peter Debye (1936, Chemistry molecular structure)
Frits Zernike (1953, Physics: invention of the phase contrast microscope)
Jan Tinbergen (1969, Economics: dynamic models)
Nikolaas Tinbergen (1973, Physiology/ Biology behaviors in animals)
Tjaling Koopmans, (1975, economics studies of optimum allocation of resources)
Nicolaas Bloembergen (1981, Laser spectroscopy)
Simon van der Meer (1984, Physics discovery of the W and Z particles)
Paul J. Crutzer (1995, Ozone layer studies)
Martinus Veltman (1999, Physics in particle quantum Theory)
Gerard ‘t Hooft (Quantum Physics: 1999)
Andre Geim (2010, Physics of isolating single atomic layers of Graphene/graphite)
Ben Feringa (2016, Chemistry Nano technology in designing molecular machines)

Most famous was Professor Hendrik Lorentz for Physics who was visited by Albert Einstein in Leiden to exchange ideas regarding transformation equations relative to forces and relativity theories.

Music

Also, in modern Music the Dutch D J’s excel: Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Hardwell. All of them were once selected as the best of the world.

Sports

Football or Socceris the most popular sport in the Netherlands. They became 3 times second best of the world. Best known players are: Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Arjen Robben, Wesley Snijder and Robin van Persie.

Field hockeyboth male and female teams are the most successful teams of the world wining the world cup and Olympic medal several times.

Volleybal, They compete with world’s best teams

Iceskating, Several times world champions

Kickboxing:Rico Verhoeven is currently the champion of the world.

Tennishas produced the Dutch Wimbledon champion: Richard Krajicek (1977) and Betty Stöve second best (1969). Also the Double players Jaco Elthing/ Paul Haarhuis who won several Grand Slams.

Baseball is also a team sport they are good at participating with the best of the world. Dutch pitcher Kenny Jansen won the world series with the La Dodgers in 2020 .

Also, with swimming Dutch men and women have produced several Olympic gold medals: Pieter van den Hoogenband, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Inge de Bruijn: 4 times Olympic champion.

Cycling several Prizes and Olympic medals were achieved: Marianne Vos, Leontine van Moorsel, Joop Zoetermelk and Jan Janssen (Tour de France), Tom DuMoulin (Giro d’ Italia)

Dutchmen are moreover historically and traditionally explorers and traders and know that the Netherlands are not their universe nor the end of the universe. They always spread their horizons and go out and did business abroad back then and still do. They quickly concluded that you need to collaborate and share knowledge, if you want to grow and mean something in the community and in the world.

Important role in Europe

The Netherlands are important to Europe! Amsterdam and Rotterdam are important import and export sea havens and ports of Europe. The Dutchmen also have great multinationals like Phillips, AKZO, Shell and Unilever. They export besides cheese and flowers also: Machines equipment, spare parts, Natural gas, Floriculture, High-quality plastics, Metal products, meat, Dairy, Baby milk powder, vegetables and potatoes and Petroleum products.
They are especially famous for their flower cultivation and flower gardens such as the beautiful garden of Keukenhof, which is one of the main attractions for tourist all over the world.

Battle against the sea

They are of course unique in gaining land from the sea: The name Netherlands itself (which means low lands or below sea level lands) indicates that a whole lot of the land is under the sea level (approximately 50%) and would be inundated were there no dykes be built through the years to keep the sea on a distance.
The Dutch are also the ones who created Palm islands in Dubai (Jumeirah, Deira and Jebel Ali). These are artificial islands in the form of a Palm tree gained from the sea and built with Dutch engineering and dredging technology (van Oord company).
And last but not least, they are very social and look after others who do not so well. It’s all in the mentality of the Dutchmen.

Other talents

The Netherlands of all the countries in Europe is one of the few where languages as English and German are understood and being spoken. The reason for this is because they don’t do voice over. They prefer to have Dutch subtitles. In a way this helps the Dutch People to better understand and learn a foreign language.

One other thing the Dutch People are known for, is their liberalism. They are among the first who allowed soft drugs to be sold legally. The shop where these drugs such as weed, marihuana or hashish are sold is called in the Dutch language: Koffieshop.
Therefore, if you just want to buy a cup of coffee, do not enter a koffieshop, the smoke of Soft Drugs hanging there will deprive you from enjoy the cup of coffee if you are not aware and are not a drug user.
Other liberalism ideas are legalization of: Abortion, Euthanasia, Same sex marriage and Prostitution (considered as a tax paid legal business). All these activities are not appreciated by the religious groups in the Dutch Bible belt.

As a member of the European Union the Dutch people next to Germany have the strongest economy and are financially stable with only a population of 17 million. During the Corona COVID-19 Crisis they came up with a smart lock down strategy. This lockdown was different and smart in the sense that there was no need for a curfew. They allowed people to do shopping and certain other activities as long as the social distancing and other imposed restrictions as, refraining from handshakes, washing hands, cough in your elbow, were respected. They did cancel all mega events such as Football, The Formula 1 at Zandvoort with Max Verstappen the Dutch famous driver as candidate to win; The Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam of which they were the organizers after winning in 2019 with the song: Arcade by Duncan Laurence.
Also, in the medical field they are collaborating and fighting hard to find a vaccine against COVID-19 through their in Leiden based company Jansens Vaccines, bought by the American company Johnson & Johnson.

All of these items contributed to the Dutch wealth and prosperity. A small country of only 17 Million inhabitants but with a huge colorful history.

Ever been to Holland? Put it on your bucket list! it’s a fascinating country to visit. There are plenty of culture and things to see there.
Is Holland too far for you to travel to? And or you prefer sandy beaches and a nice tropical weather? Visit then instead Curacao, which is also known as Holland in the Caribbean!

Should you look for a nice place to stay on Curacao? Look no further. We recommend our Oceanfront Beach house villa with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, located on the sea shore with a sea terrace hovering above the sea. It has a ladder and its own unique access to the Caribbean Sea. So, you will have your own private access to the sea and snorkel in a coral rich area in front of your house.
It also has a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi and is situated in a beach resort Bocagentil near Beachclubs with sandy beaches of Jan Thiel bay.

Check us out at: https://villaseaparadisecuracao.com

Interested in staying with us? Contact us for more information about our oceanfront villa, one of the nicest and close to town! See the availability of Curacao vacation rentals: Villa Sea Paradise Curacao!

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Caribbean History

June 20, 2020February 28, 2020 by VSPC

Important Things to Know about the Caribbean

What are the most important things you need to KNOW about the history of Caribbean & Curacao?

Some of the most important things you need to know about the history of Caribbean is that it consists of 31 different islands and the three Guyana’s (the French, Dutch-Surinam and English speaking). These three Guyana’s countries do not pertain to the Caribbean but historical, cultural, linguistic and socio-economic they fit well among the Caribbean region. Furthermore, also territories of neighboring countries bordering the Caribbean Sea and islands of the countries located in the Caribbean Sea belong less or more to the Caribbean.

Origin of the Caribbean Name

The Caribbean name is derived from the Indian tribe called the Caribs. They were more ferocious than the Arowak Indians and were cannibals. They ate the Arawak men and married their wives. They formed the original inhabitants of the smaller Caribbean Islands up North.

The French, English, Spanish and Dutch colonized all these Caribbean Islands. The inhabitants of these islands all have a colonial past. There are even two islands, which consist of two parts: Hispaniola consisting of French speaking Haiti and Spanish speaking Dominican Republic and the island of St. Martin. St. Martin is divided in the Dutch and French sides.

Caribbean slaves

There was a significant trade in people on the Caribbean Islands, who were used as slaves, first the Indians but later especially the African black race. They were stronger than the Indians and could withstand heavy labor. These slaves worked on the rice, sugar, tobacco, salt, cotton and corn plantations. Only if you fall into the taste of the white boss, you may work indoors or near the mansion, which means less heavy workload.
Indians who were not capable for the hard work, were put on other islands, to herd goats.

The slaves were considered as a property of their boss. The women often served as maîtres of their white boss. These black women must always be available for their boss. There is a theory that claims as the reason why so many black men have concubines (no marriage attachment) finds their origin in this. That’s why there are so many single black mothers. The black men were not accustomed to bind to a woman because they have to share her anyway with the boss(es).

Caribbean Languages

About 70% of the Caribbean Islands speak Spanish. In the Caribbean they mainly speak four languages: Spanish, English, French and Dutch. The population is a mix of Europeans, Africans, Indian. Some islands like Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire have developed their own creole language (Papiamento), which is based on Spanish and Portuguese mixed with English and Dutch.

In Surinam they speak a Creole English which is called: Sranan Tongo and sometimes Taki Taki.

Caribbean Religion

The population is very religious; the majority of the populationof the Caribbean is Catholic. The locals in the Caribbean are also very superstitious especially in Haiti (Voodoo), some Spanish speaking islands (Santeria), Curacao (Brua) and Surinam (Winti) .

Origin of the Caribbean Music

Music and dance at the time was their means of communication and therapy to forget their sorrow on the plantation. Nowadays we see their fruits in the Salsa, Bachata, Meringue, Reggae, Kadans, Zouk and Calypso dance and song.

The Caribbean islands are also called Antilles and are divided in Greater and Lesser Antilles. Greater Antilles are: Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico. The rest of the islands are the lesser Antilles.

Caribbean hurricane Season & path

You need to know something about the Hurricane season of the Caribbean also before traveling to the Caribbean.

The Hurricane Season, which begins June 1 and ends November 30 could generate strong and devastating winds called Hurricanes.

The path these Hurricanes take is almost the same: Starting often in the Atlantic Ocean outside the Caribbean Archipelago they travel towards the USA passing first over northern Islands of the Lesser Antilles (from St Lucia up North) towards Greater Antilles passing Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas towards the Golf of Mexico and Florida.

During the early season(June-July), hurricane activity is typically quiet and what systems do form tend to occur in a fairly restricted area over the Gulf of Mexico or westernmost Atlantic Ocean.

During the August-September timeframe, decreased wind shear and increased water temperatures allow for more hurricanes to form anywhere throughout the North Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.

October can see substantial amount of hurricane activity, though they typically form in the western Caribbean or western Atlantic and tend to have tracks that often move quickly off toward the northeast.

There is always risk, especially during the peak period from late August to mid-October but if you’re eager to relax on a beach without worrying that your vacation could be ruined by a tropical storm-turned-hurricane moving toward your Caribbean paradise of choice, here are some islands that are historically hurricane-free or have a low risk of a direct hit.

Caribbean Hurricane belt

Not in the hurricane belt are: Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao (ABC), Providencia Island, San Andrés, and the islands off Venezuela.

Of the ABC Islands the “C” stands for Curacao and has not generally been in the path of major hurricanes. The last one close was Tomas in 2010 which was weakened to tropical storm status as it approached this Dutch island. It stalled and caused heavy flooding. A few years before that, Felix (2007) passed to the north and drenched Curacao and Omar (2008) formed nearby, also dumped heavy rain. But since a direct hit is rare, this island remains a good option if you want to experience the historic ambience of Willemstad, secluded beaches and vivid blue water.

Are you planning to go on vacation in the Caribbean but are confused about choosing a suitable destination?

If you like sun, sea, culture, entertainment and architecture, then is Curacao a nice place to be. On the diving area there is a lot to explore. Are also you looking for nightlife and casinos then you should not miss it.

Curacao is versatile. You don’t get bored.. It is a mixture of Dutch, American and Latin American culture. There is never a dull moment there!

Curacao’s weather is warm and dry, your vacation does not get spoiled with any rainy day’s. The island is as you can read above off the Huricane Belt. You can travel in any season you like.

We also recommend our oceanfront shore villa with sea terrace and a ladder to the Caribbean Sea. So you will have your own private access to the sea and snorkel in a coral rich area in front of your house. The villa is for 8 people and has 3 bathrooms.

You can visit the villa on the following website: https://Villaseaparadisecuracao.com

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Curacao Holiday House Vacation or Hotel Vacation

January 10, 2021February 3, 2020 by VSPC

Curacao Holiday house vacation or Hotel vacation?

Before you start planning your holiday to Curacao it is important to make an inventory of what type of Holidaymaker you are and what do you expect from an accommodation: Are you in for a Curacao hotel vacation or a Curacao Holiday house vacation?

Which type of Holiday?

Do you like a holiday where you have everything arranged for you or prefer going on a holiday to arrange everything yourself?

Are you a vacationer who loves privacy with a private swimming pool, private garden, lots of space around you and a spacious kitchen with appliances, not having to share anything with others? Are you someone who doesn’t like too many people around you, with all that crowd and noise. Or just the opposite you prefer to dwell among people. Get more among the locals and really get to know the island on own (See or top 10 recommendations).

Do you want to get your own groceries and prepare your own food and breakfast and occasionally let a private chef cook for you (need a Private Chef ?).

Served at beck and call or do it yourself

Or are you a vacationer who wants to have their holiday rooms full air conditioned, served at beck and call, tidy rooms every day with clean bath towels and beach towels. No need to cook and get groceries. In short, not having to do much and think much. Restaurants preferably in the same building and have a breakfast buffet every morning.

If you want to arrange a lot yourself and if the hustle and bustle of a hotel is too much for you, then a Curacao holiday house is more appropriate. Do you really want to be spoiled then a hotel is the best choice for you. Your budget also plays an important role here. It is just a matter of what is important to you. Where do you feel more at home? After all, you go on holiday to enjoy, have fun and get to know new places and people.

Here are a few characteristics of an hotel versus a holiday vacation home.

Curacao Hotel Vacation

24/7 physical crew at the help desk.
Rooms 24/7 full air conditioning
Unlimited use of water and electricity
Room service
Cleaning daily with bath towels and toilet paper
Refilling the minibar and coffee / tea
Restaurant usually in the hotel.
Opportunity to store suitcases
Help desk for booking activities, cars, taxis and trips
Laundry service available (for a fee)
Communal swimming pool
Common garden
Concierge
Valet parking
Usually breakfast buffet included
Activities for guests are organized daily
There is usually a casino in the hotel
Tip is expected from you
Late check-out not possible (book an entire day)
Difficult to stay in a room with a large group / family
Hotel is more expensive than a holiday house when travel with more people
A lobby / waiting room
Personal contact varies and changes at a hoteldesk

Curacao Holiday house Vacation

Limited free usage of electricity and water (usually max. Indicate per day)
Holiday vacation house is managed by a local or an owner
No physical manning available 24/7 in a holiday vacation house
Self check-in with a private code or welcomed by the facility manager
Cleaning after 7 nights free or for a fee.
The starter package is not refilled when cleaning
Extra cleaning against payment
Mostly they have private swimming pool and private garden
No opportunity to store suitcases
Washing machine and dryer available for washing your own clothes (at no extra costs)
Pick up groceries yourself or let it be done by others for a fee
Provide your own breakfast and dinner at home. Hiring a private chef is possible
Many spaces at your disposal. Everyone can withdraw in their own quarters
A starter package is offered upon arrival. Then top up yourself
Opportunity to prepare your own breakfast and dinner
Bedrooms do have an air conditioning but not in rest of the house
Possibility to rent a house with family or friends.
Holiday vacation house is cheaper than a hotel
Parking space right in front of your door
A lot is expected from the guests themselves (self-reliance).
Late check-out is possible for a fee
Guests are offered a contract and house rules to sign
A deposit is withheld and the house is thoroughly inspected afterwards
Personal contact with the owner of the holiday vacation house

A hotel can be very convenient as we have read above but that convenience comes with limited freedom of movement and a locked-in feeling. In a holiday vacation house you are immediately outside in the open air. Enjoying the nature, the peace, the sea, the view and the sounds of the birds. In our holiday vacation rental you can taste the salt of the sea right away, you can fish, swim, snorkel and scuba dive. You do everything at your own pace and in a familiar environment.

Curacao: Our holiday vacation house

Our holiday vacation house has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is suitable for 8 people. It is a detached ocean front house with direct access to the sea. You also have a large oval-shaped infinity swimming pool with jacuzzi in your holiday vacation house. A spacious kitchen and a large sitting room with a 180 degree panoramic sea view. The holiday house is equipped with a washing machine and dryer. You also have air conditioning and television in all bedrooms. The voltage in the vacation home is 220 Volts, just like in Europe. You can drink water from the tap and you can pay in stores with Euros or Dollars. There are 2 parking places in front of the door. It is a vacation house decorated in the Caribbean style. The holiday vacation house is located in the Boca Gentil resort in the Jan Thiel district on the east coast of Curaçao.

Boca Gentil resort is a 24 hour guarded resort with many shops nearby. Supermarkets, ATM machine, car rentals, restaurants, casino, bars and beaches are all within walking distance.

It is now up to you to choose which accommodation suits you best, a hotel or a holiday home? If you choose a holiday home, then you are more than welcome to stay with us.

Looking for a place to stay? Interested in staying with us? Contact us! For more information about our oceanfront villa, one of the nicest and close to town, check the availability and book Curacao vacation rentals: Villa Sea Paradise Curacao!

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3 most Delicious Caribbean Cocktails

June 20, 2020January 5, 2020 by VSPC

3 most delicious Caribbean cocktails

When we think of the Caribbean we think of the turquoise blue sea, white sandy beaches, coconut trees, sunny weather, Caribbean rhythm’s and of course of the colorful delicious cocktails. The 3 most delicious Caribbean Cocktails are: Piña Colada, Blue Hawaii and Blue Lagoon

The first most drank cocktails in the Caribbean is: Piña Colada.

It has a fresh and sweet taste and it is best drink after a swim in the turquoise blue sea. So how do we make this cocktail?

In Curacao we make this Piña Colada as follows:

Step 1 is to find a good pineapple juice. If the pineapple juice is to sweet or to sour it can make your cocktail taste bad.

Step 2 is to find some good coconut milk, it does not have to be fresh coconut milk, the ones in a can are also a good option.

Step 3 we put some pieces of fresh pineapple fruit in the cocktail to make it taste extra good.

Step 4 is adding condensed milk; very important. It will give sweetness to the cocktail and make the substance thick. The last step but not least is Step 5 the alcohol; find yourself a good white rum, such as Bacardi rum to add the finishing touch to your cocktail. But beware! If you put too much alcohol into the cocktail, it can dominate the whole taste. So now we have all the ingredients but how much of each do we put in the cocktail?

Let say we have a get-together of 11 persons then we suggest to make 2 liters of Piña Colada.

For 2 liters we use:

400 ml coconut milk
400 ml pineapple juice
400 ml condensed milk
1 can of pineapple (400 ml) with the included juice(
Between (300-500 ml) white rum (Bacardi)

(You can also make this Piña Colada virgin then simply leave the Bacardi rum out).

These ingredients should be all put in the blender to be mixed and then stored in the fridge, so it can get cooled. If you do not have time to cool it in the fridge you can also use ice cubs or what I prefer (plastic ice cubes) which will not dilute or watered down your cocktail. Now you are done to enjoy one of the most delicious cocktails preferable on the beach watching the Sun go down.

Another delicious cocktail is: Blue Hawaii

Blue Hawaii cocktail does not sound very Caribbean, but the ingredients say otherwise. The reason why this cocktail is named “blue” is because the liquor named “Blue Curacao”. This liquor is made in Curacao from a fruit relative to the orange family but much bitter called Larah. This Blue Curacao is used in different cocktails. This liquor is very famous in the Caribbean and also very famous in Curacao, since it was invented by the Catholic monks on the island. This ingredient gives the Blue Hawaii cocktail its very own blue color and also gives it a fruity flavor.

So what do we need to make this delicious cocktail?

Step 1: pineapple juice, very important ingredient for lots of Caribbean cocktails.

Step 2: lime, this element will give some sour freshness to the cocktail.

Step 3: coconut cream, this will make the cocktail thick and juicy.

Step 4: Blue Curacao it will make the cocktail blue and let it taste fruity.

Step 4: some more alcohol and in this case, we use white rum (Bacardi).

Step 5: condensed milk; is very important. It will give sweetness to the cocktail and makes the substance thick. If you want to make Blue Hawaii cocktail at you vacation home for friends and relatives of 11 persons. You need the following.

For about 2 liters we use:

300 ml coconut cream or 400 ml coconut milk
600 ml pineapple juice
300 ml condensed milk
200 mL white rum (Bacardi)
100 ml lime
250 ml Blue Curacao

If the substance is too thick add some ice cubes in the mix or some cold water. This cocktail is good to enjoy when you are planning to party the night away.

Last of the three is: Blue Lagoon cocktail

Another Party cocktail for anytime of the day on a Caribbean island of Curacao is the “Blue Lagoon”. This cocktail is very light and less heavy than Piña Colada and Blue Hawaii. The reason why this cocktail is also part of this list of three is because of “Blue Curacao” which transform every cocktail in a Caribbean exotic drink because of its color and its splendid fruity taste. This cocktail is also a lot easier to make and you don’t need to have a blender for this one.

So what are the ingredients?

The ingredients of Blue Lagoon cocktail are: Blue Curacao, White rum (Bacardi), Sprite and lemon. It is very easy to make especially if you are a beginner. The only downside is that you cannot store your delicious cocktail because bubbles of the sprite will not remain forever in your drink. But that is a really good reason to drink it all up in one night.

For about 1,5 liter we use:

100 ml of a lemon
1 liter Sprite/ 7 up
300 ml white rum
150 ml Blue Curacao

With these 3 Caribbean cocktails you are ready to enjoy your vacation on the beach during the day and at night. And you can also enjoy some cocktail making and have fun with your friends!

In our vacation house on Curacao we have several cocktail recipe booklets. See https://villaseaparadisecuracao.com

There you have several options to help you make and try different cocktails. If you do not want to take the effort to make your own cocktails, you can order a delicious cocktails in one of the bars at Jan Thiel Beach. At Jan Thiel Beach there are 3 beach club bars where you can order delicious cocktails. On Friday evenings you have Happy hour at Jan Thiel Beach, and then all your drinks are for half the price.

Because believe me there is nothing so delicious and relaxing to sit on your sea terrace at sunset with your favourite cocktail in your hand with relatives and friends.

Interested in staying with us? Contact us for more information about our oceanfront villa, one of the nicest and close to town! See the availability of Curacao vacation rentals: Villa Sea Paradise Curacao!

January 5, 2020

Vacation house: Villa Sea Paradise Curacao

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What To Do – Golf

June 20, 2020August 27, 2017 by VSPC

The Golf Area closest by Villa Sea Paradise Curacao is the Santa Barbara Resort. It is like 20 minutes drive. At Santa Barbara Resort, the Old Quarry golf course is right on the sea. This golf course is still relatively new (April 2010) and was designed by Pete Dye.

You can see the sea of the Spanish Water from almost all holes (72 Par). Of course also on this golf course there is a hole in which you hit across the sea! At first sight it seems ‘just like’ a golf course, but when you hit your balls you notice that there is a lot of challenge and variation in the Old Quarry Golf Course.

18 holes, par 72
GVB required
Great, fast greens
Driving range present

Measuring 6,920 yards from the championship tees, the golf course is complemented by an 8,000 square-foot clubhouse featuring a fully stocked golf shop, locker rooms, restaurant and lounge.

Villa Sea Paradise Curacao

Your Ocean Front Vacation Rental in the Caribbean