Curious About Curacao

Curaçao - March 20-30, 2026

A pair of Curaçao flamingoes

A nice sunset from the beach at the Curaçao Marriott
Beach Resort 

Who knew that Curacao was one of four countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Having landed in Amsterdam a few times, the author assumed the kingdom was  just the European country of the Netherlands itself. It turns out though that the kingdom includes three countries in the Caribbean too. Curacao, Aruba and Sint Maarten are also self-governing states within the kingdom.  All three of these island nations are located in the West Indies and this year Curacao gained notoriety as the smallest country to make it into the FIFA World Cup. 

Curacao is home to about 160,000 citizens. They are self-governing except for foreign relations and defence which are managed entirely by the Dutch government. One of the cool things that Mr. Gym and his lovely sidekick learned during their stay there was that the locals learn to speak four languages in school. Papiamento is a Creole language that all native Curacaoans use daily. They also learn Dutch as citizens of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. English is necessary due to the overwhelming percentage of tourists that speak that language and tourism is the primary driver of the economy. Finally, due to the fact that the South American mainland is only 40 miles away, Spanish is a language that is critical as well. One morning after the dynamic duo were seated for breakfast, the server opened up in Dutch until Mrs. Gym answered in English. Gym and his dear wife with their fair skin and practical bearing must have looked Dutch. The locals are so lucky to be multi-lingual.

Curacao itself is a true desert island. The interior is very much like an Arizona landscape. It is a cactus-strewn, semi-arid environment that gives it a very "Southwestern" feel. To set it apart from the American Southwest though, in the middle of the island, there is a shallow and saline lake that is home to a large flock of flamingoes. The traveling twosome spotted several of these bright pink birds the day they toured the island with a good local guide. They also explored the beautiful capital city of Willemsted, the best beaches on the island  and the Atlantic coast that is a nasty place to swim in but a beautiful place to explore. On the west side of the island the desert gives way to bougainvillea and palm trees where the ocean-front subdivisions have been developed. That is where most of the nicer resorts are located.

Because Mr. and Mrs. Gym had been very loyal customers of Bonvoy Hotels, their 10-day stay on Curacao was paid for in points. The Curacao Marriott Beach Resort was their home base for this trip. It is really a very well-kept spot with many great amenities including beautiful gardens, two nice pools (one is adults only), several good restaurants and nice clean rooms. The service was not completely up to Marriott standards in a couple of areas though. In terms of location, the hotel is a four-kilometre walk from Queen Wilhelmina Park in downtown Willemstad. There is seaside walkway that stretches along the coast for most of the way, then you must use the sidewalk along Pater Euwensweg Street until you get to St. Anne Bay and then you cross to scenic old town on the floating pedestrian bridge. Downtown there are several shops, a number of nice eateries and some cool watering holes.

The best thing about staying at the Marriott was the view of the great sunsets that we witnessed from our balcony or the beach.

Entrance to the resort

A sunset from the balcony

Not a day to go downtown

Monument to the USS Erie that was torpedoed
by a German U-Boat in WW2 is situated close to
the Marriott

A "Southwestern" landscape

Venezuelan Troupial a loud and very bold bird of Curacao

Mrs. G near Cas Abao Beach

A visit to the Curacao Distillery

Inside the Distillery

Driving over the Queen Juliana Bridge

The Rif Fort has protected the harbour since 1868 and is now
an Entrance to the Renaissance Hotel

Mar & Tierra 91 Restaurant - 5/5

Cas Abao Beach - really nice!

Another great sunset from the beach at the Marriott

Gym loves sushi

Street Art in Willemstad

Govenor's Palace from the Queen Emma floating pedestrian bridge

Queen Juliana Bridge from the Queen Emma Bridge

The iconic Handelskade Waterfront from the Queen Emma Bridge

Another great sunset from the deck of the Bientu Steak & Fish House

Pearls of the Orient 2026 - Hong Kong and Conclusion

View of Hong Kong waterfront from 110th floor of 
Ritz Carlton

Hong Kong was the third and last stop on the "Pearls of the Orient" 2026 tour. The travellers arrived there late in the afternoon on January 14, 2026. 

The first city featured in this blog is Hong Kong. That was 15 years ago when our hero and his lovely sidekick started a 65-day, round-the-world journey. Since that time in 2011, our travellers have been back there on short layovers but never have they made it beyond the airport and the nearby hotels on Lantau Island. It was time they ventured back into this great city.

This time the dynamic duo would stay on the Kowloon side and look across to Hong Kong Island. Last time, the they bunked over on Hong Kong Island looking across at the cruise ship terminal and the brand new International Commerce Centre (ICC) that loomed over Kowloon. The 118-storey ICC is still the tallest building in the city and had just been completed in 2010. It is anchored in the massive, three-level Elements Mall, containing one million square feet of retail space on three levels. At  the very top of the ICC sits the Ritz Carlton Hotel and that is where Mr. and Mrs. G would be camping for three nights before they had to return to snowy Canada.

Yes, it was a pricey stay but it was a wonderful way to conclude the Pearls of the Orient adventure. The Ritz covers the top 16 floors of the ICC tower and Mr. G and his dear wife would set up camp in a nice south-facing room, on the 110th floor. They would have floor-to ceiling windows through which they could enjoy captivating views of Hong Kong Island. This was the exact opposite direction the travellers faced 15 years before.

They only really had two full days in the city but they would cover a lot of ground. On the first day, they would retrace some old steps on Hong Kong Island  and on the second day they would break some new ground and see some new places. On that first night though, they went for a walk around West Kowloon Art Park and viewed the 8pm laser show from ground level before dining at Cafe 103 on the 103rd floor of the Ritz and retiring for the night.

Day One (January 15, 2026):

In the morning, they hoofed it down Austin Road and turned right on Canton Road. Then they nipped into Kowloon Park, a massive green space in this densely populated urban area. Eventually they found themselves on Salisbury Road, where they checked to see that the grand ole Peninsula Hotel was still there and then headed over to the Tsim Sui Tsui Clock Tower. They were about to cross Victoria Harbour on the iconic Star Ferry. This ferry has been crossing Victoria Harbour since 1888. Despite modern road and rail routes that speeds through tunnels below the harbour, if you like some nostalgia, the fun way to cross is via the celebrated green and white ferries that still cost just pennies for a one-way ticket. 

Once on the island, the travellers strolled through the IFC Mall and very soon found themselves at the front door of the Four Seasons Hotel. This was their home base in 2011 and they fondly remember the wonderful stay that they had in that outstanding hotel. From there they entered the Central Elevated Walkway system to work their way south to the Central Market and the start of the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator. This was all upgraded in 2018 and was much improved from the 2011 version. The 800 meter outdoor escalator which is now covered and widened, climbing vertically 145 meters up the mountain.

Once you hit Conduit Road you have to exit the escalator and continue on foot. Our hero had already checked a majority of the boxes on his day-plan but he still had 3 empty boxes left on this quest. He beckoned his lovely sidekick to follow him on a short hike, east along Conduit Road in the direction of the Peak Tram Station. He found it in 2011 and he would find it again. Sure enough, after about a kilometre cross-slope hike he found the Peak Tram Station and his dear wife paid for two tickets. Just as in 2011, they rode this funicular up about 370 vertical meters to almost the top of Victoria Peak. Again, the travellers benefited from an expensive retro-fit to the whole system completed in 2022.  They ate lunch up there with a view down across Victoria Harbour. After lunch they rode the tram down and returned to Kowloon via taxi through the tunnel the emerges on the other side right next to the Ritz. They had had a busy Day One.

Day Two (January 16, 2026):

On the morning of the second and last full day in Kowloon, they would break new ground. The intrepid travellers humped it out of the Elements Mall and towards the old Mong Kok District. This is one of the most densely populated parts of the city. It is a maze of new and old, mostly residential high-rises and at the base of every building are a line of small independent shops. On one street there will be multiple shops selling men's watches. On the next street it will be shop after shop of toys. Then comes sneaker street where you can haggle with a dozen proprietors for the same model of Nike. All these shops are competing with each other for your attention. The streets are narrow and the sidewalks are crowded but if you don't mind crowds you can blend in seamlessly. Our hero wanted to locate the famous Flower Market and the adjacent Bird Park. Thank God for GPS and Google Maps! After being lead astray by Apple Maps and finding that they found themselves in a row of small engine mechanic shops, our hero went to Google Maps and soon they stumbled into block after block of orchids and banzai trees. Their scences were stimulated by pleasing fragrances and vibrant visuals. Across the street and through a gate the Bird Park beckoned with cage after cage of pet birds of every description from large parrots to tiny song birds of every imaginable colour and character. If you want to buy an orchid or a parakeet Mr. G can now guide you to the right place in Kowloon.

That evening the travellers had a nice meal in the base of the Elements Mall near the indoor skating rink and retired to their room early so that one last time, they could witness the 8PM laser show from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 110th floor. Their Cathy Pacific flight left Hong Kong at 1 AM on the 17th and they could only enjoy a few hours of rest in that unforgettably high perch above Victoria Harbour.

All three Pearls of the Orient; Penang, Koh Samui and Hong Kong had been thoroughly enjoyed and it was time to return to the western Canadian winter.

P.S. February turned out to be a very comfortable month in Calgary. While the eastern part of North America suffered through a brutal winter the snow melted at home and Gym and his lovely bride enjoyed the warm chinook winds all month long.

Stay tuned

The beautiful Cafe 103 with its incredible view
of Hong Kong

Hong Kong laser show from ground level

Pictures From Day One:

A colourful scene in Kowloon Park

A likeness of a waving panda in Kowloon Park

The grand ole Peninsula Hotel

An iconic Star Ferry

The Boss relaxing on the Victoria Harbour crossing

Tram coming into the station

Looking back at ICC from The Peake

The actual peak of Victoria Mountain fro the Peake Building

A highrise condo built on the steep mountain slope 
taken from the tram

Inside the tram

Pictures from Day Two:

Yes, they still use bamboo scaffolding

The Bird Park

The cages were clean and the birds seemed happy

One of the multitude of shops with beautiful displays of colourful flowers
in The Flower Market

Pearls of the Orient - 2026: Koh Samui cont.

 

View from the front entrance of the W Koh Samui

The dynamic duo arrived to Koh Samui quite late on January 7, 2026, so they couldn't begin to explore the property until the next morning. They woke up the next day to a wet and windy morning. It was overcast and the seas were a bit churned up by the inclement weather. They visited the beach that morning to find it was deserted and then they went to breakfast. Later that day the skies and the seas began to clear and it was bright and sunny for the rest of their time at the resort.

The W Koh Samui is built on a very secluded slice of paradise. Just 200 meters from the Ring Road it sits at the tip of a promontory that separates Bo Phut Beach from Maenam Beach. The front entrance of the resort sits at the summit of the headland and from the open air front office, one can take in an incredible view of the Andaman Sea, across an infinity pool, while checking-in. Unfortunately for Gym and his dear wife it was too dark to take in that incredible view when they arrived but they marvelled at that view several times during their stay.

Most of the accommodations are arranged on a gentle slope rising up from the beach. The slope steepens considerably when you climb back towards the front gate. Built into the headland below the front entrance are multiple levels of the public areas of the hotel, including the fitness room, spa, infinity pool, sundeck, main restaurant and reception area. Each level has great views of the green flora-covered slopes that run down into the aqua coloured sea beyond. From the restaurant on a clear day you can see the outline of two fringing reefs that are separated by a line running out from the furthest northern point of the beach.  There out on that point, a big "W" has been planted. The soft and smooth fine-grained, white sand was smoothed and well maintained by the hotel staff. 

To access all the hotel services in the common areas you can call for a golf cart, take an elevator or climb about ten stories of stairs. Our hero and his fetching bride never once took a golf cart or the elevator and climbed the stairs at least twice a day, to access various hotel amenities. Breakfast alone was a 164-stair climb each morning but the views as one climbed from level to level made all of the exertions worthwhile.

Our travellers love to walk and just about every day they climbed up the hill and hiked out to the Ring Road. Most days they would turn left and continue on to Fisherman's Village. There they would treat themselves to a drink or a meal overlooking Bo Phut Beach, at one of the many excellent eateries or watering holes. One evening they took in the night market that they had also visited in 2023. This is where the author needs to comment about the walkability of this Koh Samui paradise. Simply put, the island is not very walkable. Where they exist, sidewalks are uneven and narrow. They are often punctuated by utility poles, parked scooters or vehicles. This makes it necessary to walk out onto the road periodically, to get to your destination. It is a a good idea to always stay alert for traffic on the roads, when you step off the sidewalks and don't tempt approaching traffic too much. Having said that, everyone's  a Buddhist in Thailand so they will avoid harming a tourist, if at all possible.

Aside from walkability concerns, Koh Samui and the most excellent W Hotel provided for a wonderfully relaxing week for Gym and Mrs. Gym. They thoroughly enjoyed their week on the island. However, all good things must come to an end and on January 14, 2025 they boarded a Bangkok Airways Airbus 319 for a direct flight to Hong Kong. The homeward journey had begun but the travellers would be spending a few days in Hong Kong on the way back.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Pearls of the Orient!

A view of the private back yard of their 
beach bungalow

A view from breakfast out to the Andaman Sea.
You can see the outline of the fringing reefs.

Tiger always there to greet you at the front gate when you
go on your walkabouts

Mrs. G always likes a good Aperol Spritz

View of Bo Phut Beach from Fisherman's Village
cocktail emporium

Visit to Wat Phra Yai, Buddhist Temple

Gym had to gong all the bells
surrounding Buddha - for good luck

more art at Wat Phra Yai

another shot overlooking Bo Phut Beach

A hike out from the resort