Throwback Post: Solo Birthday Trip to Curacao.

When I first started planning my birthday for this year I knew I wanted to go outside of the US to somewhere I haven't been yet. I thought about Aruba, but knew some people I planned to invite had already gone there. Thanks to Google, I found out about the ABC islands-- Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire-- and since Bonaire was the smaller island, Curacao was the winner. And what a beautiful island it is. 

So how did I end up on a birthday trip alone? Well, one person didn't like the layovers available, one waited too long to buy a flight, one made plans later in the month with other people, two are in school, and only one purchased a ticket. Due to this, I planned on scratching the whole thing, but since American Airlines is trash it became a solo trip.

Now I'm an itinerary type of girl and planned my behind off for Curacao. A few of the places I wanted to visit were a bit of a drive so I rented a car and word of advice, please make sure you read *everything* when booking. I may have accidentally rented a stick shift and had to rent another car at the last minute... I was still able to whip it in the Curacao streets though. I also stayed at the Saint Tropez Boutique Hotel which was in a central area to shops and restaurants. Needless to say, I walked a lot and was great considering I ate a lot too.

What I did
- Curaçao Liqueur Distillery Tour ($17)
This tour of the distillery was a fun one! They have some photo opps, a museum like section with more detailed information on the history of how the bottle and liqueur are made. Your ticket also includes a drink which was so refreshing for a hot day! 

- Trip to Klein Beach ($138)
I spent my birthday on a trip to Klein Beach with Miss Ann Boat Trips. This trip included breakfast, lunch, and a free cocktail at the end of the trip! Full transparency I booked with them because they had access to a restroom, but the crew was incredibly friendly and made sure I enjoyed my day especially since I was the only one on the ride who booked alone.

While the view of the water was indescribable, the amount of lizards I saw was out of this world!!!! As a native Floridian, I'm already on pause for stepping outside because I don't like creatures. So to go out of the country and see them SO LARGE...girl. By 12pm I was ready to get TF ASAP. As a a matter of fact, a few even visited us during breakfast and lunch. I ate with my feet up on the benches.

ParfumLab ($40)
As the internet girlies have influenced me into becoming more interested in fragrances I thought it was would a cool idea to create my own scent. ParfumLab had so many scents to choose from and the most helpful and patient employees. When I went the associate only spoke Spanish, but we figured it out and let's just say I'm Mariah Carey obsessed with the scent I have. It's a light scent with fruity and vanilla notes. So good. 

-Shete Boka National Park ($10)
In my quest to step outside of my comfort zone, I literally stepped outside for quite an adventure. Prior to driving the 45 minutes it takes to get there, I decided the morning of was the perfect time to read some reviews on this park. One was the top review mentions were, you guessed it, lizards. One comment even said "lizards everywhere!!". I almost talked myself out of going especially after what I saw in Klein, but I pressed on.

When you arrive at the park and pay, they'll provide you a map of walking and driving trails. I did my best to drive where I could and after I was ambushed by a heard of goats (which I'm claiming as this year being my GOAT year), and saw some sheep go from one side of the park to another it was at that moment I was done. The Boka Tabla was really what I wanted to see so I turned the car around and saw the most beautiful view. Got a ton of salt water on me, but it was worth it. I almost didn't want to leave but saw a lizard run by and it was a wrap.


Where I ate
I mostly went out to eat for dinner and was intentional with eating during sunset. When the sun sets and paints the sky all kinds of colors is one of my favorite things to see. 

- Mundo Bizzaro

If you choose to stop by this quaint place, PLEASE go on a Thursday night. It's when they have live music and just really gives you a great vibe. Lucky for me I went during Carnival time and in place of their typical salsa night, the restaurant had a carnival parade! It was so cool to see. I'd suggest if you do go to make reservations as it gets really busy around 8pm. 

- Fort Nassau
I wanted a Michelin star experience for my birthday so I made a reservation here. The views alone is what drew me in, but their menu had me not wanting to leave. I had some salmon and a glass of red and a festive "Happy Birthday" sign at my table. When it was time for the check, my waiter brought out a firework candle for me as an extra bonus to the experience.

- Mood Beach

I had planned to go here for brunch, because their Instagram showed it's a live scene, but instead I went for dinner. The food was...subpar as there weren't that many options (I got the truffle pasta with shrimp), but the decor and scenery were beautiful! I'll probably try their brunch next time.

- Bliss The Berry*
This is the only place I went during the day instead of for dinner, and it was all because of their boho chair photo opp. Unfortunately for me, I never did get that picture because it was raining by the time I finished, I had gas to get, and a flight to catch. The food was very good though. They advertise their acai bowls and smoothies on socials a lot so I may try that next time.

I should also mention I stopped at a supermarket to pick up some water because a girl has to stay hydrated, and some other snacks too. I had no idea what most of the food was since it was in Dutch and I completely forgot to use my Google Translate app, so I stayed safe and just picked up some waffles for breakfast and chips to snack on. Very basic, but it worked!

I've already told the people I met who live there that they'll see me again, because it's such a lovely island filled with so many people who looked like me. I was shocked actually, but apparently the history of the island is dark...similar to the US if you will. Not a fan of that, and I hope they're doing a better job than the US as far as treatment goes.

Well, that's all for now. Byeee!