Upon entering Curacao, don't be surprised to hear people saying "Bonbini" to you! This means "Welcome" in the language called Papiamento, which is a mixture of the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, English, and Arawak Indian languages. The largest island of the Netherland Antilles is full of exciting activities and interesting sights like the many markets, coral reefs, underground and underwater caves, golden beaches, remarkable fishing, championship golf, and exuberant nightlife. The island's gentle, leisurely lifestyle and storybook towns lend a touch of its Dutch roots to this tropical retreat. Discovered in 1499 by a lieutenant of Columbus, it was declared useless because there was no gold. By 1634, the natives were conquered by the Dutch who used its excellent harbors for military exercises.

Today, leisure boats fill the waters and the idyllic climate and landscape are their own kind of gold. The 19th-century plantations now welcome visitors as inns, museums, and restaurants. The miles of golden beaches and palm trees, the Dutch ambiance of the capital Willemsted, soca, meringue, and tambu music, and cultural festivals give Curacao a dual personality of Caribbean zest mixed with European style.