One of three destinations that Suriname migrant workers wish to reach. The other being Aruba and Brazil. We van't visit there because we have a few Cambodian passports, but I remember there being a special agreement between Aruba and Curacao, that Surinamers can visit without an EU Schengen visa, but I don't know the details.
Aruba was one of the worst experiences of our lives, as we ended up stranded at the airport for around 19 hours, something that I guess doesn't happen very often, and there was a big logistical snafu that caused us to be detained for several hours. They encouraged us to visit the beach, but then realized we weren't eligible for visas, so had to keep is in the airport. It was a little weird to see such a beautiful tropical destination through the glass and then fly off to Mudville, Suriname.
The Surinamers say Aruba and Curacao are more Dutch-minded, and the architecture certainly looks so. Those old colonial buildings have mostly been destroyed by termites here, with little effort to save most of them. Curacao looks like a movie set, things so perfectly painted and preserved. I wonder how the tourism downturn has affected this place...
While they have a nice tourist trade, they also are invested heavily in finance. But, with such a small population and the fact that locals don't pay the same price as the tourists, most hotels had massive layoffs or shut their doors for now.
I don't really like Aruba and if I don't have to, I won't go there again. It doesn't have the beauty that the rest of the Caribbean does. Aruba is an attractive location for people to live. It is very safe, has a high standard of living, So you and I have different needs. I like Eagle Beach there and there are a few cool things, but, overall, I have been there four times, and two times would have been enough. Tourism is the biggest moneymaker in Aruba. The island's poor soil and low rainfall limit its agricultural prospects, aloe cultivation, livestock, and fishing contribute to Aruba's economy.
Curacao had closed their borders to Venezuela and their trade last year I believe. I am not sure where they stand now.
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