Curaçao Went Mega Viral During The World Cup So I Had To Check It Out And Here's Exactly What I Thought

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I emotion a formation vacation. While I'm not usually a sit-on-the-beach benignant person, I bask laying by the pool, eating delicious food, enjoying a fewer cocktails, and conscionable soaking successful the views. It's a vacation, not "travelling".

Person taking a selfie connected a formation with wide bluish h2o and a sandy enactment successful the background

And for immoderate crushed Curaçao has ever been a apical destination for me, arsenic acold backmost arsenic simple school. I vividly retrieve a geography duty wherever I needed to take a state to bash a study on, and for immoderate crushed my 10 twelvemonth aged caput chose Curaçao. Did I cognize thing astir Curaçao anterior to that? No sir.

Large shot shot monument and flagpole with a emblem successful a nationalist area, with modern buildings and trees successful the background

So the beingness did its thing, arsenic it usually does, and erstwhile the good folks astatine Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort reached retired to spot if I wanted to alert to Curaçao, relax, recharge and be the North Sea Jazz Festival? I've ne'er deed "reply" truthful speedy successful my full life.

Two woody swings bent nether a framework labeled "Curacao Marriott," acceptable connected a sandy formation with a presumption of rocks and the ocean

After a longgggggg question time (in which I was connected 3 antithetic aircrafts, acknowledgment to upwind issues that started successful Toronto) I yet arrived successful Curaçao and a blistering 32°C. Was I hot? Yes. Was I sweating? Also yes. But did this unthinkable presumption greet maine arsenic I walked into the lobby? You cognize it. And did my accent instantly evaporate? You betcha.

Scenic presumption of an outdoor patio overlooking a lush garden, pool, and water nether a wide sky. Silhouetted chairs and tables successful the foreground

Now, if you didn't cognize (and didn't bash a study connected it erstwhile you were besides 10) Curaçao is an land successful the Caribbean. It's considered portion of the "ABC Islands" which consists of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. It's besides a constituent state of the Netherlands which means radical talk a full lotta Dutch. English is perfectly common, but Dutch oregon Papiamentu is much communal betwixt locals. There's besides a full batch of play successful regards to the Netherlands, colonialism, and autonomy which I won't unpack here, but it's beauteous fascinating.

Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire successful the Caribbean Sea, adjacent the seashore of Venezuela

Now, whoever said the country doesn't substance connected vacation, hasn't met me. Even if I'm not spending a batch of clip successful said room, a bully spot to extremity your nighttime makes you consciousness similar a cardinal bucks.

Hotel country with 2 neatly made treble beds, decorative leaf-patterned wallpaper, and a presumption of the water done ample windows

And instrumentality a look astatine this view, it's fundamentally a cardinal dollar view. The country is bully too. But that view...

A serene formation country with thenar trees, wide bluish water, and a sandy enactment nether a wide sky

Now I won't lie, erstwhile I heard they wanted to nonstop maine to the North Sea Jazz Festival I was a small perplexed. While jazz euphony is large and all, it's not thing I would spell to a festival for. Also, broadside note: this was my archetypal euphony festival ever. I know. I don't emotion crowds. And portion the festival was busy, it was dispersed retired capable wherever I didn't consciousness similar a sardine successful a tin can.

Crowd gathers astatine the Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival stage, acceptable for a philharmonic show nether illuminated signage

But erstwhile I work the lineup, I was instantly hooked. Sean Paul was there. Gente de Zona was there. J Balvin was there. Jon Batiste. THE JACKSONS*. Never did I deliberation seeing the Jacksons would beryllium connected my bingo paper successful 2026, mostly due to the fact that I'd astir apt ne'er actively take to spot the Jacksons if they came to my town, but I'm gladsome I did!

Kyle Richmond / BuzzFeed

* Technically it was conscionable Marlon since 1 of his brothers was having ft surgery.

The festival was incredible. Seeing unrecorded euphony and being capable to conscionable benignant of locomotion astir and not beryllium stuck successful immoderate 1 spot was really incredible. Is this what I've been missing retired on? And the information that it's a nighttime festival was adjacent better. Yes, it was inactive beauteous lukewarm retired but you didn't request to dodge the prima and could conscionable bask the performances.

Band Toto performing connected signifier with Earth and sword logo successful the background. Members play instruments nether dynamic signifier lighting

Kyle Richmond / BuzzFeed

Sadly, I missed Toto play "Africa" since I had to marque my mode to Sean Paul's set.

Oh, did I notation I besides got Dutch Fries astatine the festival? If you interruption it down, definite it's conscionable fries and mayo. But portion successful the Netherlands (or astatine slightest a constituent state of the Netherlands), there's genuinely thing better. They had a batch of different large food, but I was lone funny successful these babies.

Hand holding a instrumentality of fries topped with a creamy condiment astatine a nighttime outdoor event. People and lights are blurred successful the background

Sean Paul aka Dutty Paul, was by acold my favourite show of the weekend. I stayed up to the wee hours of the greeting watching him execute from his immense catalogue including "Temperature" and "Get Busy." My small millennial bosom was having a large ol' time.

Performers connected signifier astatine a performance with assemblage members capturing photos

Speaking of Sean, 1 time I was swimming successful the excavation portion this chartless antheral was doing laps beside me. Didn't deliberation thing of it until I went swimming successful the water wherever I eavesdropped connected him talking to idiosyncratic connected the enactment and I caught that distinctive Jamaican accent — I was swimming with Sean Paul. New enactment speech unlocked.

Man relaxes successful a beachfront excavation nether thenar trees, soaking up the prima with a serene water presumption successful the background

On Saturday, my caller person Paco from the hotel, took america into Willemstad to spot the sights. And this is wherever the memories from 30+ years agone came flooding back. Those iconic, brightly coloured buildings starring into my psyche from crossed the harbour. While the edifice is simply a large time, THIS is the Curaçao I remember. Next clip I'm here, I'm gonna person to enactment successful the city.

Scenic presumption of colorful waterfront buildings with distinctive European architectural benignant nether a partially cloudy sky, alongside a calm assemblage of water

Did Curaçao unrecorded up to the hype I created successful my ain head? 150%. Little Kyle from 30 years agone would beryllium beauteous impressed helium got to instrumentality a travel and acquisition the civilization helium learned astir for that report. I would emotion for a travel to Curaçao and a play astatine the North Sea Jazz Festival to go an yearly tradition. The vibes, the people, and the views — beauteous spectacular.

Sunny formation with calm waves, bare lounge chairs, umbrellas, and a mates of thenar trees nether a partially cloudy sky

Have you ever been to Curaçao? What bash you think? Leave maine immoderate suggestions beneath truthful I tin bookmark for my adjacent trip.

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