Free Flights to Cuba – Offer Extended to May 25th!

Horse-drawn carriage on the streets of Santa Clara, Cuba

Note: Free airfare from Miami to Cuba was originally offered exclusively to my readers who booked the June trip to Cuba with Discover Corps, but the registration deadline for that tour has passed. Discover Corps has kindly extended the offer for their July tour as well. See below for details: I’m back in the U.S. … Read more

Piscadera Bay Walk – A Taste of Curacao’s Local Culture

From the moment I arrived at the Marriott Beach Resort and Emerald Casino in Curacao, I was treated like a queen and fed like a king. Within minutes of settling into my oceanfront room, I had devoured the tray of gourmet chocolate, fine Danish cheeses, crackers, and fresh tropical fruit that awaited me and, just … Read more

Curacao Island: Historic Architecture, Natural Beauty, and an Intriguing Legend

The colorful houses on the Curacao waterfront have UNESCO World Heritage Status

Curacao island may be the Caribbean’s best kept secret. It is perhaps best known for the vividly painted waterfront buildings in the capital city of Willemstad. This neighborhood, known as Handelskade, was developed after the Dutch claimed the island in 1634. Buildings tended to be two and three-story shops and residences built on narrow, elongated … Read more

In Curacao They Call Her Queen Emma, But She’s Really a Swinging Old Lady

A steady stream of pedestrians crossing the Queen Emma Bridge in Willemstad, capital of the tiny Caribbean island of Curaçao, seemed unfazed by the shrill bell signaling that the floating pontoon bridge was about to open. “Why aren’t they hurrying?” I asked my tour guide, Howard. “The orange flag hoisted over the harbor master’s shack … Read more