Swimming & Sunset - Willemstad, Curacao - November 2025

Our first full day in Curacao! Back over Thanksgiving 2025, JTD and I took the kids to Curacao with us for a 20th-anniversary trip. One of our absolute favorite places on earth is Baoase - the loveliest, most exclusive places I've ever been. We went for our 15th anniversary (belated) in 2021, and vowed to come back.

Both of the kids had been a little reticent to go. They weren't sure what to expect, and had some assorted other reasons they were hesitant - AKD thought that a tropical island would be too boring, but I think she took to it the most! CRD enjoyed himself, I think maybe he also had wanted to do a lot of activities. It ended up raining a lot while we were there in the afternoons, so we just took a lot of time in the mornings to do as much as we could.

I got myself a GoPro Hero for the trip. I wanted to be able to get better underwater photos than I had the previous time with my knock-off GoPro, but I didn't want to spend a ton to just get a few photos. I also took my R10 mirrorless. It's probably obvious from the photos below which was taken with each.

Snorkeling is maybe my favorite activity on an island vacation. JTD is okay with it, but doesn't love it. AKD was also sort of just okay with it. But CRD loved it as much as I did, and spent most mornings with a snorkel on his head.

SO many of these little fish.

JTD and CRD - snorkel buddies!

Getting ready for a storm!

Every day we would be delivered a different indigenous fruit. I loved the way the dragonfruit looked after AKD went to town on it - very "still life." It had natural shading, contrast.

Curacao is a Dutch colony. Most people visit it as a stopover on a cruise. I don't eff with cruises (they have their own page on the CDC website enumerating breakouts), JTD also isn't interested, and I get seasick, so we're not going on a cruise anytime soon. However, we could see the port right in Willemstad from the resort.

I love this tree. I have photos of it from the last time we visited, too.

Lots of Balinese vibes at Baoase.