Editor's note: Look for accompanying pictures on Spider's
website: http://www.angelfire.com/rings/spyderdive/
Curacao Sunset Waters Resort
..and Sunset Divers Dive Operations
Castaway's Travel Hosted Nude Week July 19-26, 2003
This is a lengthy report, but there is a lot to describe about Sunset
Waters Resort(SW). We had a GREAT week, probably our best vacation ever,
and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this staff and destination,
particularly for divers. We're experienced Caribbean travelers: all over
the Keys, Bahamas, Cozumel, Jamaica several times, and some smaller
destinations, so we have a good basis of comparison for this resort
vis-a-vis others. Every vacation and resort that we've visited had it's
own special charm and each had it's own advantages and disadvantages; this
resort was no different in that respect. But I hope I'll present a
balanced, unbiased view of one vacationer's experience.
First of all -a reality check. Go to Google and search for nude diving, or
nude scuba, or naked diving resort, etc. You get the idea. Now look at the
results- or more precisely, the LACK of results. There is almost nowhere
in the world you can go where you can be naked all week [1], including
scubadiving. Jamaica has a few resorts, most of which you'll need to dress
for diving, as well as most other resort activities like parties, DJ
events, etc. Sorobon Naturist Resort in Bonaire is still operating I'm
told, but the facility and diving is very limited. Finally there are a few
remote islands near Belize, Roatan and other places ,many reachable only
by boat, on which you can get naked all week. Oh, and some live-aboards
which I suspect have their own special charm but of course offer a pretty
narrow scope of activities and amenities.
Then you have some very nice, reasonably-priced destinations like Hidden
Beach Mexico which offer unparalleled nude accomodations, but which is not
really a dive destination. Yes I know you can get to dive sites from
there, but there is no good shore-diving from HB and getting to Cozumel or
other nearby sites looks like a chore, and a major expense compared to
walking 100 yards and hopping on the boat!
The point is that Sunset Waters Nude Week is an almost unique dive
destination in that it offers a nudist paradise- you essentially have run
of the resort naked [1], as well as world-class diving and facilities.
Note that this is ONLY true during SW / Castaway's Travel designated Nude
Weeks. At other times SW is NOT a nude resort; they have a small nudebeach
area and that's the ONLY place you can go nude. So watch the dates you
plan to travel!
This report is split into several sections in case you're interested only
in certain details such as diving, environment, etc. If you have questions
or comments please feel free to email me. Be sure to include CURACAO TRIP
REPORT in the subject line as I get a lot of spam and I delete messages
with unrecognized subjects. I've included some shots of the resort on this
page; click the photo to see a larger version of an image. There may be
some nudity in the photos in this report since it was Sunset Waters Nude
Week, but no frontals or anything shocking. Just enough to give you the
nude week flavour. I recognize and respect that many divers are not into
getting naked in groups, and believe me, there is no pressure to take off
anything. This is the Burger-King of resorts- have it your way...
Also there are no recognizable images of other guests so no worries if you
were there that week. I don't post images of anyone, even staff, without
permission. All persons in photos on this site gave full permission to use
their image. If you want your image posted here from that week send me a
verifiable email and I'll get it worked into the mix. I appreciate the
same courtesy from other visitors.
TRIP PLANNING
We actually started this trip looking at ROATAN, MEXICO, and nearby dive
resorts, but there were not a lot of excellent diving at resorts that
allowed nudity. Aside from Hidden Beach near Playa Del Carmen and a few
other isolated locales, Mexico is in fact not very nude-friendly. Much
like the USA, but I think that's starting to change [2].
So a few remote locales was all we found. Undaunted, we searched rec.scuba
and other newsgroups looking for that combination and we stumbled on
someone who said that Scuba Travel Ventures, a travel agent, hooked them
up on a nude dive trip. Cool. SO I called them. I spoke to Mike A. in San
Diego who said he had just the spot. He also confirmed that the choices
were pretty limited. Sure there are lots of great nude resorts that offer
diving "too", but very few true dive destiniations that allow nudity. Mike
zeroed right in on Sunset Waters. I then sent Mike off on all sorts of
fact-finding missions- what were the accomodations and rates? Boats? What
about drinks? Tips? Staff? I basically buried him with homework, and he
never failed me once. His research was thorough and accurate, and he is a
great guy too. I'd recommend STV and Mike for any dive-trip planning
anywhere in the world. Although they seem to specialize in Pacific diving,
Mike was very knowledgeable about Sunset Waters and other Caribbean
destinations.
I also met Jim and Champagne from Castaway's Travel. Their specialty is
nude travel and they are very good at planning those types of trips. They
really make the trip personal by often hosting at the resort themselves,
or sponsoring a host couple. If you're into nude scuba as we are, then
either agent can hook you up. Mike will probably know more about the
diving, and Champagne will know more about the nudity rules and history.
Whichever is more more important to you- I highly recommend both of them.
You may or may not want to pre-pay your diving. You can ask your agent
what sort of deal you can get by pre-paying. 2-tank boat dives and
unlimitd shore dives are at a fixed price a-la-carte at the resort; visit
the Sunset Divers site for current prices. If you're not sure how much
diving you want to do, then a-la-carte may be your best option. If you
know you want to dive all week then you may want to pre-pay to reserve a
spot on the boat. I don't think there is much savings by pre-paying
however, so there is some risk if you get sick and can't dive, etc.
AIRPORT & ARRIVAL
We flew Delta which presently has exactly one flight INTO Curacao and one
OUT a week- Saturdays. Air Jamaica and DCA have more frequent schedules.
The airport is typical of island airports- small, crowded, old, and rather
disorganized and confusing. But the Sunset Waters rep was right outside
immigration, with our name on the sign, so we were hooked up right away.
Isn't that always a welcome sight? We quickly gathered our bags (and with
2 full sets of Dive Gear that was a bit of a PAIN) and trudged on over to
the bus which was like 200 yards. Like Jamaica, the bus was older and
poorly air-conditioned, but that's not so bad as it makes the resort seem
that much more comfortable.
The greeting at the resort was fantastic- Jim & Champagne from Castaway's
were waiting on the sidewalk to hand out goodies and welcome everyone; the
property-manager Jim and the manager James were there with warm
introductions and to make sure everyone was happy. The staff was on-hand
to get everyone booked into their rooms and porters were available.
I think our bus held a significant number of guests- our friend who
arrived later, segregated, didn't fare quite so well. His plane arrived
later, and he was the only one at the airport coming to SW at that time.
The property management arranged a pickup in advance, and in fact I was in
the lobby so I know they were talking to the company they subscribed to do
the pickup. But he never got picked up! He waited about 2 hours until they
finally told him to grab a cab, for which the management arranged payment.
I guess the moral here is to ask your agent if you're on a segregated
flight, and if so, have them contact the property and express your concern
about pickups. Sort of a bother I know, but an ounce of prevention?
There was a small problem with our room as the type of room we'd reserved
was not available. I was confident that the staff would handle it, and WOW
did they! We were upgraded from an ordinary Ocean View room to a HUGE
suite. We've been MANY times to resorts in Jamaica to resorts where we
read and heard of legendary upgrades, but in fact we've never gotten one.
One of the managers, James, took a personal interest in pleasing us and he
did just that. Well done.
In fact, our last Jamaican trip we were actually DOWNGRADED from a Junior
Suite (which we'd reserved and paid for) to a regular room on the opposite
side of the property. We had to argue with resort management and show them
our travel agreement from the staff member before we were reluctantly
given the room we'd paid for, but we had to wait almost the entire day to
get into it! Talk about a bad way to start your trip, no?
A couple of hours after arrival Jim and Champagne and the staff conducted
a professional orientation and introductions, which was very well done and
organized. We were then ready to settle in and get busy!
FACILITIES & ENVIRONMENT
As an overview, The Castaway's Travel weeks are all-inclusive of food and
drinks (yes booze too), but not top-shelf brands, and some meals had
surcharges. The meal surcharges were never over $6 USD from what I saw, so
even if you surcharges ALL WEEK you would only have like $40 in surcharges
per person. The meals on the menu were fine; selections sort of limited
compared to some clubs in Jamaica where you have 4 or more resturants from
which to choose. Generally there was one premium meal such as Lobster, and
as I said any surcharges were inconsequential.
The room was great. Furnishings and decorations were a little sparse, but
the property manager Jim told me there are planned decor enhancements. We
had a spacious semi-private balcony about 100 feet over the ocean with a
fantastic view. The room water was fine with good pressure (we drank it
all week- no problems), and the room was very spacious. The
air-conditioner would only cool to about 80, which was OK but we like it a
little cooler.
I wouldn't say the resort has a signature drink like many in Jamaica, and
with the wide variation in guests from many countries, drink preferences
were wildly variable. The beer of course was Dutch- Amstel. When you asked
for a beer you usually got Amstel on tap unless you specified otherwise,
but there wasn't always "an otherwise!". However, there was often Amstel
in cans (small cans, 10 oz I think perhaps? Or maybe 100ml or somehting
like that?).. Another drink was often available at the main bar- Amstel
Brite I think it was called. It came in a clear (again, small) bottle like
Corona, and it did have a light, bright taste. I liked it. I think there
may have been 1-2 other brands like Heiny available at times but generally
it was All-Amstel.
There was a good selection of liquors, mostly from Curacao proper. Curacao
itself IS a liquor no? I also saw (and had the poor judgement to drink on
the last night) Tequila. They had good frozen drink selections which were
quickly made from scratch like Pina Coladas and Daiquiris. On some nights
Jello Shooters were passed about to everyone. If you drink JD or Henesey
or Crown or something along those lines then I'm not sure what was
available- I didn't see anything like those. I think they may have been
available on request, perhaps for a surcharge.
The pool was enjoyable- the water quality was good but cloudy- they could
watch the pool maintenance a little closer. The swim-up bar was very much
like what is offered in Jamaican resorts, with plenty of seating at least
for the crowd we had. Antonio, the poor bartender was very attentive. If
you find him as indulging as we did I nominate him for a special gratuity.
He's anxious to please and a very nice person. Take some time to talk to
Antonio you can learn a lot about the cultures.
The pool deck was spacious and had generous pool furniture available, at
least for the occupancy that we had. There was adequate shaded areas for
what was pretty much constant party-sunny conditions, although there
really was no need to be in shade most days. There are no floats for the
pool, I suspect perhaps because the pool isn't too large and floats take
up a lot of space.
The main complaint about the pool area was the hot tub. It was a large
tub, and like the pool in good repair, but it wasn't heated. Jim said he
knows this is a problem and he's planning to correct that. The other
problem was night- bar-tending. After 6 or so the bar moved to the dining
area for the night, which was a LONG WAY from the pool. I think Jim heard
some complaints about that, because by Friday the pool bar was open like
ALL NIGHT! If you have any comments or complaints tell Jim, he is very
responsive and his customer focus is obvious.
The weather was very pleasant- Curacao is breezy and at times very windy.
There are often clouds but it seldom rains. When it did rain it was
usually over in 10-15 minutes. The cloudiness was not so great for diving
or tanning, but what are you gonna do? The climate is Arid, and the low
humidity makes hot temperatures comfortable. Its OUT of the hurricane belt
and as any summer Caribbean travelers know thats a PLUS. At least they say
its OUT, but I think a hurricane actually hit near there recently.
The fact that Curacao is arid offers amenities beyond the low humidity.
There are NO BUGS! We saw no flies, roaches, no-seeums, mosquitos, or any
other entomological curiosities. There were cactii, and lizards, some very
large, but no bugs that we saw. The lizards are shy and will not bother
people. We saw no other native land animals, aside from birds which were
mostly small songbirds.
There are often clouds but it seldom rains. When it did rain it was
usually over in 10-15 minutes. The cloudiness was not so great for diving
or tanning, but what are you gonna do? The climate is Arid, and the low
humidity makes hot temperatures comfortable. Its OUT of the hurricane belt
and as any summer Caribbean travelers know thats a PLUS. At least they say
its OUT, but I think a hurricane actually hit near there recently.
Jim also plans to do more landscaping and remodeling this next year. The
landscaping now is so-so, but to be honest I didn't even notice it until
he discussed plans with me.. The property itself is spacious, and there is
a lot of room for expansion.
There is an exercise room with a treadmill and other facilities next to
the main lobby. He is also planning some cost-saving measures like a new
water plant and electric power updates. They are also hoping to open the
casino sometime this year I heard, but its not a top priority.
The image to the left is from our balcony. The tiny wall there separated
the nude and prude sides of the beach. You can see some coral popping up
through the water. This dark area in the water is the beginning of the
house reef which drops off to well over 140' at about 45 degrees.
I heard some complaints that the dining is all outdoors. As the weather
was fine I found it quite pleasant, but I think some others would have
preferred indoor dining. Remember Curacao is just about ON the equator so
there is little seasonal variation. The dining room is large, and Jim says
new furniture is planned.
There were some complaints about the wait staff. I think they tried hard
to please, but perhaps there were language issues. I had a few problems-
I'd say about 1/2 the time I'd order a drink it didn't arrive, and I went
to the bar to get it myself. Not a big issue for me- how much can you
complain about a free drink!? Others may find that annoying. One group
told me that they ordered 3 meals and they all came on the SAME PLATE!
They asked for more plates but they never arrived until Jim rescued them.
Probably some room for improvement there, as well as the cuisine which was
passable but often offered limited selections and sometimes not so
delightful dishes. Salads need to be chilled, and deserts need more
variety. Peach, Cherry and Apple Cobblers and Crisps would be good
additions. I think the staff needs more coaching. Again, Jim has
improvements in mind.
I'd already researched the dining facilities and in fact I had moderate
expectations, so I wasn't surprised. It was just about what I expected and
frankly, with most of my day spent diving, I didn't want big lavish meals.
In the morning and lunch I eat light so I don't have any boat or
underwater stomach problems, and at night I'm too tired for a lengthy,
involved meal. I was more interested in a light dinner followed by a
generous night of Amstel and diving recaps in the pool. I asked for a
special meal Friday- LOBSTER, and darned if it wasn't on the menu, so they
definitely try to please. The Lobster was delicious too.
But the bottom line on dining is- if you want 5-star with ice-sculptures
and lavish spreads and a top-notch wait staff, this is not what they
provide at SW. At least not yet. They provide good portions of good food,
along the line of Denny's, and although the staff seems to try hard, they
sometimes miss the mark. I did find the bar staff in the dining area
excellent however and eager to please. Also remember Jim plans to focus on
dining so expect improvements.
The beach is beautiful. Its broad and the sand is fine and white. They
carved out a lagoon with a rock break that reduces the waves for swimmers
and snorkelers. They also have plotted out a snorkel course. The waters
are clear and warm of course. The bottom of the lagoon is a bit rocky and
the beach furniture is sort of sparse and worn, but Jim also plans
upgrades to those areas. There is a small nude beach for non-nude week
nudists. It would be highly unlikely for us to visit here or elsewhere if
they didn't offer nude-everything; we like the all adult crowd and fun you
only find during nude weeks and/or all-nude facilities. We realize those
preferences are personal- many others would AVOID that week! Just passing
on our observations. But for those on non-nude weeks, there is a small
beach area reserved for you.
The image to the side is our livingroom. It shows the nice kitchen area
(which we didn;t use since it was an all-inclusive week) and the bath
through the door.
Overall, the buildings are in good repair and several are under major
renovation. The entire garden-view section appeared to be almost new. I
had a long talk with Jim about improvements, and I felt he had a definite
set of objectives for the overall facility. I think that's great- the
trick will be to control costs in the process so the rates stay
competitive. We felt the rates were great but new facilities like Hidden
Beach are going to keep the heat on to offer low prices and excellent
quality facilities and service.
The Casino was still closed. I think they have too much on their plates to
address that right away. If that's a priority for you, I recommend you
check the status BEFORE you book!
There is also a mini golf course there which was interesting to watch as
players tried it nude. I must say I never saw THAT before! Golf and I
don't get along so I was only an observer.
The reefs were great for us, but not dramatic like Cozumel. I'd say the
visibility was 50-75' most days. They are fantastic for viewing on the
micro scale however, because of the small currents and the plentiful sea
life. Often we'd kneel in the sand and study a coral head for 5-10
minutes. The reef itself seemed very healthy, not heavily fished (as in
Jamaica) and no evidence of pollution or weather erosion, other
eco-damage. There was abundant juvenile sea life which I'm told is a good
sign of a thriving reef. The Mushroom Forest and Puerto Marie were our
favorites. Particularly the fly-over at Puerto Marie. Ask Kristin or Wade
(Blondie) to take you on it!
My dive buddy Steve is an excellent photographer, and some of his dive
photos from this trip are posted on his site. CLICK the swimming fish He's
also a fish species and behavior expert, and we appreciate all that he
taught us in Curacao.
This was nude week at the resort, and they did a great job hosting it. The
rules were that guests could be naked anywhere on the property except for
dining or in the lobby. Also guests could be clothed or partially clothed
in any of those same areas, which really made it all hassle-free. I'd say
about 1/2 were generally nude and 1/2 either fully or partially clothed.
Even though this was a new experience for a lot of the staff, I didn't
sense any discomfort or issues on their part. Like the guests, everyone
seemed comfortable with however much anyone wanted to wear. The rules were
enforced however; diners were told to go find shirts if they entered in a
bathing suit. All in all everyone at SW did a great job considering they
aren't too experienced with nude guests.
There were a few guests there who had no idea it was nude week but they
were advised on check-in and had no problems with it. All that I met in
that category were European who seem have a much more liberal attitude
about that than North Americans. There were a few teens in that group, and
some infants, but no young kids who can make some vacation-nudists
uncomfortable. Jim, the property-manager, did a great job of screening
guests and I believe relocating those who would make the Castaways group
uncomfortable.
In Jamaica we talked to many women who wanted to go topless, but on the
textile side the (prudish) Americans complained and they had to leave the
pool area, and on the Au Naturel side the staff told them to remove the
bottoms or go back to the textile side! SW wasn't like that at all- no one
complained all week as far as I could tell, and it was a perfect
apres-dive night to skinny-dip in the pool with an Amstel and our dive
buddies.
Even diving nude was OK with all of the DM's and The Skipper, although not
many participated due to potential brushes with coral and the water
temperature (which was at least 80 degrees F even down to 100 feet).
Several tried it from the shore however. If you never tried it- its fun
but it makes you keep just a little more distance between you and the
coral (which is probably better for both!)
As far as contacting management or staff at Sunset Waters, most seem to
have email. The dive team and management are responsive to inquiries or
comments, but I haven't had a lot of luck contacting SW management in
email. Perhaps phoning the resort would be your last resort (sic). But
seriously, if you want to contact SW hotel staff, I've found Cory, a staff
member, to be excellent at handling inquiries and messages.
Finally, the town is about 40 minutes away and guests can easily get there
by free shuttle. The shopping was like every cruise-ship port I ever saw-
same items, tee's, hats, etc, except these said Curacao instead. Not my
thing but if you want a diversion its a fun afternoon off the resort, and
I felt safe in town alone or with a group. There are a lot of other
activities around the island like museums, plantation homes, caves to the
north, gardens, golf, and all sorts of beaches. There is also a place
called Mambo Beach resort which is an outdoor disco. SW offers shuttle
service to many of these destinations on select days for a nominal fee.
DIVE OPERATIONS
This has to be the flagship area for this destination. The others areas
all met my expectations; the diving facility FAR EXCEEDED my expectations.
I'd previously read reports that the operation booked more divers than
they could handle, and I was apprehensive about that. I was also concerned
that the equipment might be old, outdated, perhaps even dangerous, being a
remote location on a remote island, and I really didn't find much on the
www or in newsgroups to confirm or contradict those concerns. Although we
own all of our gear, boats, air, tanks, and staff are all very important.
Turns out that the entire operation I'd read about had been replaced by
Sunset Divers who took over this summer. Forget whatever you read about
them before!
Let's start with staff. They are all very eager to please the divers, and
Mike, the owner, has trained them very well to delight the customers. Mike
and his wife are from the US- Denver, and are experienced in both dive
shop management as well Caribbean diving. They are also delightful people
to get to know and they have two adorable kids. Spend some time in the
cockpit with Mike and you can't help but find the guy delightfully witty,
and accommodating to every wish. He is part pirate, part Captain, and part
diver, and part family-man. He's sort of The Captain Ron of Curacao and
you can't help but love Mike and his wife, and admire them for what they
are accomplishing down there..
His wife Michelle is charming, as she deftly juggles co-management of the
operations, two toddlers, and whatever else comes up for a US family
making their way on a foreign island. I get the impression they face a new
set of challenges every day with an optimistic smile. There was not a
moment in the whole week when I didn't feel that Mike and the team we're
trying their best to make our vacation the best ever, which is just what
we got. They offer equipment, instruction, gift shop items, great boats
and gear rentals, and a super staff all with an attitude you will love.
I've dove with at least 10 operations. This was by far the best.
He's recruited a staff from both the US and Curacao, and they know the
reefs very well. They also are dive equipment wizards and as far as I
could see they were all excellent divers. I had a small problem with the
new rig I brought on the trip- the octo and guage hoses were reversed.
Kristin, one of Mike's staff, offered and quickly corrected the setup.
Little things like that and a hundred more they did were great. They were
very willing to help with retraining on any forgotten or out-of-practice
skills, even down to doing 1-on-1 underwater assistance with buoyancy or
masks or whatever was required. They had cruise-boat diver experience so I
think they were well-prepared to handle any questions or issues that
popped up from our crew of more seasoned, serious divers. The DM's were
all very personable and focused. Tel them what you want and I have no
doubt they'll do their best to deliver it.
Now a warning. SW is a Dive Destination, and they treat the divers as real
divers, not tourists or resort divers. So you BETTER know what you're
doing! And if you don't, bring up your concerns before you dive. Like if
you haven't dived in a long time- tell them. They won't babysit the divers
and although they are there to help, they will willingly allow you to
wander off on the reef wherever you choose to roam. In fact they go back
to the boat well in advance of the last divers. They tell the divers they
can choose to follow the guide, or to make their own dive. If you're
inexperienced or out of practice, or uncomfortable, TELL THEM and they'll
keep a watchful eye out on you! Don't take chances, and don't expect the
molly-coddling you get at many other resorts, particularly as we saw in
Jamaica. They expect you to know what you're doing and if you don't you
need to tell them. You'll get a guide and in the event of trouble I'm
certain you can count on the team, but they aren't watching you as at
other resorts, and there is only one Dive Master down for each dive.
For me that's perfect; I don't want a babysitter, I want a guide. I
realize other divers may want more attention, and I'm sure they will
provide it if you ask.
Also for non-divers they offer a resort course, and naturally those divers
ARE watched very closely and their depth and roaming are curtailed, as
you'd expect.
The boats and gear are as good as any PADI 5-star I've ever seen, and are
in fact were the best I've ever been on. The air system was new, had dual
compressors and 5-stage dryers and filtration. And talk about fills? I
never had less than 3100 and often saw 3200 and above. Last time in
Jamaica I had 2700 for a good fill and often saw 2400. Also they have
2-tank boat dives, not TWO ONE-TANK dive trips.
The tanks were all new too, and from what I saw the rental gear all looked
excellent. I think its all brand new. The flashlight rentals were small-
like 4 AA's and sort of pocket sized. If night-dives are your thing, you
might consider a more powerful IkeLight or a larger UK. The small lights
worked OK but they weren't as bright as the larger UK's.
The BC's were great and all in fine shape- like most of the gear virtually
brand new. All had integrated weights. The reg's had Atomic components
which looked new, and were all in great shape. I spoke to Mike about
service on the rentals and he was very knowledgeable about dive gear and
service and manufacturer's intervals. He also built his own boats. And
he's an excellent diver, and shop man anger. I was expecting him to carve
a "Hopa" out of a single tree at any moment (you have to see Meet The
Parents to get that one :).. You will have total confidence in the dive
gear at Sunset Divers.
Now the best part. The boats kick ass. The big one, Day Dreamer I think
its called, is 44' with twin diesels. Its of course spacious, but also
offers a smooth ride in what are often moderate waves up to 2-3 feet (as I
said it can be windy there). And its fast and with the twin screws, safe.
It was fun hanging out on the bow with the cute ladies instead of those
crusty old diver-dudes on-deck (just kidding!). Mike allows divers to go
anywhere they please on the boat from the bow to stern, and even climbing
the ladder and joining him in the roost. Or whatever its called. I even
piloted briefly, but wisely Mike quickly took over when it was obvious I
had no idea what I was doing.. It handles a lot differently than my
motorcycle :)
The smaller boat holds about 10 comfortably. I didn't ride in it but the
reports I heard were that it was smooth and very very fast. It had dual
100 HP 4-stroke outboards. I think Mike reserves this boat for special
trips, but its there also in case anything happened to the big boat.
I think Mike and his crew can do some dive gear repairs but they are
probably limited. They fixed everything that popped up while I was there-
like a blown hose, but don't expect a huge inventory of reg or BC parts
from any old manufacturer. If you have an equipment problem, as did one
dive buddy who's BC broke, they offer reasonable rental prices on very
high quality gear. They are prepared too- the BC that broke was just
before a dive on the boat, and the DM produced a replacement on the spot,
so the diver never missed a beat.
They did say "the first drink of the day is your last dive of the day" and
I'm sure no sane diver would argue that drinking before diving makes any
sense at all, so I think that was perfectly good advice. I don't think any
divers drank before they dove. We were partiers but not maniacs!
If there was one thing I thought was a little remiss, it was in
"reef-ecology" reminders for the divers. I saw divers kicking the reef
(not incidental touches- I mean repeatedly). I know the DM's mentioned
that divers should avoid touches, but since the group was touching pretty
liberally, frequent reminders would be a good idea. We all know the reefs
need all of the protection we can give them. I probably had 2-3 brief
touches in 15 dives myself; I understand that every diver has an
occasional touch. But also, everyone needs to be reminded to respect and
take care of the reefs.
Mike and Michelle and the team are top-notch, as is their equipment. You
can email them through the resort website
http://www.sunsetdiver.com if you have questions.
So that's my take on the dive operations. I can't think of anything
significant that they could have done better. Most days I saw Mike at
8:30AM and again at 9 or 10 PM at hotel functions, so he's at it over 12
hours a day to make our vacation happen. He does whatever it takes and is
committed to giving his divers whatever they need. Get to know Mike and
Michelle and the kids, they are a delight. Oh and ask the 3-year old what
he wants to be when he grows up. My wife and I are still chuckling about
that.
ENTERTAINMENT
Generally entertainment was on a "personal scale"; often a 1-man band or a
DJ. Many nights Karaoke was offered and the guests offered up some pretty
good singers, especially Champagne and a particularly charming guest named
Diana. They also had a nice band for one evening- I think like 10
musicians. It seemed pretty much every night there was a good act to
watch, but like the food, don't expect lavish productions. The crowd was
generally pretty tired and wanted quiet evenings for the most part with
all of the shopping and diving, so I think most appreciated the quieter
shows. There was also a "roaming Mariachi band" in the dining room at
dinner one night. Many of the staff seem to be multi-talented as
musicians. We both thought that the entertainment was energetic, warm, and
personal.
GUESTS & STAFF
The guests at SW are widely varying; about 25% divers and 75% non-divers I
think, at least for the week on which I'm reporting. Champagne told me
that in previous weeks the diving proportion was much smaller. My opinion
was that most were "vacation-nudists", that is they get naked on this
vacation but generally not at home or on most other vacations. Which is of
course fine, but realize that crowd has a sort of shyness that you don't
see in all-nude locales like some in Jamaica. Expect some to stay clothed,
or partially clothed. Expect many to be camera shy. And of course expect
some to wear little or nothing all week- even diving. Its each person's
own vacation and that's what's so cool about SW- get as naked or as
clothed as you like. They seemed totally cool with whatever people wanted
to do. There were rules against "overt sex" so it wasn't Hedo, but even
that was pretty lax which seemed fine with pretty much everyone. Things
got racy from time-to-time and some guests felt "thats not my scene" moved
to other parts of the spacious property. We're not into that ourselves,
but we could care less what others felt like doing an all-adult
environment. Just all "good clean fun" to us!
Since it was Nude Week, the whole resort was adults-only. There were
exceptions- for example a Dutch couple arrived with a 1-year-old. Now
that's not going to cramp anyone's style- a one-year-old could care less
what we're all up to, no? And as they were European, the parents had no
hangups on the nudity. I know because I asked them. I had no problems
tossing on a speedo (yes, I know ME in a speedo is NOT a pretty sight!) if
they were uncomfortable, but no worries mate. Another Dutch group showed
up towards the end of the week with teens, and again, no problems. I'm
totally confident that the management, Jim in particular, was briefing and
screening non-nudist guests to be sure there were no conflicts, and there
were NONE.
I personally found the mix of cultures and nationalities intriguing and
inviting. The island of Curacao actually has a native language, Papiamentu
I think it's called, which is a blende of African, Spanish, English, and
Dutch. My English is very good (well at least I hope it is since they
force me to take years of it in college EVEN AS EN ENGINEERING MAJOR, but
that's another story) and my Spanish is at least conversant, but honestly,
I couldn't begin to comprehend the native language. And I TRIED!.
But I made it a point to spend time with the Latinos from Central and
South America, who I found warm and charming, and the locals from the
island, who were also very sweet people. That's really the charm of travel
abroad no? To learn about the chellenges and lives of the locals? And hey
- if you are a Spanish-speaking local who met me, sorry about the Yank
accent, it' the best I can muster!
Now another warning.. There seems to be a distinct and present conflict
with some of The Dutch visitors and the natives from Curacao. Obviously an
8-day stay makes me no kind of expert on the cultures, but I heard it over
and over that the locals resented The Dutch. I heard The Dutch don't tip.
I'm not going to instruct anyone what they shold and should not do in
other lands, but for me, if tipping is the norm where I'm visiting, then I
will tip. For example when we go to the UK, my tipping is limited by local
customs. But in countries where wage-earners try to eke out a living based
in a major way on tips, then I going to pony up. Let's face facts, in
Jamaica and elsewhere I'm certain that a single tip I've give was more
than a month's salary. Now how many chances do we get to do so much for
another person for so little?
It wasn't just tips either- the problems run deeper. But again, as an
8-day tourist I'm no expert. Just be aware that if you're from The
Americas or Canada or elsewhere in Europe, the locals will probably
embrace and welcome you. If you're from Holland, they may be reserved.
We met a judge and his family from Holland however, as I mention
elsewhere, and I could not have been less charmed. They were delightful
people. So make your own judgements.
As in most Caribbean resorts,guests were mostly American, perhaps 70%,
with perhaps 10% Dutch, 10% UK, and 10% other nationalities. There was a
wide range of occupations, and locales; the US majority was from all over
The States, and few couples knew other couples before arrival. There were
a few singles, mostly guys, who were welcomed into the couples' groups.
The Dutch contingent seemed sort of detached, perhaps due to language, but
when I introduced myself and spoke to them they were very friendly but in
some cases language-isolated.
Like other resorts there are groups that segregate themselves. Its only
natural- there are divers and non-divers, Dutch and English-speaking,
older and younger, etc. You see it at every resort in our experience. This
bunch was generically accepting, and no one was concerned that you weren't
a stock-broker or lawyer to fit in. It helped to speak some Spanish as
some of the staff didn't speak English very well. I'd say only about 1/4
of the staff spoke Dutch so I noticed some of the Dutch-Only speaking
guests were struggling to communicate.
In general we found the group at this resort the most pleasant and
friendly of any resort we ever visited. There was a sort of HEDO-Style
group of racy folks who sort of stayed together, so if you're into that
sort of party then you would probably find some good company at SW. The
majority were Americans who had 2-3 drinks and went to bed by 11. I guess
we're extreme-vacationers as most days were were one of the last to leave
the pool and the first to show up at breakfast. I always figure I can rest
back in the states- lessee nap or mow the lawn?? hhaha!
We observed that once the nude week was over the mix of guests changed, of
course, as it became families with about 25% being children under 12. So
if you want to travel as a family, it looked like a good opportunity to
have the kids mingle with kids from other cultures and nationalities. For
us, kids and vacation are NOT a good mix so we felt we left "just in
time", but when our kids were young, I would have loved to vacation there
with that group. Its a good experience for kids to see other cultures and
get to know kids from other countries. I can't comment much on non-nude
weeks at SW, you should look for other reports to get that kind of detail.
We're too old and not pretty enough for the HEDO scene but we're also past
the Disney World thing , we just want to party with other active adults.
We heard a lot of different stories about tipping. Some said it was
included in the packages (in fact I found that stated on a website ad) but
others said it wasn't included. We assumed it wasn't and took care of the
servers and staff personally. That's an especially good idea if you plan
to return somewhere anyhow no??
We asked management how to take care of the dive boat staff and they said
that usually the divers all get together and kick in what they think is
fair and give it to the Dive Operations at once. I solicited the group to
do just that, but there was no interest that I could sense, so we just
went down to the diveshop and tipped there personally. We also tipped some
of the servers and bartenders and others who I thought gave us special
atention. Then I asked Jim how to take care of the rest of the staff and
he said he keeps a kitty, so we popped some USD into that as well.
Since tips are not well-defined or understood, I suggest you might just
want to kick into the kitty too, or else as some guests did, just tip your
favorites. As far as the Diveboat Staff, The Owner Mike told me that the
tips are divided among the DM's only. Its pretty customary to tip Dive
Masters particularly if you had good service like we did from Sunset
Divers. Anyhow- talk to your travel agent and management at SW and SD if
you have concerns about tips.
SUMMARY
The only question I have is how soon can I get back? Oh, and Why did I
book only a week?. Well, I sort of answered why in the previous paragraph,
since the kids arrived! But seriously, if you're looking for a very nice,
friendly, and reasonably priced destination, this one is definitely worth
a look. But do your homework so you're not expecting something they don't
offer. I pretty much read every report and posting I could find on SW, and
I suggest you do the same for any trip to avoid surprises. I'm sure you
can tell that my overall impression was extremely favorable, but also note
that I gave many warnings of service areas with which some may have
concerns.
Finally, if you have any questions as I said I'll try to locate and answer
them in email.
I know this was long but it was actually the kind of report I wish I'd had
at my disposal before my trip. If we meet at SW next year and you read
this (or you didn't ha!) please say hello, because more than anything else
that made this a great trip, it was the great people and friends we made.
We found the native Curacao people delightful, and the blend of Dutch,
Latin American, African, and other Western culture formed a unique mixture
of culture and interests.
[1] Sunset Waters allows nudity during designated Nude Weeks anywhere on
the resort except the main lobby and the dining area.
[2] This month's issue of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel actually has a
whole chapter devoted to nude travel. Well done!
copyright 2003 By SpyderTrips
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