WANDERLUST

Anoushey Ashraf’s love for travelling isn’t hidden from anyone. You’ll often find this VJ turned host taking out the time to visit places in between her busy work schedule, which is her morning show on Dawn TV. We strongly feel she needs to have a travel show too. Anoushey is a self-confessed travel junkie and she loves exploring new places so much that she ends up making them irresistible to everyone following her.

Adding to the list of places Anoushey has visited so far is Curaçao, an island in the Dutch Caribbean that is about 65 kilometers north of Venezuela. Anoushey is a frequent traveler to the United States and recently decided to travel down south and visit this little island that a friend recommended to her.

We got hold of Anoushey while she was still in Curaçao, and got the best possible feel of the place…

How to get there

"There are direct flights from North America but I flew in from Miami to Curaçao, Willemstad, which is the capital" Anoushey told us. "American Airlines got me here but there are some other airlines too. There are 3-4 flights a day from Miami to Curaçao itself. It’s approximately a 3-hour flight."

Where to stay

"There are some nice hotels like the Sheraton, Marriot and others downtown but I am living a little north of the island, in a place called Lagun, in my dream apartments. There are villas and townhouses overlooking the ocean over here. The island is just 44 kilometers in length so one can easily rent a car and go around it through the day. I decided to stay away from the traffic, in an area called Lagun. But if you look up online, there are lots of places to stay and they are pocket-friendly too. So, you can go from anywhere from 40-50 dollars a night to 400 dollars a night."

How’s the weather and what to pack

"It’s beach-y, it’s tropical, it’s warm here throughout the year but it was a little rainy for the last few days. The rain comes and goes but there is ample sunshine. Pack the usual: your bathing suit, your hat, your sun block, slippers, a nice pair of shades and the basics that one would pack for a beach holiday. Also, some nice dresses and shirts in which you would be comfortable."

What to eat

"I recommend eating local food. It is a mix between South American food and a little bit American food. Or maybe even some Spanish food. One can try the sea food here; it’s really very good. They do it very differently. But if somehow you don’t like the way locals make their food then there are always burgers, fries and all that to eat."

Sites to visit

"It’s a smallish island but one must try and scuba-dive here if they can because there are some great diving sites. Snorkeling is a must. There is a beach called Playa De Kenepa, which is also very nice. There is a Kokomo beach resort which is a really fun place to hang out in the night if you want to go dancing and stuff. The world’s oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere is also in this town so you can go visit that. If you are a nature lover, there is a Christopher national park where you can go trekking and hiking; that is really nice."

People and language

"The people of Curaçao are really friendly. They speak a language that is a mix of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and English; it is called Papiamento. It is interesting. The people are very, very open and fun loving and very welcoming. They speak English too as they are very used to having tourists around."

Anoushey recommends that one can easily make a trip to Curaçao, especially when visiting USA, as it is not so expensive on one’s pocket, relatively unexplored and is definitely one of the most colourful little islands she has ever seen.