Our customers' experiences

09-03-2010

From: Lee & Barbara Epplen
Sent: Mar 3, 2010 2:39 PM

On Wednesday, 24 February 2010, my wife and I took your snorkeling tour of the sunken tugboat. Our tour guide was a gentleman whose name I believe was 'Francel'. My wife and I found his presentation of the history of island of Curacao to be most informative. His knowledge of the island and his charismatic presentation was certainly reflective of his pride in being a native son of Curacao. He was a most adept guide on the snorkel tour as well, watching out for us each and every step of the way.

We enjoyed our vacation on Curacao very much and Mr 'Francel' made our stay more more enjoyable. We hope to return one day and take additional tours. Hopefully Mr Francel will still be working for your company.

Please extend our thanks and appreciation to him for a very memorable day.

Kindest Regards,

Lee & Barbara Epplen

From: Sharon Gilligan
Sent: Feb 19, 2010 2:44 PM

Hi Kim,
We had a FABULOUS tour in Curacao! Sanders was an excellent tour guide. He taught us so much about your beautiful island and he really wanted to make sure that we all had a great time. It was a great adventure and we appreciated Sander's concern for our safety. He was wonderful with my mom (who was a bit nervous riding in the back of the safari vehicle) . He let her ride up front with him and made her feel very welcome. We enjoyed the day so much that we all want to return to Curacao!!! We will recommend your company and we hope to take another tour with Curacao Actief someday.

Sharon

From: Frank und Kathrin
Sent: Dec 15, 2009 2:44 PM

Hallo Kim,

Es ist zwar schon lange her...aber wir haben die schöne Jeeptour mit dir auf Curacao nicht vergessen und schicken dir wie versprochen ein paar Erinnerungen! Hier ist es naß und kalt...wir denken gerne an unseren Urlaub zurück! Wir wünschen Dir eine schöne Weihnachtszeit viele nette Touristen ... viel Freude und Spass
für das kommende Jahr 2010! Merry Christmas und Happy Newyear!

Frank und Kathrin aus Berlin

From: Shon Nel and Erna
Sent: Dec 15, 2009 1:49 PM

Thanks for the great time we had this december, when we went on your fabulous eco jeep tour. We saw awesome landscapes on locations you wouldn't be without a guide. Speaking of: our guides (Sander and Howard) had a lot of knowledge about geologics and flora and fauna. Their pleasure to show us around made us very happy and enthousiastic! Even if we were muddy and soaking wet! Thanks guys for making our tour unforgettable!! Hope you like the pictures. When we return to Curacao we will for sure make another trip and we do tell everybody about ExploreCuracao! Thanks Micheal for arranging our trips so well and for being so friendly! Great you were situated in the lobby of the Renaissance!

Greetings from Shon Nel and Erna

From: Rick and Wendy Horowitz
Sent: Dec 15, 2009 1:49 PM

Just a note to tell you how wonderful our snorkeling tour was while we were in Curacao. Your specific instructions made it a stress free connection in the morning. Just tonight I opened a little bag of sweets that were given to us by our guide, Kim. You should know that she was a wonderful guide. She was pleasant, caring and efficient. Needless to say she was knowledgeable. We really appreciated her and the tour.

Rick and Wendy Horowitz

Zuiderdam, Dec. 7, 2009

From: Lynne Roberts
Sent: Dec 14, 2009 9:50 PM

Hi Robert,

Now that we are home I just wanted to let you know what an excellent time we had on our tour. Kim was an amazing guide and you can tell she really loves her job. Thank you so much for such a great experience!!! If we ever come back to Curacao we will definitely be booking through you guys again!!!

Take care!
Lynne Roberts

From: Linda & David Senter
Sent: Oct 27, 2009 5:49 PM

Just a quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed our snorkeling tour with Kim. She is the greatest! We were her only guests and she treated us just like family, so caring and helpful. Our first snorkeling spot was just like swimming in an aquarium, the water and fish were so beautiful. The tugboat snorkel was great. I wanted to swim out over the wall but was a little apprehensive, Kim told me she would stay by my side and I'm happy to say I did it - it was awesome!!! We will definately recommend Curacao-Actief to our friends and will have fond memories of our day in Curacao on your tour with Kim.

Sincerely,

Linda & David Senter
St. Peters, Missouri USA

P.S. We enjoyed the pastries, drinks, fruit and dushi.

From: Paulette Fredericks

Sent: Oct 10, 2009 9:23AM

Hello Curacao-Actief,

I was in Curacao with one of my good friends. We went on the Wonders of Water Tour with Kim on Oct 3, 2009. It was absolutely wonderful. She has so much enthusiasm and love for Curacao.

She made our tour very special. She provided us with genuine snacks and treats from Curacao. She was informative and provided a true understanding of Curacao. There were only two of us but that did not de

ter her from doing an extraordinary job. t was great to see that your staff has a true passion for their work.

Kudos to you!!!

Sincerely,

Paulette Fredericks

From: Elke, Kenneth & Herbert
Sent: Oct 7, 2009 6:40PM

Liebe Kim,

Wir sind gut und wohlbehalten in die Schweiz zrück gekehrt. Der Urlaub auf Curacao und im besonderen die Jeep-Safari hat uns sehr gut gefallen. Vielen Dank nochmals für Deine nett

und gute Betreuung.

Wie versprochen anbei auch ein paar Foto's. Weiterhin alles Gute und viel Glück und Erfolg auf Curacao.

Gruss, Elke, Kenneth & Herbert

From: Rebecca Kaczowski-Faherty
Sent: Oct 2, 2009 3:33 PM

Just want to thank you! We had our private tour and beach bbq the day before our wedding in Curacao and it was so much fun! Everyone loved it; tour guides were awesome!! Thanks for the memories!

From: Thorsten Albrecht & Birgit Kubenka
Sent: Aug 21, 2009 1.37 PM

Hello,

We will always remember Kim as our friendly, charming and helpful guide in Curaçao who took us both to a real highlight of a Caribbean coral reef. We had to swim, walk and snorkel quite a lot to get to this site, but it was worth the trouble.

A fairytale of healthy coral growth opened up below our snorkeling masks, and the edge of the reef was a real ‘wood’ of sea plumes and sea fans. Snorkeling the tugboat after the fairytale was a lot easier. It was Kim who had wisely planned the exhausting adventure first, the easy part second.

And we were also very glad about the jeep tour – allowing us to discover the rough north coast of Curaçao. This tour was our first one with Curaçao Actief and Kim. Just have a look at our jeep in the middle of a semi-arid nowhere: Wow! We are so happy about Kim and Curaçao Actief. Without you and especially Kim a lot of our Curaçao experiences and insights wouldn’t have been possible. And there’s a high probability that we will come back for another Curaçao holiday in the next years to see you again.

Thank you!

Birgit & Thorsten

Copyright @ 2009 Thorsten Albrecht (http://www.ocean-planet.info)

From: Robyn and Bill Medinas
Sent: Jul 24, 2009 4:01 PM

Hello,

We just wanted to thank all of you for the wonderful time we had while in Curacao. We will definitely refer you to our friends and hopefully someday we will get to use you again. Kim is a wonderful guide and really made our trip great. Please let her know that we really enjoyed getting to know her and she will always be a part of our memories of Curacao.

Thanks for everything,

Robyn and Bill Medinas

From: Marina Fontaine
Sent: Jul 13, 2009 2:11 PM

I almost never send feedback, but I feel that we really got something special from your tour. It was like having a friend introduce us to the island, complete with a special drink and snack. Even my 4 year old enjoyed it. Kim was even helpful to us in getting her through some rocky spots in the cave, to make her feel safe. Also because of the rain Kim wasn't able to take us to one of the caves, but instead of just saying, oh well, tough luck, she took us to some extra places like the flamingo preserve and a quick tour of downtown. It was definitely a highlight of our vacation. Thanks again for everything.

Marina

From: Ryuji Seno
Sent: Jul 9, 2009 5:41 PM

First of all I would really appreciate for cordial attention by all of your staff during my stay in Curacao.

I was able to enjoy all activities which you had coordinated for me. As Howard requested me, I will send a picture, attached to the message, which he tool with my camara in Lagoon beach, so I would ask you to resend him the picture. I am really looking forward to having another opportunity to visit Curacao in the near future.

Best regards.

Ryuji Seno

From: Robin Cook
Sent: Jun 14, 2009 6:16 PM

We just wanted to write a quick note to thank Howard for the Snorkeling Tour and Kim for the
Breath of Curacao Tour...both guides were FANTASTIC and the tours could not have been better!
Thanks for making our stay on Curacao so much more enjoyable! :)

Robin and Kristin

From: Carlos Teixeira
Sent: Jun 1, 2009 3:05 PM

As I was on a business trip to Curacao and only had 1 free day, I got in touch with Explore Curacao at the Avila hotel,Willemstad where I was staying. I wanted to go on a snorkeling trip somewhere on the island, and wanted it NOW. Usually you need to book a day in advance, but with no problems at all, they made some phone calls and managed to get me a guide for half the day and we were ready to go within the next hour.. We ended up going to Caracas bay and Directors Bay, all close to the Spanish bay, where we snorkeled the famous Tugboat wreck.

So a big thank you to Marie at reception and Sander, my guide. Consider yourself lucky should you get Sander – this guy knows his thing. Anyways, just wanted to say thanks again for a great day and excellent snorkeling.

Cheers
Carlos

From: Christine Thomas
Sent: Jan 17, 2009 5:13 PM

I just had to write to say what a wonderful tour we had with Howard when visiting Curacao on January 7th. He was a wonderful guide, and gave us a lot of flexibility with how we wanted to spend our day. He was so knowledgeable about the island, nature and ecosystems of Curacao, as well as the history and culture. Plus he's a really nice guy and made us feel right at home. I gave the tour, Howard and your company a positive write-up on Cruise Critic.com and will recommend you to anyone planning a trip to
Curacao!

Kindest regards,
Christine Thomas

From: Lorraine Henault
Sent: Apr 19, 2008 7:59 AM

First I would like to thank Kim and Sem for the good and interesting visit of your island. We are going to keep a very good souvenir of Curacao. We are back in Québec after spending the winter in Florida and as I promised Kim, I am sending you some pictures taken during our visit. We won't hesitate to refer you to people visiting your island.

Thanks again. Best regard to Kim and Sem.....Lorraine Hénault

From: Rhonda Ramsey
Sent: Mar 26, 2008 8:30 PM

I just wanted to write you, now that my family is home, to let you know about our tour with your company on March 19.

We are a family of four, with two boys age 20 and 12. We cruised with Royal Caribbean last week and Curacao was our second stop. We were looking forward to a day of snorkeling because we had heard that your beautiful island was a great place to snorkel. We were blown away by the beauty of the island and the snorkeling. We were also overwhelmed by the tour guide your company provided us with. Not only was Howard informative and entertaining, he went way out of his way to make sure we saw the beauty of the island. We not only got to see the beautiful snorkeling sites, but we also got to see how amazingly historic and lovely the island really is. Without Howard, this would not have been possible. Please, thank Howard again for us.

Curacao was our favorite stop of the cruise and we will highly recommend your company to future travelers. No other place that we visited even came close to your snorkeling! If we ever get to visit again, we hope that Howard if available to show us around.

Curacao is truly a tropical paradise. Thank you for you services.

Rhonda Ramsey

From: Mindy Walton
Sent: Mar 11, 2008 9:27 PM

Hello - Our family enjoyed ourselves when we were there December 18th and just wanted to thank Howard for the wonderful tour of Curacao and all the bits of information he had about the island and its history. Loved the authentic Krioyo food and would have liked to have had even longer than the full day! We will recommend you to all we know who are planning on going to Curacao.

Mindy, Stephen, Nicole and Annie Walton
Toronto, ON
Canada

From: JoAnn Noffsinger
Sent: Feb 9, 2008 2:52 PM

I just want you to know that we had a GREAT time with Andy. In fact, we are thinking that we will rebook the same cruise for next January because we love Curacao. We will definately be calling for another excursion. Andy is a tough act to follow.... Thank you, again.

JoAnn

From: Janice Young
Sent: Feb 8, 2008 11:55 PM

Hi,
Just wanted to reach back to you to say that this was a such terrific day/excursion. We had so much fun. Kim was delightful and knowledgeable. I have since recommended you to a number of fellow cruisers and will continue to do the same.
Thanks much and take care.
Jan

From: Dionne and Bruce Nociar
Sent: Feb 1, 2008 11:29 AM

Sofie,

We just wanted to let you know that we had a great time on our 1/2 day tugboat snorkelling tour. Andy and Kim were exceptional guides and it was the most memorable tour that we had during the vacation. We will recommend you to everyone we can, and look forward to returning to Curacao (and Curacao-Actief) in the future.

Thanks again,
Dionne and Bruce Nociar
Cochrane, Alberta. Canada

From: Cláudia Primo
Sent: Nov 22, 2007 12:42 PM

Hi!
I really want to thank you for the wonderful time we had in Curacao.
All tours were amazing and the tours guides were very attencious and profissionals. Kim, Han and Howard are the best ones!!

Thanks a lot for all your care!
Kind regards,

Cláudia Primo

From: Kathleen Yuhasz
Sent: Oct 8, 2007 5:46 PM

Hi, Kim,
We wanted to thank you again for the fantastic tour last Wednesday! You made everything so interesting and we learned so much about Curacao from you! Yours was definitely the trip to top and no one did! We gave your name and the website to several people on the ship.
Hope you had a great birthday on Saturday!

THANKS again!

Kathy & Victor

From: D Levin
Sent: Aug 27, 2007 11:54 AM

Hi Anite, I wanted to Thank You for taking us around beautiful Curacao. The snorkeling we did was amazing, better than anywhere I have seen anywhere in the Caribbean and I have been to many, many ocean locations. We have decided we will come back to do some more visits to Curacao. Once again, Thank You for making it this day highlight of the ports we visited last week.

From: John Valentine
Sent: Jul 29, 2007 7:30 PM

Hello Han and Anite,
I have to tell you that the trip we took with Anite was one of the highlights of our trip to Curacao. We really enjoyed seeing the other side of the island with its natural beauty, as well as the problems caused by humans. It was quite a contrast to what we were experiencing at Breezes. I would recommend it to anybody traveling to Curacao, provided that they up for the adventure. I am totally amazed by the mud we got stuck in. I’m used to getting all sorts of vehicles un-stuck from the snow and ice we get around here and I figured it would be simple to extricate your vehicle. It’s hard to believe it took the Marines with their massive vehicles to remove us, in the process breaking the tow line!
Thanks again!!
John Valentine

From: Ed
Sent: Jul 30, 2007 8:58 PM

Hello Anite!!
We miss you and Curacao! There is no question...... we will be back!!!!!! We have been telling all of our clients about you and your company, and the amazing time that we had with you. I know if any of my clients go to Curacao, they will be giving you a call!
We had a great time with you, and I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed our company as well! I think you and your group really went above and beyond to accommodate us for the tour that we were requesting. If you ever decide to come to boring, cold, flat, London Ontario, look us up, and we'll do whatever we can to show you the same hospitality that you showed us! I'll even give you that exciting haircut that you were talking about as we went up Christoffel! Otherwise, I'll be doing some tour with you when I can get back to Curacao. I hope it can be soon!

Thanks again,
Ed and Ian

From: Lori and Barry

Sent: July 17, 2007 9:03 AM

Hey Claartje,

We had such a great time meeting you last week. You really helped make my snorkeling experience amazing. We got back pretty much in one piece and it is back to school and work for us. How are things by you? Anything new and exciting? Did you get a chance to go to the crocs website yet? Let me know if you would like me to send you any of them.

Kind regards, Lori and Barry Stiefel

From: Dave Maugle
Sent: Jul 16, 2007 8:43 AM

Anite; We had a great time with you and Sabina! Jeanne loved Curacao and you were a big reason for that. I am sure we will return sometime during the winter when its cold and gray here. We appreciate your efforts on Jeanne's behalf in regard to her food allergies too. Have a great season. Regards, Dave, Jeanne, Cate & Megan

From: Ruth Naegele
Sent: May 30, 2007 6:20 PM

Hi Anite,

How are you? You are very welcome! We had such a great day on your tour we too felt as if we were hanging out with a friend we had
known forever:-) We went to both bead shops and bought a few items at both places. We bought the reef fish book (they did not have the
bird book). There is still so much to see on the island we cannot wait to come back. We are hoping to come back after my graduation.
Our trip back was very smooth, no lost luggage this time thank heavens!

Thank you for such an fantastic tour,
Ruth Naegele

From: Mark and Peggy Ericksen
Sent: Jul 04, 2007 5:35 PM

Hello Anite, I am not sure if you remember us, Mark and Peggy Ericksen from Clearwater, Fl. We really enjoyed our tour last year, and we hope you are doing well. There is a good chance that Peg and I will be back in Curacao on January 5, 2008. I believe that is a Saturday. We will be on Brilliance of the Seas again. I was wondering if you have any other tour options available for cruise ship passengers? Last year you took us to Ascension/Suplado, Shete Boka National Park, and beach for snorkeling. We had a fantastic time. Thanks

From: Flemming Johansen
Sent: May 15, 2007 05:33 PM

First of all, we want to thank you for a beautiful and a very exciting trip to the Christoffel Park and the Northern part of Curacao. Now we have been back home for nearly 2 months and when we are talking and thinking back of our trip to Curacao we always talk about our trip with you. We are very happy to have met you and were able to spend a whole day with you. The way you showed us the nature and told us about the history of the island was exceptional. You have a great knowledge about the island, nature, history and the ordinary life of the island. We think we are coming back when Belinda is older and not interested to join us, and hopefully you have the firm at that time also.

Thanks for a wonderful day
Belinda, Inge and Flemming Johansen
Denmark

From: Paul & Shelley
Sent: Apr 19. 2007 07:34 PM

Anite,
I recently returned from a cruise in which our family took the Desert & Caves Tour on April 11. We had Han as our tour guide. I had to write to tell you that the tour was excellent and Han was the absolute best. We have three teenage sons who were with us, and they all said this was the best excursion of the whole trip. Han was so knowledgeable about everything and took the time to go out of his way to point out not only the main parts of the tour but small details as well. He took great interest and pride in showing us the various features of the island. Please thank him again for us and tell him Paul, Shelley, Sean, Ryan & Connor say hello. He is truly an asset to your company and if we are ever in Curacao again, we will definitely be booking another tour with you.
Shelley Strader

From: Ellen & Alan Jones
Sent: April 12. 2007 8:36 PM

Hello Anite!

Here it is almost 3 months after our trip, and we are still in awe about our week in Curacao. The highlight certainly was our day spent with you on the island tour. We have told everyone we know about what a beautiful place Curacao is, and we just cannot wait to return.

We are looking to return for a week in Feburary. We've been cruising the internet looking for rental houses and there seems to be a pretty good selection. We thought we would quiz you as to what your recommendations would be for a group of about 6 - 8 adults to come for a week visit in February. Any villa rental ideas? We can't wait to show the island to our friends and family - and, of course, take them on another one of your excellent tours!

Please send any ideas our way. Attached are some pics we took -feel free to use them as you will.

Thanks for your wonderful hospitality and for an absolutely fantastic day on your beautiful island!

Ellen and Alan Jones
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
(toured January 31, 2007)

From: Keith & Lori Rogers
Sent: Apr 26, 2007 12:20 PM

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the amazing dive we experienced in Curacao on March 31. Claartje was our guide and she did an excellent job. She was thorough, attentive, communicative, and most of all fun. While we enjoyed both dive sites, I particularly liked diving under the pier. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. And we loved the dive, beach, and lunch at Cas Abao. That was the most beautiful beach we visited at any port on our 11 night cruise.

Thank you again for making our short stay in Curacao such an enjoyable one. We will definitely try to come back and spend more time there in the future.

Keith and Lori Rogers

From: Watson, Ashley
Sent: Mar 30, 2007 12:07 PM

Anite--
Thank you so much for the tours-- they were fantastic. I am dying to go snorkeling again:) Thank Han and Claire as well:-)

From: Paul, Clint and Tina

Sent: Mar 27, 2007 11:48 AM

We just wanted to let you know what a great day we had on Curacao on March 15th. Claire (Claartje) and Nick were just amazing! We had so much fun with them and it was like getting a tour from two friends. The beaches they took us to were the nicest I have ever seen.It was also my Birthday and they made it extra special. They are two wonderful people and you are very fortunite to have them working for you. Also see my review here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=525237

Thanks again and we look forward to our next vist.
Paul Schofield, Clint Berger and Tina Cline

From: Dawn Kelly
Sent: Feb 13, 2007 5.56 PM

Dear Han and Anite:
Well we had another excellent adventure with you last week. I never thought I would enjoy the desert and cave tour as much as I did our snorkel tour last year, but Han you were an exceptional guide once again. The caves and the “bullseye” were fascinating. The scenery was spectacular. Our friends Rosemary and Harry also enjoyed the tour immensely. Rosemary was a little nervous about the snorkelling, but you picked the perfect spot for her to try out the new equipment. Our pictures all came out fantastic. It was especially fun to be part of the film making process. I hope the footage was spectacular. I did another write up on cruise critic under the topic of “Has anyone taken a tour with Curacao-Actief”. Follow this link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=467167. Scroll halfway down the page until you hit the title Curacao-Actief Desert and Cave tour report.

Thank you again for a wonderful day,
Dawn

From: Terri Watkins Braziel
Sent: Feb 6, 2007 8:25 PM

I was on your wonderful Snorkeling and Sightseeing tour Jan 17th. My daughter loved the currant rolls you passed out. We can't stop thinking of how great they were, but most of all your island. Your tour was absoutely the best of all we went on, we have wonderful photos of it. You all did such a great job. It was fantastic, even giving us enough time to stop at a store for cheese and beer! Thanks! Terri

From: Margie Lisbona
Sent: Jan 30, 2007 6:57 PM

Hi Clarre!!! (That is your Kansas name - okay?)
There are no words to cover the experience that we had in Curacao. Here I was a little Kansas girl that was scared to death to snorkel for the first time. (In Kansas we have no large bodies of water - let alone a huge ocean that actually has a life of its own underneath the water!) Our guide was Clarre - not only beautiful but immediately became a part of our family) - who is from Holland originally was the ABSOLUTE most wonderful person in the world. She was not only patient (you have to be with people from Kansas - ha!) explained everything that I was suppose to do and then actually got into the water with me and took me on an experience of a lifetime. Never in my life have I seen anything so wonderful - Mr. Octo left me a little breathless - but, was that ever AMAZING - I can't wait to snorkel again!!!! The history of the island was an extra treat and very much appreciated. The old fort and the hospital was super interesting - you don't see those everyday now do you. I got great pictures of them from the cruise ship as we were leaving - EVERYONE I meet from now on is going to get your number - you guys are the BEST EVER!!!!!! Thanks for wonderful time - we WILL meet again!!! Remember that you are welcome here anytime - new friends are wonderful - it makes the world a little smalller!!!! I'll send you pictures later this week - and be good! God Bless! Margie - from the Land of Oz!!!! (and now snorkeling)

From: Mark and Peggy Ericksen

Sent: Dec 24, 2006 11:32 AM

Anite, Peg and I had a wonderful time on Curacao. I can't get over how great the snorkeling was, and I am so glad that I swam out as far as I did. What a beautiful snorkeling site. I thought that the countryside was beautiful as well with a lot of diversity, from mountains to the beach. I hope that we get to return some day. It was a day that we will never forget!

From: NoNoNanette
Sent: Dec 30, 2006 10:15 AM

Our FABULOUS day in Curacao!

This is an excerpt. Pls see this link for the full article.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=461243

*THURSDAY 12/7 CURACAO. Word of the day: “WOW!” We LOVED this island, In beauty, I place it just below Bora Bora. We had arranged to hit a few beaches through www.curacao-actief.com .......

We were met by our tourguides/bodyguards, Saskia and Priscilla. .....Absolutely wonderful! ....Our first beach was the one that I picked out. Daaibooi Baai (“Die-Boy”). WOW! This place was virtually deserted. Fabulous! ... I’d NEVER seen such an assortment of fish. Some of the biggest Parrot Fishes that I’d EVER seen! The snorkeling was breathtaking. Water clarity was wonderful. WOW! ....These expectations were fulfilled a thousand-fold! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this company. I’ve dying to go back to Curacao and hit a few more beaches. WOW!..... Heck, we were just along for the ride and loving every minute of it!!! ....Anite, is to be applauded for planning this customized beach tour. We emailed back and forth a few times, then she called to chat, getting an idea of our expectations. These expectations were fulfilled a thousand-fold! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this company. (Especially after seeing 2 other tour companies who had their clients packed like sardines in their vehicles!)

From: Dawn Prince
Sent: Dec 8, 2006 9.05 PM

Hi Anite,

Hello from Cold New Jersey. I am sorry that I didn't write a note earlier. I wanted to thank you so much for the trip on November 15th. Me and Jeff had a blast. We are still talking to everybody here about the snorkeling in Curacao, I wish we never came home. It is approximately 17F degrees outside. It was snowing a little bit last night. You could say we miss the Caribbean just a little bit.
I am still hoping that we can get down to Curacao next year. I have that tile sitting on my kitchen window sill. I see it everyday, and dream of paradise. I hope everything is going well for you and your business. If we get down there next year I will definetely give you a call, we'll have to go out to dinner. I have been looking at a couple of the resorts you drove us past. I can dream right!!!! I'll let you go I just wanted to drop you a note of huge thanks for the trip we really enjoyed it. I will post a review on it, this weekend if I get a chance on cruisecritic. Take Care. Have a Great Holiday!!!! Hope you don't get any Snow (Just kidding). Enjoy!!!!

Dawn Prince

From: Brian and Linda Jeffery
Sent: Dec 2, 2006 4.13 PM

Hi Anite!
It was really nice to meet you during our excursion. We absolutely loved our tour! We were grateful to be with you on our own especially since the people on board were getting to us. Our tour was most enjoyable and certainly for us YOU made it great! We appreciated how clean and tidy your vehicle was, how you did everything you could to make us feel comfortable and were always eager to do more for us. You were very down to earth and easy to talk to and it is clear to us that you love what you do.

The two places you took us to were perfect for us. The timing of the entire tour worked perfectly for us. I liked the little added extra you gave us in touring the Fort and the hospital....very interesting. The snacks provided were very enjoyable...tasty in fact!

For us this was an all round perfect tour. I hope your company doesn't lose the personal touch as you grow your company. We will definitely be recommending you to folks we know who go to Curacao. We hope to be back there again in the near future and look forward to seeing you again at that time.

Thanks again for making us feel at home and showing us a good time and for sharing so many personal stories with us. It made our vacation!

Brian and Linda Jeffery

From: Heather Gunn
Sent: Aug 16, 2006 10:43 AM

Anite:
I cannot thank you enough for the hiking excursion to the top of Christiffel Park. We really, really enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. You were a wonderful guide - so thoughtful and entertaining. I am reall happy to have chosen Actief. My husband and I went to two of the restaurants you recommended. I can't remember the name of the one we actually ate at. However, the owner was extremely pleasant. Thank you for recommending. We also found some raw milk on a farm not too far from Dinah Veeris. I don't drink it but my husband got some for himself. We had a wonderful time. Good luck to you and your husband. Sorry we didn't get to meet him. I am quite sure that he has a wonderful spirit like yours.

Best Regards,
Heather Gunn

From: Ricardo
Sent: Aug 13, 2006 10:26 AM

Christoffel Hiking and Sightseeing Tour

Anite,
Sorry for taking so long to thank you! We had a great time in Curacao and a big part of it was because of you and Han. Han came out great in the pictures, perhaps next time we'll have the pleasure in meeting in person.

Thanks again, Ricardo

From: Ken, Linda, Elena
Sent: Aug 11, 2006 6.51 PM

Hi Anite and Han:
Many thanks to you both for such a warm greeting to us here and to Anite for a first class tour of such a special island. We met several people today who know Yubi's work and we saw a piece at a local building....what an interesting experience it all was. We have been continuously discussing yesterday and digesting the experiences.  We agreed that the island exceeded our expectations....in all respects. I'm going to obtain a Papiamento DVD and see if I can decipher the language a bit more....it is truly fascinating...in its sounds and origins. I tried to order I've been looking at Yubi's website....it doesn't due real justice to his imagination but it is very interesting nonetheless. The lunch at the "farm" (Kas di Pal'i Maishi) was also really an experience.....the man who waited on us was unforgettable.   Keep up the good work.....and...oh....the flamingos...
I could watch them for hours. We will, sadly, leave here tomorrow after a glorious stay....thanks again for everything......
All The Best....Ken, Linda, Elena

From: Brigitte Segal
Sent: Jun 20, 2006 8:34 PM

Both Brigitte and myself want to send you and your husband a belated thank you for sending us the great pictures and providing us with such a fun time in Curacao. We wish you both only the best.
Sincerely, Gregory and Brigitte

From: Lisa Harrison
Sent: Jun 13. 2006 3.35 PM

Hi Anite and Han,

Well we are home and getting back to work and the swing of things. We just want to say how wonderful our trip was and it was so great meeting you and getting to spend your birthday with you. We have most of our pics but are still going through them, there are a ton. We will get some to you soon. Thanks again for making our vacation so wonderful and hope to see you in the US soon.

Lisa and Bryan

From: Robert Nielsen
Sent: Jun 4, 2006 7:57 PM

Han and Anite,

I thought I would send you some pictures that I took on our hike up Mt. Christoffel that I think turned out very well. Feel free to use them on your website or in brochures if you like. I talked to the Manager of Breezes resort and mentioned that I really enjoyed your hike and that I thought they should work with you to provide "active" hikes to their guests. Beth and I really enjoyed our hike up the Christoffel Mountain and the tour of the north coast afterwards. We even told our friends back home in North Carolina about the vacation, and they are considering coming next year. Perhaps we will see you again! You can probably guess that Beth would LOVE to hike up the mountain again!

Again, thanks for the tour
Robert and Beth Nielsen

From: Chuck
Sent: May 5, 2006 3:40 PM

What a class act you guys are. Definitely when we get back to Curacao we will contact you.
Sincerely, Chuck

From: Mike
Sent: Apr 19, 2006 8.56 PM

We're back home from our cruise and just wanted to send along a quick thank-you for a great day in Curacao! It was really nice spending the day with you and Han, and getting to know you both a bit. We got some great pictures at Shete Boka! We'll try and keep in touch from time to time, and let you know what happens later in the year with the baby. By the way, we had lunch at the Gouverneur and it was terrific - right out on the main deck overlooking the water. Thanks for that recommendation! Hope all is well with you both, and hope to cross paths with you again someday! Mike

From http://kobernus.com/curacao/curaco1.html
Sent: Apr 15, 2006 10:23 AM

Snow was on the ground when we departed Traverse City Michigan on 31 March. It was impossible to get to Curacao in one day so we had to lay over in Miami and catch the plane on the 1st of April. We had to go through the same thing on the way back. These days, travel by Air is fast but hectic. We always feel like cattle being herded from one corral to another. I think this may be one reason so many of our friends are taking cruises these days or driving. When I retired from the Air Force I vowed I'd never get on another airplane.

We arrived in Curacao in the early afternoon, rented a car and went directly to our hotel on the island. Curacao is a former Dutch colony just off the coast of Venezuela and is part of a group called the "ABC" islands (Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire) . The Dutch had plantations on the island and used slave labor until about 1880 when the practice was abolished.

There is a lot of very interesting history on the island and we were lucky enough to find out about Curacao-Actief, a tour company run by Han Geurtsen & Anite Windrich. Anite arranged our schedule before we left, met us at the hotel the first day, and stayed in touch with us the entire time we were on the island. Han was our guide for several of the adventures and is a very knowledgeable historian and naturalist. More and more tour companies are specializing in what is known as ecotourism and we believe this is a very positive trend. Curacao-Actief has studied the island carefully and their website outlines an extensive menu of recreational opportunities. By the end of the week, we felt as if we had known Han and Anite for many years.

Our week in Curacao was a whirlwind of activity. We saw and did a lot of things thanks to Han and Anite, but next time I'd like to do more diving and sailing and go at a slower pace. We have gotten away from diving over the last few years but this trip has renewed my interest in this sport. I'd like to check out some of the better known dive sites in the ABC islands.

Sent: Feb 9, 2006 11:41 AM

I just wanted to write and thank Han and Anite for the most excellent adventure you provided to us on our day in Curacao. I posted a write up on the cruise critic website in the ports of call area on the Boards. It truly was the best excursion that we have ever taken, and I am so glad that I found the Curacao-Actief website. You and Anite were so friendly and knowledgeable and you made us feel so welcome. The snorkeling and hiking were fantastic, and lunch was great fun.. Our pictures just don’t do the island justice. I can’t believe that we didn’t get a picture of you and Anite. We have been regaling our friends with the story of us jumping off the rocks into the water and the underwater swim to the Blue room.

We booked another cruise in 2007 and will want to book another excursion with you when we arrive.
Thank you again for a wonderful day.

From the Cruise Critic website: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=292781

shrek - Cool Cruiser Feb 2006
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Curacao-Actief excursion-wonderful

We just returned from our Jan 23-Feb4 Brilliance of the Seas cruise and I wanted to post a report on an excellent excursion that we booked with a company called Curacao Actief www.curacao-actief.com. We spent a full day with Han Geurtsen and Anite exploring some of the best snorkelling sites I have ever been to.

Curacao Actief offers a number of different excursions on their website, but we needed a custom made one because of the hours that the cruise ship was in port. I sent an email to Han and asked if they offered excursions for cruise passengers. He responded that they could tailor one to our needs. I asked for a combination snorkel and hiking day that would allow us to see some of the island as well as snorkelling.

We visited three snorkel locations, hiked and went for lunch at a local Creole restauraunt far off of the beaten path. We also saw some of the architectural and fortress sites, and Han was very knowledgeable about the these sites and also about the flora and fauna of the area.

The first snorkel site was called Director's Bay and it was amazing. The four of us snorkelled for about an hour and we saw every type of fish imaginable. Han gave us a laminated chart of the tropical fish that are in the area and we were able to take it into the water with us to identify the fish we were seeing. We were the only people snorkelling here.

Then we went to a snorkel site called the Tugboat and snorkelled over a sunken tugboat. This too was really nice. We saw several scuba divers beneath us. There were other people at this location, but not too many.

The final snorkel site was called the Blue Room and involved a hike of about 25 minutes through a forested area. We reached the water and jumped in off of the coral rock face and swam to an outcropping of coral. We had to swim underwater for about 10 feet to get into the Blue Room which is an underwater cave with amazing light features. When the sun shines and you are in the Blue Room with whole room turns blue and it was amazing. We then climbed back up the rock face and hiked back to the car.

They drove us back to the ship at 4PM and we had the best time. I would highly recommmend Curacao Actief for those of you who want to experience Curacao off the beaten track. This is definitely an excursion for snorkelling enthusiasts and people who like to get outdoors and see what the island has to offer. Han and Anite were the nicest people, and we felt like we had spent the day with friends.

Even if you aren't into snorkelling they offer many other activities including biking, hiking, and water sports. If anyone has any questions please let me know I'd be happy to answer them.

From: Alan, Monique and Oliver
Sent: Jan 6, 2006 8:40 PM

Dear Han and Anite,

Our tans may be fading but our memories of a great time in Curacao are still as clear as the wonderful warm sea! We want to thank you both for the very informative tours. The Eco Safari Desert and Caves tour was very interesting. A picnic at the entrance to the cave was an excellent idea. The hike up Christoffel Mountain was made all the more interesting by Han pointing out important flora and fauna which also served as a much needed and well deserved pit stop on the way to the summit!

And what a way to spend Christmas Day, jumping from 10 metres high cliffs into the sea! We will certainly recommend your tours and activities to family and friends.

Good luck with all your future ventures and plans. Until next time (yes we will be back to do the rest of the tours!)

Best wishes,
Alan, Monique and Oliver

From: Hector and Laura
Sent: Dec 3, 2005 8:56 PM

Thank you for the phenomal boating trip! We had a lot of fun on our tour and a really good time and will be telling everyone who asks us about all the fun things to do on Curacao. We hope to stay in contact.

Kindest regards
Hector and Laura Cerna

From: Simon Hénault
Sent: Jul 15, 2005 5:10 PM

I had the privilege to take Curacao Actief's Eco Safari in June 2005, a very enjoyable, insightful and most personal experience. We visited places and saw things that we would have definitely not seen without our experienced local guide. Throughout my holidays in Curacao, I also met Ingmar (windsurfing) and Iko (catamaran), two cool guys willing to share their passion with others.

What a great team of people, a memorable tour and a terrific island!

Thank you, Anite and Han.
Simon Hénault
Canada

From: Brian M. Olson
Sent: Aug 16, 2005 9.25 AM

I wanted to thank you and your wonderful staff for an awesome mountain bike ride! I hope to return in the future. Or if any of the island cyclist want to ride in the San Francisco Bay Area, Monterey and/or Lake Tahoe area, just let me know. Of course, there are epic trails (right by my house) in the Santa Cruz mountains.
In any event, keep up the good work and I'll see ya on the trails! :)
Saludos, Brian M. Olson

From: John Hutter
Sent: Jul 21, 2005 8.23 AM

I just wanted to let you know that my family and I had a wonderful time on the jeep-tour last week. It truly was one of the highlights of our visit to the island! Our photographs came out very good, but still do not completely capture the beauty of being there in person. Thank you very much for all of your efforts in coordinating our adventure.

Curacao-Actief has a very good product, and we wish you well in your endeavors.
Best regards, John Hutter

From: Scott Munroe
Sent: Jul 29, 2005 12:50 PM

Hi Han and Anite,
We loved the ecotour and all that Curacao has to offer. You and Anite, Terrence, Theo and of course Renate were just wonderful. Thanks so much for making our visit to Curacao so special. Best of luck with your business venture and living in Curacao.

Hope you enjoy your new home and settle in quickly.
Keep in touch,
Judy

Curacao Actief

For all your personalized and active tours: Diving, Biking, Hiking, Sailing or just Touring the rough countryside.

Our customers' experiences