Maybe you’ve seen one of our ads for the American Express Platinum Card. If so, you might be wondering why we advertise on our website. We’re going to explain this in this article and make things as transparent as possible.

Starting signal for Relaxed Curacao

We decided to get involved on the island of Curacao during the pandemic. The island had gone into complete lockdown, and our friends there were finding it tough. They were facing repeated lockdowns, no tourists, and no divers. In short, many people on the island simply had no income!

So in mid-2020 (after our visit in January), we decided to help the people of the island, whom we had come to appreciate during our stays in previous years, in our own way. On the one hand, we donated money for direct aid on site. On the other, we tried to raise awareness of Curacao as an attractive travel destination in Europe. Vacations were also possible on Curacao during the pandemic. Who better to spread the word than us? We thought.

The basis for our Curacao magazine

To become the number one travel blog in Europe on the subject of Curaçao, our project had to be more than just another travel blog. We had to create a solid foundation for a multilingual website that would take you as close as possible to the island through its most popular social media channels, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. We wanted to be authentic and show you the island and its inhabitants through our eyes.

We bought cameras, drones and other equipment (including a complete YouTube production studio), hired graphic designers and editors, booked more trips (partly under Covid conditions) and ended up spending quite a lot of money – now a high five-digit euro amount.

Advertising yes, but for what purpose?

We’re hoping to make back at least some of our investment through advertising and your support. Ideally, we’ll turn a profit and have a small surplus that will let us keep reporting “live” and up-to-date from the island for the next few years and keep providing you with accurate information in the future.

Our focus is to provide you with the best possible and independent information about Curacao and at the same time do our part to support this unique location with its warm people.

Who and what do we promote?

When we advertise, it has to be something that’s going to benefit you and the local people. A “special” from KLM with particularly low air fares, a free breakfast at the hotel when you book through our advertising partner – these are examples of what we’d like to advertise. That brings you something and in the end it brings us something too.

We don’t advertise (online) casinos based in Curacao because it doesn’t benefit you or the local people. That’s why you won’t find any casino advertising here, even though it might be lucrative.

We’ve also decided to let Google use AdSense to place ads that are as relevant as possible for you. We hope you understand and that there will be a “bargain” for you. It’s not that bad because this way you can see cheap flight or hotel offers directly on our site – without having to “google” them.

Advertising and our partners

We’ve got a separate article on the topic of “Who are our partners?”. Our partners are folks on the island, and we’ve known them for many years. Their “advertising” – or rather, “our recommendation” – is free for our partners. We don’t make a dime from them, and we call them our partners because they guarantee that your vacation will run smoothly. Please let us know if anything goes wrong during your vacation. We work directly with our partners, so we can help you out if needed.

Are KLM, American Express or Lufthansa (DKB) credit card partners?

In short: As of today, no! With the American Express Platinum Card, you can collect lots of so-called Reward Points in everyday life. You can then convert these points into miles with a frequent flyer program (e.g. KLM Flying Blue). And you can then use them to book flights in Business Class – even to Curacao. With a frequent flyer status with Flying Blue (from Silver) you get free baggage including priority boarding (as of 04/2024) and you can book the cheapest light fare, which includes baggage. With Flying Blue Gold status, you don’t have to buy breakfast at the airport. Instead, you can relax in the Skyteam Lounge with free food and drinks.

We’ll also show you how you can travel around the world quickly and cheaply in Business Class with all the amenities using your everyday spending and the right credit and customer cards (PayPal in Germany).

Bush drum?

Well, the quote from the beginning isn’t perfect, but we hope you’ll be one of the first to spot a bargain thanks to our ads. Flight prices change several times a day, and a current ad can save you hundreds. Then it’s time to “strike”! 😉