Together with caregivers and Sébastien Noulais from the Unlimited Adventure Foundation, I was able to experience the magic of Curaçao. We stayed at the fine accommodation that is Dolphin Suites hotel near Mambo Beach. It was not only an amazing vacation, but it was also the perfect opportunity to introduce Unlimited Adventure and my foundation, Dreams for Duchenne, to Curaçao.

I first heard about Dolphin Suites through Buitengewoon Reizen, a travel agency in Zwolle that specialises in handicap-accessible vacations. According to the travel agency, Curaçao is a great place to visit with beautiful wheelchair-friendly resorts. I thought that Dolphin Suites sounded perfect for our stay, and, after speaking to Jettie from Dolphin Suites at the Support Fair in Utrecht, my feelings were confirmed.

After a long flight, we arrived at Dolphin Suites in the early evening. We were warmly welcomed in Dutch by the receptionist and then shown our apartment on the third floor. A high-low adjustable bed with an AD mattress had been ordered in advance and was neatly made up in one of the two bedrooms. In the kitchen, a delivery of groceries had been prepared for us to make the start of our stay that little bit easier.

The handicap-accessible apartment was extremely tidy with ample room to manoeuvre a large electric wheelchair. The bathroom had a toilet with brackets, and was easily accessible from a folding elevator. 

In addition to the knowledgeable receptionist, we also found the other amenities in good order. Dolphin Suites has amazing facilities: a swimming pool complete with a pool elevator, beach wheelchairs to rent, a laundromat, several wellness facilities, and a garden with more than enough space to relax.

Besides exploring the well-known spots in Curaçao, such as Playa Grandi, known for the sea turtles, Playa Porto Marie, the pig beach, and Mambo Beach and Jan Thiel of course, the main purpose of my trip was to take adventurous walks with the Joëlette.

The Joëlette is a one-wheeled suspended and braked wheelchair. It allows you to access places that are unreachable for electric and manual wheelchairs. (The Joëlette is propelled by able-bodied persons - with one person pulling at the front, a second person balancing the chair at the back and a third person nearby as an extra pair of hands.)

We used the Joëlette to hike in the Salt Pans and to get to the Watamula Hole on West Point, a hole in the volcanic rock where the sea jets through. These hikes, impossible to do in an "ordinary" wheelchair, delivered incredible scenes of Curaçao. 

A Joëlette is not always easy to find. Fortunately, Unlimited Adventure specialises in outdoor adventures accessible to people with disabilities. They organise walks with the Joëlette at home and abroad. Since they are always up for an adventure, it was not difficult to get them excited about a wheelchair-accessible beach vacation in Curaçao. 

Not only was Curaçao a great collaboration between Unlimited Adventure, Dreams for Duchenne and Dolphin Suites, but also a fantastic and adventurous trip.

Dushi Curaçao, how beautiful you are, and how I look forward to when you become even more accessible to people with disabilities.

Learn more about the Dreams for Duchenne Foundation, the organisation created by Frank to help those with Duchenne muscle disease:

________________________________________________________________________

The Dreams for Duchenne Foundation was started when Frank had a deep desire to take a tour of the United States west coast (something made very difficult by Duchenne muscle disease). When it became apparent that the tour was going to go ahead, the organisation’s board expressed interest in helping other individuals suffering from Duchenne muscle disease realise their dreams. 

These range from a person meeting their idol to playing a game of soccer with a special wheelchair-mounted soccer kicker. In almost five years as of 2023, the foundation has been able to fulfil dozens of wishes.