Diver Reviews:    (Please share your own experiences by clicking here!)

04/25/2008 Anon001 (Avg: 2.41 Review) - I thought this site had good mushroom formations, but not as many fish as other sites. I did not think it was worth the drive from the Marriott. The entry was rough and visibility was poor that day. The steps to the parking lot were not fun in scuba gear!

12/27/2007 Renee Ross (Avg: 4.65 Review) - Playa Kalki was definitely the best reef we saw on Curacao. Huge mushroom like corals that just towered above the wall-like diving at about 60 ft deep, to the right of the dive dock. Fish were small but plentiful, but the hard corals here were extremely healthy. Amazing! Note to shore divers, on Curacao it's easier to rent the tanks at the individual sites. Kalki's dive shop (run by Ocean Encounters) was cheaper than Habitat where we bought a package of air. Kalki's dive shop was excellent, you walk down the stairs to their dock area, buy the tanks, suit up on their benches and they lock up your belongings in a room. They have a bathroom, shower and rinse tanks and a nice dock for your use. Early December was a slow time so we had the whole reef to ourselves at most every site we dove. The beach there charges $6 per chair and not many chairs to be rented. For repeat dives there, we just did a morning dive, then stored our equip in the locked dive room and went to have lunch at the local restaurant named Jaanchie's (good food, but a bit pricy) then back for the afternoon dive. We even forgot our camera in an underwater housing in the dive room when we left, and returned a half hour later and the camera was still secure in the room for us. Great, friendly dive staff! I would never recommend staying at the resort there though. Too crowded for us.

09/22/2007 Jerry (Avg: 4.82 Review) - This site provides easy entry from the dock. The reef is a short swim and well marked. Blue buoys mark the edge of the reef. As previously reported, squid are really easy to find. Look under dock. During three dives on three separate days, conditions were consistent. At depths of 40-70 feet, visibility was excellent, surge and current were minimal, and marine life was abundant. Look up, and it will be raining fish. A guided shore dive is available through Ocean Encounters West for $30.00. It is worth the money for inexperienced divers or those without a buddy. Ask for Tookie (AKA Captain Jack). If it is on the reef, he will find it. (Moray eel, Juvenile Drum fish, etc) The site presents few hazards, but watch for jet skiers on weekends. One buzzed the swimming area during my trip. Other boat traffic is well off shore. The on-site shop can provide tips on assessing the current. Snorkel Tip: Try a dusk or night snorkel off the beach. Even at shallow depths, this was an interesting experience. We became part of a floating and swirling wall of fish. (Not sure if night access is restricted to lodge guests)

09/01/2007 Kelly (Avg: 4.00 Review) - Really enjoyed this site. Having dive shop on site to rent tanks from was easy. The snack bar and areas in shade to relax between dives were nice. Nice school of squid right off the edge of pier was a good photo opportunity.

07/09/2007 Marie N (Avg: 4.51 Review) - Wow! What a great dive site. So many fish and reef creatures. Very large fish, which is not the norm for most dive sites on Curacao. Easy entry and exit via the pier.

03/19/2007 Andre Mazeron (Avg: 4.16 Review) - Dive center right on the beach, with very easy access using the pier and a short swim to the reef. Beautiful reef/wall, with well-preserved corals and sponges.

01/02/2007 Anonymous (Avg: 3.87 Review) - One of the best shore dives in Curacao. This was our third trip to Curacao.

02/17/2006 Cheddar Chicklet (Avg: 4.18 Review) - If Dr Seuss could dream up an underwater landscape, it would be Playa Kalki. Reef is very healthy and covered with tons of vibrant coral. Eels crowd the nooks and crannies of this great beach. On-site dive shop Ocean Encounters runs a very nice shop here with freshwater dunk tanks, showers and a bathroom. There is a small charge to use, 5 florins. The alternate side of Kalki is run by Hotel Kurlanda and there is a charge for the use of their loungers, $6. They also have a nice but pricy restaurant & bar there. Many steps down to the shore from the parking lot, then a moderate swim out to the reef. Sandy/dead coral beach offers easy access once you get down there. Dive shop has a pier out from the shop also. A great dive! I give it a 9 out of 10.

11/14/2005 Laszlo Ilyes (Avg: 3.77 Review) - Great site. We visit here again and again. All West Divers are GREAT. The fancy Kura Hullanda hotel just built a new resort next door. We hear All West will partner with them. Might be a nice combo…

04/21/2005 Richard Zinno (Avg: 5.00 Review) - What an incredible dive! The coral heads are HUGE. Great fish life and incredible visibility. Very secluded beach, not many divers. All West was great. I just showed up with no reservations and was diving an hour later. Wonderful dive.

09/25/2004 Dan Benson (Avg: 3.63 Review) - This is also called Alice in Wonderland. Well, Alice has been on vacation! There's dirty sand on most of the coral down to at least 40'. This may be the result of Hurricane Ivan, which passed 90 miles north a few days before we dove it.

09/25/2004 Jonte Van Essen (Avg: 4.04 Review) - A great site for both snorkeling and diving. During our snorkel trips we encountered a lot of animals, like turtles, eagle rays, big schools of fish, lobsters, snake eels and moray eels. Another great site which is not included on this site, but can be dived from Playa Kalki, is Watamula and is one of the greatest dive sites on Curacao. We saw a very big green turtle, a lot of moray eels and flying gurnards here. This site also features a 'forest' of plants and soft coral and massive mushroom corrals. You can also enter Watamula by a 'dive-yak' which can be hired by request. By using this special kayak you will have a very adventurous dive trip.

08/27/2004 Noel (Avg: 4.08 Review) - Plenty of secure parking and good facilities here. We arrived here before the shop opened and finished two dives before 10:30 am. Were only 4 others gearing up to dive as we loaded our car. Easy entry via All West dive shop dock steps, only about 1-2 feet of rocks at the waters edge and then a sand bottom out to the reef. Worse part of the dive is carrying your gear up and down the steps to the parking lot, but that is only a minor inconvenience. A short easy swim out to the buoy and down you go. Current was minimal so we did two dives here - one in each direction. Coral and growth is so thick here that there is no sand to break up the visual picture so it is very easy to miss or overlook a lot of interesting life. Swam by a fishing line from the locals on the first dive. It was weighted with 4 spark plugs that they were bouncing up and down, with no success I might add. A good spot for a two tank dive as All West has air. Use of their facilities is cheap and worth it.

07/04/2004 Matt in NY (Avg: 4.02 Review) - Great secluded dive site all the way to the north - a bit tricky to find, but worth it! Dive the wall to either side of the beach, drops as far as you want to go. We snorkeled the beach afterwards and got into a 500+ foot long school of white fish (we couldn't identify).

04/06/2004 Jim Homan (Avg: 3.67 Review) - Sandy beach makes for easy entry with a short swim to the reef. Nice selection of small eels.

09/17/2003 RS Kuhn (Avg: 4.12 Review) - Great shore dive site on the far west end of Curacao. Only 2 other sites are further West (Mushroom Forest & Watamulla). Not crowded. Lots of parking. All West Dive Shop has rinse tanks and tank rentals at this site. Rent tanks from All West and use their shower and rinse tanks. Short swim to reef. Do not miss this one. Small beach. Bring along a lunch and drinks.

08/07/2003 RobnKim (Avg: 4.85 Review) - This can be a popular beach for diving and snorkeling, but is definitely one of the best dives on the island. If you head to the right, the coral heads are massive. Heading left is also a good bet. There are a number of fish and eels, always a cool dive. A must do! The 'infamous' bathroom along with some other buildings are being torn out. All West Diving was open and active at the site in July '03 (to the left of the stairs), unlike in November '02 when we first visited. The stairs look more daunting than they actually are.

06/16/2003 Randy (Avg: 4.60 Review) - We were able to enter the water by just stepping off the end of the pier. A short snorkel out and we were viewing some of the best shore diving we have seen. The dive center was very helpful also with information on where to dive.

05/27/2003 Terry Neve (Avg: 3.77 Review) - The diving here was Incredible, easy entry and exit. One of the GPS settings #1 or #2 was incorrect but by using the final parking and entry points we found it just fine. The Bathroom was trashed and inoperative, and there were no other facilities close by so 'go' before you get there. The dive shop was closed up the day we were there, so make sure you bring your own tanks and weights. I don't know if they are even still open or not. The beach was deserted, only one other couple was there, but it was sure was beautiful (bring lots of water and your own food). There is no way to see the car from the beach, so DON’T LEAVE ANY VALUABLES IN IT. We didn't bring any valuables, and I hid the GPS unit under the dash. All that being said, the dive was wonderful and well worth all the effort. (We went to the right) It was near the top of our list of dive sites we dove while we were there. There was little to no current, water temp 81 and vis close to 80 feet and an easy surface swim to the top of the reef. Coral was in great shape, and there was plenty of sea life. If you are looking for an "off the beaten track" dive this is it. I would definitely go back here and do it again.

02/28/2002 Scubadiverrob (Avg: 4.35 Review) - One of the nicer sites here, peaceful, healty, and varied reef. A lot of life. Easy in and out. Dived here 5x this trip and I never tire of it. One of my favorites, great for night dives too. Not to be missed.

11/17/2001 Kirk Peddicord (Avg: 4.32 Review) - Dove 11-17-01 at 9 am. Went out to buoy and then right. nice coral formation and a fun dive. not a lot of fish but the coral was pretty dang cool. the restroom was interesting, but watch your head. coral shore and there is some construction going on at the first level area from the parking lot. What a beautiful place to eat lunch after a dive.

10/22/2001 Oscar San Luis (Avg: 4.35 Review) - Excellent dive site. Great coral formations and excellent visibility. It appears not many tourists visit this site, so it's not heavily populated with divers.

07/24/2001 Fiona Rattray (Avg: 3.78 Review) - Beach can be really hot for your non-diving friends- bring lots of H2O. Lots of fish life.

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