HOW TO ENJOY ARUBA

One Man’s Opinion

By

Charles W. Smith

Published by Charles W. Smith

This version published March 24, 2013

© Copyright Charles W. Smith

The author grants permission to print this document.

Permission is NOT granted to edit this document in any way.

Email address:  ArubaSmith@Yahoo.com

Website:  www.ArubaKid.com 

Photography by Charles W. Smith too

ORDER OF CONTENTS

FOREWARD BY ARUBAAMY

EMAILS FROM READERS

INTRODUCTION

ARUBA POSITIVES

MY BEST PIECE OF ADVICE

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ARUBA

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO STAY

THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR ARUBA

ARRIVAL IN ARUBA

THINGS NOT TO DO

DAY ACTIVITIES ON YOUR OWN

ORGANIZED DAY ACTIVITIES

MEALS AND RESTAURANTS

NIGHT ACTIVITIES

IN ARUBA ON A SHOESTRING

IN ARUBA WITH CHILDREN

IN ARUBA OFF A CRUISE SHIP

WHAT TO DO ON RAINY DAYS

DEPARTURE FROM ARUBA

MISCELLANEOUS

GOOD LUCK!

APPENDIX

            PREPARING FOR YOUR NEXT TRIPS

BRIEF TRIP REPORTS

PAPIAMENTO LESSON

TO PACK OR NOT TO PACK

ARUBA AND THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

POST TRIP QUIZ

FOREWARD

Even though we’ve never met, I feel like I’ve known Charlie Smith for quite some time since we have both frequented the same Aruba bulletin boards for many years and share the same love for the island.  I’ve been traveling to Aruba since 1996 (27 trips and counting) and, like Charlie, who considers Aruba his “hometown” from growing up on the island, I also have developed a relationship with the island of Aruba and now it feels like a “second home” to me as well.  Over the years I’ve enjoyed reading about Charlie’s trips to Aruba, his recommendations, his insight—and, of course his wonderful pictures.  Aruba is rich with so many different activities, history, incredible scenery, amazing food, and wonderful people--so please do not limit yourself to the confines of a resort.  Get out and explore this wonderful island!

Charlie has written a very thorough e-booklet about Aruba that captures almost every question that you might ask as a first time traveler, and it also includes updated information for those who travel to Aruba on an annual basis.  As he has said, there are many ways to enjoy Aruba depending on your own personal preferences--this e-booklet is a good starting point to begin to enjoy Aruba YOUR way (with a little help from Charlie!) 

~Amy~® (aka ArubaAmy)

Administrator:  http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/bulletinboard/

Trip Advisor’s Destination Expert for Aruba

EMAILS FROM READERS

Charles, Just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed your e-book. We were contemplating a vacation in Aruba (we’ve never been there), but were also looking at several other islands. After reading your e-book we were sold on Aruba.  CT

Hello, Mr. Smith, I would like to congratulate you on your e-book "How To Enjoy Aruba", it's just amazing. It's full of very useful & precious information of Aruba.  My wife & I are going there in about 2 months from now, and I was very happy to fall upon it as I was doing some research on Aruba , it is really helping me out a lot planning out my trip. It's our first time going there, but after reading your book, I am already convinced that I will be going back again.  MC

My wife and I will be taking our first trip to your beautiful island next week and I am confident we will have a wonderful time in no small part because of the helpful information we have picked up from your website.  Thank you for all the tips on accommodations, dining, shopping, sight seeking and all the other activities we will soon be enjoying.  G&JM

Good morning Mr. Smith, I just wanted to quickly say thank you for writing such an interesting and informative guide to Aruba! I have never flown or traveled anywhere, but I am going to Aruba this month, finally. Your guide has answered so many of the questions I had. I’m sure it took you quite some time to compile and I thank you for making this available to us non-world travelers!  MBC

I'm planning a Christmas trip to Aruba for my parents. I stumbled upon your Aruba E-booklet and it made planning so much easier! Thanks a lot :)  CC

Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful information about Aruba with us. I'm so excited about my first trip to Aruba and now I feel very prepared to enjoy our trip to it's fullest.  DO

Just want to thank you for your wonderfully informative e-book.  How nice of you to put that information out there! We went for our second trip to Aruba this past July, newly armed with your e-book.  It was very helpful in picking out where to stay, where to eat, and everything else.  PP

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

May I introduce myself?  I’m Charlie Smith, and I very much want you to enjoy Aruba as much as I do.  That is my objective in writing this little e-booklet:  having you, the reader, absorb this material and then enjoy your visit to Aruba more than had you gone on your own.  I will try to be light and informal, as if I were talking to you.  And by the way, I would enjoy communicating with you via email.  Please feel free to email me with questions or suggestions or comments after you finish the book.

This e-booklet had its beginnings when friends and friends of friends asked me about Aruba—where to stay, what to do, and where to eat.  I started writing emails and adding to a growing document describing how to enjoy their stay in Paradise.  I couldn’t stop myself, and that document got bigger and bigger and more and more unorganized!  So I finally rewrote that disjointed collection of documents and replaced them with this one.  I want you to find the booklet to be a valuable source of timely and accurate material about Aruba.  I intend to keep it up to date in the future.

I was born in Aruba.  I’m not telling you WHEN, but it was a long time ago.  My American parents were on assignment in what has since been named Seroe Colorado.  We called it Lago Colony, a company community owned (or more properly, leased) by Lago Oil & Transport Company, an affiliate of Standard Oil Company (N.J.), now Exxon.  Lago operated a refinery in Aruba which processed crude oil transported from Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela.  My dad worked as an expatriate in the refinery.

Anyway, I graduated from high school in Aruba, so I consider it my “hometown.”  It was a wonderful place to be raised.  Of course as kids we didn’t know that at the time; it was just…home.  And frankly, it took a long time for me to make the transition from a “resident” mentality to a “tourist” mentality—to stop thinking, “This isn’t the way it was when we lived here.”  When the lesson of accepting Aruba as it now is finally was learned, our enjoyment of the island increased many times over.  It is this sense of enjoying Aruba as a special world class tourist location that I wish to convey to you.  I hope you will enjoy Aruba my way.  Oh, oh.  That’s a problem.  Read on…

ENJOYING ARUBA MY WAY

The problem is that there are MANY ways to enjoy Aruba, and none of them is wrong.  It depends on what you like, and where you want to spend your time and money.  Some people just love to come to Aruba, stay in an all inclusive, and just relax there until they go home.  Some people like to come to Aruba and stay on the beach all day and go to the casino all night.  Some people like to consume as much alcohol as is possible during their stay.  Who am I to say that is wrong?  It isn’t wrong for them.

However Aruba has much more to offer than sun, sand, slots and…er…sauce.  And I am going to try to introduce you to many ways to enjoy Aruba.  My general principle in providing advice is:  if you can do things in the States then you need not go to Aruba to do them.  I will constantly be telling you to do things that are unique to Aruba.  For example you can eat all the pizza you want in the States; why have pizza for dinner in Aruba?  There are so many fine restaurants in Aruba!  But pizza?

Also, I may have tried only one or two ways of doing an activity that has many ways of doing it.  For example, there are many fine companies that will take you snorkeling.  I have tried three and liked them all.  I will recommend them to you (later).  But I can’t talk much about companies I haven’t tried even though other Aruba travelers have liked them.  So keep in mind that I have a relatively narrow perspective overall.  I am not writing a comprehensive book to familiarize you with ALL there is to do in Aruba, just the things I have done.  However, I am confident that if you start in Aruba doing things “my way” you will enjoy them…unless you insist on pizza for dinner.  (God help you.)

ENJOYING ARUBA YOUR WAY

Many people go to Aruba for the first time and love it.  They go back again and again, and they repeat certain activities each visit.  They develop their own what I call “Aruba traditions” and repeat them each time they come back.  For example, we always have our “traditional exit lunch” at Linda’s Pancake & Pizza [but we don’t have pizza!] on the day we fly home.  I used to go on a “bagel run” each morning for fresh bagels, but that tradition turned bad when the bagels did.  We still go back to the same spots to snorkel; we go to the same beaches to check out the shelling.  We shop at the same stores, eat at our favorite restaurants, and walk the beach each morning at 7:00.  Sharp!  Come join us--you can identify me on Eagle Beach each morning we are in Aruba because I am carrying a rather large camera.  I can’t tell you how many people have seen me and my wife on this traditional morning beach walk and have come up to me out of the blue, and ask, “Are you the guy that wrote the booklet about enjoying Aruba?”  LOL  Makes me feel good I can tell you.  Sure, come join us!

Anyway, if you are going to Aruba for the first time keep these traditions in mind.  FOR SURE you are going to go back, so review in your mind what you want to repeat next trip.  Develop your own favorites and traditions.  Like children at Christmas you will want to open your Aruban stocking and see how the presents look this time.  You could then write your own booklet on enjoying Aruba, and it would be different from this one, but just as informative.

In this regard, by all means talk to people about Aruba.  Get on the Aruba bulletin board (more on this later), and seek the views of a variety of people about stuff to do in Aruba.  Talk to friends that have been to Aruba.  Talk to your fellow travelers on the plane or where you are staying or in restaurants.  Their pleasant experiences can be yours.  I can advise you about Aruba only from the way I “do” Aruba.  As I mentioned, there are many ways to experience this wonderful island.  Find your own way from the many sources available to investigate.  As I hinted above, you will find some of my advice strongly opinionated.  Some people might disagree with my opinions.  Develop your own customized Aruba favorites.

Because after all is said and done, remember:  You WILL go back!

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This e-booklet is written in Microsoft Word.  It is meant to be read online.  In this way you can see the pictures in color and, more importantly, you can click on a link and go to a website right away.  If I am talking about a restaurant you can click on the link I provide and instantly view their menu.  If I am talking about an activity or service the link will connect you to the appropriate website.  Of course you can print it out to read on the plane or while in Aruba, but the most value for you is in PREPARING you for Aruba, and that is best done reading the booklet while online.

The website links are in blue in this text.  To go to a website click on the blue link.  Occasionally a link will become obsolete.  I will be constantly testing the links provided in this booklet to make sure they are current.  That is an advantage of an e-book:  I can update it frequently to be sure it is accurate.  However as time goes on the booklet may contain obsolete links.  I hope by that time you will have become an expert on Aruba yourself and don’t need the book anymore.

ARUBA POSITIVES

Aruba has a lot going for it.  The following is a list of positive points about Aruba.  Most will be expanded upon later.  Meanwhile I’d like you to be getting excited about Aruba.  So, in bang-bang fashion, here are some things that tourists like about Aruba:

Weather:  One of Aruba’s BEST positives!  The days are consistently warm and sunny, but strong trade winds keep things comfortable.

Security:  Full employment keeps crime to a minimum.  There is virtually no reported bodily harm to tourists.  The tourist environment is very safe despite what you may have heard from the shameless press reporting on evil goings on.  (More on security later.)

Drinking Water:  The water is completely safe out of the tap and it tastes great.  It is advertised as “the best water in the world.”

Beaches:  The beaches in Aruba are world class.  Eagle Beach has been named the best beach in the Caribbean.  Sugar-like sand is kept clean.  And all beaches on Aruba are open to the public.

Snorkeling:  There are many wonderful snorkel spots in Aruba, accessible by tours but also by car with no boat necessary.

Tourist Activities:  There are a lot of activities for tourists like water sports, day trips, tours, cruises, places to take the kids to, things to rent, night life, casinos, carnival (in season), and restaurants.

Tourist Infrastructure:  There are non-intimidating bus & taxi service, internet cafes, telephone system, car rental, ATMs, etc.

Accommodations:  There is a wide variety of places to stay including hotels, timeshares, all-inclusives, apartments and houses.

Restaurants:  Aruba has many, many world class resort restaurants.  There is much variety in location, cuisine and pricing.

Ambience:  Aruba has a relaxed, cosmopolitan feeling about it stemming from the Caribbean, Dutch, and European cultures found there.  Yes:  One Happy Island.

Shopping:  Aruba has good shopping including a wide variety of shops with stable and reasonable pricing.  There are US-like supermarkets; they are not intimidating.

Language:  English is spoken everywhere by everyone.

People:  Locals are very friendly and helpful.  Many tourists list this as their number one reason for coming back to Aruba.

Airport:  Aruba has a modern, efficient airport.  For your return to the States, US customs is done in Aruba, not at your port of entry back in the States.

Accessibility:  Aruba has direct plane service to many US cities including:  Charlotte, Atlanta, Newark, Boston, Miami, and New York.  And connections from almost anywhere.

Driving:  You drive on the right side of the road.  (But careful--no “right on red” in Aruba.)

Power:  Electrical power is 110volt service, exactly the same as the US.

Jet Lag:  Aruba is in the same time zone as the eastern US on daylight savings time.  So here is no jet lag from eastern US cities.

Hospital:  Aruba has a fully equipped hospital located near where most tourists stay. 

Inoculations:  None needed.

Reputation:  There are overwhelmingly positive reviews given by tourists who have vacationed on Aruba.  Aruba is constantly given awards by travel magazines and travel organizations.

Poverty:  There is little or no panhandling evident in Aruba.  Tourists are not approached by souvenir vendors.

Timeshare salesmen:  In many Caribbean vacation spots you can get bothered by aggressive timeshare sales people, bugging you to listen to their pitches.  In Aruba, you are not pestered.

Yes, there are a lot of positive things than can be said about Aruba.  They can be all wrapped up in a general feeling of well being one feels while in Aruba.  The sunshine, the beautiful water, the clean beaches, the security you feel--all combine to keep tourists smiling when they are there, and scheming to figure out how to return when they are not.

MY BEST PIECE OF ADVICE

The best single piece of advice I can give you about Aruba is simply this:  join the Aruba Bulletin Board.  Register for it and use it frequently to learn about all aspects of Aruba that tourists care about.  It is at the following location on the internet:  http://www.aruba-bb.com  Go to the General Q & A About Aruba, and read the posts there.  Post questions yourself.  Read trip reports and restaurant reviews.

By doing this you will get a great cross section of experiences and opinions from people that have been to Aruba.  You will start to form opinions of what you want to do and what you wouldn’t enjoy.  This will add considerably to your preparation for your trip and therefore your enjoyment of the island while you are there.

By the way, look for my posts on the bulletin board.  My ID is ArubaKid.  My avatar is a black silhouette of a pelican on dark blue.  More about pelicans later, but for now you should know one of my favorite pastimes in Aruba is taking pictures of them.  Great fun. 

So visit the Aruba bulletin board often.  Posted topics change there daily.  Ask your own questions.  You will soon learn what posters have the same likes and dislikes as you do.  In my opinion ArubaAmy is one the best posters on the board.  She loves Aruba, she has been there dozens of times, and she is very thorough and helpful with her advice.  She also enjoys Aruba the way I like to:  by taking advantage of the many activities there, by repeating the things that are fun and by looking for new things of interest each trip.

There are other bulletin boards about Aruba.  I recommend this one because I use it more than the others and I am used to the people there.  I have met some of them in Aruba and maintained contact with them via email.  They are good people and fun to interact with.  And of course you can use a search engine to look for specifics about Aruba.  Google, or my favorite, Dogpile.  LOL   Search on “nightlife aruba” or “shopping aruba” or “pictures aruba” and see what you come up with.

By the way, when you do go the aruba-bb.com, you will no doubt see some “Aruba Challenges” in the “General Q & A About Aruba” section.  Those are my threads.  I take pictures while in Aruba and post some on that bulletin board, asking others if they can identify the sites of the pictures.  They are a pretty smart group; I have difficulty stumping them.  This is just some more Aruba fun.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ARUBA

THE WEATHER

The weather is great.  What else do you have to know?  Next topic.  Seriously, the weather in the southern Caribbean is sunny and windy with relatively little rainfall.  What rainfall there is usually local, that is, you will find it raining hard in one place and half a mile away it isn’t raining at all.  And the showers are usually brief. 

There is very little change in the weather throughout the year.  The temperature is very consistent:  about 80 degrees at night and up to about 88 degrees maximum during the day.  Oh there is a LITTLE more rain in the November through January period (a few inches), and it is a LITTLE warmer in June (4 degrees), but these differences are not large enough to alter your vacation plans for.  Just treat all Aruba weather the same.  I do.

You may have heard that Aruba is “out of the hurricane belt.”  This is true.  According to Wikipedia, “The only places in the Caribbean that are not in the hurricane belt are Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Providencia Island, San Andres, and the islands off of Venezuela.”  In history there have been three hurricanes that have passed south of Aruba.  However in all the years I lived in Aruba there were no hurricanes there.  We did feel the effects of hurricanes--rain, high winds, high waves—but the eyes were nowhere near us.  It is pretty safe to say that you don’t have to worry about hurricanes even in the hurricane season.  I would never pass up a trip to Aruba in any month because I was worried about hurricanes.

Temperature tables can be found at:  http://www.arubatravelinfo.com/climate.html

PAYING FOR THINGS

Don’t worry about currency either.  Pretend you are in the US and treat carrying money the same as you would at home.  All transactions are done in dollars, from the super market to the restaurants to your hotel.  You can pay with credit cards in all but the smallest stores.  You can get US dollars at ATMs located all over, especially in casinos.  All stores and venders will take US cash.  Not many people take travelers checks any more.

The local currency is florins.  There are 1.75 – 1.77 florins to the US dollar, and that ratio remains very stable over the years.  Prices in the supermarkets are in florins, but they have recently posted prices in dollars too so you do have to make a conversion while shopping there.  Make sure you know which you are looking at.  Occasionally you will get change in florins.  If you have some change in florins accumulated during your stay, leave them for the housekeeping people that clean your room as part of their tip.  But you will be almost totally unaware of local currency because everything is done in dollars.

By the way, it’s not a bad idea to call your credit card company to tell them the dates you will be in Aruba.  In that way they won’t stop authorization on your card thinking someone stole it and ran off to Aruba.  Hum—not a bad idea.  Please email me your MasterCard number.  Just kidding.

SECURITY

Aruba is very safe.  That being said, do not act foolishly.  Aruba has a low crime rate because of relatively full employment, but that does not mean crime is zero.  Tourists do experience stolen wallets, cameras, and equipment.  Do not leave your belongings vulnerable.  It has been said that much of stolen stuff in Aruba is taken by other tourists, so keep that in mind too.

If you have a safe in your room, use it for your passports, extra cash, and other valuables.  If it has a key, don’t leave it in the room when you are not in your room.  Do not leave valuables in your car, even in the daytime.  Most of the tourist crime I hear about happens with rental cars being broken into.  Rental cars have unique license plates (starting with a “V”), so thieves can identify them quickly.  Just be wise about guarding your belongings and you should be fine.

I’m sure you have heard about the Natalee Holliway disappearance, and another internationally publicized disappearance.  They are unfortunate occurrences, but each was “accomplished” with the assistance of someone’s bad judgment.  Just keep your head about you and you will be fine.

ARUBANS

The people of Aruba are wonderful people—pleasant, helpful, friendly.  Many people list the Aruban people as one of the main reasons they like Aruba.  Service people in the hotels, clerks in the stores, taxi drivers—you will find all of them to be polite and accommodating.

One time recently my wife and I had a flat tire in San Nicholas.  I called the rental car company, and they sent someone to help us.  In the 40 minutes we were on the side of the road four people stopped to ask us if they could help.  Three of them were women, and all of them were as helpful as they could be.  Great people.

POWER

The power in Aruba is exactly the same as in the US, 110 volt AC service.  You don’t need any converters or adapters or special plugs.

DRINKING WATER

The water in Aruba is safe.  You can drink it right out of the tap.  You will not get sick.  It is produced in Aruba from seawater.  The water company advertises the water as, “The Best Water InThe World.”  They filter it through coral to make it taste good.  So buy ONE plastic bottle of water when you arrive (or keep the one you got on the plane) and fill it up with tap water throughout your stay.

LANGUAGE

Everyone speaks English, so don’t worry about that.  The official language is Dutch.  The local island dialect is Papiamento, a mixture of many different languages.  (Some phrases are contained in an appendix.)  If you went through school on Aruba as a resident student, you would graduate from high school speaking Dutch, Papiamento, English, and Spanish.  So when you speak to a resident, don’t ask if they understand English.  They will. 

WHERE TO STAY

Agh, this is an important topic.  It has a lot to do with what kind of accommodations you like, where you want to be, how much you want to pay, and where you want to have your meals.  All those considerations are very individual.  As I mentioned before, I can only advise you from my own experience, and I have only stayed at one place in recent years.  This means you must seek help from other sources.  So get on the Aruba Bulletin Board I referred to previously, and read some of the trip reports.  Use the search facilities to find previous posts about hotels.  Post your own questions about where to stay, and the “bulletin board people” will be glad to share their experiences with you.

Let me tell you of some of the general considerations to help steer you where you might want to go.  One early decision is whether to be “in town” or near the beach.  Being in Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba and the only large town, means you are close to restaurants and shopping.  The Renaissance Hotel is a big tourist hotel in Oranjestad.  Expensive at first glance, but you can find discount plans.  Many people love that hotel and go back to it often. 

However, I would advise you to get out to the western end of the island for one important reason:  beaches.  Aruba’s two main attractions, weather and beaches, provide a stunning combination when you can literally step out of your hotel or even your room and be within a few feet of sugar sand and the beautiful aquamarine, clear water.  That vision of beach and water is the one that will stay with you when you go home after your trip.  Staying in town does not provide the same thrill.  Of course all of this is what I think.  Remember you are reading:  “One Man’s Opinion”.

Another decision to make is whether to stay in an all-inclusive or not.  My advice:  not.  Staying in an all-inclusive means that your meals (and alcohol in some plans) are included in the price you pay for accommodations and are provided by the facility where you are staying.  Many people like the idea of going to Aruba and just relaxing without having to care about where else to go, especially for dinner.  They eat where they stay, and even have some latitude of choice of multiple restaurants within the hotel complex.  However, this limits your Aruba experience by not having you take advantage of the MANY great restaurants on the island.  Remember that old underwear ad, “Next to myself I like BVDs best?”  Well, next to the beaches in Aruba I love the restaurants best.  I have been to over 80 restaurants, and they are one better than another.  If you stay in an all-inclusive you sacrifice these great restaurant experiences.

Another decision is whether to stay in the “high rise” section of hotels or the “low rise.” My advice:  go low.  The high rise area contains large hotels, 10 or 12 or more stories.  You have beautiful views, but you must put up with elevators and generally less personal conditions.  The beaches are crowded, yes they are.  The parking is squeezed.  There is more traffic.  There are more people.  Shops and restaurants are within walking distance, but the whole ambiance in the high rises is touristy and generally crowded.  Thousands of people who stay there or own there may rise up and scream if they read this, but that’s the way I see the high rises.  They are a very necessary part of the tourist culture or there wouldn’t be near the number of tourists coming to Aruba and therefore not nearly as much great tourist infrastructure:  restaurants, activities, tours, etc.  That being said, the high rise is where the action is, and for many people (especially singles and young couples) this is important.  Many people start at the popular high rise hotels (Mariott, Hyatt, etc.), but after a few years of the crowds and “touristy” setting they migrate to the quiet, low rise timeshares and all inclusives.  It’s up to you; I am trying to describe these areas as they are and as they appear to me.

Yes I prefer the low rises.  The beaches are better—they are wider and not crowded, and there are more chickee huts (palapas) available.  There is more parking, less people, and most importantly to me it is quiet.  The ambiance is less commercial.  There are fewer shops, fewer restaurants, more space.

The above picture is of Eagle Beach early in the morning, taken on my 7:00 beach walk.  Would you call it crowded?

One last decision to be made before selecting a specific place to stay is whether to stay in a hotel or timeshare.  Timeshares have more space, full kitchens and can be cheaper (especially if 2 or 3 couples share the cost of a 2 or 3 bedroom timeshare).  However you have to go through the trouble of renting from an owner for a specific period and negotiating a price, and that is a pain in the neck for many first time Aruba visitors.  However, I like timeshares more than hotels, and I don’t mind the extra trouble it takes to acquire one for a week or two.

There are other accommodations available too.  There are apartments on and away from the beach.  There are also individual houses you can rent.  For your first visit to Aruba I advise staying away from these.  Thieves know which houses are rented to tourists, and not all houses are in areas close to beaches, shopping or restaurants.  I think it is better to stay in common tourist accommodations your first trip.  While you are there you can check out other places to stay for your next trip.  (Remember, you ARE coming back…)

I stay at the Costa Linda Beach Resort when I am in Aruba.  It is in the low rise area; it is a timeshare.  It is on Eagle Beach, the nicest beach in Aruba.  Even at the high season (December through March or so) it does not feel crowded.  It has a nice pool, good services, and it is clean.  The 2 and 3 bedroom units are large.  Housecleaning comes in every day to make beds and clean (except Sunday).  My wife and I own over 40 weeks at Costa Linda.  [Want to rent one?  Email me.]  Costa Linda’s website is:  http://www.costalinda-aruba.com/  For the rental board look for the “PRIVATE RENTALS AND RESALES” area and then click on the “click here” to enter the Rentals and Resales application.  Then click on “Rentals.”    The picture below is of Costa Linda taken from a boat we chartered to take us fishing.  More on Costa Linda later.

I don’t have personal experience with the following resorts, but I provide the following list for your use:

CASA DEL MAR:  http://www.casadelmar-aruba.com/

BUCUTI AND TARA BEACH RESORTS:  http://www.bucuti.com/

MANCHEBO BEACH RESORT & SPA ARUBA:  http://www.manchebo.com/

LA CABANA BEACH AND RACQUET CLUB:  http://www.lacabanabrc.com/

ARUBA BEACH CLUB:  http://www.arubabeachclub.net/

ARUBA CONDO EAGLE BEACH:  http://www.arubacondoeaglebeach.com

AMSTERDAM MANOR BEACH RESORT (hotel):  http://www.amsterdammanor.com/

TAMARIJN ARUBA BEACH RESORT (all inclusive):  http://www.tamarijnaruba.com/index.php

PARADISE BEACH VILLAS:  http://www.paradisebeachvillas-aruba.com/

LA QUINTA BEACH RESORT:  http://webnova.com/laquinta/

DIVI ARUBA (all inclusive):  http://www.diviaruba.com/packages/family/index.php

So from the guidelines and advice I offer above, try to get an idea of what type of accommodations you prefer.  Then go on the bulletin board and ask the posters there about specific places and then go on from there.

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Aruba is a fantastic place to visit and spend your vacations.  However it has its warts.  I think you should be aware of some of them in order not to be surprised about some aspects of the island.  Aruba is not lush.  If you have been to Hawaii, you know what lush is—everything green and growing, vegetation and flowers all over.  Aruba, in the interior, is more like Arizona—scrub coral, cactus, and long stretches of blah.  It is more like a desert than a rain forest, believe me.  The beaches are world class, as I have said, but not the interior of the island.  Roads are not always great on Aruba, either.  They are being upgraded over the years, but roads in the interior are…well, they are not really roads.  And road signs are not always…er…helpful.  I don’t know why, but the tourism ministry does not seem to attach high priority to road signs.  Another thing that grinds me is the amount of trash you see on the island.  It seems to me this could be handled by the government, especially with all the tourist money that comes in.  Alas, no.  However, I must say that the “trash on the roadside” problem has been worked on in recent years, and is improving.  Another thing that might strike you is the amount of development on the island.  There are a LOT of hotels and resorts on the northwestern side of Aruba, and more being planned (eg. a Ritz Carlton to open in 2014).  But in the high rise area things are crowded, parking is scarce, and hotels are right next to each other. 

And the 2 best things in Aruba—weather and beaches—are not so much fun when the wind stops.  It is HOT!  One woman who read this booklet went to Aruba in August, 2008.  The wind stopped during her 1 week stay.  She still loved Aruba, but could not cope with the unbearable heat. The wind had stopped because hurricane Gustov sucked most of the wind from the Caribbean during her stay.  She stayed in a private house with no beach, so she couldn’t take refreshing dips in the Caribbean.  Fortunately, a windless week does not happen often.  She says she will go back.

Another thing to be careful of is the hot sun.  You must protect yourself.  The strong wind cools you off and tends to disguise the effects of the hot sun; however the disguise wears off a little later!

Another Aruban wart is their drivers.  Simply put:  they drive too fast.  Not all of them; not even most of them, but there seem to be several crazy ones.  However, this is not a serious enough problem for you to cause you not to rent a car.  Just be alert.

I don’t like to document negative things about Aruba.  However, I don’t want you to think it is perfect and then be disappointed about certain things you see or experience.  Better to be informed and not be surprised.

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO STAY

It is difficult to call the Costa Linda Beach Resort my favorite place to stay, because that is the only place I have stayed since coming back to Aruba in 2004 and visiting there several times a year.  But it is my favorite, and I would like to introduce you to it.  However, in the interest of full disclosure, you will discover below that I own many units at Costa Linda, and I offer them for rent.  So this section is not only to tell you about the resort but to rent units to you if you are interested.  If you are not interested as you read this to plan a trip to Aruba then you can skip this section…unless you want to hear about the best timeshare on the island.  And one of the best around.  It is one of only 3 timeshares to be named a Golden Crown Award winner for the past 21 years.

Costa Linda, a Friday-to-Friday timeshare, is in the low rise section of Aruba.  The low rise is quieter and more peaceful than the hussle-busselly high rise area.  It is a low-activity, less-touristy, highly-secure corner of the island.  The low rise area is very family oriented where every square foot is not taken up by stores, venders, restaurants and malls.  There are only 155 units at Costa Linda.  Only 5 floors.  So you don’t feel like you are in a valley surrounded by mountains of high rise hotels.  Relaxing, peaceful, comfortable.

Costa Linda is on Eagle Beach, named in 2013 by TripAdvisor as the 9^th best beach in the world!  It is clearly Aruba’s best beach—wide, with sugar white sand, and spacious.  And Costa Linda Beach Resort is right on the beach; you don’t have to walk across 2 streets to get to the beach like some of our neighboring timeshares.  Some of the units are 10 steps from the sand.  You can walk back to your unit from the pool or beach to get your book or towel without a major hike.

Pool?  A world class resort pool!  With room for pool volleyball, pool aerobics, and just paddling around.  No depth greater than 4 feet.  There is a kiddie pool too.  And nice Caribbean/calypso music, but not so loud you can’t snooze in your chickee hut. 

These chickee huts, or palapas, surround the pool on 2 levels and provide shade while you relax, read, nap, or chat with the guests you met from years before.  There over 100 chickee huts on the beach too.  While guests at many of the high rise hotels bite and scratch to get shade coverage on the beach—and many have to reserve, show up early, and even pay for them—at Costa Linda they are free, and you will always find a chickee hut available on the beach or pool.

The picture above is of Eagle Beach right in front of Costa Linda.

Feeling restless after so much relaxation?  Costa Linda has a long list of activities too.  There is a fully outfitted fitness center, and 2 great looking tennis courts.  No hike to them either; they are right on the premises.  Free kayaks, Zumba lessons with MariLou, pool aerobics with Andres, beach games galore (like shuffleboard, ladder golf and horseshoes), and organized activities for children (like crafts, tie dying t-shirts, and bingo games).  And 2 movies a week in the open air beach “theater.”

To round out some additional amenities, Costa Linda has the following on the premises:  a spa and salon, a market and gift shop, a souvenir hut, an Avis car rental desk, a de Palm tour desk, a wedding planner, a silver shop, a beach bar and 3 fine restaurants.

Restaurants?  The new Water’s Edge restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.  Popular Pizza Bob’s draws tourists from all over, and Ellioti’s Italian restaurant rounds out Costa Linda’s restaurant trio.  Also, within walking distance are other fine restaurants:  Screaming Eagle, Passions, Matthews, Mangos, Tulips, the French Steakhouse, Ike’s Bistro, and Chalet Suisse (but you are renting a car, right?).

Now the best til last:  the rooms!  Costa Linda has 2 and 3 bedroom units, 155 in total on 5 floors.  They have all been completely renovated and updated (except for furniture) during a 3 year, 13 million dollar project ending in 2012.  New tile floors, new marble countertops, new appliances, artwork, beds, TVs, and WiFi.  The end result is that each unit has a new, modern look and feel about it. 

Each unit has a full kitchen, a living room, a dining area, and a porch or balcony.  Two room units have 2 bathrooms.  The master bedroom has a king sized bed; the second bedroom has 2 double beds.  Three bedroom units have 4 bathrooms.  The master and second bedrooms have king sized beds and the third bedroom has 2 double beds.  Each unit has a pull out couch in the living room area that can sleep an additional 2 people.  The 3 bedroom units have a huge wrap around patio with a private large hot tub (maintained daily), and a private grill (cleaned by staff whenever used).  Oh, there is full housekeeping services each day except Sundays (when only towels are renewed and trash is removed).

Speaking of the staff, Costa Linda has wonderful people throughout the organization making sure guests are comfortable and happy.  They go the extra mile day after day.  A highlight for returning guests is being greeted by the same Costa Linda employees they hugged goodbye to the year before.

I own many units at Costa in all months of the year except February, March, and September.  I offer about 3 dozen for rent, both 2 and 3 bedroom units.  I would be pleased to rent a week or two to you.  I have many pictures of the resort and rooms if you want to see them.  Please email me if you are interested.  My email address is ArubaSmith@Yahoo.com  Units usually rent far in advance, but email me and we’ll see what we can do.

Here are some links to some of my other pictures of Costa Linda:

For pictures around the beach:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/aroundthebeach

For pictures around the pool:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/2010augaroundcl

For pictures around the resort:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/arubaaroundresort

Above is Eagle Beach and Costa Linda Beach Resort.

Costa Linda also has a website.  To get there click on:  http://www.costalinda-aruba.com

As I wrote earlier, if you want a quiet vacation on a world class beach consider Costa Linda.  If you want action and nightlife and nonstop activity you will enjoy the high rise area more.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR ARUBA

There are the normal things:  secure accommodations, make plane reservations, make sure your passport is up to date.  You must have a passport now to go throughout the Caribbean.  This is a change from the past.  You used to be able to travel to Aruba on your birth certificate.

 There are other things I strongly suggest you do too.  They are as follows:

RENT A CAR

Having a car is an important part of how I want you to enjoy Aruba.  That sounds pompous of me?  Well, you must rent a car and get around and explore the island.  Strong recommendation.  Yes, you can take buses and taxis or walk to places, but you will probably find you will stick pretty much around where you stay, and that would be unfortunate.  Also, you don’t want to WASTE time arranging for transportation.  You should be out enjoying the island, not waiting for a bus.  I will be recommending day trips in a later section, but if you don’t have a car you will miss that important activity entirely.  You can take tours, but…well it just isn’t the same.  And you will find yourself eating at the same restaurants close to where you stay instead of partaking of great restaurants further away. 

Which rental agency to rent from?  That is a good question.  In December, 2007, the locations of the car rental agencies at the airport underwent a change.  The agencies were located right across the street from the airport, easy to walk to, even with a ton of luggage.  However space for the car rental businesses was getting tight, a high fee was imposed on agencies that have their office at the airport, and the number of agencies located at the airport was reduced to ten.  This caused several agencies to move away from the airport, although not very far.  A poster on the Aruba Bulletin Board listed these 10 agencies as the ones still at the airport:  National, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, Alamo, Dollar, Avis and local companies Economy, Econo and Amigo.

I know how to locate the agencies that are AT the airport:  you walk across the street with your luggage on a cart and go into the agency office.  They are clearly marked.  If you rent from an agency that is not housed at the airport you indicate when you reserve what plane you will be arriving on.  These agencies will meet you at the airport.  They will have your name on a card, and you will see them as you exit Aruba customs into the airport lobby.  That is how you connect with them.  If they do not contact you in this way, what then?  You can ask one of the shuttle drivers that IS there to call your agency.  They will even know the number (although you should have it with you).  People are very helpful in Aruba, and this is one situation where you might need help.  Not to worry.  To be on the safe side, when you chose a car rental agency be sure to check with them to see if they have an office actually AT the airport or not.  If they don’t then confirm with them exactly how to contact them after you get out of the airport.  Again, be sure to have their telephone number with you. 

Also, check the bulletin board for experiences of the posters there.  Remember, you have to be registered on the bulletin board to get full value from that great resource.  (Hey—you ARE registered by now, aren’t you?)  Car rental questions and answers is a common topic on the board.  Some of the posters recommend the following car rental agencies:

Amigo    http://www.amigocar.com/

Royal      http://www.arubaroyal.com/

Optima              http://www.optimarentacar.com/

Econo    http://www.econoaruba.com/   (At the airport)

Tropic     http://www.tropiccarrent-aruba.com/  (Hans meets you at baggage claim.)

I used Hertz.  They are located at the airport.  Their website is:

http://www.arubarentcar.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=19

Avis opened a desk at Costa Linda Beach Resort and I used Avis for a while.

http://www.avis.ie/CarHire/Caribbean/Aruba

I have also used Top Drive:

http://www.arubatopdrive.com/

I now am using Tropic and recommend them highly.  However you have to reserve about 6 months in advance.  They have a limited number of cars in their fleet, and they do not have vans or large vehicles.

The question always comes up when renting a car as to whether or not to accept the extra insurance.  My usual practice was not to.  However, I used to make an exception for renting in Aruba, and I accepted the additional insurance, even though it is at rip off prices.  The reason is:  I didn’t want to interrupt a nice vacation filling out forms, chasing down a police report written in Dutch) or fighting with agencies in case there is a problem.  This might not suit YOU, but I offer it as advice anyway.  Accepting the additional insurance means you don’t have to pay for damages to the car you are renting (unless you are speeding or drunk or something).  Many people think they are covered by their US based credit card.  That may be true, but check the small print in your credit card contract.  There are many restrictions and conditions.  (By the way Aruban car agencies usually include liability insurance in their contract with you.  That means if you damage some one elses’ property you are covered.)

However I now use a special insurance plan offered to people with American Express Cash Blue credit cards.  It is complicated to explain in this document.  If you want details, please email me, or check with American Express at:  https://home.americanexpress.com/home/axpi/  The name of the plan I use is:  Premium Car Rental Protection.

A couple of post scripts about driving:  first, there is no “right on red” allowed on Aruba.  Also, watch the traffic lights carefully.  Being used to driving in the States, the lights are not intuitive.  They don’t act like you expect.  It isn’t a major concern, but be alert.  And please drive defensively.  The Arubans are wonderful people, but too many of them drive too fast! Oh, and pedestrians always have the right-of-way.

ORDER A MAP

Order a map of Aruba online before you leave.  The map company is Borch, and their website is:  http://www.borch.com/  The map costs $11.95 plus shipping.  It is a good, heavy duty plasticized map, and you will use it every time you go to Aruba.  (Remember:  you WILL return.)  I actually have two copies of the map.  I keep one in the glove compartment of the car and the other in our room for daily trip planning.  I recommend you order this map directly from Borch.  This Aruba map is a new edition.  Some people have trouble on the Borch website actually ordering the map.  You can also get it from Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com   Then search on “Aruba maps.”

I will be referring to spots in Aruba shown on the Borch map.  For example the airport is at (L4), the high rise hotels are at (F2 and G2), and the low rise area is at (H & J 1 & 2).  Study your map before you leave home.  Figure out how to drive from the airport to your hotel.  Review that route with the car agency person you rent with.  Hey—you are performing like an experienced Aruba tourist and you haven’t even LEFT yet!

RESERVE A CELL PHONE

Yes, another strong piece of advice:  have a cell phone.  There are three reasons for this:  1) you should have a cell phone with you in your car in case you have a road emergency, 2) landline phone calls from hotels are much more expensive than cellular calls, and 3) in case you have to call the States your cellular phone will do the trick easily and cheaply.  You should never make a landline call from your hotel.  ALWAYS use your cell phone.  It will prove to be much cheaper.  Call restaurants and tours to make reservations from your cell phone.  Call the States with it (just key 001, the area code and the number and hit Send.).  Call stores to inquire about their hours. 

Yes, there are several ways to acquire cell phones.  Taking yours from the States if your service has that capability, buying a phone card, buying a SIM card in Aruba, or renting a phone with hours included.  I recommend that you rent your phone in Aruba during your first trip.  The reason for this is that you do not want the hassle of dealing with this kind of thing while you are on vacation.  There are two leading phone services in Aruba, but I only recommend one of them:  Aruba Fast Phone (website http://www.fastphonearuba.com/  They will deliver your phone to your hotel surprisingly fast.  Make sure you arrange how to return your phone at the end of your trip.  I would suggest reserving about 45 minutes per week of your Aruba stay. 

Fast Phone Aruba will email you about a week before you leave for Aruba and inform you of the telephone number of your cell phone while you are in Aruba.  In this way you can tell your friends and family what your number is.  Nice touch. 

I have a Verizon phone in the states.  You can call them ((800) 711-8300) and they will tell you how to use your Verizon phone to call to the US from Aruba and to Aruba from the US.  These individual calls are expensive on a per-minute basis, but it is another way to get phone service in Aruba. 

There is a phone company right in the airport as you exit Aruba customs that can provide a local SIM card for your phone if that method suits you.  However, I would recommend having your phone delivered to your hotel.  Simple, less hassle, and fast.  Just my opinion, of course…

See how the three recommendations of this section fit:  rent a car to see Aruba at its best; rent a cell phone to have in a road emergency, and have a map in hand to plan your trips.  All things you must do before you leave home.  Check, check, check.  You’re doin’ good!

MAKE OTHER RESERVATIONS

Depending on what you chose to do in Aruba, there may be other reservations you should make via the internet from home before you leave.  I will be suggesting some great activities later, and some of them require you to make reservations.  Many offer discounts if reservations are made online.  I will provide the websites for you to make reservations.  However, be sure to confirm your reservations when you arrive in Aruba.  I KNOW you will have reserved your phone by NOW…haven’t you?

ARRIVAL IN ARUBA

What a thrill it was for us as kids—to walk down the stairs from the plane onto the tarmac at the end of our stateside vacation and feel that wonderful Aruba sun and heat and humidity and WIND!  Yay, we are home again!  You will feel some of our excitement when you step out of the airport. 

But first things first.  As you leave the plane you go up one flight on the escalator.  Look at the people in the departure gate.  They are all sunburned, and they are all looking sad.  That is because they are returning home after a week or 2 in Aruba.  Look happy—you have that to look forward to.  LOL

Next you walk down a long corridor.  Look for a display area on your left inviting you to take a free, brightly colored tote bag.  Take one.  They will be good for carrying stuff during your stay, especially carrying stuff to the beach.  They are very sturdy; you will get a lot of use from them.

Now you have to have your passport stamped and your immigration card stamped.  You will complete an immigration card on the plane.  When your passport is reviewed as you pass through the airport, the agent will tear off the bottom part of the immigration form and leave it IN your passport.  Don’t lose this, or you will have to find a blank form and complete it again as you are leaving Aruba.  You don’t need that extra hassle.  (By the way, the agent always says, “Welcome home,” when she sees from my passport that I was born in Aruba.  Makes me feel good.)

Next is baggage claim.  Check out your fellow passengers waiting to claim their bags.  You should have been talking to some on the plane asking their advice about their previous trips to Aruba.  If you didn’t have the opportunity then, do it now.  “Have you been to Aruba before?”  “Where are you staying?”  “Have you been snorkeling?”  “Where are the bargains?”  You will be seeing these same people over and over throughout your stay:  at the shops, on the beach or on your tours.

After your baggage arrives, just breeze through the customs exits.  Tourists are rarely stopped at customs.  If you are carrying a duty free bag you might be asked what you have bought and how much.  In February, 2009, some tourists were stopped by Aruban customs and asked if they were bringing in alcohol or cigarettes.  They did have to pay duty on their hard liquor.  This happens very infrequently, but it does happen; now you know.

So now you exit to the front of the airport, into the lobby.  This is where you would meet your car rental agency guy if you are renting from an agency not physically at the airport.  This is where the phone company has a stall for replacing your SIM cards if you want this service. 

No, don’t leave the airport yet.  There are brochures on a rack located just as you are  about to step out of the airport.  Many contain coupons for discounts on the many activities on the island.  Grab one each of the 20 or so flyers there.  They can save you some $$.

Yes, now is the time to pick up your rental car.  You should have made arrangements for it over the internet.  Next you drive to your hotel.  You should have your map in your carryon so you can review with the car rental agent exactly how get to your hotel.  Hey—do you KNOW what you are doing, or WHAT?!  You are a pro, and the vacation is just getting started!

THINGS NOT TO DO

As I indicated earlier, I hope you will be doing things during your stay in Aruba that take advantage of the island’s great opportunities.  That will mean doing things differently from the way you operate at home.  To repeat my general advice:  don’t do things in Aruba that you do at home or could do at home.  You have access to a pool at home?  Don’t spend too much time in Aruba at your hotel pool.  You like to gamble?  Go to Vegas.

You love Tony Roma’s ribs?  Get them at home then, not in Aruba.  This is only MY opinion.  Many people say they have a traditional first restaurant meal in Aruba at Tony Romas, and they love going back.  OK.  But you’ll never know the restaurant you MISSED because you went to a franchise place the same as all the others in the States.

You want my opinion, or you wouldn’t be reading this.  My opinions about all this stuff is not the same as all the bulletin board posters, and the posters are experienced Aruba visitors too.  Their opinions are just as good as mine; you decide.

But I have your attention now, so here goes:  Don’t eat at American franchise restaurants, like Taco Bell, MacDonnalds, Tony Romas.  Don’t spend more than a little time at the casinos.  Don’t eat pizza for dinner.  Don’t spend more than a little time at your hotel pool.  Don’t spend all your daytime time at the beach.  Don’t have the highlight of your trip to Aruba be how much alcohol you consume.  Don’t veg out reading all the time.  Don’t sleep late in the morning unless it means you were out late the night before partying.  And a particular pet peeve of mine:  don’t walk the beach with an iPod blocking out the noise of the waves!  Don’t repeat activities if you have an opportunity to do new ones.  If you go snorkeling 4 times in a week you’ll miss great picnics and climbing Hooiberg and going to Charlie’s Bar and taking the kids to the ostrich farm or the donkey sanctuary or the zoo.  Don’t take the bus, because you have your rental car of course.  However if your circumstances are such that you must use Aruba’s bus system, you can get information on the busses at the following website:  http://www.arubus.com/ So--there are too many other great things to do in Aruba to waste time repeating or doing what you do at home…you pizza lover you…

Even golf and tennis are activities that can be done at home.  Let them add to your fun in Aruba rather than being the basis of your activities.

DAY ACTIVITIES ON YOUR OWN

SHOPPING

The shopping isn’t THAT great in Aruba.  There are several areas to shop:

the mall in Oranjestad (just like US malls),

the Paseo Herencia mall across from the Holiday Inn in the high rise area (small, specialized boutique shops), 

the local shops behind the Renaissance hotel in Oranjestad, along Main Street,

the stalls for souvenirs located along the water in Oranjestad near where the cruise ships dock, and

the many exclusive stores located in the hotels.

Also worth checking out are temporary stalls for local merchandise and souvenirs.  They are located in the parking lots of stores along the shore of the road northwest of Oranjestad, located at K2 on your Borch map.  The ones worth visiting are open on Saturdays and Sundays.  The best buys are men’s shirts (the nylon ones) and caftans for the ladies--very light and colorful.

The best things to buy in Aruba are from jewelry stores with products you don’t see in the states.  However you must negotiate, or you will be paying much too much.  You should negotiate too at the interesting shops at the high rise hotels.  You can extend your period of negotiating over several days if you are staying at a hotel with an expensive shop.  Walk out unsatisfied with their price and come back the next day to see if they will lower it. 

There are many ATM’s, especially in hotels and casinos.  Most, if not all, dispense US dollars.  Fees are associated with cash disbursements from an ATM, but I’m sure you know that.

Note:  many credit card companies are now tacking on a fee for purchases in foreign countries, up to 3%.  So called “foreign transaction fees.”  These fees do seem to get applied to purchases in Aruba, even though the amounts are entered in US dollars, not Aruban florins.  Not all credit cards impose this, but many do.  American Express Blue Cash does not (as of October, 2012, anyway).  I call this to your attention so you aren’t surprised if this happens to you.  You can call your credit card company to find out for sure.  Certain Capital One cards and Discover cards do not have foreign transaction fees.

Back to shopping, grocery shopping this time.  We stock our kitchen by going to the grocery store right after we first arrive at our timeshare and partially unpack.  Although we almost never prepare dinner in our timeshare, we do buy wine, beer, soda, snacks, fruit, coffee, tea, milk, cheese, butter, water (for the bottles, right?), lemons, sugar, paper towels, juices, and stuff like that.  We go to Ling & Sons for most of our groceries.  The stores are clean, and you can pay in dollars by credit card.  They are located at (K2) on your Borch map, near the word “Madiki,” but it is a little difficult to find.  It is better to ask someone for directions when you are ready to go than have me try to explain them in writing.  Remember that the prices in the grocery stores are in Florins, 1.75 – 1.77 to the dollar.  So a case of Balashi Beer (“Aruba’s Beer”) that is marked Afl. 41.50 is US$ 23.45.  Snap it up!  (However, some grocery stores now have prices marked in dollars as well.  Be sure you know which is which.)  Another great grocery store is Super Foods.  They have many items that come from Europe, especially Holland.  Their baked goods are outstanding.  We shop there for food to eat at our timeshare, but we also buy things at Super Foods to take home.

SPENDING TIME ON THE BEACH

The beach at the high rise hotel area is OK.  But it is crowded and narrow.  The best beach on Aruba is Eagle Beach.  Very spacious, with nice sand.  Go there for a nice picnic even though you don’t stay there.  Beach walks are fun in the early morning too.  ALL beaches in Aruba are public.  No one can kick you off a beach, even one right in front of someone’s house.  Of course you can’t use someone else’s chairs or other equipment on a beach, but you can be on any beach itself, and stay there and sun yourself there, etc.

The picture above/left is of Palm Beach at the Marriott Surf Club (high rise area).  Crowded, noisy, active.  The picture above/right is of Eagle Beach at Costa Linda Beach Resort on the same day, 30 minutes later.  Spacious, quiet, relaxed.  That’s why we like it on Eagle Beach in the low rise area.  Course we aren’t in our 20’s any more looking for action.

This bears repeating:  the sun is very strong, and especially dangerous because the wind is always blowing, and that means you don’t FEEL the effect of the sun so much.  I once knew of an elderly gentleman that I heard was going to Aruba on his own.  Sure enough, I missed him at the fitness center for a couple of weeks.  When I saw him again, I said to him, “I hear you went to Aruba for a couple of weeks.  How did you like it?”  He said, “It was the worst vacation I ever had in my life!”  Jeez.  “How come?”  He said, “The first day I was there I fell asleep for an hour and a half on the beach before I put any sun screen on.”  He had to go to ER for treatment.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Slather on sunscreen, and err on the side of too much, rather than too little.

Baby Beach (above) is a nice place to snorkel and picnic.  Unfortunately, it is at the other end of the island from the hotels and timeshares.  However, if you have listened to me so far you have your map and rental car, so a 45 minute drive is no problem.  Baby beach is in Seroe Colorado, located at (R13) on your map.  The beach has very calm and very shallow water, ideal for small children.  The snorkeling is great too—brightly colored fish in water you can almost stand in, right close to the reef.  For even more variety you can swim out a bit from the lagoon itself, but don’t swim further out than your swimming skill level, certainly not out into the dark blue water without a buddy.  Every few years there are tourist deaths at Baby Beach.  Please be careful and don’t venture out too far.  In 2009 Aruba has put a lot of money into its beaches, including Baby Beach.  There are 21 shade huts at Baby Beach now.  There are 2 places to buy burgers and drinks and rent snorkel gear.  See the picture of the guy in a blue bathing suit just above (my son)?  About 400 yards to the right down the beach is a bar and a lunch place.  Very nice lunches there. 

Baby Beach is a winner; go there and you will not be sorry.

TOURING THE ISLAND IN YOUR RENTAL CAR

Now THIS is great stuff!  This is the main reason you rented your car.  However, let me say first and foremost:  The MOST fun about touring by yourself is getting lost and subsequently finding your way.  You will get lost MANY times if you drive around the island.  Not to worry.  Aruba is small enough that you are never really lost, just temporarily confused.  So have a good time driving, check the Borch map, try this and that, get into trouble, and find your way again.

As I have said the road signs are terrible in Aruba.  There aren’t very many, and those that are there aren’t consistent with the map.  Don’t count on them.  Just try to follow the map as best as you can.  Get to recognize some landmarks:  Mt. Hooiberg, the California Lighthouse, the power plant, the windmill, the refinery, etc.  Remember, you are learning about Aruba’s roads, and this will stand you in good stead for your next trip.  There are some roads you will begin to recognize too.  The road from Oranjestad to San Nicholas.  The road from Santa Cruz through three traffic circles to the western part of the island.  The road from the California Lighthouse to Oranjestad.  Most roads connect to these.  By the time you leave, you’ll be a pro.

I have several day trips to recommend to you.  First, the Baby Beach Day Trip is as follows:  Drive to Baby Beach in Seroe Colorado (R13).  It takes about 45 minutes from the high rise area.  Snorkel there, renting snorkel equipment from Big Mama Grill.  Then drive around Seroe Colorado, checking out the houses there.  (This was my hometown.  Too bad about the run down houses now.)  Then drive up to Colorado Point (R14), the high point you can see from Seroe Colorado.  Walk on the path to the ocean straight ahead and to the left of where you park.  Great view.  Stop at Charlie’s Bar in San Nicholas (P11) on the way back.  Ask directions from anyone.  Once when we went there I stopped to ask a pedestrian where Charlie’s Bar was, and before I could utter a word, he said, “Charlie’s Bar?  Straight then off to the right.”  LOL  It is an institution.  Have a beer there (Balashi, of course, brewed in Aruba), but don’t get a meal there (too expensive for what you get).

The Hooiberg Day Trip is a great one.  Drive to Casiberi rock formation (J6) and walk around the little nature path there.  Then drive to Mt. (LOL) Hooiberg (K6) and walk up the 582 steps to the top.  Oh come ON, its not that bad.  Great view from the top for pictures.  It takes only about 45 minutes to walk up, and that’s with 2 stops to rest.  Then drive from Santa Cruz (L7) to the Ayo rock formation (J7), stopping at the Just Local store on the way; it is on your right (at K7, but not shown on the map).  Very nice lady there who owns the store.  Then turn right to the donkey sanctuary (K8) open (9:00 – 12:30 Monday thru Friday and 10:00 – 3:00 on weekends).  This a great place for kids.  Their website is at:  http://www.arubandonkey.org/   Drive back to the  Ostrich Farm (H8), to the gold mine ruins (H7) and on to Natural Bridge (J9), (still a popular tourist location, despite its collapse in 2005).  Great trip. 

The Boca Grande Day Trip is nice also.  There are many Subway shops in Aruba.  We stop in and order a picnic lunch to go.  We put it in our Styrofoam cooler bought in town and packed with ice from the hotel.  Put in some sodas or beer and some sandwiches from Subway for a nice picnic lunch.  Yes, I know this is a franchise found all over in the States, but it is convenient for a quick picnic lunch.  Drive almost all the way to Seroe Colorado (R13), but turn left at the red anchor (by “Gate” at K13), not right.  Boca Grande (P13) is a beautiful usually deserted beach.  Sit there on the sand and think about me surf casting there over 50 years ago.  I was there!  Then continue northwest up the coast to a place called “Rincon” on the map (O13).  It’s a nice picturesque beach with some shells in the sand.    Continue northwest to the Guadirikira Cave (N12).  Check it out and also stop at Fontein Cave (M11) near Boca Prins (M12).  There are guides at these caves.  Stop at the sand dunes (M11) for your  picnic lunch, and then get back via the road marked 7B/7A through Santa Cruz (L7).  [Note: the type of construction of this road is a mystery to everyone.  You have to go slow because of the numerous water runoffs, but it is much better than before it was paved.  You’ll see what I mean]

Many newcomers to Aruba do not reserve cars, but wish they had one for a day to do some island touring.  They ask if there is a one day loop of the island.  Well, there isn’t a convenient loop, but I can give you one anyway.  You can arrange for a car rental for one day where you are staying.  Most big hotels and timeshares have a car rental desk, and they will deliver a car right to your hotel if you arrange for it in advance.  The best one day car tour of Aruba is the Boca Grande Day Trip (described above), with one addition:  when you get to the red anchor, turn right, not left and tool around Seroe Colorado for 20 minutes, including going to Baby Beach.  After you have seen Seroe Colorado, go back out the red anchor and continue straight (with the anchor on your right), and continue on with the Boca Grande Day Trip.  This is a full day, and you will love it.  This trip will give you confidence to rent a car and do the rest of the tours on your next (yes next) trip.

None of the above day trips require a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  The Wild Side Day Trip does, however.  On your first trip to Aruba I wouldn’t recommend it.  However, if you are especially adventurous or experienced with rough roads you could try it.  Drive almost all the way to the California Lighthouse (D2), but just before going up the hill to the lighthouse turn off to the left.  Follow the “road” (LOL) down the coast in a southeast direction.  You will eventually get to the Natural Bridge (J8).  Have your picnic lunch at one of the many deserted shacks on the shore, for example at Boca Chikitu (G6).  Backtrack to the Ayo rock formation (J7) and take the road down past the donkey sanctuary (K8).  Continue past it and look for small signs to Natural Pool (K10).  The actual trip to Natural Pool is a very difficult drive.  It is not for everyone.  We have been stuck several times, and it is a very difficult drive even with a 4x4.  Natural Pool is worth it, though.  The pool itself is protected by high rocks from the rough waves.  Be careful not to cut yourself on the barnacles; they can be deceiving.  I suggest water shoes or sacrificing a pair of sneakers.  Oh, and take your camera; you’ll get good pictures.

Other good places to check out by car are (in no particular order):  Alto Vista Chapel (F5), California Lighthouse (D2), Crystal Mountain (northeast from traffic circle at J5),  Mt. Jamanota (M9), Tunnel of Love and Huliba Caves (N12) if you like bats.

SNORKELING

Aruba has great snorkeling in several places.  There are 2 ways to snorkel:  1) Go with a tour outfit that takes you to the snorkel locations by boat (they supply masks, snorkel tubes and fins at no extra charge), or 2) Drive to snorkel locations yourself and snorkel by entering the water from the shore.  You have to provide your own equipment in this later case, either by bringing gear with you or buying or renting it in Aruba.  Renting is only a good choice if you snorkel at Baby Beach because the rental outfit is close by.  Baby Beach is a great place to snorkel, because it is very shallow, there are many brightly colored fish, and the current pushes you into the smooth, shallow lagoon, not out to sea.

You should test out your goggles and mask if possible in your hotel pool so you don’t get any surprises at snorkel locations where you can’t make corrections or adjustments easily.  Remember to spit in your goggles then wash with sea water to prevent fogging.  Yes, I know there is commercial stuff you can squirt in your goggles.  But “One [Macho] Man’s Opinion” is—spit!

The areas at which you can snorkel by driving to the water are:  Baby Beach (R13) (picture at left), Mangel Halto (O7), Arashi (D2), Malmok (E2), and Boca Catalina (E2).  It’s best if you first go with a tour and see if you like it.  You can then determine if you want to invest in or rent gear to snorkel on your own.  (By the way, I would keep one person near the car while the others are snorkeling.  There have been reports of too many car break-ins near the popular snorkel spots.)  I will recommend 3 snorkel tour outfits later.

Some of the snorkeling spots identified on the following website are a bit advanced.  Try out the easier ones first.  http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/Aruba/index.htm

ACTIVITIES FOR TEEN AGERS

There are several wholesome activities that teen agers can participate in on Aruba.  Moomba’s at Palm Beach near the Marriott is a gathering place for teens.  It has a beach bar, food, air hockey, pool tables, beach toys, shops, cool lighting, live music and a DJ.  Other activities that teen agers enjoy are dinner cruises, snorkeling, ATV excursions, bike rental, horseback riding, the donkey sanctuary, the ostrich farm, the Arikok hike, and the Jolly Pirates trips.  Teen age boys and girls will love the propeller driven devices provided by one of the snorkel outfits.  See section “SNORKEL TRIPS” below.

OTHER ACTIVITIES ON YOUR OWN

There are many other things you can do in Aruba on your own.  I will list some together with websites and you can check them out on the internet.  The helicopter ride is great; expensive, but very exciting, and you get some great pictures.  I have tried an ATV rental with bad results, but I’ll try it again and hope for better.  I haven’t rented bicycles in Aruba yet, but Tri Bike Aruba in Santa Cruz (L7) is a neat store and will deliver bicycles to your hotel for your day of biking.  The Arikok hike (L9) takes about an hour if done very slowly, taking pictures all the while.  The Aloe factory (J3) tour is good, but don’t get there at the same time as a tour bus.  Those tours are cut short and not worth the time.  The Balashi Brewery (N6 but not identified on the map) tour is fun.  You can have lunch after the tour right in their restaurant.  The butterfly farm is mildly interesting, but not worth $12.00 per adult.  $8.00 would be OK.  Others have said that the butterfly farm is worth the price.  You can return as many times as you want before you leave Aruba. 

We recently went to the Numismatic Museum for the first time.  Very interesting.  A $5.00 fee, but well worth it.  The curator will give you a 45 minute tour, and it is very interesting.  We also attended the Archaeological Museum of Aruba, and it was interesting as well.  It was free, and just full of interesting stuff about the history of Aruba.  And the museum was very well presented:  displays were nicely done, well lit, and well documented.  It is conveniently located in Oranjestad.  I know you will enjoy it.

Another fun thing to do is go on a hike at the Arikok National Park.  It is located at L9 on the Borch map.  There is a well marked trail that you follow. It is in a loop, so you come back to where you started.  You’ll see lots of lizards and birds and cactus!  Indian carvings too.  Very nice scenery.  The hike takes about 60 minutes if you go very slow, checking things out, waking pictures, etc.  You have to pay $5.00 per adult to go past a gate, but it is well worth that small price.

The Ostrich Farm is a fun place for lunch—yes, they have ostrich burgers.  They also have a Saturday and Sunday brunch.  Their 30 minute tours are expensive, but you have to do it once.  Reserve for brunch and get the tour at half price.  That’s the way to do it.  You can feed the birds.  They go bananas over the feed.  Small kids (maybe 6-8 years old) can even ride the ostriches.  I suggest going on a day with blue sky because taking pictures of these goofy birds is great, and they don’t look nearly as good with a grey sky background.

  For tennis, check with the activities desk at your hotel for the nearest courts, and check the link below for tennis clinics.

The Donkey Sanctuary is a fun place to go, with or without kids.  The sanctuary is located at [K8] on our map.  It is free, but they hope for donations.  I suggest going in the morning, as the donkeys often retire to a remote area in the afternoons.  Pay attention to the staff’s guidance; some of the donkeys can get a little testy.  But it is a great place—chickens running around, donkeys hee-hawing…you always leave with a smile on your face.  The staff has apple slices to feed the donkeys.  Watch your step, though…  LOL

Helicopter tour                                    http://www.arubahelitours.com/

ATV rental                              http://www.enjoyaruba.com/atv/index.htm

Bicycle Rental                         http://www.setarnet.aw/users/mauricelinssen/index.htm

Arikok Hike                            http://www.sidsnet.org/eco-tourism/arikok.html

Aloe factory tour                    http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/topfiveattractions/gr/ArubaAloeStore.htm

Balashi Brewery tour              http://www.balashi.com/balashi/

Numismatic Museum              http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/topfiveattractions/gr/ArubaNumismatic.htm

Butterfly Farm                                    http://www.aruba.com/whattodo/butterflyfarm.php

Ostrich Farm                           http://www.arubaostrichfarm.com

Donkey Sanctuary                  http://www.arubandonkey.org/

Tennis                                      http://www.arubatennis.com/

Alcoholics Anonymous                       583-8989

Of course there are the water sports activities that you can arrange right from the beach:  boat rides, parasailing, jet ski rentals, etc.  A lot of people enjoy those activities, and there are a lot of companies offering them.  Check out one of the providers:  http://www.arubawatersportcenter.com/sail.htm

Another activity that is great fun is photography in Aruba.  With the beautiful water and the sun and the beaches, the blue sky and puffy white clouds, cactus, coral, divi divi trees you can lose yourself on the island taking pictures all day long.  Check out my own pictures at:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/aruba  Oh, I love taking pictures of pelicans.  I swear they know me by sight each time I go back, and they perform--just for me!

ORGANIZED DAY ACTIVITIES

SNORKELING TRIPS

Great fun!  This is a must.  I have gone on snorkel tours with 3 outfits:  The Jolly Pirates, Tranquillo and Aruba Bob.  All were outstanding.  You have to devote most of a day to these excursions, but they are a blast.  The Jolly Pirates take you snorkeling to a sunken wreck and then to spots near shore.  They have an open bar and lunch too.  They have a rope swing for customers, and the staff shows off on the swing too.  You get good pictures.  Captain Anthony of the Tranquillo takes you to two super snorkeling spots and is famous for his home made Dutch pea soup.  Aruba Bob provides a propeller device to guide you through the water.  GREAT fun!  All provide masks and snorkels and fins.  You can’t go wrong with any of them.  Make reservations on their websites before you leave home.

Free snorkel tip:  To prevent fogging in your goggles when snorkeling, I suggested rubbing in saliva and rinsing in sea water.  Now that you are a pro, there are better ways to prevent fogging:  1) Rub a raw potato on the inside of your goggles and rinse, or 2) buy a product, called sea gold, from www.mcnett.com  Click on “Dive Products.”  Their anti-fog gel is very good.  (But as I said earlier, I am old fashioned:  spitooey!)

Tranquillo        http://www.tranquiloaruba.com/

Jolly Pirates     http://www.jolly-pirates.com/

Aruba Bob      http://www.arubabobsnorkeling.com/

KAYAK TRIP

This is another super action packed day of kayaking and snorkeling and having lunch.  The kayak people pick you up at your hotel, transport you to their kayaks, give you a brief lesson on kayak control, and you are quickly in the water with experienced guides.  There are 2 tours.  Each involves kayaking and snorkeling and lunch.  I have done this tour four times and recommended it to friends and relatives.  Everyone enjoyed it very much.

Kayak trip:                  http://www.arubawavedancer.com/arubakayak/

BOTTOM FISHING

If you’d like to get out to fish off the bottom (about 50 - 90 feet deep), I can recommend Marcela and John.  We have gone out with them many times.  They go out at about 8:30 or so and return at about 2:00.  Lunch is included.  We always caught fish, but most of them were small.  Only twice did we catch enough for a meal for 4.  It is a lot of fun; you are out in that beautiful water.  It is NOT deep sea fishing, so it isn’t rough.  You are only out about a mile, so you always see land.  It is a fun filled day.  Best to make reservations by phone.  From the US:  011-297-586-5026

GOLF

The cheapest and best way to play golf is to sign up for the Wednesday and Friday Golf Tournament at the Divi Golf club.  About $75.00 per person, best ball net.  They provide clubs, golf shoes, a sleeve of balls, and 9 holes of golf plus drinks.  The course is nice.  Easy to find.  Call to reserve, 581-GOLF.  The 18 hole golf course at Tierra del Sol is a nice one, but more expensive.  There is a golf course at the other end of the island (P12).  Sand greens.  I wouldn’t recommend that course unless you want to have a good laugh and an adventure.  In my day, it was the only golf course on the island.

Divi Aruba                  http://www.visitaruba.com/attractions/sunandfun/golf.html

Tierra del Sol               http://www.tierradelsol.com/

A SPECIAL OUTING WITH MADI

A Madi tour deserves a separate section in this document.  Madi is a 4^th or 5^th generation Aruban.  She operates island tours in her broken down Willy’s jeep.  Her tours and her company and her personality and her infectious attitude are absolutely wonderful.  Her driving is…er…not.  Let me explain:  Madi is a very special individual.  She is the most energetic person I have ever met.  Her attitude is:  Lets go--yaHOOOO!  She was born and raised in Aruba and loves to show off the island.  She will take you places and tell you stories that the other tour guides never even heard of.  Her tour prices are low; her tours are just great.  Very special experience.  Her driving is…let me say, aggressive, and perhaps this is not for everybody.  She will take you to Natural Pool, one of Aruba’s big attractions, and I guarantee that you will never forget the drive.  There are no roads over the rough rocks, but Madi’s motto is:  “If you don’t see a road MAKE one!”  We have been on several drives with her, and always come back from one smiling to ourselves about how great the day was and how much fun it was to just be with her.  Her phone numbers are:  746-1397 and 743-8060, and her website is:  madimagicaltours.com  I know you will love her and her tours (unless you can’t tolerate bouncy driving).  LOL

Above is Madi.  I hope you will get to know her as we have.  You will find an energetic, positive, funny, interesting person who loves Aruba and loves telling about it.  You will have a wonderful half day with her, and you will enjoy every bit of it…except perhaps aspects of her driving.

OTHER ORGANIZED DAY ACTIVITIES

I have not taken any tours with the outfits below, but I offer them for your information.  I suggest you ask the bulletin board posters about their experiences before booking with them.

Aruba tours                 http://www.abc-aruba.com/

Horseback riding         http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/activities/horsebackriding.html

Deep sea fishing          http://www.aruba.com/whattodo/deepseafishing.php

Scuba diving               http://www.divearuba.com/

http://www.redsailaruba.com/ar_index.html

MEALS AND RESTAURANTS

TYPICAL DAY IN ARUBA

The way we like to organize our days in Aruba is to get up early, walk the beach for an hour or so at dawn, make a towel run and a free daily newspaper run, then return to our timeshare unit to have coffee and a quick breakfast and think about what to do that day.  We then get an early start, about 9:15 or so, and we hit the nearest Subway for sandwiches to pack in our cooler right next to the Balashi beer and water.  Then we head “out” on our day trips to Baby Beach or wherever.  We then do whatever we have planned for the day, returning about 2:00 – 3:00 to our timeshare.  We then relax for the rest of the afternoon at our pool, on the beach, or on our patio.  We then have some wine in the late afternoon, hang around the beach for some sunset photographs, and head out to a restaurant.  What a day!  They are all the same, yet they are all different.  And now for the best part:  the restaurants.  Yum!

So our meals in Aruba are generally as follows:  breakfast in our timeshare, picnic lunch at a beach or wherever we happen to be at lunch time, and dinner at one of Aruba’s fine restaurants. Truly, Aruba has world class resort restaurants.  I don’t know which is more fun:  returning to a proven winner restaurant or trying a new one.  Of course we have done both over the years.  We have been to over 80 restaurants since 2004, and we love MANY of them.

SPORTS BARS

Many of you email me to ask about sports bars.  Here is a list of some of them in no particular order:

Carlito's Sports Bar at Playa Linda Beach Resort

Champion's Sports Bar at Ocean Club

Buster's Garage at the Tropicana resort

JC's Sports Bar Palm Beach Rd Noord

Gilligans at the Radisson

Champions Sports Bar at the Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club

Hooters on Palm Beach

Cleos at the Alhambra Casino

THE RESTAURANTS

The best way to cover 80 restaurants is to gather them into categories.  I will provide the restaurant, their telephone number, the days they are closed, and their website.  This information changes now and then so some things may have changed since I researched them.  Please cover restaurants thoroughly on the Aruba Bulletin Board.  However, circumstances can often dictate that peoples’ opinions will differ significantly about the same restaurant.  Someone will love one; someone else will hate the same one.  You must get many opinions and develop your own favorites list.

All restaurants are casual in Aruba.  Men don’t need a jacket in any that I have been to.  Even sandals are acceptable (but not flip flops).  Good looking shorts are usually fine, but some restaurants require long pants for inside tables.  But hey—dress up a little for the better restaurants.  Bring up the level, don’t lower it.

In general, the higher the restaurant is on my list below, the more necessary it is to make reservations.  Some restaurants, like our all time favorite, Madame Janettes, will ask for your credit card number upon making reservations, especially in the high season.  They say they might charge you if you don’t show (but I don’t think they actually will).  Other restaurants that ask for credit cards when making reservations are Screaming Eagle, Flying Fishbone, and Marandi.  Probably some more of the more expensive ones too, but I can’t remember them all.

Many people want to know which restaurants serve “typical Aruban” food.  Typical Aruban is tough to define.  Being on the water it means seafood, of course.  And goat stew; I’m sure you’ll love that.  And some Dutch dishes.  I put an (A) next to restaurants that are considered to be typical Aruban.  And the © beside the restaurant name means it is less expensive (©heap, LOL).  Many restaurants do offer vegetarian dishes, if that is important to you.  They will also prepare a vegetarian meal if you ask them to, even if is not on the menu.

Locating restaurants in Aruba can be difficult.  Some of the best ones are out of the way.  We have found that the best way to locate them is to drive around during the DAY and locate the restaurant when time isn’t so important.  You can be late for your reservations if you are looking for some of these inland restaurants in the dark.  Aren’t you glad you rented a car rather than adding $20 to your dinner bill by taking taxis to and from the restaurants?  Glad you are doing it “my way.”  LOL

There are several restaurants I would strongly recommend:  Madame Janettes, El Gouchos, Chalet Suisse, Yemanja, Wacky Wahoo, and Bingos  MJ’s is the best restaurant on Aruba, and one of the best in the Caribbean.  It is located a little inland from the low rises.  Hard to find first time.  Prices are a little high but definitely worth it.  EG’s serves Argentine beef.  Fantastic!  It is located in downtown Oranjestad.  Also hard to find first time.  We love Bingos.  It is not expensive, and we go there once or twice every trip.  Same with The Kitchen.

RESTAURANTS PATRONIZED	Days	Telephone	Location/Comments	Website
	Closed	011-297
GREEN = usually don't need reservations
THE VERY BEST
Madame Janettes	SUN	587-0184	Voted best in Caribbean	http://www.madamejanette.info/
El Gouchos	NONE	582-3677		http://www.elgaucho-aruba.com/
Yemanja Woodfired Grill	SUN	588-4711	2 Wilheiminasatraat	http://www.yemanja-aruba.com
Chalet Suisse	SUN	587-5054	Impersonal & sterile	http://www.chaletsuisse-aruba.com/
Carte Blanche	MON	586-3339	At Bucuti Hotel	www.carteblanchearuba.com
VERY GOOD, LOVE GOING BACK
The Kitchen ©	SUN	749-5775	Behind Mega Mall	http://www.thekitchenaruba.com/
Bingo ©	NONE	586 2818		http://www.bingoaruba.com/
Amadeus	MON	587-3644	From Texaco circle by La Cabana go inland to next circle, then 1 more mile.  On right, past another texaco, next door to HOT Take Away
Flying Fishbone	NONE	584-2506		http://www.flyingfishbone.com/
La Promenade  © (A)	MON	583-8879		http://www.promenadearuba.com/
Giannis		586-7794		http://dinearuba.com/Documents/Gianni%20Menu.pdf
Gostoso Café		588-0053	Hospitalstraat 12-A By Texaco circle	Portuguese
Windows on Aruba (Sun Brunch)	NONE	581-4653	Golf clubhouse @ Divi Links	http://www.windowsonaruba.com/
Water's Edge (at Costa Linda)	NONE	583-8000	At Costa Linda, near pool	http://www.costalinda-aruba.com/membersarea/pdf/menu-waters-edge.pdf
Ellioti's (at Costa Linda)	SUN	588-9040	Costa Linda parking lot	http://dinearuba.com/Documents/Ellioti%27s%20Italian%20Restaurant%20Aruba%20-%20Menu.pdf
Wacky Wahoo ©	SUN	586-7333	Very much improved	http://www.wackywahoos.com/
Barefoot Aruba	NONE	588-9824	At Old Marandi's location	http://www.barefootaruba.com/
Carambola	MON	587-6695	At Paradise Beach Villas	www.carambola-aruba.com
Papiamento (A)	SUN	586-4544		http://www.restaurantsaruba.com/view_review.html?rest_id=67
Taj Mahal ©	SUN	588-4494		http://www.tajmahalaruba.com/
GOOD, WILL GO AGAIN
Matthews	NONE	588-7300	At Casa del Mar	http://www.matthews-aruba.com/home/index.html
Sunset Grill	NONE	526-6612, 3	At Radisson	http://www.sunsetgrillearuba.com/
Barney's Bar & Restaurant ©		568-5420			eat@barneysaruba.com
Hostaria Da'Vittorio	NONE	586-3838	Across from Hyatt	http://www.hostariadavittorio.com
Marandi	SUN	582-0157		http://www.marandiaruba.com/
Que Pasa	NONE	583-4888		http://www.quepasaaruba.com/
Anna Maria's		592-3857?	Near Carib Palm Village	http://www.aruba.com/forum/f12/anna-maria-42858/
Amuse Bistro		586-9949	In Front of Playa Linda	www.amusearuba.com
Passions (Mangos on beach)		527-1125		http://www.amsterdammanor.com/en/passions_restaurant.html
Pinchos		583-2666	On pier on the water	http://gocaribbean.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=gocaribbean&cdn=travel&tm=8&f=21&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=4&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.interreps.nl/pinchos.htm
Amazing (Sunday Brunch)	MON	584-3131	San Nicolas
Astoria (Sunday Brunch)		584-5132	San Nicolas	http://www.astoriaruba.com/
Tulips ©	NONE	587-0110		http://www.mvceaglebeach.com/english/restaurant.html
Pam Pam ©	none	587-7710		http://www.visitaruba.com/attractions/bynight/restaurants/international/index.html#pampam
Osterich Farm (lunch)	NONE	585-9630		http://www.arubaostrichfarm.com/bar_restaurant.html
Salt & Pepper ©	NONE	586-3280		http://www.saltandpepperaruba.com/
Old Man and The Sea	SUN	735-0840	Near Flying Fishbone	http://theoldmanandthesearestaurant.com/Welcome.html
B-55 (A) ©			Very near drive-in movie; @55 Balashi
Bella Luna	NONE	586-0644		http://www.arubadining.com/pavarotti/
Driftwood (A)	TUE	583-2515		http://www.driftwoodaruba.com/
Boca Prins Bar (lunch)
Linda's Pancake (lunch)©	SUN	586-3378		http://linda.aw297.com/
Peanuts © (A)		583-4343	End of Main Street	http://wsm.ezsitedesigner.com/share/scrapbook/41/412934/Peanuts.pdf
Iguana Joes ©	SUN	No reservations		http://www.iguanajoesaruba.com/
Chefs Tables	WED	587 8140	Improved service this time	http://www.chefstablesaruba.com/
Mangos	NONE	587-1492	At Amsterdam Manor	http://www.amsterdammanor.com/en/mangos_restaurant.html
Pizza Bob's ©	NONE	588 9040	At Costa Linda
The Old Fisherman (A)		588-3648		http://www.theoldfishermanaruba.com/page/
Ruinas del Mar (Hayatt Sun Brunch)		586-1234	At Hayatt	http://aruba.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/index.jsp
The Sultan (Arab) ©		588-2598	From O'stad go left at airport.  At Codemsa turn left.  At next traffic circle	http://dinearuba.com/Documents/Sultan%20Middle%20Eastern%20Delight%20Restaurant%20Aruba%20-%20Menu.pdf
Bavaria		736-4007	Next to Sawasdee in Noord	http://www.bavaria-aruba.com/
Your Aruba Chef © (A)			Near Amadaus
Sole Mare		586 0077	Across fr Linda's Pancakes
Casa Tua Barcelona	SUN	588-9983		http://www.casatuaaruba.com/
Marina Pirata © (A)		585-7150	Food so-so Nice setting	http://www.marinapiratarestaurant.com/
Zeerovers © (A)		588-9983	Interesting as a change
Las Ramblas	W,Sun	588-3840, 50	At La Cabana	http://www.lacabanabrc.com/menus/lasramblas.pdf
Hollywood SmokeHouse Diner			Take out
The New Wei Tai ©			Typical Chinese
White Modern Cuisine		586-1190
Zuzoroh ©				©
Fusion (for tapas if not hungry)
Indo ©			Indonesian fool
DISAPPOINTING--OVER RATED OR OVER PRICED.  TOO MANY BETTER RESTAURANTS TO CHOOSE FROM
French Steakhouse	NONE	582-3444		http://www.manchebo.com/steakhouse/
Scabeche	FRI	526-2700 586-2380	Carribean Palm Villas Resort	Newly renamed	In Noord
Azull (Outside)	SU/MO	586-4466	Westin, low quality hi price	http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/dining/attraction_detail.html?propertyID=1960&attractionId=215244
Gasparitos (A)	SUN	586-2444	Going downhill	http://www.gasparito.com/
Cuba's Cookin		588-0627	Overpriced now	http://www.cubascookin.com/index.htm
Charlie's Bar (lunch)		584-5086	Too expensive!	http://www.charliesbararuba.com
Sawasdee Thai ©		586-8071	Bland flavor	http://www.toptable.co.uk/venues/restaurants/?id=7498&refid=ggl05&gclid=CNj_wP_mzpQCFQGbnAodj1DKpw
Aqua Grill	SUN	586 5900	Deserted; sterile	http://www.aqua-grill.com/
Texas de Brazil	NONE	586 4686	Overpriced, quality so-so	http://www.texasdebrazil.com/
Rembrandt's			Nothing special	Dutch staff & menu.  Small.  Live music at 10:30
Smoky Joes	NONE	586 2896	Nothing special	http://www.smokeyjoesaruba.com/
Pirates Nest (Bucuti)		583-1100	Nice setting Food so-so	http://www.bucuti.com/en/dining/menu_pirates.php
Buckineer		586-6172	Food dry & plain	http://www.arubadining.com/buccaneer/
Hung Paradjis			Not at all to our liking
Wok Away (lunch)			Nice idea, bad execution	Made to order Chinese
A Different Restaurant			Greasy food
Pago Pago	WED	586-4466	At Westin	http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/dining/attraction_detail.html?propertyID=1960&attractionId=215242#
Mulligan's	NONE	523-5062	Noisy Coffee shop quality	http://www.mulligansaruba.com/
Papillon			Food not so good	http://bentpage.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/papillon-restaurant-aruba-dwi/
Old Cunucu House © (A)			Nice setting Food so-so
La Vista @ Marriott (Sun brunch)		520-6601	At Marriott
Azzurro		586-4123	At Playa Linda	http://www.azzurroaruba.com/main.htm
Windows on Aruba (Dinner)
Screaming Eagle	SUN	587 8021	Loud, pricey, so-so service	http://www.screaming-eagle.net/
Simply Fish			FISH At Marriott
NIKKY
Ike's Bistro		582-3444	At Manchebo	http://www.manchebo.com/ikesbistro/

NIGHT ACTIVITIES

Well, I don’t have much experience with night life on Aruba.  We usually eat dinner and return home, play cards or read and go to bed early (in order to get up early to walk the beach at sunup). 

There is sometimes a show nightly at the Crystal Casino  in Oranjestad.  It  changes its format.  However we have not been there.  The Comedy Club at the Westin in Aruba Resort (586-4466) gets good and bad reviews from posters on the Aruba bulletin boards.  Comedy shows or magicians are changed every few weeks.  We spend a little time at that resort in 2009, and it was a pretty swinging place in the evening and full of activity all the time.  But there are bad reviews too, like:  “I was at Comix Cafe in July. The comedian I saw was horrible. Only 15 people at the show.” Check shows at:

http://www.comixcafearuba.com  “

Of course you can go to the casinos at night.

If you want to relive your wilder days I can suggest the following for the young at heart:

Senor Frog for drinks, dinner and pickup.  It is in the high rise area.  Walk around; you can’t miss it.  Lots of stuff going on. 

Kukoo Kunuku.  Dinner and Barhopping tour.  Call 586-2010  $59 per person.  They pick you up at your resort or hotel, and you go bar hopping across the island.  First drink in every bar is “free.”  They deliver you home at 2:00 in the morning.  You are all on a big multi colored bus, and make a lot of noise going from one bar to the other.  Everybody waves at you when you go by.  For the young and restless it is a blast.  Discount coupons from Little Switzerland.  Their website is:  http://www.kukookunuku.com/

Moombas restaurant is in the middle of a lot of young people activity.  It is on the beach in the high rises.  Food isn’t great, but you can meet people and enjoy yourselves.  Check them out at http://moombabeach.com/component/

Mambo Jambos.  Haven’t been there, but it is always on everyone’s list of active places at night.  They get going at 11:00pm.  Royal Plaza Mall # 126  Website at:  http://www.mambojamboaruba.com/index_flash.html

IN ARUBA ON A SHOESTRING

I know I have told you how to enjoy yourself in Aruba—rent a car, buy a map, get a cell phone, tour the island, go on picnics, and take advantage of what Aruba has to offer in the areas of activities, restaurants, entertainment, and culture.  I stand on that approach for a wonderful vacation.  However, I do know that many people who go to Aruba do it with a minimum of funds, and they want to know how to enjoy the island when they have a tight budget.  OK, I understand that, so let me tell you how to enjoy Aruba without spending a lot of money.  The thing I would have you keep in mind if you don’t want to spend a lot is that you are just whetting your appetite on this trip.  You are doing a combination of 2 things—enjoying Aruba now, and planning for your next trip later.  So go ahead, go on the cheap this time, but plan to save more for your next trip.

The first thing to save on is:  don’t rent a car.  That means you don’t buy a map and you don’t rent a phone.  That’s quite a lot of savings right there.  Arrange for airfare and hotel accommodations through one of those websites like Travelocity that can get you good deals.  That saves a bundle too.  You could also save a little money by getting a shuttle to your hotel, but I would still recommend taking a taxi because you don’t want to be confused waiting for a shuttle the instant you land in Aruba.  So for peace of mind, take a taxi to your hotel.  Take the shuttle to the airport when you are returning.

Even on a shoestring, you don’t want to be “stuck” at your hotel all the time.  So I would recommend getting familiar with the bus system in Aruba.  It is very inexpensive to take busses.  You can go to and from the shopping area in Oranjestad by bus, and depending on what you want you can go to many places by bus.  I would recommend buying groceries if you have a kitchen in your hotel or timeshare; that will save on restaurants.  However there are many restaurants within walking distance of wherever you are staying.  Check with the concierge for those close ones that are inexpensive. 

Of course you will stay away from the casinos, and you won’t drink much.  Those are givens.  You should go on one island tour.  It is an expensive day, but you have to establish expectations for your next trip to Aruba, so taking a tour will show you what the rest of the island is like so you can dream about it before your next trip.

Not spending much money probably means you will be staying at your hotel more than I would like you to, but that’s OK.  There are great beaches and pools for your relaxation and enjoyment.  Be beach bums for a week; that is not all bad, and it doesn’t cost much money.  Change your daily routine:  get up early, go to bed early.  Take beach walks early.  It is a different lifestyle, and it is not at all bad!  Walk, take hikes, take pictures.  Good fun and very inexpensive. 

IN ARUBA WITH CHILDREN

There are many activities in Aruba for children.  All the tours I document above are great with kids.  They love the pools, the ocean, and yes, you can take them to MacDonalds because that’s one of their favorites.  Maybe even pizza if they promise to be good.  They will love climbing Hooiberg.  They will love the rough 4x4 rides and getting stuck in the sand.  You can take them bottom fishing.  You can fish off shore (just bring some line, hooks, and a couple of sturdy balloons and buy some shrimp for bait).  You can hike with them and look for shells with them.  Take them snorkeling with the Jolly Pirates or Captain Anthony.  Take them to the Ostrich farm and the donkey sanctuary and the butterfly farm.  Or play tennis with them.  There are a lot of activities for children during the Carnival season, January and February. 

There is a small zoo in Aruba.  I only recently heard about it, and I am not exactly sure where it is.  Over by Alta Vista Chapel, I think.  I will find out on my next trip and write more.  Meanwhile, you can ask at your hotel or timeshare how to get to the zoo.

Speaking of MacDonalds and children and restaurants--one  bit of feedback from a reader of this e-booklet suggested something that worked for her:  going to MacDonalds for a takeout meal for the kids then taking it to your restaurant of choice and having the kids there with you eating their Big Macs while you dine yourself.  Well, its American franchise…but…I’ll allow it!  LOL

There are a few restaurants especially appropriate for kids:  The Buccaneer (with one wall of fish tanks with a lot of fish), Marina Pirata (which is on a pier with lights into the water so you can see and feed the fish), Barefoot Aruba (which is right on the beach so kids can run around in the sand a little), the ostrich farm for lunch, and Zeerovers (which is on a pier where the fishing boats are and where there is a lot going on).

And if you want to escape at night you can arrange for a babysitter with your hotel front desk.  The following is a babysitting website:  http://www.arubababysitting.com/  Check the Aruba Bulletin Board for babysitter advice.  There is a lot of material there on that subject.

IN ARUBA OFF A CRUISE SHIP

Many people are introduced to Aruba by going on a cruise that stops in Aruba.  Alas, it usually is only for one day or less.  People have emailed me asking me what to do if they find themselves in Aruba from 8:00am to 6:00pm on a single day.  My answer is to visit the 3 main places where you could stay when you return to Aruba.  And here is how to do it:

1) Walk around Oranjestad.  Walk off the cruise ship and around the only large town in Aruba.  There are many shops to check out.  Look at the Rennaisance Hotel to see how you like it.  Walk around the harbor and the malls to get a flavor as to what it would be like to stay in Oranjestad.  Spend maybe 90 minutes doing this.

2) Walk Eagle Beach.  Take a taxi to the Casa del Mar timeshare.  It does not cost much.  It is on Eagle Beach.  March through the resort right out to the beach, take off your shoes, turn right at the ocean, and walk the length of Eagle Beach.  Walk slowly up the beach all the way until there is no more sand.  You will find yourself at Amsterdam Manor.  Meanwhile you will have seen many timeshares in the “low rise” area of Aruba.

3) Walk around the “high rise” area:  Take a taxi from Amsterdam Manor to the Holiday Inn.  Spend the rest of your time walking around the popular high rise area checking out the hotels, shops, and restaurants.  Have a late lunch in one of the restaurants that appeals to you.  Then take a taxi back to your cruise ship.

By following the outline above you will have checked out the 3 general areas where you might stay when you come back to Aruba by plane:  Oranjestad, the low rise area and Eagle Beach, and the high rise area of hotels and touristy things.  You then can make a decision about where to stay when you come back.  A simple and inexpensive way to see Aruba and plan. 

This is NOT what your fellow passengers will be doing all day.  They will take tours and go shopping and go swimming and rent a car for the day.  You can do those things on other cruise stops.  You can do those things in Aruba when you come back.  Meanwhile you will know where to come back to and be better prepared to make the return trip.

WHAT TO DO ON RAINY DAYS

What? Rainy days in Aruba?  But you told me…  Yes, it’s true that one of Aruba’s best attributes is the weather.  And its true that although there are local showers occasionally but not many out and out rainy days.  However, bad weather in other places sometimes affects the weather in Aruba.  So it is always good to have a Plan B, especially with children.  Here is a quick list of activities that can be part of Plan B:

            Movies

            Board games (bring some)

            Day tours by car

            Visit the gym

            Visit museums

            Visit the casino

            Go to a sports bar

            Research other hotels and timeshares for future trips

            Attend quickly organized games at your hotel or timeshare like bingo, etc.

                        (Well, it is last on the list…)

DEPARTURE FROM ARUBA

Alas, it is time to go home.  Never mind—I know you will decide to come back.  Some important things for getaway day:

Don’t forget to return your cell phone.  

Get to the airport three hours earlier than your flight leaves.  As you drive into the airport follow signs to Departures and drop off your luggage with those that came with you.  Circle all the way around the airport again and follow the signs to Rental Car Return.  Be sure not to get into the Parking lane.  It is a little difficult getting OUT of the airport parking lot.  (You have to go inside the airport and pay in a machine and then come out and exit.)  Then join the others waiting in line with your luggage.

The Aruba airlines in the airport are very picky about the weight of bags.  Many times we are in the airport we see people opening their luggage and switching stuff from one bag to another.  In June, 2008, our daughter had one suitcase that weighed 51 pounds and one that weighed 48.  They (Jet Blue) made her move one pound of clothes from the heavy suitcase to the other.  Why?  I have no idea.  Stupid, if you ask me.  So be careful when you are packing at home in the States before you leave for Aruba that your luggage isn’t too heavy (ie. more than 50 pounds).  Remember you probably won’t have a scale in Aruba to use to balance out your suitcases.  But I recommend buying a scale from the travel websites (e.g. Magellens) and using it to be sure you are under 50 lbs. going home.

Aruba has a complicated check-in process, because US customs is done in Aruba, not in the US.  US security is done in Aruba, not in the US.  So this is the process:

1) Check your luggage with your airline and get your boarding pass.  Your checked luggage is taken by the airline, as usual.

2) Your US customs declaration form was given to you on your flight to Aruba.  Be sure it is filled out by this time in your departure.

3) Go outside the building to the left where your boarding pass, passport and the bottom part of your immigration card are checked.

4) Go inside the next building where the same things are checked (again).

5) Go through Aruba security (placing your stuff on the X-ray machine roller, etc).

6) RECLAIM YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE at a carrousel.   (Yes, you pick up your luggage after checking it with the airline.)  Now go through US customs with all your luggage and carry ons. 

7) Deposit your luggage on another roller.  You are now done with it in Aruba.

8) Go through US security (placing your stuff on the X-ray machine roller, etc.)  Yes, through another security line. 

9) Go to your gate and wait for your plane.

It all seems a bit overwhelming at the time, but remember you are going through Aruban security, US security and US customs.  When you get to your destination in the States, you will have no customs or security to contend with.  It will be just like a domestic flight:  get your baggage and exit the airport.

MISCELLANEOUS

The following are some websites that you might find useful:

US State Dept Aruba info                  http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1153.html

Interactive map                                   http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=12.578565&lon=-70.042691&z=16&l=0&m=a&v=2

Aruba airport:                                      http://www.airportaruba.com/

Aruba time & weather                        http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=689

Aruba webcam                                    http://www.camcentral.com/camviewer.php?script=listings&task=list&item=category&show=Sandy_Beaches&page=1&id=5101

Birds of Aruba                                    http://www.arubabirds.com/

Aruba Tourist Information      http://www.arubabound.com/packing/firsttime.htm#dining

http://www.aruba4u.com/

http://www.enjoyaruba.com/

GOOD LUCK!

I hope you have a wonderful time in Aruba!  Remember to do the things I have suggested before you leave home:  make your rental car reservation, order your map, make your cell phone reservation.

I would love to hear from you, either before you leave with questions or after you get back with your experiences.  Of course I would like to know if this booklet has been helpful.  Email me at:  ArubaSmith@Yahoo.com

I hope you have been on the Aruba Bulletin Board with questions too.  And when you come back you can get on the bulletin board and help ANSWER questions that the next freshman class of newbies will have.

Aruba is a great place.  More and more people are finding that out.  I hope you will be one of them…er…one of US!

Masha Danki (Thank you very much), and Bon Voyage!

APPENDIX

PREPARING FOR YOUR NEXT TRIPS

I TOLD you you would be back to Aruba many times.  And now it is happening, just like I said.  You are preparing to go on your second, third (who is counting?) trip to Aruba.  Well, you should prepare for these trips a bit differently.  You have no doubt settled into some Aruba “traditions,” things that you look forward to doing each trip:  a favorite restaurant and waiter, your best snorkeling place, your favorite beach, a fun trip, etc.  And that’s good.  But its time to branch out and do some new things.  Things that maybe pull you away from your hotel to some different activities.  The following are some things that you should add to your list of things you enjoy in Aruba:

New places to stay:  If you are hopelessly hooked on Aruba and know you will be returning often, you should arrange for the nicest accommodations at the cheapest price.  In my opinion, this means TIMESHARE!  Yes, staying at a timeshare is like buying a house instead of renting an apartment.  It is a much thriftier way of paying for an abode in the long term.  You might arrange to rent a timeshare for a visit or two to see which timeshare you like best.  (We like Costa Linda Beach Resort.)  For a 2 bedroom unit you might have to spend $700 - $900 a year maintenance fees for a one week unit.  You can sleep 2 or 3 couples in that unit, costing about $50 - $60 a night per couple.  MMmmmmm!  Yes, you have to come up with $7,000 - $15,000 purchase price, but you can get that back when you sell it.  Check it out.  We did in 2004, and are SO glad we did.

More adventurous activities:  Rent that 4x4 and do the wild side tour and go to natural pool.  Rent bicycles, rent ATVs.  Go snorkeling at new places.  Go fishing.  You will be expanding your Aruba activities slate and enjoying these activities as you add to your list of favorites.  Go on the tour of the aloe factory and the Balashi beer brewery; visit the numismatic museum; visit the caves when you tour around; go on the Arikok hike; walk around Crystal Mountain.  No, these aren’t things the first time visitors would do, because there are easier activities to do close at hand.  But you should do them after a trip or two.  Venture further away from your hotel.  Go to San Nicholas to Charlie’s Bar and Amazing restaurant.  Go to Seroe Colorado and Baby Beach and Rogers Beach.  Go to the Flying Fishbone restaurant.  Get out and away.  You will round out your Aruba experience and enjoy it as you do so.

Bring visitors:  Now you’re cooking!  Bring your friends and relatives to Aruba with you!  YOU will be the expert, and your visitors will look up to YOU for advice and suggestions.  Plan day trips, tours, dinners.  Your friends will love you for it, and you will feel a sense of satisfaction  for bringing them into the relaxed Aruban atmosphere.  Get on the Aruban bulletin boards and offer up your experiences to the new visitors at that time.

Storing stuff:  When you really become an Aruba junkie and know you are coming back once or twice or more to the island you will find yourself taking the same heavy items with you in your luggage.  Things like:  snorkel gear, beach chairs, kitchen articles, sandals, fishing equipment, beach toys, soap powder, tools, tennis gear, the last bottle of wine you didn’t get around to, cards & games, reef book, etc.  Why take these things with you and have to take them home each trip.  There is a fine outfit called Timeshare Storage which stores your stuff in large canisters.  You email them before you arrive and they bring the canisters right to your hotel or timeshare.  And they pick them up as you leave.  Reasonably priced.  Contact them at www.timesharestorage.com  I highly recommend them.

To repeat:  I would love to hear how you liked Aruba and how this booklet may have helped you.  Email me at:  ArubaSmith@Yahoo.com

Brief Trip Reports

JANUARY 4 – JANUARY 18, 2008

We had one of the best trips to Aruba this time.  We took three other couples, one for the full two weeks and two couples for one week each.  We stayed in a 3 bedroom unit at Costa Linda on the fourth floor.  Beautiful view!  Yes I arranged ahead of time for the unit, a car from Hertz, another 4x4 from American, and our cell phone from Fast Phones.  (We already had our Borch maps.)  The weather was absolutely PERFECT the whole two weeks.  No rain except a little one night.

I won’t present a day-by-day itinerary, but I’ll just give you a summary of our activities.  We took all the day trips I mentioned above:  The Baby Beach trip (twice), the Hooiberg trip, the Boca Grande trip, and the Wild Side trip (twice).  Great fun!  We played tennis at Costa Linda twice.  We watched NFL playoff games and the college national championship game; they were on Costa Linda’s channels.  We shopped, we snorkeled three times.  We went bottom fishing with Olympic.  We took the Balashi Brewery tour (again!) and ate lunch at the brewery.  I took a lot of pictures of pelicans.  We went to the Balloon Parade in San Nicholas, and I got some colorful pictures there too.  Of course we had plenty of time to relax at Costa Linda--on the beach, at the pool, and on our huge patio overlooking the beach and water.  See, I take my own advice.

The restaurants were just great.  The new ones we tried were:  Matthews, Sawasdee, Pam Pam, Wacky Wahoo, Amazing, and Screaming Eagle.  Old favorites were:  Cuba’s Cookin, Salt ‘n Pepper, Amsterdam Manor, Marandi, Papiamento, Giannis, and Madame Janettes.  The one outstanding surprise was the relatively new restaurant in San Nicholas called Amazing.  We went for Sunday brunch.  All you can eat (smallish portions; you can order and order all afternoon), AND all the mimosa you can drink too.  What a deal!  All for $27.95 per person fixed.  Matthews was a great new restaurant too.    Thirteen restaurants and--no pizza!  LOL  (Are you surprised?  See, I take my own advice.)

One adventure I must tell you about:  We went to Natural Pool at the end of one of our Wild Side trips.  I had rented a 4x4 especially for that day.  Well there really isn’t a road to Natural Pool, just faint trails where other vehicles have gone.  It was VERY difficult getting to the pool.  We got stuck twice.  The first time there were about 15 people trying to help us to no avail.  We finally got it going.  Coming back we had to back up (not easy) and retrace our way.  I even entertained thoughts about what we would have to do in case the vehicle got permanently stuck.  Not a big problem, with so many helpful Arubans, but not a good way to end a fun day.  So we finally did make it, and that is now one of the highlights of the trip!  The Natural Pool swim made it all worth it.

See my pictures of the trip at:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/arubajan2008

JUNE 20 – JULY 4, 2008

We came directly from 2 weeks in Africa (7 days on safari) to Aruba this time.  After 19 hours in a plane from Johannesburg we turned around in the Atlanta airport and caught our plane to…well, you know where.  And it was a great, relaxing stay on “the rock.”  We spent the 14 days with our daughter, her husband, and their 7 year old daughter, Samantha. 

We repeated a lot of traditions:  picnicking at Baby Beach (3 times), snorkeling at Malmok, taking pictures of pelicans, walking Eagle beach each morning (yes, 14 times), having our exit lunch at Linda’s Pancake, car rental, Fast Phones, Ling & Sons for groceries, etc.  Something new:  we had lunch and the tour at the Ostrich farm.  The lunch was fine (we had ostrich bergers), and the tour was OK to do (once).  Samantha rode an ostrich.  Great fun.

We ate at many “old” restaurants:  Alfredo’s, Matthews, Le Dome (for Sunday brunch), Gasparitos, Turtle’s Nest, Giannis, Pinchos, Amazing (for Sunday brunch), Papiamentos, the Flying Fishbone, El Gouchos, and of course Madame Janettes for our last night’s dinner.  New for us were Brisas del Mar (very nice; we look forward to going back), Yamanja (VERY nice), and Peanuts in Oranjestad (local and cheap and good).

One interesting happening:  a turtle nest hatched on Eagle Beach early one evening.  About 30 turtles scrambled out of their nest and made their way down the beach to the water.  Lots of people crowded around to see them, and gave them a big hand when each one “made it.”  There is a big constituency of “turtle people” on Aruba, people who make sure that mother turtles lay their eggs in peace and that baby turtles make it to the water.  It was a lot fun to witness.

Oh, and we bought 2 more weeks at our timeshare, Costa Linda.  Couldn’t resist!

See the pictures of this trip including ostrich riding, and turtle hatching at:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/2008junaruba  A more extensive pictorial comparison of Palm Beach and Eagle Beach is included in these pictures.  And of course my pelicans.  Check out those pelican pictures!  Hope you enjoy them all.

JANUARY 2 – JANUARY 16, 2009

We took guests to Aruba for the first week, and my wife and I spent the second week by ourselves.  Both weeks were delightful.  We stayed at Costa Linda, of course.  The weather was beautiful.  It rained once, as we and our guests were enjoying a great Sunday brunch at Windows On Aruba overlooking the Divi 9 hole golf course.  It rained VERY hard, and as the rain started I said, “In 15 minutes the sun will be out and everything will be dry.”  I set my watch.  After 5 minutes the rain had stopped, the sun was out, and in less than 15 minutes the golfers were out playing again.  I apologized to our guests for the interruption in sunshine.  LOL

I am running for a seat on the Board of Directors at Costa Linda Beach Resort, so I spent time campaigning during this trip.  I stocked and resupplied trays with campaign cards on them located throughout the resort.  I talked to many Costa Linda owners about the issues of the day.  It was interesting.  I hope I am elected; I look forward to serving.

We ate at some familiar restaurants:  El Gouchos, Yamanja Woodfired Grill, Giannis, Madamme Janettes, Salt & Pepper, Prominade and Marandis.  New for us was The Old Man And The Sea, where the tables were on the sand.  Best setting of any restaurant on Aruba, but the food was not as good as the beach setting.  New for us also was the Pirate’s Nest at the Bucuti, but it was a disappointment   We ate at two new Sunday Brunch restaurants, the Hayatt, and Windows on Aruba.  “Windows” was outstanding, and the Hayatt was good too.  A very good local restaurant was B-55, near the drive-in theater.  A Dutch owner/chef filled our plates!  The Prominade for all you can eat tapas was a winner too.  We will return there often.

We did the usual activities this trip:  picnics, shopping, day trips, the ostrich farm, the donkey sanctuary, up Hooiberg (well, not all the way), and early beach walks every day.  We did more than our usual amount of relaxing on the beach—reading, snoozing, sipping and just listening to the waves.  MMmmmmmm!

JUNE 19 – JULY 24, 2009

What a nice long visit this one was!  Five weeks in Paradise (all in Costa Linda, of course).  The only drawback was we began to miss our dogs a lot.  Every 3 years there is a big reunion in Aruba for anyone that lived in Seroe Colorado in the days of Lago’s owning the refinery there (1930 – 1970 approximately).  There are not many of those employees still living, but there are a lot of their kids still around that used to live there.  There were about 150 that returned this year.  We have a couple of big dinners at the Westin, and there are a lot of private parties throughout reunion week.  Good to see the kids you grew up with back on “the rock.”

Anyway, we went on lots of picnics, drove down the rough side in a 4x4 twice, took pictures of pelicans, went to some new restaurants, showed family and reunion attendees around the island, visited the donkey sanctuary and other hot spots (LOL), went on a great snorkel trip on the Tranquillo with Captain Anthony, climbed Mt. Hooiberg [er…halfway], did a lot of picture taking and snorkeling.  Yes, I stuck to my recommended regimen.  However, with 35 days in Aruba we stayed at Costa Linda on the beach more than usual.  I know, I know:  I have told you countless times NOT to loaf around all day at your hotel or timeshare.  But pictures this:  me on Eagle Beach under a hut on a chaise chair reading from my Kindle, with my Blackberry on my chest going “beep beep” every time I got an email, cocktails delivered, snoozing when necessary and taking a dip in the Caribbean every few hours.  HEAVEN!

My campaign to run for the Costa Linda Board of Directors was successful.  I am now one of 9 Board members.  Serving will be a challenge and something new and interesting for me.  Check out my picture on the wall next to the reception desk at Costa Linda if you get a chance.

We went to the following restaurants:  Ellioti’s, B-55, Turtle’s Nest, Matthews, Que Pasa, Salt & Pepper, Windows on Aruba (Sunday Brunch), Pam Pam, La Prominade, Tulips, Madame Janettes, Gionni’s, Chefs Tables, Bingos (several times), Passions, Papiamentos, Marandi’s, Taj Mahal, Rembrants, Nos Canucu, and Yamanja.  In general all met expectations except for Chef’s Tables and Rembrants which were disappointing.

JANUARY 1 – JANUARY 22, 2010

We had three great weeks in January, one with guests.  We all loved the time in God’s Country.  We ate at the following restaurants:  The French Steakhouse, Mulligans, Amadeus, Sunset Grill (twice), Pago Pago, Gostosos (twice), The Old Cunucu House, Chalet Suisse, Bingos (twice), Hayatt for Sunday brunch, Giannis, Marandis, Pappillon, Hosteria Da Vittario, Pam Pam, Ellioties, Mathews, and Madame Janettes.  Some were better than others, but overall a good lineup. 

Rented a car?  Yes!  Had a cell phone?  Yes, my Blackberry.  Had our maps?  Yes—one in the unit and one in the car.  Check, check, check. 

We had been with this couple in Aruba twice before, so we had done many of the island tours and outside trips.  However, we did take the “Wild Side Day Trip” with them.  They loved it.  We found ourselves staying at Costa Linda and relaxing more than usual, and loving that too!  Everyone had a Kindle or Sony electronic book, and they all got a workout.  Of course I got pelican pictures.

I had an unsettling incident with a guest at Costa Linda.  He threatened me when he claimed I blocked his view of the sunset.  I took exception and called the police who came immediately.  The resort manager spoke to him, and things calmed down quickly.  Too bad he wasn’t as well behaved as the Arubans.

JUNE 11 – JULY 23, 2010

Yes, SIX weeks on the island!  WhaHOO!  It was a fine trip.  We had our kids and their kids join us for 2 weeks, and two other couples for another week.  Very nice time.  We ate at the following new restaurants:  Assuro, Anna Maria’s, Yami Yami, Windows on Aruba (for dinner), and Bavaria.  We returned to the following:  Matthews, Pam Pam (twice), La Promenade, Wacky Wahoo (twice), Swiss Chalet (three times), Amadeus (three times), The Old Fisherman, Bingos (twice), Yamanja (twice), Gostoso, Elliotis (twice), Tulips, Mangos (twice), Que Pasa, Madame Janettes (three times), Pizza Bobs (I ordered from Ellioti’s menu), and El Gouchos.  I got a lot of good pictures on the trip, especially scenics and sunsets.  Check them all out at:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/arubajune2010

We did some new things that turned out to be a lot of fun.  The World Cup was on, and of course Holland was a big favorite in Aruba.  We went to Bingos during Holland’s last 3 games.  It was a MADhouse—everyone dressed in orange, hooting and hollering.  Check out the pictures.  Also, we went on an island tour with Madi.  Madi is a local Aruban who takes people on custom tours in her 4 wheel drive vehicle—wherever you want to go.  (We ended up at Natural Pool.)  She will get up at 4:30am to take you to some neat places to watch the sunrise.  She will take you places that the tour companies don’t even know about. She is a VERY upbeat and enthusiastic person.  I highly recommend her tours (and did I say they are cheaper than the well known tours?).  Her local phone number is 746-1397.  Also, we discovered Zeerovers.  Now THAT is a unique place!  It is a (big) bar right on the water near the Flying Fishbone, where the fishermen go out during the day.  They come back in the late afternoon with their catch, and you eat it (cooked, of course) right off the table tops.  No utensils, I’m told.  We never got there for dinner, but we will on the next trip.  We were there during Brazil’s World Cup game.  Also, on Eagle Beach right in front of Costa Linda we saw a turtle hatch.  That is always exciting.  See the pictures.

I am sure I told you my wife and I walk the beach every day for almost an hour starting at 7:00am.  I carry my camera (yes, it is a big one), almost wherever I go, but especially on the beach walks.  Twice this trip people stopped me and asked me if I were Charlie Smith.  They told me they had read this booklet, and the booklet is the reason they came to Aruba and stayed at Costa Linda Beach Resort—AND they were loving it.  They wanted to thank me.  That made me feel good.

This trip we went to 2 museums for the first time.  Both were very interesting.  The Archaeological Museum of Aruba was free and very well presented.  It was well lit, and the displays were modern and professional.  The Numismatic Museum was interesting too.  $5.00 to get in, but the curator gave us a 45 minute tour, and it was very interesting.  Give them both a try.

So all in all the trip was wonderful. 

So when are YOU coming?  Hummmmmm?

AUGUST 20 – SEPTEMBER 3, 2010

We stayed around Costa Linda more than usual this trip.  There were a lot of Board meetings and resort business to take care of.  But we had some great meals.  We ate at 2 new restaurants:  The Kitchen, a takeout place, but very good, and The Aruban Chef, an Aruban restaurant which was nice too.  The other restaurants we at were:  Taj Mahl, Hostaria Da’ Vittorio, Bingos, Matthews, Amadeus, Chalet Suisse, Elliotis, La Prominade, Que Pasa, Yamanja (twice) and Wacky Wahoo.

We went on the hike at Arikok National Park for the first time, and that was fun.  Of course 14 beach walks at 7:00am.  Yes sir.

OCTOBER 8-22, 2010

US Air out of Charlotte; overnight the night before at a Hyatt near the airport; rental car from Top Drive; accommodations at Costa Linda Beach Resort (of course).  Weather:  perfect!

We found ourselves sticking around Costa Linda again this trip more than usual.  It seems we go out more frequently when we have guests.  By ourselves we relax and read more.  Of course we took 14 beach walks.  First thing in the morning.  A good waker-upper.  I took the camera each day, but not too much was happening. 

We ate at the following restaurants:  Bingos, Que Pasa, Amadeus, Yamanja, Matthews, Hostoria Da Vittoria, Screaming Eagle, Chalet Suisse, and Elliotis.  We tried 4 new restaurants:  Sole Mare (better than we expected; we enjoyed it), Breezes twice (a new restaurant fairly near the Windmill; we liked it a lot and), Barefoot (a feet in the sand restaurant at the location of the old Marandis; it is a winner), and Azull (a feet in the sand place at the Westin; not good).

As always, we had our 140 pounds of accumulated “stuff” delivered to us at Costa Linda in 3 canisters from timesharestorage.com.  It was in our room when we checked in and picked up the day we left.  What a help that service is! 

We’ll be back in January…

JANUARY 7-28, 2011

Three weeks—Yeaaaaaahhhh!  We had guests the middle week.  Their FIFTH visit to Aruba with us.  They love it almost as much as we do.  One of the highlights of the trip was the hike through the Arikok National Park.  We had done this last year, but it was great to do it again.  Takes about 90 minutes at a very slow pace, stopping to examine this, take pictures of that and so forth.  Birds, cactus, goats, Indian cave markings, lizards…  I suggest doing this.  It is different, and you will enjoy it. 

Restaurants?  Old favorites:  Matthews twice, Bingos twice, Elliotis twice, Prominade, Amadeus, Yamanja, Chalet Suisse, Papiamentos, Giannis, Barefoot, Taj Mahal, El Goucho, and Chef Tables.  New for us:  Casa Tua Barcelona (OK, but not outstanding), Amuse (just OK; I think they will improve it, however), and Carembola (very good!).  The new restaurant we both loved is Carte Blanche, right near the windmill.  What a treat!  One setting, 14 places only, run by two fun guys (one the chef, the other the bartender).  The 14 places were swung around the bar/kitchen.  We arrived at 6:55 and didn’t leave until 11:30!  Great fun.  All the diners got to know each other.  We took all kinds of pictures of each other and the owners.  We left hugging each other and promising to come again on the same date in January next year.  Hugging other guests?  It doesn’t sound like your kind of thing?  Try it.  You will warm up to it and enjoy yourself.  I promise.

MARCH 18-25, 2011

Just a short trip this time.  The Costa Linda Board met, and there was a lot of business to attend to, so we didn’t get out much.  It rained 2 mornings, but we were at the beach anyway, under the chickee huts.  The rest of those days were sunny and warm, as were the rest of the days.  Had nice meals at:  Matthews, Bingos, Barefoot Aruba, Ellioti’s, Yemanja, Frangapini, and El Gaucho.  For the first time I didn’t have the Gaucho steak; my wife and I both had full rack of lamb instead.  Excellent!  SEVEN chop thingies, medium rare.  Yum!

Next trip:  FIVE weeks in June and July.  I’ll writecha in August.

JUNE 24 – JULY 29, 2011

Well, it was a great trip!  Five glorious weeks in Paradise.  We had our daughter and her husband and their daughter down for 2 weeks, and we had five of our tennis couples here in South Carolina down during the same week.  We stayed in 2 three bedroom units very close together.  Six great restaurants and one night of cooking in.  Everyone loved it.  We went on Captain Anthony’s Tranquillo snorkel trip, we hiked the Arikok hike, we went to the top of Hooiberg, we snorkeled at Baby Beach and Boca Catalina, we went on our 7:00am beach walks EVERY day, we spent several days on the lounge chairs at Costa Linda just reading, and we went with Madi on two tours.  It was absolutely wonderful.  Restaurants?  Here we go:  La Prominade (twice), Yamanja (twice), Bingos (3 times), Windows on Aruba for Sunday brunch (twice), Elliotis (twice), Carambola, B-55, Bavaria, Giannis, Amazing (for Sunday Brunch), Matthews (three times), Taj Mahal for takeout, Barefoot (twice), Amadeaus, Zeerovers, Madame Janettes (twice), Chalet Suisse, Que Pasa, Marina Pirata, and El Gaucho.

So after 7 years of consistent travel to Aruba it does not get repetitive or boring.  We look forward to our next trip each time we leave.  I hope to meet you on the beach one of these times…

JANUARY 6-27, 2012

Three weeks in Aruba this time.  Very nice.  Just the 2 of us this time.  We enjoyed Costa Linda and the beach.  Caught up on our reading.  We have relaxed our activities standards a bit when it is just the 2 of us.  We don’t go out as much as usual, saving the activities and trips for when we have our family or other guests with us.  However we did try Aruba Bob for his propeller-assisted snorkel trip down Mangel Halto.  It was cut short because of a guest’s having breathing problems.  However we had enough of the trip to know we will enjoy it when we try it again.  Read 7 books on my Kindle.  Got lots of sun, but not too much.

I took lots of pictures of interesting people on the beach—their funny hats and faces.  Check them out at the following link:  http://www.pbase.com/scsnapper/aruba2012janhats

Here is where we ate:  Chalet Suisse, Giannis, Barefoot, El Gaucho, Yamanja (2), Soenchi’s, Marandis, Papiamentos, Bingos (2), Elliotis, Amadeus, Carte Blanche, Wei Tai, Matthews, Taj Mahal, Wacky Wahoo, French Steakhouse, Sunset Grill.  All were good, as expected, except the French Steakhouse (which was not so good).

JUNE 20 – JULY 20, 2012

We had a great month in Aruba!  We weren’t as active as we usually are because I was recuperating from surgery.  But what better place to do that!  I read 14 books, though…  LOL  We ate in our unit at Costa Linda more than usual (12 dinners)…but my wife and son in law aregreat cooks, and that worked out nicely.  The restaurants we went to were:  Frangipani, Amuse Bistro, Bingos (twice), El Gauchos, Elliotis (twice), Gostosos (twice), Pizza Bobs (to satisfy our guests; I ordered from the Elliotis menu), Yamanja (twice), Water’s Edge 15 Degrees North (3 times), Chalet Suisse, Bingos (twice), and Madame Janettes,  No new restaurants this time.  We will have some new ones in our 3 week trip in October.

We had our daughter and her family (husband, and 11 year old Samantha) with us for 2 weeks.  They love Aruba and come every year.  As I said, we didn’t do too much outside of Eagle Beach in the way of activities.  We did drive to Baby beach and had a very nice lunch at the restaurant at the old Esso Club, right next to Baby Beach toward the refinery.  So it was a relaxing, peaceful month.

JANUARY 4-25, 2013

Wonderful winter trip to Paradise!  Three whole weeks, two of them with friends from home.  Lots of beach walks, reading, card playing, great dinners and some photography.  Here are the restaurants:  The Kitchen (twice), the Hyatt for Sunday brunch, Water’s Edge (twice), Zuzuorh, Bingos, Gostosos (twice), Zeerovers, Yemanja, Sole Mare, Madame Janettes, Chalet Suisse, Iks Bistro, Nikki, Amadeus, Indo, Elliotis, and cooked in (twice).  There were a couple of days of rain so we played cards and read on the balcony.  We visited Baby Beach, went shelling,went on our 7:00am beach walks every day, took some pictures including goats and donkeys, met friends that come to Costa Linda during the same time each year.  Great time.  Looking forward to the long trip in June/July already!

Papiamento Lesson

What follows is lesson one in your use of Papiamento, the local language of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (the ABC Islands).  If you want more details check out the website:  http://www.papiamento.com/ or  http://www.xs4all.nl/~rvjansen/papiamen.html

English Papiamento English Papiamento

Thank you                   danki                                                   Thank you very much masha danki

Good afternoon          bon tardi                                              Good evening             bon nochi

Yes                              si                                                          Good day                    Bon dia

No                               no                                                        I am fine                      mi ta bon

How are you?              Kon ta bai?                                          What time is it?           kuantor tin?

Very good                   masha bon                                           Welcome                     bon bini

Please                          por fabor                                             See you later               te awero

Food                            kuminda                                              Cheese                         keshi

Money                         sen                                                       Kiss                             sunchi

Hot                              kajente                                                 Boy                             mucha homber

Big                              grandi                                                  Girl                              mucha muher

Cold                            friew                                                    I love you                    mi ta stimabo

Beer                             serbes                                                  I’m hungry                  mi tin hamber

Party                            fiesta                                                   Sweetheart                  dushi

Small                           chikito                                                 I am happy                  mi ta kontentu

Sun                              solo                                                      Love                            amor                                                   

Fat                               gordo                                                   Beautiful                     bunita 

Wine                            bina                                                     I love Aruba                mi stima Aruba

To Pack Or Not To Pack

The following are important reminders regarding baggage and packing.  Don’t forget that on your RETURN, all airlines leaving Aruba will make sure you do not exceed your 50 pound limit per bag.  They will make you switch items from a heavy bag to a light bag, and they will charge you if you are overweight. 

When you leave for Aruba, don’t forget your map.  Don’t forget your email confirmation of your car rental and your cell phone.  Don’t forget your driver’s license.  And don’t forget:  you now need a passport to travel to Aruba from the States.  In addition, the following are some other suggestions for things to bring:

Outfits:  Aruba is very informal.  Too informal, if you ask me.  I don’t like to see tourists dressed like bums.  That brings Aruba down.  That said Aruba is still informal.  Many first time visitors to Aruba pack too much, especially women who pack too many evening outfits.  If your accommodations are on the beach you literally live in your bathing suits (or shorts and a T shirt) from morning to evening.  Men wear bathing suits and T shirts.  Women wear bathing suits (or shorts and a collar shirt or T shirt).  That leaves evening wear.  To dinner men wear shorts, a cotton collared shirt and sandals (not flip flops).  Women should mix and match shorts and slacks with shirts.  Yes, you should take a nice outfit for going to the upscale restaurants, but not many. 

All hotels and timeshares have laundry facilities.  There are outside laundries too.  If you pack too little you can always wash.

Laptop:  Some people can’t be without their internet access (me).  Others want no part of “normal life” while in Paradise.  There is an inexpensive internet café located in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel in Oranjestad.  It is near where the boat docks there in the lobby.  You can check for emails, etc.  Wireless internet service is available in some form in most hotels on the island.  Lobby computers can be free or available at a small charge.  You can purchase internet access for your wireless configured laptop; this costs about $35.00 per week.  Bring laptops in your carryon, though, NOT in your checked luggage (for security reasons and to guard against damage).  A laptop tip:  Burn a CD at home with all your Bookmarks on it.  You can take it to Aruba and use it on your laptop or even on an internet café PC.  In this way you have readily available all the websites you usually visit at home.  (Don’t forget your passwords.)

Bug spray:  The little biting insects do come out when the wind stops—which doesn’t happen often, but you might as well be prepared.

Soft ice chest:  If you have room and if you are picnic-oriented, a soft, folding ice container is very handy.  For the beach too.  Almost wherever you stay will have ice available.

Cards and board games:  Not for the beach (because of the wind), but to relax in your room with the beach and sea in sight.

Camera:  There are so many scenic places in Aruba to use as background for your family shots.  The same locations provide great scenes for pictures outright.  Bring extra batteries for everything.

Wine bottle opener:  You never know…

Insulated mugs:  For coffee in the morning on the beach or for happy hour drinks in the afternoon on the beach.  I have mine!  Course you can buy mugs in Aruba too, but you might not go shopping for a couple of days after arrival.

Copies of documents:  A good habit to get into when traveling overseas is to make copies of your passport (just first 2 pages), tickets, driver’s license, and credit card information like credit card numbers, customer service numbers to call from overseas.  Put this in your safe when you get into your room.  We always have someone else have a copy of this information too, in case our copy goes missing.  This has helped us and others several times over the years.  Another way to accomplish the same objective is to take pictures (or scan) your passport and other documents and email them to yourself as attachments.  Then if you are in a jam you can access them via email, print them out, and have documents to present for quicker processing. 

Bags:  Bring some net bags for transporting stuff on day trips in your rental car.  If you go on picnics or tour the island, you will want to tote stuff.  The net bags are ideal for this. 

Small bills:  I always bring 50 five dollar bills and 50 one dollar bills for tipping and for small purchases.

Meds:  Of course you would bring your prescription drugs with you; bring them in your carry on.  I would recommend bringing your favorite brands of over-the-counter medication too.  There are good drug stores in Aruba, but they do not have the variety of drugs you are probably used to.

Some things you do NOT have to pack:

Jackets for men:  Jackets are not necessary for dinner anywhere on Aruba.  Bring one if you want to be nicely dressed, but they are not necessary.

Rain gear:  It rains only about 20 inches a year in Aruba, mostly in November through January.  Umbrellas are tough because of the wind.  We don’t bring any rain gear at all.

Hairspray for women:  The wind will wreck havoc with anything you do, so you might as well let it go…

ARUBA AND THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

You may be wondering how Aruba is doing with the worldwide economic down turn in 2008 and following years.  This is being written in September, 2012.  I have been to Aruba about 13 weeks a year during the bad economy years.  I have not noticed any reduced tourist activity on the island during that time.  The hotels seem as full as ever, the streets and beaches seem to be populated as much as ever, the restaurants seem as busy as ever.  The tours and island activities seem to be going on as usual.  However, several tourist businesses have folded:  Adventure Golf, the “new” water park, and several restaurants (Le Dome, Brisas del Mar, Chez Mathilda and Rumbas, for example).  Countering this, new restaurants have popped up, and some good ones too (like Elliotis, and Amadeus, Carte Blanche).  I understand that not as many cruise ships are stopping at Aruba, but as I walk the beach each morning I saw many cruise ships approaching the island.  Carnival Cruises are back; KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is back; the refinery has reopened, but is closing again.  Super Foods is building a giant new multi-story grocery store; the Ritz Carlton is building a giant new resort; Aruba is restoring the main street in Oranjestad; work continues on the walking area from the airport circle into town.  So a lot of expansion construction and building going on. 

As a tourist-observer, there is nothing noticeable overall that would indicate that Aruba is hurting.  Certainly nothing that would cause me to think twice about visiting Aruba.  In 2012 Aruba set records for number of tourists visiting the island.  I will keep my eyes open, and advise you otherwise after future trips.  But for now, “Come On Down!”

POST TRIP QUIZ

Now you are back!  I hope you loved it and are already planning for your next trip.  I have prepared a quiz for you, to see how closely you followed my advice.  Remember, you are going to email me (ArubaSmith@Yahoo.com) after you get back, so before you do please take this quiz and you can report your grade to me.  LOL

1) Did you rent a car and order a map and have a cell phone?

2) Did you use the Aruba bulletin board to help plan for your trip?

3) Did you eat in any franchise restaurants while in Aruba?

4) If you had a choice of accommodations, did you choose low-rise over high-rise?

5) Are you indeed planning to return to Aruba?   (I KNEW it!)

Ayo…  (Goodbye)