If you hear the word Aruba, and immediately have the song "Kokomo" by the Beach boys pop into your head (and probably stay there for 2 days), you're not alone. I think I sang that song to myself 5 times a day from the day we booked, right up until the day we landed.
Aruba is where I spent my honeymoon, and it remains at the top of my "most likely to revisit" list. Sitting 29 km north of Venezuela, the little Dutch island sits below the hurricane belt, meaning you can go any time of the year without worry of a hurricane ruining your vacation. The temperature remains the same pretty much year round, so there really is no bad time to go. We went in mid January, days were hot with the trade winds keeping us slightly cooled, and evenings were warm and pleasant.
Aruba is not like most of the islands in the Caribbean, as it has a very flat, dry and arid landscape, almost like you would find in Arizona. There is no rain forest to explore, but there are still lots of things to keep you busy while you are there.
Aruba also has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean, with a very low unemployment rate. The locals are happy, friendly and we never felt unsafe, even walking back to our resort at night. The local currency is the Florin, but the American dollar, along with credit cards, were accepted almost everywhere.
We stayed at the Divi Golf & Beach resort, and out of all of the places we have stayed in the Caribbean, this resort comes in at number one for us. As you could probably figure out from the name, it is situated on a (9 hole) golf course, and across the street from the ocean. The location was absolutely perfect, as you are only a short drive into the capital, Oranjestead, and close to the high rise section where there are many restaurants, bars, and shops, and yet you still feel secluded.
There are 4 restaurants on site. Mulligans, which was our favorite and is included in the all inclusive price we paid, Windows on Aruba, which was not included in the price of all inclusive, the Seabreeze cafe (included) and the newly opened Infinity grill (also included).
There are 2 very large pools, one with a swim up bar. There are tennis courts, BBQ's for personal use, a rock climbing wall on the beach, spa, gift shops, and a fitness centre on site. Wifi is also available.
A great added bonus when booking all inclusive at this resort, is unlimited use of restaurants of the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba across the street. The Red Parrot Restaurant at the Divi across the street was one of our favorite meals while there, so if you are able to, give it a try.
Aruba is where I spent my honeymoon, and it remains at the top of my "most likely to revisit" list. Sitting 29 km north of Venezuela, the little Dutch island sits below the hurricane belt, meaning you can go any time of the year without worry of a hurricane ruining your vacation. The temperature remains the same pretty much year round, so there really is no bad time to go. We went in mid January, days were hot with the trade winds keeping us slightly cooled, and evenings were warm and pleasant.
Aruba is not like most of the islands in the Caribbean, as it has a very flat, dry and arid landscape, almost like you would find in Arizona. There is no rain forest to explore, but there are still lots of things to keep you busy while you are there.
Aruba also has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean, with a very low unemployment rate. The locals are happy, friendly and we never felt unsafe, even walking back to our resort at night. The local currency is the Florin, but the American dollar, along with credit cards, were accepted almost everywhere.
We stayed at the Divi Golf & Beach resort, and out of all of the places we have stayed in the Caribbean, this resort comes in at number one for us. As you could probably figure out from the name, it is situated on a (9 hole) golf course, and across the street from the ocean. The location was absolutely perfect, as you are only a short drive into the capital, Oranjestead, and close to the high rise section where there are many restaurants, bars, and shops, and yet you still feel secluded.
There are 4 restaurants on site. Mulligans, which was our favorite and is included in the all inclusive price we paid, Windows on Aruba, which was not included in the price of all inclusive, the Seabreeze cafe (included) and the newly opened Infinity grill (also included).
There are 2 very large pools, one with a swim up bar. There are tennis courts, BBQ's for personal use, a rock climbing wall on the beach, spa, gift shops, and a fitness centre on site. Wifi is also available.
A great added bonus when booking all inclusive at this resort, is unlimited use of restaurants of the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba across the street. The Red Parrot Restaurant at the Divi across the street was one of our favorite meals while there, so if you are able to, give it a try.
Nearby our resort, was the Alhambra Casino & Shopping Bazaar, which we took the complimentary shuttle to at night. The outdoor shopping area was wonderful and they often had live music in the wine tasting bar, which also served some great food. The restaurant "Ginger" located in the complex had good food for good prices. There is also a small grocery store where you can stock up on local goodies.
One of the highlights of our trip to Aruba was a Land Rover tour we took with a small group around the entire island, stopping at some of the main attractions such as the lighthouse, baby beach, the bat caves, the ball field in San Nicolas where Xander Bogarts was scouted, and the natural pool, which can only be reached with a 4x4 vehicle. Although Aruba doesn't have the usual Caribbean landscape, that doesn't make it any less interesting. We took the Land Rover on roads (and off roads) that I never imagined it would actually make it through. Lunch was included in our day, and it (along with all the food in Aruba) was a great meal. I highly recommend ABC tours in Aruba if you are looking for activities. Our guide was wonderful and it was such a fun way to spend a day. They offer different tours as well, so you can go online and find one that suits you.
When it comes to beaches, Aruba really has some bragging rights. The water is pleasantly warm, but still a refreshing break from the heat, and the sand is white and as soft as baby powder. There are a few beaches in Aruba where you could easily spend an entire day lounging in the sun and swimming. My favorite, was Palm Beach. There is a lot of hype around Baby beach, but to be honest, it wasn't that memorable to me. Palm/Eagle beach will probably be the ones you would want to spend the most time, but do your research and see which one appeals to you.
The capital, Oranjestad, was easy to get to from our hotel, at $9 each way for a taxi. There is something there for everyone. Restaurants along the water to stop, eat or just have a drink, shopping (high end and budget), electronic stores (in case you break your camera there, like I did..), casinos, and places to book excursions while on the island. You can also head to the Renaissance Aruba and buy tickets to their private island, where included in the price, you get a boat ride to and from the island (the boat actually goes into the resort to pick you up), as well as lunch and 1 drink each. There are two beaches there, one with beautiful flamingos wandering around, and the other has some fairly large iguanas. There is also a walking trail that leads out to a smaller sandy beach, that was completely empty the day we were there.
Aruba is 100% worth a visit, so if you are looking for the perfect destination to have your honeymoon, or just a winter getaway, you should add it to your list of places to consider. There are all inclusive options, as well as hotel/flight only options. Aruba has so many restaurants, all inclusive isn't necessary, but it was a nice convenience to have during our trip.
Aruba is one of the most revisited islands in the Caribbean, and it isn't hard to tell why. I can't wait for the day when we return to the soft sand beaches with a Balashi (local beer-delicious!) in hand.
Aruba is 100% worth a visit, so if you are looking for the perfect destination to have your honeymoon, or just a winter getaway, you should add it to your list of places to consider. There are all inclusive options, as well as hotel/flight only options. Aruba has so many restaurants, all inclusive isn't necessary, but it was a nice convenience to have during our trip.
Aruba is one of the most revisited islands in the Caribbean, and it isn't hard to tell why. I can't wait for the day when we return to the soft sand beaches with a Balashi (local beer-delicious!) in hand.
