I just returned from a relaxing, yet semi adventurous trip to Aruba! Being my first trip and being someone who over researches everything about a destination before I go, I thought you could benefit from what I learned and experienced on my trip! Sometimes the best laid plans go awry or something you built up as an incredible experience is a complete let down. Also, there are those hidden surprises you were not expecting that become the highlights of your trip.
Decision 1: Where to Stay
While I normally utilize an RCI trade (timeshare) when I travel, I have found Airbnb to be a valuable resource to either supplement my stays or in this case, cover my entire stay when an RCI trade isn’t available. While Aruba is a fairly small island with even a smaller scope of areas to stay in due the large National Park on the island, there was still a lot to consider.
First, I realized, unlike other Caribbean islands, Aruba had very few beach front Airbnb accommodations. Those areas were reserved for the resorts. Popular areas were Palm Beach and Eagle Beach known as the “high rise” area and the “low rise” area respectively. It also seemed like the majority of the properties were all-inclusive, more so than other islands.
With beachfront out, we needed to see where were the best areas to stay in and where to maybe avoid. Also, while we wanted to be able to sleep at night, we didn’t want to be out in the middle of nowhere. We settled on Noord which is a residential area just off of Palm Beach. We discovered a really nice, almost brand new condo about a 15 minute walk or 2 minute drive from Palm Beach.
Decision 2: Where to Rent our Car
We knew we would need to rent a car as we wanted to have the freedom to explore the island. Here is where reading reviews, checking out forums and asking questions came into play. We found a local vendor, Yes Car Rental, came highly recommended. We also discovered he rented utv’s/atv’s and dune buggies, but we will come back to that later.
Whenever I am exploring who to work with, I gauge their responsiveness to my requests. If they are unresponsive when they are trying to get my business, I can only imagine how they will be after they get my business. Ricardo was very responsive, answering all my questions the same day. He was able to give me a quote and even answer questions about the dune buggy rental.
While the main rental car companies will always be available, sometimes the local guys are the best choice as their service tends to be much better. Ricardo met us at the airport departure lot and we completed the necessary paperwork right there. Within 15 minutes we were on our way. No wasted time going to an office to fill out lengthy contracts. All was straightforward and simple.
Decision 3: Where to Grocery Shop
In my research, I found both Lings and Super Foods came highly recommended with no clear “winner” and it seemed the reviewers liked who they liked without much direct comparison between the two. When we arrived in Aruba and were driving to our Airbnb for check-in, we passed right by Super Foods and decided right then that is where we would be shopping.
First off, we knew where it was! In fact, the entire time on the island we never passed by Lings and believe me, we explored quite a bit! Also, just by appearance, Super Foods looked very clean and modern, add that to the positive reviews and it was settled.
We were very happy with our choice as they had a wide selection of food and reasonable prices.
Decision 4: ATV/UTV Guided Tour or Rent our own Dune Buggy
If you have read into my blog even a little bit, you know we are not the jump on the tour kind of people. We like to explore on our own. There’s a bit of fun, adventure and challenge that really drives us. It is no wonder that we decided to go with a Buggy rental and head out on our own.
Here are some things we considered when deciding to go it alone.
All of the tours came highly recommended and we found 2 options for how the tours were structured. First was the “safari” style tour where the tour guide drives an open-air safari truck with about 6-10 people on the tour with you. The other option was to do a “ride your own” ATV/UTV where each person or couple drives their own vehicle and follows the tour guide.
Both of these options were roughly 4 hours, took you to the most popular sites, some included lunch, some didn’t. The main drawbacks for us were that we would be tied to a tight itinerary with no freedom to explore at our pace. None of the tours went through the whole park, which is something we really wanted to do. Also for the cost, the time was very limited. For the same price, we could have our own dune buggy for the whole day!!
The downside? We had to navigate on our own. When you check in at the National Park to purchase your pass, they provide you with a map, but you still have to find things on your own and not everything is marked very well. Also, neither one of us had ever driven a dune buggy before so that was a bit of a learning experience for us. Also, we had to make sure that the gas was full, and had to figure out how to fill it! (Not as easy as it sounds!)
In the end, it was the best choice for us. We had a blast and really enjoyed taking our time spending as much time as we wanted at all the places we wanted to go.
Decision 5: To Flamingo or Not to Flamingo?
Aruba has an unique experience to spend the day with Flamingos. Now, this might seem like a no brainer if you like cool things you could never do at home. I know initially this was a must for us, but then we quickly realized we may want to reconsider. The cost was more than I like to spend on one activity.
The flamingos live on Renaissance Island which is a private island right off the coast of Aruba owned by the Renaissance Hotel in Oranjestad. When you stay at the Renaissance Hotel, your access to the island is included with your stay and you can go as much as you want without restriction.
For the rest of us, the hotel has a limited number of day passes based on their occupancy. This can vary from 50 passes or more to zero depending on the day. They do not let you know ahead of time, so you have to take your chances.
We did find out some important information, however. They start selling day passes at 7am, but people start lining up as early as 6am, especially during peak season. It is important to pay attention to the cruise ship schedule. When cruise ships are in port, this is one of the more popular excursions, meaning the island will be more crowded than usual.
We were not sure if we really wanted to spend the $125 per person for this experience. The fee did include a lunch and a beverage of your choice at the island restaurant. On one hand, it seemed like it would be pretty cool, hanging out with flamingos all day, but on the other hand, it was a lot of money to essentially sit on a beach with 6 flamingos (yes, there are only 6).
Ultimately, we decided to do it. We felt that, although more than we would like to spend, it was an unique experience that we had the opportunity to partake in and who knows if we would have that opportunity again.
We had a wonderful day and are so happy we did it. It was a calm and relaxing day and gave us some great photo ops throughout our time. Would I do it again? Yes, yes I would!
Decision 6: Beaches
One thing that is common on an island is there are no shortages of beaches. Aruba has some of the top rated beaches on several travel websites so this should’ve been the easiest decision, right? Well, not so fast! Aruba has a lot of things to do other than being a beach bum so as much as daily we made sure to include beach time, getting to all of them would have been near impossible.
I knew for sure we would be on Palm Beach quite a bit as it was the closest to us and is the main tourist hub where all the restaurants and bars are located. We also wanted to head to Eagle Beach since it is rated as one of the top beaches in the world. Then we looked into a couple of others based on where we would be that day.
Baby Beach is near San Nicolas and makes sense to couple together with a visit to the city. Arashi Beach is near the California Lighthouse (and had a nice view of it) so made sense to pair with a visit there.
There was also Mango Alto which I really wanted to check out, but alas, we ran out of time.
So of those we visited, which one was the best? Here’s what I can tell you, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach are busy, and have a ton of people and facilities (restaurants, bars, etc.). They tend to be a little more lively and have lots of activities going on. Both Arashi and Baby Beach were quieter, with Arashi being the quietest one we went to.
So, if you want to be in the heart of the action with lots going on, then Palm Beach or Eagle Beach are for you. Should you be in for a quiet, relaxing beach day, then Baby Beach or Arashi Beach are your choice.
Decision 7: Sites to See
On any trip, there are going to be those things you want to go see and those you don’t. Many times they are the main tourist sites the destination is known for, other times they are unique things you have found in forums or as suggestions from other travelers. With limited time, it is unlikely you will ever be able to see everything the place has to offer so you will need to choose wisely.
This was no different for us and Aruba. We knew Aruba was known for its natural sites as well as some unique places to visit. So we made our list of what we must see and what would be nice to see if time allotted.
Our must see list included Hooiberg, Ayo Rock Formations, San Nicolas, California Light House and Alta Vista Chapel. We also thought it would be nice to visit the Aloe Factory if time permitted. We paced ourselves and were able to check each one of these off our list.
So what was worth our time and what wasn’t? Well, Hooiberg and Ayo were both well worth it and it worked out that we were able to do both on a day when the weather was not beach friendly. Make sure you are ready for a bit of a workout, especially if climbing Hooiberg as it is steep and quite the climb. Ayo is a bit more friendly and easier to handle.
San Nicolas was amazing! Very quiet during the day (almost deserted) and an exceptional art scene! Walking around is like visiting an outdoor art gallery with artists actively working on their pieces. The tourism office is super helpful and friendly. They will give you a full history of the town and what tourism plans and developments are on the way.
Alta Vista was over hyped in my opinion. It is very busy as just about every island tour, whether jeep safari, bus, or ATV tour includes it on their itinerary, so unless you time it right, you will find those great photos hard to come by as there will be a million people around.
Sunsets at the California Lighthouse are pretty incredible. Its cool to see Palm Beach light up as the sun goes down. It too, is normally pretty busy, but a little easier for photos as the tours are normally completed for the day by then.
The Aloe Factory was fun to stop by and visit. The tour is very short and not much to see, but the store is great. They offer shipping back to the states so if you are like us and travel light, you can still partake. It’s great to be able to try the products so you know what you like prior to purchasing. They do have a website and offer deals and discounts when you sign up for their mailing list!
Decision 8: FOOD!
If you’re a foodie like I am, an important part of any trip is the food! Sampling the local cuisine, immersing yourself further in the culture, and well, just plain old indulging are all highlights. Aruba has no shortage of fantastic dining options. Read any review on TripAdvisor and you’ll be inundated with recommendations. People are passionate about their favorites! We kept things pretty simple and ate mostly at our condo, but, there were a few places we definitely wanted to try.
First, we have been to Amsterdam and have tried Dutch pancakes before and loved them, so we know the Dutch pancake places were a must do. We discovered there were 3 main ones that people recommended; Linda’s, Diana’s, and Dutch Pancake House. We sampled 2 of the the 3; Linda’s and Dutch Pancake House.
Linda’s is just off of Palm Beach and Dutch Pancake House is in Oranjestad near the Renaissance Hotel. While both were very good and reasonably priced, Linda was the clear winner in our books. For one, the location and atmosphere were a bit nicer than Dutch Pancake House. I preferred Linda’s menu options and the service was better overall. Also, I found Dutch Pancake House to be a bit salty for my taste. I don’t think you could go wrong with either choice.
Zeerovers is a must! This local hot spot is located past the airport in the opposite direction of Palm Beach and on your way to San Nicolas. The fish is caught daily and the menu is subject to what was caught. Prices are reasonable and portions huge, but the setting and atmosphere make it a must. Jonathan, the main cook and Mr. “YouTube Famous” is delightful. He is welcoming and cheery, always willing to chat. While the food is fried, it is super fresh and delicious, not at all oily. Bring a big appetite, though because the portions are awesome! One thing to note, it is cash only!
Eduardo’s on Palm Beach is the healthy alternative to all the other options out there. They are located just outside the Playa Linda resort on the beach. They offer fruit and acai bowls, smoothies as well as other healthy options. Open for breakfast and lunch daily.
Eat like a local in Oranjestad at the Pastechi House! Pastechi’s are similar to empanadas, a filled pastry that is deep fried and delicious! They offer a huge variety of fillings to appeal to just about everyone’s taste. This is a great option for a light lunch or a snack on a budget. They also happen to have great smoothies too! Take the free trolley through Oranjestad and get off at the stop right in front. Very popular among locals, the staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming.
Final Thoughts
Aruba is an incredible little island jam packed with things to see and do. One trip will not suffice. My tip, plan accordingly! Decide what type of trip you want to take; adventurous, chill, a combination of both? Then plan out what you can do at a reasonable pace; you are on vacation, so don’t overload yourself! Always leave a destination with a reason to return!
Enjoy your trip! Please share your favorite things to see and do on Aruba! What did I miss? What are the must see’s for my next adventure on the island. Please leave them in the comments!
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