I’m in love with Aruba! We spent a week to celebrate our 15 year anniversary. I came home ready to take on 2018!!! My mind, body and spirit are refreshed. We discovered a few things on our trip I thought I would share.
*Almost everyone speaks English (and other languages), communication was easy.
*They take our currency, no need to exchange money.
* United has a direct flight out of O'Hare, it is about a 5 hour flight. Easy and pretty affordable.
*We rented a car for the week for $210- it was a clean new Hyndai Accent and got us around the main roads of the island perfectly. If you like adventure and tough terrain, you should rent a Jeep though! https://carveniencearuba.com/
*Aruba is working hard to be eco friendly, they do not use plastic bags on the island, so when you get off the plane, take the free bags that they are offering to you. Or bring some of your own reusable bags. These are my favorite! https://www.chicobag.com/
*Our favorite beach was Baby Beach at the southern point of the island. There is a man-made break wall that creates an amazing, calm natural pool to swim in. You can snorkel and feel safe that you won’t get sucked out to sea. This was our favorite place on the island! http://www.aruba.com/things-to-do/baby-beach
Our runner up beach is Arashi Beach, there are plenty of free shade palapas available, and if there are not enough, you can rent one if needed. http://www.aruba.com/things-to-do/arashi-beach
*If you love fresh seafood, Zeerovers is a must! Bring cash, no credit cards are accepted. We visited twice, and if time would have allowed, we would have went again! They only serve the catch of the day and it is fantastic. https://www.arubarestaurants.com/restaurants/zeerover/
*We stayed at the most adorable Small Hotel ever. The Boardwalk Aruba was perfect. Our casita had a kitchen and living room. It was clean, bright and friendly. They really thought of everything. We had a cooler in our room and we borrowed folding chairs from the front desk for the whole week, so we could pull up to any beach and be set for the day. The staff were incredible and this hotel is a short walk to the hotel zone. We will go back for sure! http://www.boardwalkaruba.com/
*At sunset, find some time to head up just north of Arashi Beach and watch the Pelicans dive while you watch the sun set. It is an incredible sight!
*If you are looking for a great adventure and a way to see the island terrain, check out a UTV tour! We did the 4 hour tour and it was perfect. We chose Around Aruba UTV tour and it did not disappoint. https://www.aroundarubatours.com/aruba-tours/aruba-utv-tours/
*Skip the Italian restaurant up by the Lighthouse, mediocre food and service. It was disappointing.
If you want to save some money on food, we found a great grocery store that had good produce, bakery, deli and spirits. It was nice to fill the cooler for the day and go explore. http://www.lingandsons.com/
*If you are longing for a Johnsonville Brat or Italian Sausage, stop by the Wisconsin owned Scotts Brats right on Palm Beach. A little slice of Green Bay in Aruba!
I found a new beer too. Perfect for a hot sunny day and in the most adorable little snack sized bottles! Balashi Chill is a local brew, crisp and good with a lime!
Hope these tips help, I can’t wait to go back!