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Destinations

Aruba - Planning your trip

Aruba “One Happy Island” Home to beautiful beaches and warm waters, Aruba has the highest visitor repeat rate in the Caribbean. This small island is 30 km (19 miles) long and about 8 km (5 miles) wide with plenty things to discover. If you prefer an air conditioned sightseeing tour, most hotels and shopping areas offer a convenient 4-6 hour tour to visit the entire island. For those looking for something more adventurous, one of the most popular choices is to join a 4x4 guided off-road tour or rent a jeep or UTV to explore the island. Stay in a oceanfront resort will certainly enhance your experience, make sure to stay in the hotel area where everything you may need is within walking distance, but before go all-in for an all-inclusive package, be aware there are plenty of great restaurants you may want to try. Much more than sun, sea, and sand, a day exploring Oranjestad’s vibrant building proves there’s much more to the island.

Placa de Aruba

What you need to know before you go

Transportation - Taxi is the most convenient way to go from the airport to the Hotel Area. The prices are always fixed and range around $30.

Bike - Most hotels offer bikes for their guests and in front of the Hotels you can easily use the bike share services.

Car Rental - Most hotels have car rental offices and Tourism Agencies inside of the hotels It's easy to rent a car or buy a tour to visit a new place around the Island.

A recent addition to Aruba's transportation options with particular appeal to cruise ship passengers are the two streetcars / trolleys. The trolleys offer free transportation to and from the main street downtown area in a loop with the cruise ship terminal. The Double Decker will allow passengers to experience the downtown area with 360 degree views.

Accommodation - If you are traveling to Aruba for the first time, you likely to stay in Palm Beach or Eagle beach. This area is also known as Hotel Area, with several option of hotels surrounded by great commercial areas with several local stores and excellent restaurant. Aruba's high-rise resorts are located on Palm Beach while the low-rise resorts are located on Eagle Beach. Besides the resorts, Aruba has several apartment complexes, vacation villas or condos and timeshare rentals throughout the island too.

Food - Did you Aruba is the perfect spot for authentic Indonesian food? Having been colonized by the Dutch, the Aruban diet has been strongly influenced by another of their colonies, including Indonesia. Dishes like bami and nasi goreng, loempia (their giant version of spring rolls), and Dutch treats like bitterballen (croquets) are common in the island.

Keshi yena, a traditional Dutch meal, consists of a baked ball of cheese stuffed with spiced meat, and it’s considered by many to be Aruba’s national dish. For a lighter snack try pastechi, a fried pastry filled with gouda, or a sweet side of fried plantains.

Unfortunately, today most hotels are adapt to attend the US clientele and is hard to find authentic food everywhere.

Weather - The sun is shining most of the time, Aruba has an average annual temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) the entire year! In terms of rainfall, October through January tend to be the wettest months. However, rain generally passes by relatively quickly; the sun will soon make its appearance again! You don't need to pack your rain jacket or heavy coats.

When in Aruba…drink a Balashi Cocktail!

Aruba has been a pioneer of purified water technology for over 80 years. Being a desert island, Aruba has a distinct scarcity of freshwater. The population explosion prompted by the opening of the Lago refinery in the early 1930s resulted in the Balashi development of one of the largest desalination plants in the world.

Among locals, an icy glass of fresh purified seawater is called a Balashi Cocktail. The beer is also called Balashi, and because is made locally using the the best water, locals used to say this is the best beer of the world. Agree to disagree!

Tip: You don’t need to buy water. The tap water in Aruba is of high quality and perfectly safe to drink.

Aruba Map

Aruba has the most sunny days of any island in the Caribbean 

Aruba consistently ranks as having the least amount of rainfall in the Caribbean — an average of about 15 inches, all year! You’re practically guaranteed a sunny day in Aruba. Bonus fact: Aruba lays on the outside fringes of the hurricane belt, so even though locals say you cannot use the word NEVER, hurricanes rarely touch Aruba’s shores.

How Aruba is linked to Netherlands? Aruba is an independent country protect by the the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba has been closely linked with the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the other Dutch Caribbean islands since 1634, when Dutch settlers established in the Caribbean. Its autonomous status was obtained in 1986, and therefore controls and manages its own internal affairs.

Divi-divi threes – The famous artistic bonsai is the the native divi-divi trees. According to locals if you’re looking to explore the island’s more remote areas, the divi-divi trees will lead you to town.

TIps for first visit

1. Buy a tour to explore the entire Island in one day – Aruba is a small island and in addition to your resort, make sure to visit other places such as the Arikok National Park, the Alto Vista Chapel, the California lighthouse and the famed natural bridge. The Palm Tour is one of the main Tour Agencies to buy a tour to visit the most popular attractions in just a few hours.

2. Visit the famous Flamingo Beach – One of the most iconic images of Aruba is the Flamingo Beach. The Renaissance Aruba Private is where you will find the pink flamingos! Make sure to avoid any first-timer mistakes by booking a day pass in advance. Tickets are available at Renaissance website only on Saturdays.

3. Bike to the Butterfly Farm – You can borrow a bike from most hotels in Aruba and a unique experience just steps from Palm Beach is the Butterfly Farm where visitors can observe the life cycle of these fascinating animals from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to the miracle of metamorphosis. It’s fun for all ages and your admission ticket gives you a free pass for the entire vacation.

4. Explore the colorful buildings in the downtown area – The double-decker trolleys are a courtesy for visitors to explore the downtown area in the capital Oranjestad. A day exploring Oranjestad’s proves there’s much more than sunny beaches in the island. Make sure to bring your camera to register the vibrant colorful buildings. In the capital you’ll find the National Archaeological Museum Aruba, the Historical Museum and a creative artistic community to be discovered at the UNOCA and Cosecha art centers. The entrance is free!

4. Visit the Aloe Factory – Aruba is the world’s largest producer of Aloe. The museum and factory tour provides insight into the Aruba aloe production process, along with the 160-year history of aloe cultivation in the island. Tours are free and held every 15 minutes.

Essential Information

Passport and Visa – No visa is required for up to 90 days for most countries. In addition to a passport that is valid upon entry and for the duration of stay in Aruba, all visitors must completely filled-in and signed Embarkation and Disembarkation card (ED-card).

IMPORTANT For those traveling to Aruba from Central America, Latin America and Africa, the requirement for the Yellow Fever Vaccine proven by an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) will enter into force for all passengers entering the island from endemic areas.

Currency – The official local currency is the Guilder or Aruban florin (AWG). However, don’t worry to exchange money, bring US dollars and you’ll be fine! US dollars are accepted throughout all the Island. The exchange rate for the US dollar range from AWG 1.75 to AWG 1.80 for one US dollar.

Language – Most Arubans speak a minimum of four languages, including English and Spanish. However, the official languages of Aruba are Papiamento and Dutch.  As the tour guides used to say, add some Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, French and English in the mixer, and you have the Papiamento 😉 Learn Bon bini (Welcome) and you will be fine!

Tipping – Most restaurants and bars will add a service charge to your bill, around 10 to 15 percent.

Population – There are approximately 107,955 people living in Aruba. Most tourists come from USA and Canada.

Economy – Tourism and hospitality provide the largest percentage of the country’s income.

Eletricity – Aruba adopted the North American voltage standard of 110 A.C.

Safety – Aruba is considered one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean and in general is very safe at any time of the day or night.

Curiosity – On a clear day, you can see Venezuela! At its closest point, Aruba’s only nine miles off the coast of Venezuela.

Useful Links

www.visitaruba.com – Official Tourism Board of Aruba

The ultimate guide to Aruba’s Arikok National Park: top things to see and do – Lonely Planet

DePalm Tours is the island’s main tour operator

Where to stay in Aruba

Aloe Factory Tours

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