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| *Travel Tips>>>Aruba Travel Tips |
My fiance and I are going to Aruba for our honeymoon, what places and things should we do there? |
Travel Info We are going in November, we have lots of time to plan, we want to check things out, have you been there? and if you have, what would you recomend us doing when we get there? what are some must see's and do's? any websites would be greatly appreciated also. Thanks! Travel Tips Hi Leah, First, let me preface this by saying I have been going to Aruba every year in November for the last 21 years. The Island is very safe by my standards. They have had one death that has had a lot of press but that is the only incident in the 21 years I have been going there. Is there ANY place in the USA that can say the same thing? Stay away from the downtown docks area at night... Carlos and Charlies seems to be the hangout for strange activity because that's where many from the cruise ships end up. What keeps me going back is the friendliness of the people. If all you have experienced is the Bahamas then you are in for a very pleasent awakening to what hospitality is supposed to mean. Wow... what to do there... I will break it down for a neophyte to the island as best I can. November is still in the hurricane season for other islands but becase Aruba is so close to Venezuela (17 miles) it is out of the hurricane belt and once every 50 or so years they get something. It is the rainy season there in November but that usally means a shower for 15 minutes and then sunshine for most of the day. (sort of like Hawaii) The weather is fairly constant... so much so that there is no weather forcast in the papers there... it's hot 88-91 and sunny daily. Even if you are not fair skined, SPF 30 or better I would recommend. You will be out in the sun all day long.... under shade tree between 11:45 and 2 p.m if you are smarter. Remember that the trade winds blow there. The blowing wind will remove the sensation of burning until it is too late. I recommend taking at least 2 bottles per person and apply it in your room before putting on your swimsuit. That way you won't miss anything that you will pay for later. Don't forget the lips, eyelids,ear folds, nasal opening. The sun IS strong. Plan on getting a good base (2 days) before you take the snorkel cruises because there is little hiding from the sun for 1/2 day long cruise. Activities: Parasailing, snorkeling, snorkeling cruises, wind surfing, kite surfing, banana boat rides, jet ski boats, Jeep Safaris, gambling, beach fun, sunset cruises, party boats for dancing,deep sea fishing, horseback riding....basicly anything outdoors in warm weather is yours for the asking. Beaches: Arashi ...great snorkeling withing 50 feet of the shore. Private 2-5 million dollar homes are the background to this beach. This is available by private car or public bus for about $1.25 each Palm beach... about 2.5 mile long sugar sand beach with the high rise hotels and time shares. Do you have a hotel picked out yet??? there are some hidden deals if you are interested... e-mail me. The government charges a 17.5% daily hospitality tax on the cost of the rooms...this can be avoided. Palm beach has a myriad of beach restaurants to choose from as well. Eagle beach.. some of the older low rise hotels are located here. Personally, I think the beach and water is actually better here than at Palm beach but you have to cross a street to get from the hotels to the beach. On Palm beach is is a simple walk from the room to the sand and there are many more palm trees to be under. DePalm Island: This is a private island beach that you can arrange with DePalm tours to visit for the day. It's a pay one price island. It covers use of the beach, live music and a bufet style all you can eat. Snorkeling is great here. The fish are tame and used to people and you will be surounded by all sorts of species. You can even pick up a blue parrot fish right out of the water. Baby Beach: This is all the way at the opposite end of the island near San Nicolas. It is just outside the oil refinery.When you look at it initially, you would ask why all the hype. It is a lagoon and you can rent lounge chairs and cabanas for the day. At the mouth of the lagoon, all the fish come into the crystal clear water to be fed by people. If you feel a little more adventurous and the weather permits, head out of the lagoon about 150 feet or so to rows of antler coral and some of the best snorkeling you could do. Be surrounded by 150 large black angel fish and they graze on the coral. Listen to them crunch the coral under water.... sounds a little like Rice Krispies. : ) Hint: If you want to feed the fish, go to the market and but some plantains (similar to bananas) The fish go nuts over them and they stay together in the water. Restaurants: (Each restaurant has one day closed per week so keep this in mind for reservations) The Driftwood (my favorite) They have their own deep sea fishing boat and whatever they catch that day is for dinner. Try the Wahoo or Baracuda or Mahi Mahi Aruban style with the creole sauce. They also make a great sangria. El Gaucho (second favorite) Argentinian steak house. They have a 20 ounce El Gaucho steak or the petite cut 12 oz that is marvellous if you like steaks. They also will bring out a bowl of garlic sauce.. but make sure both hubby and you use it... then you are equal terms : ) Papiamentos (Expensive) but set in the garden of a 150 year old home around a swimming pool and garden trees. Their specialty are steak and seafood that you cook on a heated granite stone at your own table. http://www.papiamentorestaurant.com/... The Promenade (San Nicholas) fancy setting reasonable prices good food,great service. http://www.promenadearuba.com/ The Swiss Chalet. This is nice for dinner but the real fun is to wait till about 9 p.m. for desert. Order the Chocolate Fondue with fresh fruit and pound cake and melted Toblerone Chcoholate mmmmmmmmmmmmm The Buccaneer. Seafood restaurant with salt water tanks at each table and a room with one large tank with sharks, sear turtles, lobsters swimming for your amusement. The food is good too. The Flying Fishbone: http://www.flyingfishbone.com/ have a fancy meal with your toes in the water on a sandy beach and watch lightening in thunderstoms along the Venezuelan coast. The Hyatt Regency and the Hilton also have good restaurants. There are a myriad of good little restaurants all over the island. What I try to do is to go places that are uncommon at home. I could visit McDonalds or Wendys or Taco Bell any time I want here in Michigan...If I am despirate. : O The California Lighthouse. The food is ok (Italian) but the view from the bluff is neat with all the lights from Palm beach. Perhaps even for drinks. Depending on how long you are there, Take a quick flight over to Curacao for shopping or to their national sea aquarium and you and hubby can go swimming with the dolphins ond feed sharks,500 pound sea turtles,fish by hand. It is a natural cove fed by fresh caribean water. http://www.curacao-sea-aquarium.com/... http://www.aruba.com/ http://www.arubatourism.com There is a lot more I could tell you but ... this is answering a question not a novel.: ) E-mail me if you have specific questions. Congratulations on your up-comming wedding and enjoyyour honeymoon. Bob Source(s): been there, done that, got the t-shirt:) Other Travel Tips there are great sightseeing companies you can connect with by going to hotel desk. Don't go on your own - remember Natalie Holloway? - be very careful. personal experience courpus christi in texas is a great place to go. theyre lots of things to do there. but its best during summer. november its ok but it has lots of places to see and do. they have texas state aquarium (im not a good speller) to look at all the fish and sharks. ive seen divers in with the sharks feeding them. the uss lexington battleship is pritty neat. you can also visit the surrounding bay areas such as port aransas aka "port a" to get to port a theres a small ferry rid to get in. go here for more info ( http://www.cctexas.com/ ) better than my info anyways. good luck i wouldn't go to Aruba, it is not a very safe place. lots of corruption, it looks pretty, but looks can be deceiving. lot of tourist crime get unreported. A friend and her husband got rolled; beat up and she got raped. Nothing was ever done. She was luckier than Natalie. they done a report and would let her know if anything turned up. My fiance and I are getting married in July this year so I've done a lot of research. I've heard not to do all the touristy things and sort of venture out on your own (with your hubby, of course). I read on arubatravel.com that it stays at a comfortable 82 degrees, has a constant 10-20 mph wind and is completely out of the hurricane belt. It is unacceptable to wear ur bathing suit anywhere but at the pool and the beach... have fun and be careful!! |
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