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CARIBBEAN
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BON BINI ARUBA - Page TwoPalm Beach itself is also exquisite, especially at the hotels that have shade. One of my favorites, although it is by no means the most glitzy, is the Aruba Grand, 
Aruba Grand Resort |
and I will go even further by saying that the oceanfront and cabana rooms there are the best value in the Caribbean. The rooms are large with a huge walk-in closet that can be used as a dressing room, a smallish bathroom, and a fridge. The rooms in the hotel tower have one drawback compared to the cabana rooms or the beachfront rooms... the balcony is tiny and you can't sit on it. Other than that, the grounds are beautiful, the on-site mini-grocery is reasonably priced and well stocked, the restaurants are great. There's a parrot that expects the maraschino cherry from your drink at the beach-side bar.
The Radisson Aruba Beach Resort is located next to the Aruba Grand. The hotel is set quite far back from the sand, with walking gardens, restaurants and the pool separating the property itself from the beach. Originally the Golden Tulip, this hotel was the place that Dutch royalty chose for their visits to Aruba.
The Occidental Aruba Resort has a very nice pool and whirlpool in the courtyard framed by the U-shaped hotel; the rooms are smallish, and although it has nice balconies, the doors open out rather than slide, making it awkward and occasionally difficult. It is both an all-inclusive resort and room-only, your choice.
Hyatt Regency Aruba |
Although the Hyatt Regency Aruba is probably the most luxe property on the island, and although it has the trademark Hyatt multi-level pool and gorgeous grounds, AND although it offers Camp Hyatt for children, it has no balconies except for the (very expensive) suites, and the rooms are small. An argument can be made that one spends little time in the hotel room anyway so the room is of little import; in which case my response is to spend less money on the resort. The balcony issue is a big one; I often want to sit outside and have coffee in my nightie, or take advantage of the warm air I have paid so much to enjoy, without having to be in a public environment. The Hyatt does have the best beachfront restaurant/bar, with a Friday-night all-you-can-eat fajita special including a 16 oz. Margarita at a very reasonable price.
One of the loveliest properties on the Palm Beach "strip" is the Playa Linda Beach Resort, a time-share/condo resort that does rent nightly rooms. The layout, location, facilities, and beach are all supurb. It's especially good for a long stay or larger families, since the units include kitchens.
Holiday Inn sunspree |
Our first stay in Aruba was at the Holiday Inn , (now a Sunspree Resort,) one of the most exciting and "hopping" hotels on the island. The casino is lively, the rooms are very nice, the beach is wonderful, and they serve absolutely incredible hot dogs at the casual beach bar. One of the nicest aspects of this resort was the shady walking garden just before the beach; sadly, it has been removed, probably because guests who paid for beachfront units didn't have much of a waterview unless they were above the fourth floor.
Almost all of the resorts on Palm Beach have casinos, almost all have some sort of live entertainment outdoors that you can sample for free, and the walkway along the beach makes it easy to go from resort to resort.
Druif Beach, closest to town, is beautiful too, but the resorts are somewhat scattered. The Divi Aruba Beach Mega All-Inclusive Resort and its sister property, the Tamarijn Aruba Mega All-Inclusive Beach Resort are low-rise (two stories) hotels with immediate beach access. The Bucuti Beach Resort, a Golden Tulip property, is three stories tall and very reasonably priced. None of them have casinos, but the Alhambra Casino is a short walk away from the Divi and the Tamarijn and very close to the Bucuti.
I suppose that there are some people who would want to stay in the middle of town; the Renaissance Aruba Hotel (formerly the Sonesta,) has it's own private island and a boat that actually goes right into the lobby. 
Windward Side of Aruba |
It's a beautiful hotel, but it is smack in the middle of busy Oranjestad. The suites, ideal for families because they have a complete kitchenette, are actually located ON the island, just offshore from town. For those, choose the "Beach Tower."
A car is not necessary on Aruba; bus transportation from the resort areas is very inexpensive, clean and safe. It might be worth either renting a car for a day or taking an island tour, because the windward (Atlantic) side of the island is so totally different from the leeward (Caribbean) side. It's like a moonscape; huge boulders, and on the southernmost end, past the town of San Nicolas, saguarro cacti forests tower over the cars.
Aruba is a great destination to start with for Caribbean novices; it's modern, safe and clean. It is not a verdant destination - you will find no rain forest in Aruba, but on the other hand, it only has 17 days of rain per year and is not in the hurricane zone.
Although high season for US travelers is usually December through April of the following year, Aruba also has a high season through most of the summer. Because of its proximity to South America, it has a high ratio of visitors from the southern part of that continent, especially during their winter months of July and August.
Enjoy Aruba, and remember: NO TIRA SUSHI!*
Aruba Information Links:
Aruba On-Line
Aruba Photo Album
Aruba Tourist Authority
Aruba Travel and Tips
AirTravel.com - Aruba Hotels and Photos
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*Don't Litter
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 PASSPORT TO PARADISE
Ready to enjoy Aruba from your own private island? Then board the air-conditioned motorcoach destined for De Palm Island. De Palm Island is a special place where you can snorkel in an underwater Paradise rich in spectacular coral formations and colorful fish.
MORE ARUBA TOURS
Presented by VIATOR, for day trips and excursions.
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POSTERS, PRINTS, ART
POSTERS and PRINTS
Buy art, perfect for gifts. Framed or unframed, 2003 calendars too!
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