Aruba

I can’t think of Aruba without thinking of the famous Beach Boys song from the 80’s. You know, the one where John Stamos played the bongos in the video. Anyway, Aruba is a good size Caribbean island and a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (along with the Netherlands Antilles). Aruba has a more desert like climate (don’t count on those afternoon showers) and is outside of the hurricane belt. That means you can count on beautiful weather here more than in other destinations. If you like the weather to be sunny and 82 degrees, you’ll like Aruba.

Aruba is a mostly flat with the highest point at Mount Jamanota, ringing in at a squatty 188 meters. Don’t bank on doing any kind of rafting or canoing on this river-free island.

Language

Dutch and Papiamento are the official languages of Bermuda, with Papiamento being the more widely spoken. Spanish is widely spoken, and English is on the increase. You should have no trouble in the tourist areas.

Money

The florin is the official currency of Aruba. Credit cards are welcome in most businesses as well. To find out about the conversion rates, visit our currency converter.

Accommodations

All sorts of accommodations are available, from hotels and resorts to timeshares and apartments to villas. Budget places are hard to come by, with prices starting at around $100.

>>more information on the Most Romantic Resorts in Aruba

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Food and Drinks

You CAN drink the water in Aruba, which is always handy. That also means you can feel free to chomp the ice in those frosty, frozen drinks you’ll find all over the place. You can find a variety of international cuisine on the island, with a plethora of five star establishments for those of you with discriminating palates. For something different, you can dine on the water on a dinner cruise.

>>more information on the Best Restaurants in Aruba

Holidays

Betico’s Croes Birthday (January 25)
Carnival (February – March)
National Day (March 18)
Koninginnedag – Queen’s Birthday (April 30)
Dia di San Juan (June)
Sinterklass (December 5-6)

Getting There & Around

Loads of airlines provide flights in to Oranjestad from the United States. You can fly on Delta Airlines, American, Apple Vacations (winter charters), Jetblue, US Airways, United Airlines, TNT Vacations (winter charter), Funjet Vacations (winter charter), Spirit Airlines and Continental Airlines. From Canada, you can take Air Canada or Sunquest. Europe is connected by KLM, Arkefly (charter), Martinair, First Choice, British Airways, Continental, Delta Air Lines and Air Pullmantur. However, several of these flights include an overnight stop in the U.S. Inter-island hops are provided by Dutch Antilles Express, Surinam Airways and Aeropostal. South America is well connected as well.

Electronics

Aruba runs on the North American voltage standard of 110 A.C. (60 cycles), the same as in the United States and Canada.

Things to Do

You could spend your entire trip on the water, with fishing, kite surfing, sun bathing, diving, wind surfing, kayaking, parasailing and sailing. Away from the beach, you can enjoy the art galleries and museums of the island. For the more adventurous, there are opportunities to take jeep tours, horseback ride, bike ride or golf. The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. After dark you can get your goove on on the dance floor, watch unbeatable performances or gamble away your hard earned dollars at the casino.

The backdrop for your adventures should include Arikok National Park, the Donkey Sanctuary, California Lighthouse, the windward caves and sand dunes.

>>more information on the Free Things to See in Aruba

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