My amazing friend, Lade, went to enjoy the beautiful blonde beaches of Aruba for her 24th birthday this past October. I have never been, but based on her advice, it has definitely moved to the top of my travel list. Super excited to share all that Lade had to say about Aruba!
What Lade Enjoyed:
Aruba has a very unique history. The island is believed to have formed from a volcanic rupture. The aboriginals in Aruba are said to have migrated from different parts of Latin America and you can see their art all over the island (and tattooed on a lot of the present-day natives). Due to the dryer climate, colonizers found that Aruba was not an ideal location for farming, therefore no slavery took place on the island. The Black people who were brought over were slaves that were bought and married off to the Aruban Dutch fishermen. This history is important when trying to understand the interactions local Arubans have with tourists and migrants: tourism is Aruban culture. Aruba is a very tiny island, so the locals, migrants, and tourists live and frequent the same places. Also, the majority of Arubans work in tourism. Arubans are extremely friendly and attribute their positive attitude towards tourism and servitude to their less violent history. Most Arubans can speak 3-4 languages.
One of the benefits of traveling to Aruba, especially during this time of year, is that it has one of the dryer climates in the Carribean so you don’t have to worry about storms/hurricanes. It is very calm and has a lot less nightlife than other islands I have visited. It’s a great place to go with a significant other or if you’re looking to relax or take a solo trip since it’s very safe with an extremely low crime rate.
Places to Go in the North:
⁃ Oranjestad (Capital)
⁃ Palm Beach (main beach)
⁃ Noord
Places to Go in the South:
⁃ San Nicholas
⁃ Baby Beach
Accommodation:
Now what everyone wants to know…where I stayed. This is really what made my trip incredible. I stayed at a resort called the Aruba Ocean Villas, with beautiful villas on the southern part of the island directly on calm waters. The customer service, vibes, and amenities were unmatched – but beware that you pay for all this. Rooms range from $429-$1299 a night. I stayed in the Jojoli Villa ($789/night) and Dushi Sue Villa ($889/night). Any villa room smaller and therefore cheaper, in my opinion, wasn’t worth it. If you’re gonna spend all that money, you might as well go all out. The villa resort is not all-inclusive, only breakfast, water, tea, and coffee are complimentary
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Tips:
⁃ Call Aruba Ocean Villas before booking to see if they have any deals, especially if you’re going during offseason. I got my room at almost 50% off.
⁃ Befriend locals, especially taxi drivers. Aruba is EXPENSIVE. I got a tour of the island at a discounted rate, as well as taxi rides at a discounted rate because I made friends with a driver. They’re very knowledgeable and can tell you everywhere to go.
⁃ Bring a lot of cash. Almost everywhere takes American cards, but there are no rideshare apps on the island, only taxis and they ONLY do cash. In addition, to call and order taxis you may accrue long-distance call charges.
Hopefully, this is helpful for anyone that wants to visit this gorgeous island soon! Thanks again to Lade (IG: lade_dadee) for sharing about your incredible experience in Aruba!
Here are some pictures of Lade’s trip!
