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Paradise Beach Villas
Trip Report Aug 5 - 12, 2000
Sent in by: Jan
This was our 2nd trip to Aruba. Our first trip was in August ' 99 when,
according to my husband, who had business complications which prevented him accompanying
us, instead of coming home with a T-shirt like every other
tourist, my sister and I came home with a timeshare. He almost, but not
quite, smiles as he relates this information. This year he came with us and
we did not buy another timeshare. We, in fact, exchanged the one we bought at Caribbean
Palm Village for a week at Paradise Beach Villas and had a
wonderful time. This 80 unit resort is located between LaCabana Beach Resort
and the Chalet Suisse and across the street from Eagle Beach.
Except for
very minor complaints, we found the PBV to be friendly, fairly quiet, and
lovely. Our 2BR unit in the older (Phase 1) section was roomy, nicely
appointed, clean, and well-maintained. We were on the first floor and had a
view of the smaller of two pools and of the sea (and the sunsets) beyond. We
were very pleased with the location of our rooms and what was inside and
outside them. We would return to this resort without hesitation.
As this was my husband's first trip to Aruba, it was fun to be able to share
our experience from the year before with him. We made some different choices this year and
it is the general consensus of our group (myself, my sister, my 19 and 15 year old
daughters, and 13 year old son) that we enjoyed this visit to
Aruba even more than we had the first one.
We flew American Airlines through San Juan both going and coming home. It
was better this year not having to reclaim luggage in SJ to go through customs onthe way
home. We experienced only minor delays and had uneventful flights.
We rented a van from Econo at
the airport for $360 ($400 with 10% off using
the VisitAruba card). It was
well-used and the airconditioner was not very
effective, but it provided trouble-free transportation throughout our stay. We arrived at
PBV a little early, checked in, and, as our rooms were not ready, my sister and I headed
to Ling and Sons to grocery shop and take advantage of our 2% discount using the card
(which, by the way, was waiting for us when we arrived at PBV). It was good to find out
that the discount applies to the beer, wine, and rum that we bought there as well. We
enjoyed an Aruba
Arriba during the PBV happy hour upon our return and were in our very nice
rooms by 4:30.
Our first dinner was at Madame Janette's which we tried based upon all the
glowing reports that I had read about this restaurant on the message boards.
We got incredibly lost trying to find it (it is actually about 5 minutes from PBV), and
had all but given up when we stumbled upon this 'jewel in a junkyard'. This
sparkling place made fans of us in a hurry. The atmosphere is magical, the
food beautifully prepared, the portions huge, the service friendly and efficient,
and the prices amazingly reasonable. We all agreed that we would come back again during
our week's stay.
We returned to the Hyatt brunch on Sunday morning as it had been a huge hit
last year. My husband nearly flipped as I paid before entering the Ruinas del
Mar restaurant for 6 people at $30+ pop. Although he insisted that no buffet
could be worth that much money, he was a convert by the time we left. We
over-indulged at this 'temple to gluttony' and none of us felt the need to
eat again for the rest of the day. We spent it on Eagle Beach
enjoying the beautiful, calm sea and beginning to really get into vacation mode.
Last trip, we gambled very little because my sister and I didn't like leaving
the kids behind or having them hang around outside casinos and neither of us is that
gung-ho to gamble that we wanted to do it alone. This year, my husband and I spent a
couple of hours just about every evening at one casino or another.
Most nights ended at the Royal Cabana which is a two minute car ride from PBVs. We won and
we lost and had fun at the casino at the Hyatt, the Radisson (very lovely hotel with an
incredibly friendly staff!) and the Marriott, as well as a stop at the Alhambra.
We headed into Oranjestad on Monday as we needed to access our e-mail for
important news from home at the Internet cafe. We also shopped and found a
few bargains and souvenirs. It was nice to see the Visit
Aruba sign in the
window of some shops and we actually got to use it when making a purchase at one. We had
lunch at the Paddock.
The food was OK, the service a little slow, the atmosphere is fun as it seems to be right
in the middle of the action on the docks and in town. After some welcomed time back at the
beach and the pool, we headed out for a return trip to the French Steakhouse.
[I should note that each night we made reservations just a few hours before we planned to
dine without difficulty and probably could have been seated without them in most
restaurants as most did not seem very busy.] We all enjoyed the Ambassador's five course
dinner; the steak was wonderful. We were given 3 bottles of wine for the 6 of us and we
able to take the unopened one home with us at the end of a scrumptious meal.
Tueday we headed over to Arashi
Beach for some snorkeling. The water seemed more cloudy than we had
experienced here previously that day and there was little to see. We stopped and checked
out Malmok Beach
and decided to make a point of returning there later in the week. We returned to enjoy the
activities around the pool at the PBV. That evening we got lost again hunting for Cuba's
Cookin' but it was worth the search. This restaurant was terrific. We enjoyed the food,
the staff, the live entertainment, and the atmosphere. I wish there were a place like this
closer to home! We would all be regulars!
Wednesday, I had booked my husband, our younger daughter and son on the
Tranquillo for a snorkeling cruise. Last year we all went out on the Octopus
and, although I have read positive comments about the crew and their trips, we were not
pleased with the process (dropped into the sea at the Antilla wreck with very
little instruction as a first stop) and with the support or 'charm' of the
captain who commented throughout the trip: 'Why bother to tell you anything, you won't
listen to me anyway.' We picked the Tranquilo
because of the VisitAruba discount
and that is was a shorter cruise than the one we had taken last year. This turned out to
be a wonderful choice. My husband and kids came back with rave reviews about the crew and
the trip as a whole. It turned out that besides the 3 members of my family, there was only
another young couple on this trip. They were taken first to an area off Malmok Beach,
given careful instructions, and a crew member was in the water with them all the time. He
took underwater pictures of the passengers' using their camera both here while the fish
were being feed and at the Antilla
wreck. They reported that the food was great and the rum punches were flowing
freely. They had a wonderful time and wanted to tell everyone about the great crew, the
super service they provided, and to highly recommend the Tranquilo's Early Morning
Snorkeling Cruise. That night we went to the Driftwood Restaurant. This was a first for
us. The food was good and this place was crowded, but I think this was my least favorite
meal during this trip. Not that it was bad, it just didn't compare to the other places we
were experiencing.
Thursday we went to Malmok
Beach. Wow! Saw so many colorful fish; it was
great! Saw a school of squid. Too neat! This is a great spot and I think now I
prefer it over Arashi
Beach. My sister and I picked up two Jimny's at Explore Car Rental
for $55/day each after using two $10 off coupons. These brand new vehicles were automatic
with hard tops and air. We planned an early start to the wild side of the island the next
morning. We returned to Madame Janette's for dinner that evening and were greeted
like old friends. We had another memorable meal and highly recommend this place for
exceptionally nice dining in Aruba...or anywhere.
Friday (already :-( ). Off to the wild side. Last year, only my sister and I went
as the kids just wanted to relax at the resort. This year I insisted that everyone go
because this is what I consider the very best part of Aruba. The trip was as
exhilarating as I remembered. The waves crashing, the wind blowing, the boulders
withstanding the wind's assault by bending into soft curves. Amazing countryside! I do
think that all the little rock piles are starting to detract from the landscape.
They are perched on every conceivable flat surface which might be more beautiful if left
unadorned. We drove over the mountain to Boci Andicuri and enjoyed a dip and a picnic
there on this glorious beach. After returning the 4X4's in town, we played Bingo pool side
(my son won) and then enjoyed a few more hours on 'our' beach. The kids had their hearts
set on the all-you-can-eat Fajitas at the Hyatt. The format has changed this year and
instead of endless trays of food and Margaritas brought to your table, it is now a
buffet....and the specialty Margaritas cost $6.50. The up side of this is that they now
have shrimp and lobster fajita fillings as well as black bean soup and all the guacamole
you can scarf.
Saturday we spent the morning on the beach and were on the road to the airport at noon.
Stood in various lines for a while but the process at the airport
was basically painless.
Highlights: the PBVs, being 'on' Eagle Beach,
Madame Janette's, Cuba's
Cookin', the Tranquilo
Lowlights: having to leave
Things we learned: one week in Aruba is not enough, not all snorkel cruises
(or captains) are created equal, there was little need for increased concern over
safety issues, mango juice and rum tastes better than a Pina Colada, it is possible to eat
the full serving of churrasco steak at the French Steakhouse and not burst at the seams, and the
Aruban people continue to be exceedingly friendly, helpful, and generous in sharing their
country and their knowledge of it. Oh, and that we will need to go back.
Please feel free to e-mail with comments or questions.Jan
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