Aruba Trip Report: Tamarijn
Beach Resort
January 19 - 26, 2002
Sent in by: Eileen Druzak
A group of 8 of us stayed at
the Tamarijn from January 19-26, 2002. We booked our trip through Apple Vacations for
$1417.44 per person including airfare out of Pittsburgh, PA.
I emailed Lisa Cusson, Reservations Manager, lcusson@setarnet.aw, in advance
to request 4 rooms together in the 1900 block or higher. We were not disappointed when we
checked in. We were given rooms 2109, 2111, 2112, & 2113. The odd numbered rooms are
on the first floor. Blocks 1900 and higher have a much nicer beach in front of them and no
sea wall. However, blocks 1100 and 1200 are really close to the nice beach located between
the Tam and the Divi. For a layout map of the Tam visit
www.aruba-travelguide.com/juan/tamarijnmap.gif.
The winds were very strong during our stay and we saw a lot of rain. It rained at least a
little bit almost everyday. It rained a lot on the Friday and Saturday before we left. But
in Aruba, it is not bad. It rains a little and then the sun comes out strong as ever. The
sun isvery strong in Aruba. Bring lots and lots of sunscreen. The temperature difference
between the sun and the shade is amazing!
I would like to say a special Hello to my friends that I got to meet in person after
meeting them on the Aruba Bulletin Board. Hello to Debi from Lancaster County, Pa; and
Hello to Judy and Rob from Cleveland, OH. It was great to meet you and to share some
vacation time with you.
There are a lot of rocks in the water at the Tam. Some of them are
quite big. Definitely bring your beach shoes. The Tam provides hand & body lotion and
hair & body shampoo in dispensers in the shower. There is also soap in a dispenser at
the bathroom sink. Small bar soap is also provided. There are no refrigerators in the
room. They do provide an ice bucket and glasses. If you want a safe it costs $2/day. You
have to request a hair dryer and iron/ironing board from the
front desk. I just brought my own hair dryer. The rooms are basic hotel rooms. The
furniture is old. The rooms are kept very clean. They have sliding glass doors that lead
out onto the beach. If your lucky like me, the left part of the doors will have louver
windows and screens so you can open them at night and just listen to the ocean. You can
get either two double beds or one king bed. I believe that the only rooms that have king
beds are in the 2100 block and higher.
The Tam has two sit-down restaurants that you need to make reservations for, the Paparazzi
Ristorante and Palm Court Restaurant. We ate at Paparazzi our first night there. It is an
Italian Restaurant and we enjoyed it. We never ate at the Palm Court as the menu didn't
seem like anything special to us.
I would recommend bringing an insulated drinking cup. It is sometimes a long walk to the
bar!
The Tam also provides a shuttle along the sidewalks at the front of the buildings. It goes
to and from the Tam, Divi and Alhambra Casino. Don't be afraid to use it. It runs
constantly and is easy to catch.
When you check in you will be given a Divi Resorts calendar of events. Be sure to check it
out so you don't miss any of the activities. Nightly entertainment at the Tam for January
and February is as follows:
Saturday: 9:00
Folkloric Dance Show presented by Aruba Dance Formation 10:00 - 11:30
Dance Music by resident DJ * Sunday: 9:00
Battle of the Sexes (audience participation, lots of fun, guys v. girls) 10:00 - 11:30
Dance Music by resident DJ Monday: 9:15
Latin Dance Show (Excellent! I thought it was called Caribbean Dance Show - dancers were
natives from all over the Caribbean) 10:15 - 11:30
Dance Music by resident DJ Tuesday: 7:00 - 11:00
Live Dance Music by Michael Odor Duo 9:00 - 10:00
Limbo Show Wednesday: 8:00 - 8:45
Water Ballet Show 9:00 - 11:30
Dance Music by resident DJ Thursday: 8:30 - 11:00
Karaoke Friday: 9:00 - 10:00
Carnival Show (Gets boring real quick, shows all the different costumes used at carnival) 10:00 - 11:30
Dance Music by resident DJ
*The music by the resident DJ gets real repetitive. You hear all the same songs all week
long.
On Tuesday, we rented two jeeps from the Hertz desk at the Tamarijn. We were looking for
Jeep Wranglers, but Hertz didn't have them. I only saw one ad in the paper for Jeep
Wranglers and they wanted $90 a day for them. We ended up with a two-door and a four-door
Suzuki Jimnys. Some rode air-conditioned style in the four-door and the rest of us went
open-air style in the two-door. We got the two-door for
$50 and the four-door for $60. Early on in our trip, the four-door blew a tire. When we
returned the car, Hertz indicated that the tire would cost $120 and if there was damage to
the rim there would be another $100 charge (the insurance doesn't cover this). They had to
have their mechanic check it out. When we returned after the mechanic checked it, we were
still only charged the original $60. I don't know why and we didn't question it! We had a
blast that day. We went to the California Lighthouse, drove through the California Dunes,
said a prayer at the Alto Vista Chapel, visited the Natural Bridge, went to the
Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, toured the Ayo Rock Formations. We were really looking
forward to swimming in the Natural Pool too. But when we got there we were told that we
could not go in as the water was too rough that day. We then went to Baby Beach where we
relaxed and did some snorkeling. The snorkeling there was pretty good (better than I
expected). We then returned home to shower and change for dinner. Since we had the jeeps,
we went to Le Petit Café for dinner. It was quite good. After dinner we went to Carlos 'N
Charlie's. That place is always a good time!
On Thursday we went on the Banana Bus. Since we had a group of 10 of us (fellow bulletin
boarders Judy and Rob joined us) we
negotiated a rate of $30pp. The Banana Bus is normally $37pp. (The Kukoo Kunuku & YabbaDabbaDoo Bus are $55pp but include dinner) The
Banana Bus normally runs from Tuesday thru Thursday 8pm-12:30am. It does
not include dinner like the other party buses. It includes 5 drinks (3 on the bus) and
goes to 3 bars: Bombai, Ijsberg, Carlos & Charlies. Email Burt Kelkboom at
bananaexplore@hotmail.com. Phone for reservations: 886881-930757. If you have a big group,
call Greg directly on his cell phone at 934467 to get the best price! When you book
through the front desk at your hotel, the tour has to pay commission. This is why the tour
prices are so high. We were told that the bus was currently only running on Thursdays
since 9/11. I'm not sure where the first place we stopped at was. It was atop a hill
overlooking the whole island. It was beautiful! If you can, try to sit in the back of the
bus. They have a small dance floor there and it is lots of fun!
My husband did the Fun Factory Snorkel Adventure Snuba Combo for $89. He had fun but said
he wouldn't do it again. Keep in mind that he has done Scuba before. He didn't like the
snuba because you are limited to a hose that is attached to a raft above and attached to
several other people.
We took the bus into Oranjestad for shopping. It is only $2pp round trip. Just ask for
round trip tickets when you get on. The bus runs every half hour and is very easy to
catch. They drop you off at the bus station in Oranjestad and that is where you pick it
back up. Most of the shops open by 9AM. A taxi into Oranjestad will cost between $6-$8.
For sample taxi fares visit
http://www.olmco.com/abb/taxifares.html.
Registered
with The Aruba Chamber of Commerce since 1997
MEMBER
OF The Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association (AHATA)
&
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
I emailed Lisa Cusson, Reservations Manager, lcusson@setarnet.aw, in advance
to request 4 rooms together in the 1900 block or higher. We were not disappointed when we
checked in. We were given rooms 2109, 2111, 2112, & 2113. The odd numbered rooms are
on the first floor. Blocks 1900 and higher have a much nicer beach in front of them and no
sea wall. However, blocks 1100 and 1200 are really close to the nice beach located between
the Tam and the Divi. For a layout map of the Tam visit
www.aruba-travelguide.com/juan/tamarijnmap.gif. 
There are a lot of rocks in the water at the Tam. Some of them are
quite big. Definitely bring your beach shoes. The Tam provides hand & body lotion and
hair & body shampoo in dispensers in the shower. There is also soap in a dispenser at
the bathroom sink. Small bar soap is also provided. There are no refrigerators in the
room. They do provide an ice bucket and glasses. If you want a safe it costs $2/day. You
have to request a hair dryer and
iron/ironing board from the
front desk. I just brought my own hair dryer. The rooms are basic hotel rooms. The
furniture is old. The rooms are kept very clean. They have sliding glass doors that lead
out onto the beach. If your lucky like me, the left part of the doors will have louver
windows and screens so you can open them at night and just listen to the ocean. You can
get either two double beds or one king bed. I believe that the only rooms that have king
beds are in the 2100 block and higher. 
We got the two-door for
$50 and the four-door for $60. Early on in our trip, the four-door blew a tire. When we
returned the car, Hertz indicated that the tire would cost $120 and if there was damage to
the rim there would be another $100 charge (the insurance doesn't cover this). They had to
have their mechanic check it out. When we returned after the mechanic checked it, we were
still only charged the original $60. I don't know why and we didn't question it! We had a
blast that day. We went to the California Lighthouse, drove through the California Dunes,
said a prayer at the Alto Vista Chapel, visited the Natural Bridge, went to the
Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, toured the Ayo Rock Formations. We were really looking
forward to swimming in the Natural Pool too. But when we got there we were told that we
could not go in as the water was too rough that day. We then went to Baby Beach where we
relaxed and did some snorkeling. The snorkeling there was pretty good (better than I
expected). We then returned home to shower and change for dinner. Since we had the jeeps,
we went to Le Petit Café for dinner. It was quite good. After dinner we went to Carlos 'N
Charlie's. That place is always a good time! 
Bus normally runs from Tuesday thru Thursday 8pm-12:30am. It does
not include dinner like the other party buses. It includes 5 drinks (3 on the bus) and
goes to 3 bars: Bombai, Ijsberg, Carlos & Charlies. Email Burt Kelkboom at
bananaexplore@hotmail.com. Phone for reservations: 886881-930757. If you have a big group,
call Greg directly on his cell phone at 934467 to get the best price! When you book
through the front desk at your hotel, the tour has to pay commission. This is why the tour
prices are so high. We were told that the bus was currently only running on Thursdays
since 9/11. I'm not sure where the first place we stopped at was. It was atop a hill
overlooking the whole island. It was beautiful! If you can, try to sit in the back of the
bus. They have a small dance floor there and it is lots of fun! 
