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Aruba Trip Report: Marriott Resort
Trip report - September, 2001
Submitted on June 18, 2002
by: Errol & Kathy
My husband and I and our two sons (young adults)
visited the island of Aruba in September 2001 - just after the planes started flying again
after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Since our flights from Cleveland were routed through
New York City, the airlines re-routed them through Miami for us. No problem with Customs.
They were all very friendly, and although it was a bit slower, as expected, you have to
account for that now. We exchanged our 2 bedroom unit in Orlando for a 2-bedroom unit in
Aruba, and although I ended up breaking one of my toes on the metal strip on the floor
that sticks up between the two units the night we arrived, we loved the room and thought
the resort was the best on the island. Since it's the last one on the strip, it's much
more private than the other hotels in the area. We read all the trip reports, and found
them to be very helpful in planning our trip.
FIRST, we want to say that, although we loved the resort and the room, we didn't like the
island of Aruba at all, and found the people working outside the hotel to be somewhat
unfriendly - even to the point of locals yelling for tourists to "go home" when
we were in Oranjested one afternoon. The town of Oranjested is painted in pastel colors,
mainly for the cruise ships that dock there daily, and is pretty to see, but as soon as
you leave the tourist area, the rest of the island is VERY trashy and rundown. My husband
said it reminded him of Mexico -- the really trashy parts.
After travelling to Hawaii so many times, perhaps we are a bit spoiled by the cleanliness
and beauty of Hawaii and expected the same from Aruba. We are convinced that the travel
industry must really "push" this island to honeymooners and other vacationers.
If you are looking for a tropical island, this is NOT the island for you. If you want a
desert climate on an island that has piles of trash everywhere you look (outside the
resort), then this is your island. If you are simply looking for a desert climate with
lots of sun -- head to somewhere like Phoenix or Tuscon Arizona, because that's what it
looks like, and it's A LOT cheaper to get there.
To Rent or Not to Rent? Unless you plan on spending ALL your time at the resort, rent a
car. The Marriott is too far from anywhere else on the island to walk in the hot
temperatures. We read so many trip reports that said not to rent one, and we were SO glad
we did. Buying gas can be difficult --(trying to figure out how much gas you can get and
converting the money exchange with people who don't speak english), but we managed o.k.
When you get off the main road in Aruba, the rest of the roads are dirt.
Buying groceries: there are two grocery stores along the main route by Oranjested -- one
has an "english" name like "Food Giant" or something, and the other
one has a "Chinese" sounding name, and they are fairly close to one another. I'm
sorry I can't remember the names of the stores, but go to the one with the
"chinese" sounding name. Although this sounds weird, it is more like the grocery
stores that you'll find in the States. The other one is like a big flea market, and not as
clean, and when I went to purchase eggs, they were on a table in the produce dept. and it
took 3 women before one of them spoke enough english to tell me that they had put the eggs
out on the table 2 days earlier. Although the locals are probably used to not having their
eggs refrigerated when they buy them, we prefer them to be refrigerated. The other store
with the "Chinese" sounding name did have good refrigeration, and appeared to be
very clean. Aruba has some great prices on cheese, too. We didn't have a problem with
Customs when we brought small rounds of Edam cheese home with us, (and they checked our
luggage, too).
Restaurants: We visited several, some of which I can no longer recall, but the best, BY
FAR, was Madame Janette's ($180 for 4). We went there twice. From the Marriott, turn left
at the golf place and make a right onto the second or third street with a little blue sign
-- it's just down the road. El Gaucho's had fantastic steaks, too. We went there for
lunch, and it wasn't crowded or noisy at all. No less expensive, though. If you get their
special steak -- the charro or whatever they call it, it's big enough to split, and the
sauces are delicious. For romance, Simply Fish at the Marriott was good, although we
weren't impressed with the food. The tables are right on the beach, and they usually have
entertainment playing. The italian restaurant at the Marriott was fantastic, too!
BAD --> The outside veranda restaurant at the Radisson was horrible, as was Gasparitos.
Please DON'T waste your money at Gasparitos -- we were really disappointed in the food and
atmosphere there. On Sunday of our trip we went to the church service at La Cabana,
which was wonderful. We did stop at the buffet at La Cabana that morning, and thought it
had to be the worst $60 we ever spent on a meal, as the potatoes were unrecognizable, and
there were bugs in our orange juice, as they hung out around the machine that they keep
the juice in. We
barely ate our meals. We really felt sorry for all the people who had purchased
all-inclusive packages at La Cabana! Keep in mind that wherever you go, it will be
expensive.
Things to do: We visited the lighthouse (not much -- it looks like.... a lighthouse), and
toured the rest of the island, with the exception of the Natural Pool, as we rented a car
instead of a jeep ( we had 4 people + luggage). We didn't feel we missed anything. Since
you can get there in a car, we did go to the Natural Bridge and to Baby Beach. Although
Baby Beach can be a bit tricky to get to, we enjoyed it very much. Take lots of
sunscreen and wear it from day one of your trip. I would also recommend taking a hat to
wear, as the tops of our heads all got burned. Also, there is very little shade at Baby
Beach, so don't plan on spending all day here or you'll look like a cooked lobster
afterwards. The snorkeling at Baby Beach is fantastic, though. We also went to a
cave, and although I took a small flashlight, it wasn't good enough -- we were glad we
rented one from the little stand outside the cave entrance -- you will need a good light,
and at least tennis shoes (not sandals). I think it would be hard to climb down and up
again in sandals..... No fee for going through the cave, though. Pack a good flashlight if
you plan on going into the caves.
Will we go back? In short - no. We had a good time, but for the high price to get there,
we'd rather go to Hawaii again, or try another location instead. Aruba should take more
pride in what their island looks like to outside folks and clean up the mess. It would
have been far less expensive for us to go back to Maui, and the island is so much more
beautiful (more to do, too), and the people are much friendlier. If you haven't booked
your trip yet, we would strongly recommend reconsidering another vacation or honeymoon
spot..
Errol & Kathy
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