This was my first trip to Aruba and the third for my
friend. We got to Aruba via Delta Airlines, it was a fantastic flight. The pilot
kept playing Kokomo by the Beach Boys while we boarded the plane. It was a maximum of 15
minutes from getting off the plane
to standing outside to catch a cab to La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club. Make sure you
pick up the coupon book at the airport, there are some really good coupons in there.
Our check-in at La Cabana was quick and easy, the staff
were very friendly and efficient. Got to our room, it was full ocean-view..
fabulous room. The cleaning staff are excellent.. all the staff were very friendly and
helpful. I would highly recommend La Cabana!!
The Beach:
-we never had a problem getting chairs
-the water is neon aqua and very calm
-the sand is very fine and there are very few shells, it is obvious that LaCabana takes
excellent care of the beach in front of their
property -there is a constant trade wind that seems to get stronger as the day progresses,
so ladies put your hair up and if you wear contacts to the beach... don't wear them in
Aruba as the sand can whip up pretty good at times. But, I'm not complaining, the wind
kept us cool as we tanned.
-the sun is very strong there, bring lots of SPF lotion... you'll need it!!
--All in all the beach was one of the most beautiful I have
ever seen, it really was breathtaking (and I've seen a lot of beaches)!!
Restaurants:
-the food in Aruba is incredible, I gained 7 1/2 pounds in 2 weeks and enjoyed every
minute of it. The Argentine beef is to die for
and so is the cheesecake!!
EL Gaucho - if you only go to one restaurant in
Aruba, this should be it. The staff are very attentive and the food was wonderful. Get the
16 oz. steak, it is too much to eat in one sitting, but worth it and they are more than
happy to wrap up the leftovers for you. This is the one restaurant you must have
reservations for. They have a website you can book reservations in advance or book as soon
as you arrive. Also, make sure you grab a few mints... they are really good... you will
notice that a lot of people will grab handfuls of mints as they leave. We noticed this
while waiting for our table and thought it was quite odd, until we tried the mints
ourselves.
French SteakHouse - we both had the Filet Mignon and
it was wonderful. Good value for the money, though when we first arrived
we were told to sit at the bar to wait for a table, although the restaurant was half
empty. We waited over 20 minutes and finally
stood up to leave and then another waiter came and seated us. Other than that the food was
good and so was the service.
EL Piscado (La Cabana) - very good seafood and cheesecake,
the mixed drinks were too strong though.
Captain's Table (La Cabana) - very good food for dinner. We
were unimpressed with the buffet lunch. The breakfast buffet was very
good.
Islander Grill (La Cabana) - good service, pretty good
food, good value.
Paparazzi - food was pretty good, good value. Big
selection.
Tony Roma's - excellent service and the ribs were to die
for! Good selection.
Amazonia - we had planned to go there, but were told
not to go as the food wasn't very good, so we decided to skip it.
Madame Jeannette's - we didn't get a chance to go there,
but heard the food was wonderful and the ambiance was very nice.
Activities:
Jeep Tour - DePalm Tours - we went for the full day tour, if we did it again we would only
do the 1/2 day tour. We had a
wonderful time, but by the end of the day you are really tired, a little sore and many of
us were burnt (as it is hard to reapply lotion when you are covered in dirt ha ha). The
Tour covered a lot of the "must-see's" on the island and there was quite a bit
of 4 x 4ing out in the rough.. it was a really good laugh. After the jeep tour, you take a
ferry to DePalm island and have a buffet lunch (which wasn't bad and all you can drink)
and then a couple of hours of tanning on the beach or snorkelling. We went snorkelling and
I have never seen such beautiful fish that were so big and that swim right up to and
around you... the blue parrot fish is gorgeous and a must see! If you want to do the
snorkelling you have to do the full day tour. But the consensus at the end of the tour was
that we were all exhausted.
Parasailing - we did it on Eagle Beach, it was a good deal
and they were very professional and we really enjoyed ourselves. They pick you up on the
beach and take you out to a boat on Palm beach where the parasailing equipment, etc is.
You go up from the deck of the boat, which is much easier than running from the beach.
Sea/do - Jetski - Waverunner (Eagle Beach) - whatever you
want to call it, also a very good deal. They teach you everything you
need to know. It was a good laugh.
Shopping
-I'm not going to lie to you -- Aruba is expensive. However, there are some very good
deals to be found in jewelry. There are lots of
stores to choose from, so if you like to shop you will love Aruba.
Little Tidbits:
-our first few days in Aruba, we took taxis. Then we started taking the bus, it is only $2
USD return into town or down the strip to
Palm beach, much cheaper than the taxis and it doesn't take very long, as Aruba is a
pretty small island.
-taxi fares are pre-set by the government, they charge a premium after midnight and on
Sundays (remember that!!)
-the island is windy, leave your curling irons at home. Hair is best worn up.
-the casinos were quite impressive when you consider how small an island Aruba is, they
had a lot of the latest slot & video slot
games (I was surprised). If you go to Alahambra's Casino (I think that's the name) make
sure you leave by the front door to shake
hands with Alahambra, he's in the Guiness Book of World Records for the most handshakes.
-for the tanners, Aruba has a very large stock of Australian Gold -- so stock up!!
-if you are a coffee lover, make sure you try Douwe Egbert's coffee, it is really good. I
brought some home with me, but it just
doesn't taste the same, it must be the Aruba water.
-Speaking of the water, it is perfectly safe to drink
-The island is very safe and everyone we met was very nice and would go out of their way
to help you, it was a nice change.
One of our most favourite things about La Cabana was the
Lobby Bar. It is a little snack bar at the front of the resort and it serves
bagels, croissants, big fancy cakes, that coffee you have to try, cheesecake, ice-cream
and a variety of other foods which change
from day to day. It was really convenient and very good value.
Aruba was incredible, I would highly recommend it to
everyone. The beaches are really beautiful, the weather is very pleasant, the
island has lots of sights to see, the food is to die for and the people are extremely
friendly. If you don't have a good vacation in
Aruba, it has nothing to do with Aruba!!
I would go again in a minute!!
