Your Home Away from Home

Now that I told you what I know about getting to Aruba, you will need a place to stay once you are here.  Of course you are all invited to stay in our tiny house but if air mattresses and everyone sharing one shower aren’t your thing, maybe I should give you some more options. 

What you will find if you look into where to stay on Aruba is going to be an overwhelming amount of choices.  There is everything from the Ritz Carlton for $1000 a night to an adorable Airbnb for $50 a night.  And guess what?  No matter where you choose to sleep at night, you are still in Aruba and that’s really all that matters.  

I do get it that vacation means different things to different people – and also different budgets which seems to be the biggest deciding factor.  Some want a huge resort that has all the amenities at your fingertips so you literally don’t have to do a thing and others are fine with a clean comfortable room that is only there to sleep in.  So let me share what I know about some specific places and let you make your own decision.   

There is also the never-ending argument of whether to go all inclusive or not in Aruba.  Most people agree it’s not necessary.   However, again, to each his own.  If vacation to you is not having to decide where to eat lunch or dinner or worry about if you’ve run out of money mid week and can’t have another daiquiri, then there is nothing wrong with all inclusive.  And guess what?  Even if you do choose all inclusive, you are still allowed to eat a meal somewhere else if you decide you want to do that!!!  Some advice, however, is that a lot of islands have all inclusive resorts because it’s simply not safe to venture outside of the resort but that is NOT the case in Aruba and you can walk around just about anywhere anytime and not have safety concerns.  Of course be smart about this, but you get what I’m saying.  

Looking at the Ritz Carlton from Moomba Beach – July 2018.

Back to our choices…there are basically three major areas to stay in Aruba so I will share my feelings on each of them.   First let’s talk about the high rise area.  This is Palm Beach and where all the larger resorts are located.  There is Ritz, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Playa Linda, Hyatt, Barcelo, Hilton, and RIU.   If you choose to stay in Palm Beach , this is where the action is.  Lots of restaurants, the mall, the movies, nightclubs and shopping all right there.  The beaches are packed and I will tell you I have heard horror stories of the fights people get into over palapas and beach  chairs.  Is it beautiful?  Yes.  Is it where I would stay?  No.  Too many people and I don’t think the water there is great.   For those Palm Beach lovers, this is just me.  Remember, choices and to each his own.  Now if someone said hey I have a room at the Ritz I’m not using or the RIU or any resort in between, yes, count me in!  

Eagle Beach – Noticeable Contrast to Palm Beach

Then we have the low rise area which is the area of Eagle Beach.  A lot of timeshare resorts including La Cabana, Amsterdam Manor, Costa Linda, Bucuti & Tara, Manchebo, Aruba Beach Club, Manchebo, and the Divi Resorts.  We hang out daily at Costa Linda so have had a lot a of time to observe and absorb.  The low rise area is a pretty lengthy span with one end having a little more action with jet skis and a few beach bars sprinkled throughout but the other end is quiet, wide beach, and amazing.  Again,  just my opinion but it’s a glorious vacation spot.   You do need to drive or take cabs to a lot of dinners and shopping but it’s very close to Palm Beach and downtown so not very inconvenient.   I have yet to see any arguments over beach chairs on Costa Linda’s property which is always nice.  

Costa Linda Beach Resort

We also have the downtown area and the Renaissance Hotel which is where our boat is located so a little biased to this area as well.  I love the choices of restaurants in the area and the shops are open only during the day.  It is downtown so not as beachy but if you stay at Renaissance Hotel, you have access to their private island.  This is the famous “Flamingo Island.”  I did have the opportunity to spend a day there thanks to my friend who had a friend with a couple extra room keys!   Is it nice?   Definitely.  Gets crowded and a small beach compared to Eagle (biased) but a definite must do if you stay at Renaissance.  You can also buy a day pass to the island for $125 which includes lunch.  Is this worth it? I would vote no, thank you.   You can get a room at the hotel for around $200 a night so do that and go see the stinking birds.  Ha ha.  Or if you go on our tour, we pass by the island and you can see them from a distance.  

So if you choose not to stay at a hotel, there are tons of great rental homes and Airbnb’s to rent.  This is what we did when we visited before moving as we wanted to experience the “real” Aruba.  You can rent everything from studio apartments to 10 bedroom homes.   Just always look at the reviews and location.  If you want to be close to the beach, be sure of what area you are renting in.  Aruba is small but still three miles from the beach can feel far away!

Another thing to keep in mind when planning your trip to Aruba is high season and low season which makes an impact on pricing.  For example, we are in the midst of high season now when everyone is escaping the winter temps and needing some sun.  During high season, hotels are at premium prices.   I know when we wanted to come the Christmas before we moved, we changed our trip to October because it was a third of the price.  Like I said before, most of the time budget is the deciding factor on when you go, where you go, where you stay etc. so just do your homework and research and find what’s best for you!  I am always happy to help so if you need specific info about a resort or a house or anything, just ask.  I will share what I know or try my best to find out for you.

No matter where you choose to stay, just know you are somewhere special and Aruba is always glad you are here.  One Happy Island!

Aruba Arrivals

Before moving to Aruba, we were aware that this sweet island has the most repeat visitors in the Caribbean.  This is no surprise after knowing what we know and seeing what we see, but I wanted to give some insight to those who STILL haven’t experienced this amazing place we call home.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share what I have learned about getting to Aruba, staying in Aruba, eating in Aruba, and having fun in Aruba.  Of course this is all going to be from what I have learned and experienced, but there is always something new or better information if you take the time to do your homework before planning any trip.

I’m a member of a few different Facebook groups that are all about Aruba and people ask questions or share information about things they like or don’t like.  Most times people are very helpful and other times people just get downright nasty.  Fortunately, there are administrators who shut things down when needed!  If you’re thinking about coming to Aruba, you should think about joining these Facebook groups and see what I’m talking about.  Just be aware that the information people share is not always correct, but these pages have come to be quite entertaining for those of us who live here and know the truth.  Some of the good pages are Aruba! and All Things Aruba.

So how do you get to Aruba?  Well, plane or cruise ship are your only choices.  I’m going to concentrate on air travel since that seems to be what most people would do.  If you are thinking about arriving by cruise ship, try to find an itinerary that stays here for an entire day as some ships don’t spend too much time.  For example, last week the Carnival Freedom arrived at 3:00 pm and left at 10:00 pm.  Not the best time of day to do a lot as sun sets at 6:30.  I mean, anytime in Aruba is a good time, but the ships who are here from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm are the best! 

Back to air travel – I have seen people quote crazy amounts that they spend to fly to Aruba and it seems it all depends on where you are coming from.  For example, we are flying to Phoenix in May and found round trip tickets for $390.  Keep in mind that Arizona is REALLY far from Aruba so this is a great deal!  Basically, coming from the West Coast of the US, anything under $500 is good.  People flying from Boston or New York pay double that to get to Aruba.  Why?  Because it’s a VERY popular destination and the airlines know this.  It is all about supply and demand.

To find the best deals, I suggest check the airlines every single day.  I heard that you need to “clear your cookies” when you search as well because if the airlines know you are shopping, they inflate the prices.  This is very true, and scary!  When I was shopping for our latest trip, I found this great price but wanted to keep looking before committing.  We are also looking at two different departures as the girls are flying out earlier than Jay and I.  So when I wanted to compare flight times, one click and the $390 rate was there and two clicks later, the price increased to $524!  I panicked and went onto a different computer and the $390 was back.  It’s crazy!  Now I know there are also other tricks like the Hopper app and also using miles from credit card points, but I just still do the old fashioned check a million times before purchasing.  The key is know what price is good and don’t buy until you get it!

Flying to Aruba from Phoenix is a long day between the times changes and layovers as there are no direct flights.  You have to connect through Miami, Charlotte, Atlanta, or New York City and the shortest duration of your flight will be right around 10 hours.  For example, when we fly to Phoenix in May, we leave at 9:00 a.m. Aruba time (which is 6:00 a.m. in Arizona) and arrive at 4:00 pm.  It’s a long day but so worth it once you get here!

Once you’ve landed, you will have to go through customs in the airport, which is mostly automated now where you simply scan your passport and you’re given the green light to enter into Aruba!  Then it’s time for baggage claim and out the door to begin your Aruba adventures.  The Aruba Airport is quite small so there’s no need to find a certain terminal and there’s only one baggage claim area and one door out.  Helpful hint – if you like alcohol, DO stop at the small duty free shop in baggage claim and purchase your liquor as it’s your cheapest option.  You are allowed to purchase only one bottle per person so if you’ve made friends with someone on the plane who doesn’t drink and will carry an extra bottle or two for you, take them up on the offer!

The saddest view when flying away….

Now let’s fast forward to leaving this magical island of Aruba and going back to the US.  (Note – I’m writing based on US destinations and I realize I have readers from other countries and totally apologize for not having great information for you.  I’ve never flown from Aruba to anywhere but the US – sorry!)  The first time you visit Aruba, you may not be aware that leaving is actually quite the process, so pay attention and please note that it is suggested you arrive THREE HOURS early for your flight and this is no joke…

When you arrive at the airport, there is a separate building for USA Departures and International Departures.  Again, concentrating on USA destinations, this is where you’ll want to go.  The first building is where the ticket counters are and where you will check in for your flight and leave any checked baggage.  Next, you stroll between the buildings and go through Aruba Immigration.  They will check your passports to make sure you’re legal to get back to the US.  Next step – security.  The Aruba security.  So you take off your shoes, get out your electronic devices, and put all your carry-on luggage through the scanners and walk through the x-ray machine.  Easy, right?  Yep, but this is just the first time you’re going to do this.  Now you will come to a door that is actually the USA customs and here you will find your checked luggage that you left at the ticket counter and stand in another line to talk to a US customs person so THEY can check to be sure you’re legal to go back to the US.  Scan the passport, might ask where you’re going, might ask if you have any fresh fruits, blah, blah, blah, then off you go to put your check bags onto another belt to now be loaded on the plane.  Confusing?  Yes, the first time you do it, you will think what is going on?  But the good thing is, once you arrive back in the US, there is no waiting in the customs lines there as you’ve already been cleared while you were still in Aruba!

So now we are rid of your checked bags, you are all legal to leave Aruba and go back to the US, and then you have to do the next security check – take off the shoes, unload the laptop, x-ray machine.  NOW you’re clear and all you need to do is wait in the famous Crying Room.  That is what the waiting areas at the gates are called as no one is ever happy about leaving Aruba.  The best part of this area for those of us who live here is that there is now a Panda Express!  The only one on the island and the best part about having to depart!  For those of you who live in the US and can get Panda whenever you want, you can visit One Happy Bar or grab a Nathan’s Hot Dog or Sbarro Pizza before you take off, but Panda is where you will find me!

I hope that everyone reading this has a chance to visit Aruba if you haven’t already.  I hope that what I’ve told you here will help you have a good understanding of what you’re into at the airport both when you arrive and when you depart.  Remember, Aruba has the most repeat visits of all Caribbean islands so we know you will be back!

 

 

Hello 2019!

Since it’s still January, I felt it was still okay to do a “New Year” blog post.  Yes, 2018 is gone and we are full into 2019 already.

On New Year’s Eve, our family was on the beach about to welcome in 2019 and decided we were ready.  Ready to be done with 2018 and welcome 2019 with open arms.  2018 wasn’t necessarily bad, wasn’t great, but we were over it.

Note:  Once again, the fireworks that night were epic and New Year’s Eve in Aruba is like no other.

We had a lot of changes in 2018, a lot of trials, but we survived each and every one of them.  Once again, here I am  having to focus on what was good, which was a lot.

Good – In May, Maddie adopted Scully from Sergeant Pepper’s here in Aruba.  She is a local Cunucu dog which basically means she’s a mutt, but a very cute mutt.  Sergeant Pepper’s found her along with her little siblings under a car and therefore named all of them after car models.  Scully was originally known as Chevy but Maddie had her heart set on the new name based on a favorite show of hers, the X Files.  Having a puppy in the house was a bundle of energy, lots of fun, and plain fun.  Molly (who turned 12 in November) doesn’t always appreciate Scully’s energy.   She was very easy to potty train and only chewed a few non-essential items when she was unsupervised – she liked to tear up paper bags which make a HUGE mess!

Good – In June, we expanded our business to include offering tours and activities from a beach hut located at Costa Linda Resort on Eagle Beach.  Of course we offer Full Throttle Tours, but also partnered with other companies who have the same concept as we do with most being family owned and taking smaller groups on tours.  We also offer watersports activities like jet skis, tube rides, and parasailing.  You name it, we do it!  And we love being at Costa Linda.  It’s a very laid back resort, lots of families stay there, and it’s a beautiful office view!

Good – In September, we celebrated our 30 year anniversary!  There was a separate blog post about participating in the World’s Largest Vow Renewal but I think it’s a big deal and wanted to mention it again.  Proud of what we’ve accomplished in more than 30 years together!  Here’s to the next 30!

Good/Bad – Sometime in the fall, our beloved Captain Bumpy let us know that he and his brother would be once again taking over their family’s food truck business on Eagle Beach so his time to do tours with us would be limited.  Any of you who have experienced our tour or even just read our reviews on TripAdvisor know that Captain Bumpy is a character all his own!  We miss seeing Bumpy regularly, but he’s very much still a part of the Full Throttle family and he does do tours when he’s able.  He did, however, lead us to a great new find in Captain Gerro, who did not take long to establish is very own fan club of our passengers on our tours.  We also have quickly become part of the Captain Gerro fan club and he’s a perfect addition to our family!

Bad/Challenging – Also sometime in the fall, our Ford Escape decided it would become quite ill and stop working.  We had it towed to our house, Jay diagnosed what he thought was wrong and some parts were brought to us but it didn’t end up fixing the problem.  The Escape has been sitting half-dead in our driveway ever since.  We have no idea how we have survived high season and needing to be in three places at one time with only one car, but somehow we have.  The poor Mercedes is getting an extra workout every day!  Please pray she continues to hang on as she’s also 13 years old with A LOT of miles!

Suddenly 2018 was gone and here we are.  What will 2019 hold for us?  We know it will be another year of change and growth and meeting more amazing people.  Morgan is about to finish high school, Maddie is getting closer and closer to her career change.  Every day in Aruba is a blessing and we do not take it for granted.  Whatever challenges 2019 holds, we know we will persevere and this year will end up being fantastic.  With that being said, Happy New Year from our family to yours!