TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Southern Caribbean Aruba - overview

Seeking help in preparing a trip to Aruba in April.

Hotels or vacation rentals?
Rent car/Uber/other?

Best beaches/top sites.

Many thanks.

If you're familiar with SXM, Aruba is quite a bit different. Aruba is more 'Americanized' than SXM. There are a lot of chain restaurants there. Overall, it is cleaner than SXM and probably safer. Prices in general for food in the grocery store and for booze are higher. There is a good bus system and you don't actually have to rent a car there, and can get around fine without it. I have no idea about Uber, as it wasn't available the last time I went to Aruba, but frankly I would never do that anywhere, but that's just me. There are lots of timeshares there, and lots of rentals also. The scenery is not nearly as pretty as SXM, as it is very desert-like, with no green hills like SXM, and in fact, basically no hills at all. The wind blows there fairly constantly. If you haven't been before, it's good to try out.

Carol, many thanks for your prompt response and very helpful overview.

No problem. I'm surprised no one else has responded so far, as there are many members here who go to Aruba.

Not drinking a rental car would t be too bad.
Drinking, bus or cab.

We visited for a day near Manchebo beach. It was beautiful. Alot of surf though. Waves and zero visability. So fun to be in waves.

I would prefer calm clear water most of the time for snorkeling, is there such a beach on aruba??? IDK.

I've never been there myself, but there's a beach called 'Baby Beach', similar to Le Gallion on SXM..

If we get a vacation rental i think a rental car is a must.
A hotel stay, not so much.

Also looking for recommends on casino actitvity. Thnx

Bobcat = Many thnx!

Yes, Baby Beach is much like Gallion.
The water is very calm and ideal for families.
Great comparison. I was there last April ? And the beach area there has been cleared of weeds and greatly improved.
Not my favorite, but very nice.
Food and drinks are available there.

I strongly recommend the fish dinners at the Manchebo resort while you
Listen to the piano of Eddie Sampson, who is fabulous.
A romantic setting, if there ever was one. Eddie has played there for
I believe 21 years. Very nice .

We visit Aruba every year. There are many casinos.

On Palm Beach the following hotels have casinos: Ritz Carlto, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Barcelo, Hilton & the Rui.

On Eagle Beach you have a casino at LaCabana Resort, the Tropicana Resort, Alhambra

In town you have one at the Seaport and at the Renaissance Hotel.

There are also many restaurants. There are also chain restaurants that many locals love.


Our favorite restaurants are
Chalet Suisse & Barefoot (on the beach) great food and atmosphere.

I hope you have a great trip and enjoy Aruba.

Many thnx for the helpful and insightful info.

We feel very at home in Aruba and in Curacao. And very safe. Beaches are beautiful, people are extremely friendly, great variety of food, easy to get around and driving isn't nuts. We stay 2 weeks in high rise area and 1 week downtown when we go. Best, and relatively inexpensive, grocery store is Ling & Sons, an IGA store with all bells & whistles. Enjoy!

We've been to Aruba twice, quite a few years ago. The best is "Bucuti and Tara Resort" on Eagle Beach: we stayed there and really liked it, though the price has gone up lately. CONS: It gets pretty crowded and suburbanized north of there, where all the condos and big hotels are (Palm Beach). We aren't gourmands or foodies but even we thought the food was pretty bland. The Europeans that go to Aruba are nice folks but they aren't very demanding as to food. PROS: Aruba is kind of underrated as to diving; do the big wreck dive off of Palm Beach . And by all means take one of the inland jeep tours through the interior. We found that we liked Curacao better then Aruba, but Aruba is pleasant and the beaches are expansive and nice. Just don't expect too much deep Caribbean MoJo. JMHO.

Going to Barbados this December (2019) for the first time. I've scheduled two snorkeling/turtle trips, one deep sea fishing trip and a big on-land van tour of various natural sites and historic sites. Is there anything I should do that's not obviously noted on TripAdvisor or the other regular tourist sites? I'm a Barbados rookie. Thanks in advance.

We stayed at Bucuti and Tara on our honeymoon. The pre-fixe dinner there was one of the best things we have ever done. I am glad our room was close because I had a ton of wine. All paired with the dishes, of course.
We ate at the Hilton brunch buffet one day - that is the place if you want a big sorta fancy hotel. Otherwise, I think the thing to do it rent a jeep and drive the national park on the north side of the island. Also, (although we didn't look for it) there is an abandoned Oriential Spa somewhere that you can explore. In addition, there is the little chapel, some ruins and other neat stuff. The beach at the south end of the island is full of locals but it has a neat channel that you can snorkel if you are a strong swimmer. - My wife didn't want to -

Pretty neat place. Go to the big grocery stores and buy some snacks and drinks. Nice place.