For anyone who has been to Aruba, any recommendations on things not to miss?

 

http://www.aruba.com/

 

We stayed at the Sonesta, which has three beaches, one nude and one with a sunken plane/reef you can snorkel to. We went there to see and shoot a total solar eclipse. Aruba is a beautiful, somewaht arid island. The people, native and Dutch, are great.
http://destinia.com/hotels/aruba-sonesta-r...ibbean/47262/en

 

If I was in Aruba I'd just eat, swim, snorkel, eat, drink beer, swim, then eat, then beer, then sex, then more beer. Repeat that everyday for a truly relaxing holliday (perhaps with more sex).

But also there are other things: http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/sightseeing/index.html
http://www.arubabound.com/sightseeing.htm (<< good stuff)

Catamaran cruise looks great. As does the mountain biking if you are fit.

 

You could go hang with Joran Van Der Sloot.

 

Sloot. Hope you have a better trip than Natalee Ann Holloway.

Beautiful place but I would hate to ever have to count of the police force there.

 

If you are looking for a great deal on Cuban cigars go to the Cigar Emporium located in the Renaissance Mall. Ask for Jay Ras. She knows her smokes and will work with you on price.

 

We always rent a car when we go there. The island is pretty safe and you can explore as much as you want. You don't need to rent a jeep. I usually get a car (with a/c and it keeps the dust off you) and can access most places. I think the natural pool is the only thing you need a jeep (or atv or horse) to get to.

Check out DePalm island when you're there, there are these 3 foot long blue parrot fish which come right up to you.

If you're not staying at an all inclusive resort, I'd recommend the following resteraunts:

Pincho's it's on a pier over the water, the food is simply prepared (grilled) but very good.

Buccaneer Interesting place, it looks like a pirate ship on the inside. One dining room is ringed with small fish tanks, the other dining room has a huge shark tank. The food is mediocre and inconsistent.

Flying Fishbone, and Old Man and the Sea. Two places that are right on the beach. Tables are set up in the sand. Very romantic. Food is ok. They're located south of Oranjestad. It's a bit of a drive from the hotel area.

Matthew's at the Casa Del Mar resort in the lo-rise area. great all you can eat ribs on wednesdays. The restaurant is right on the beach. Great place to watch the sunset.


Aruba's is great for relaxing. Just sit on the beach all day, watch the sunset, get dressed, have dinner, then hit the casinos. Repeat all week.

We've been going every year since '97.

Have a good time!

 

Couple other things that came to mind:

Take a snorkel tour that brings you out to the scuttled freighter from WW2. It's in about 60' of water so it just breaks the surface. Or you can do a semi-submersible boat ride out to it. You can check it out without getting wet. Also, the good snorkeling sites ( just off Malmok and Arashi) are accessable by rental car or Arubus (the local buses).

If you're going with other people, do the http://www.kukookunuku.com/ . They pick you up on party bus. You toast sunset at the lighthouse on the north end of the island, then have dinner at the former ambassodors house, then they bring you to a few different bars. The company owns the bars they bring you to. It's fun if you go with people you know. If you're just a couple, I'd probably skip it.

My favorite sunset sail is the "Octopus" http://www.octopusaruba.com/. It leaves from near the Pelican Pier (behind the Holiday Inn) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's a 2.5 hour sail, all you can drink. Very relaxed because the boat only holds about 14 people at most. Tell Jethro I said " Hi".

Overall the food on the island is good for the caribbean. If you're from a major metropolitan area, it's nothing spectacular.

I'll post if anything else pops into my head.

 

If you rent a car, don't pick it up at the airport. There is an additional 20% tax for airport pickups. Use toyota rent a car or royal ( I used royal this past april) (there may be others). Reserve online and they'll pick you up at the airport, and bring you to their office (about 5 minutes from the airport).