Well Deserved Week in Paradise

We had so much fun! When we first got to Aruba (we being my sister, her boyfriend, and myself), we dropped all our things in our room and took off for the beach. That night we dined by the light of Tiki torches and a local singer.

The following day, we woke up and went down to the beach. There was a kiosk a stones throw from our resort that did parasailing, diving, snorkeling, and more! We went parasailing for a decent rate.

For dinner, we headed out on a tour called the "kuku kunuku bus tour". We went on a ride up the coast to the only lighthouse and had a champange toast, and then were whisked away to a beautiful house for dinner and discounted drinks, and then went out for dancing and more drinks! The next day we went out shopping and exploring. The last few days we mostly spent at the resort on the beach and by the pool, playing games and getting pampered.

Quick Tips:

Aruba is a great family destination. I think the only drawback is it can get very expensive to stay there where food and shopping is concerned. I would suggest to bring some non perishable items with you, like bagels, chips, maybe juice boxes, and cereal (especially cereal, it's a box!).

Sunscreen is a MUST! And apply it at least two times a day so you don't end up roasted! DON'T buy a phone card in the US because it will not work down there. Pick one up when you get there if you need to, but I found the phone rates to be reasonable. One last thing, you go through customs BEFORE you leave the country (there's a US customs office in the airport), so especially if you're leaving on a weekend, leave a little early.

Best Way To Get Around:

We were all under 23 years old, so we had to depend on taxis. Remember to ask the rate before you get in the cab. There are no meters. From the resort areas to downtown are usually around - 12. A car is not needed for every day, most resorts have car rental on site and the day by day rate is reasonable. There really is not too much public transportation in Aruba.

Our room was HUGE at the Costa Linda. We had a two bedroom/two bath unit. It was really nice. The kitchen was great as well. We had a great view of the beach from our back porch. We were staying in a section of the resort called "The Garden of Eden", and it was indeed. It had all sorts of plants and wildlife and in the center of the courtyard area was two hot tubs.

The resort itself was beautiful. The pool deck was huge with plenty of lounges. The beach was nice as well. The beaches are really pretty, and on the clear days you can see forever.

The resturant was great. You could get anything from a salad to steak or seafood all day. The prices were good, as were the entrees. The drinks by far were the best. I recommend anyone traveling to Aruba to try "balashi", which is the native beer of Aruba.

The activities director, Marcel, was a lot of fun. He was full of information on where to go and what to do. He also got everyone involved in karaoke and pool volleyball.

All in all my stay at the resort was great. The only thing that was a drawback about the Costa Linda was that it was a little far from everything and you really needed a car to get out of the resort and go sightseeing or even to other resturants.