Two Relaxing Weeks in Aruba

A July 2005 trip to Aruba by Travelingon

Divi Dutch VillageMore Photos

We had a very relaxing and enjoyable two weeks in Aruba!

  • 2 reviews
  • 4 photos

Divi VillageBest of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Divi Dutch Village"

Divi Dutch Village
Best Things Nearby:
Bus stop in front of resort. $2.00 round-trip to go downtown, where there are stores, open-air vendors' stalls, restaurants, and a cinema with current films.

Hong King Supermarket across the street. Good selection of food and liquor with reasonable prices. Bring your own reading materials. Magazines and books are very expensive.

Alhambra Casino and Shopping Bazaar has a few gift shops, Dunkin' Donuts and a Subway.

Best Things About the Resort:
Beach with shady huts and boardwalk – always a breeze.

Friendliness of all staff.

Location is great. Beach and swimming pools on site. Bus stop in front of resort. Supermarket across the street. Jump on the golf cart to get to the casino.

Fully equipped kitchens.

Resort Experience:
We had a terrific, relaxing 2 weeks in Aruba. One of our best vacations ever!

The resort is in the low-rise hotel area. It’s a perfect location for a relaxing vacation. There are three floors in each block. We had a two-bedroom, newly refurbished unit. The two bedrooms had king-sized beds and plenty of closets and storage space. Each had its own bathroom with tubs and showers. There are dispensers for the shampoo, soap, and lotion, and hair dryers are mounted on the wall. The unit was beautiful and spacious, with light-colored tile floors everywhere and bright-colored drapes and bedspreads. There is an iron and ironing board, a safe, three TVs and six beach towels. There’s a small bathroom in the entryway.

The kitchen had a full-size refrigerator, convection/microwave, and four-burner stove. There is no dishwasher, which wasn’t a big deal to me. The kitchen was fully stocked with table service for six and many pots and pans and utensils.

The balcony has a patio table with four seats and a lounge chair. The view off the balcony is the pool area, which has the pool and Jacuzzi, shady huts, a barbecue grill, grass and palm trees, and the occasional iguana visiting.

There is maid service daily to replace towels and remove trash. Midweek, there is a complete cleaning.

There is a nice swimming pool and Jacuzzi right behind the unit and there are three other swimming pools you can use at Dutch Village as well.

The Hong King supermarket is a short walk. They have a good selection of food and alcohol at reasonable prices.

The water and sand at the beach is very clean. Some areas are rocky when you first get in, so you might want to bring beach shoes. I did find some nice seashells to add to my collection. The beach never felt crowded. There were plenty of lounge chairs and straw huts available when we needed them. One morning at 8am I was the only person walking on the beach. We went snorkeling a few times here and did see some interesting fish, but we snorkeled at Baby Beach later in the week, and it was terrific!

There is a coin-operated laundry for guests. The cost is $2.00 per load each for the washer and the dryer. There is a detergent and softener vending machine for $1.00 per packet.

There’s a golf cart shuttle that is used throughout the Divi complex if you’d like to go to the Alhambra Casino. We signed up for the Alhambra Casino Advantage Card for free, and we did get some souvenirs to take home at the end of our stay. There’s an Internet café and a game room at the Tamariyn Hotel next door.

We had a wonderful, stress-free vacation and will visit again!

  • Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
  • Activities: Very Good
  • Amenities: Excellent
  • Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
  • Family Friendliness: Excellent
  • Service: Excellent
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travelingon on July 19, 2005

Divi Village
J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 93 Oranjestad, Aruba
+297 5835000

Baby BeachBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Snorkeling at Baby Beach"

We rented a car and drove to Baby Beach on the southeast tip of the island. The water was crystal clear, and the sand was so soft! It’s a large bay with water 2 to 6 feet deep, depending how far you go. There is an opening to go out to the open water, but the surf seemed much rougher, so we didn’t venture out, since we’re novices at snorkeling. We saw many colorful fish in the bay - it was great!

There is a snack bar. Restrooms are available for 50 cents. There is very little shade. You can rent a cabana, two lounge chairs, and a float for $30.00. We visited on a Sunday, and there were many families there, but it didn’t seem overly crowded.

I highly recommend this beach for swimming, sunning, and snorkeling. Bring plenty of sunscreen!

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Travelingon on July 19, 2005

Baby Beach
Oranjestad, Aruba

About the Writer

Travelingon
Travelingon
Milford, Massachusetts

Get the Word Out

Share this travel journal beyond IgoUgo with your favorite sharing tools.