Week in Aruba

Don't plan too much. You will want to spend more time relaxing on the beach than you think.

Quick Tips:

When you eat out, you will probably notice a 15% service fee on your bill. If you are from the US, don't think of this as your tip. This gets divided among the entire staff. If you thought your service was good, you should add a tip on top of that.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public taxis are well regulated. They have a set fee from one zone to the next. Don't be afraid to use them. Most of the drivers are very friendly.

We went to the Holiday Inn SunSpree resort for my Brother-in-law's wedding. They were staying at the Marriott next door that was out of our price range.

The Holiday Inn is a nice budget resort. It is in the high rise section of Aruba. It is not a "high end" hotel, but it is also not a "flea bag".

We didn't want to pay the extra for an ocean front room and were surprised with a top (7th) floor room about 2 rooms from the end. We could still see the beach and ocean from our balcony.

There seem to be at least 2 types of packages. We had the "bare bones" package which is just the room. We had to pay for all of our drinks and food. The other is all inclusive. I did see other colored wrist bands so there may be more options available. If you don't plan on going to all of the great dining on the island, the all inclusive would be a fine option. Or if you are planning on drinking all day. Neither my wife nor I do that much drinking, so we were fine just paying for our drinks as we went.

The beach is not bad at the Holiday Inn. If you want a hut, you will need to be at the towel hut by 6:30am to reserve one.

There is a moderate exercise facility. They have 3 treadmills, 3 stationary bikes, 2 elliptical machines and some free weights and weight machines which they ask you use for no more than 30 minutes if someone is waiting. The treadmills tended to be used the most in early morning and late evening.

There is a spa in-house. We did not use it, but my other Brother-in-law and his wife did. They said there massage was nice.

Over all, it is not a bad resort for the price.

This tour is a lot of fun. You have up to 8 people in a Land Rover Defender. You follow a guide around the island on the back roads. They take you to most of the more famous points on the island including the California Lighthouse, Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins, Natural Bridge and the Ostrich Farm. Afterwords, you go to the DePalm Island for snorkeling, food, and drinks. (All open buffet & bar). They have worked very hard to establish a reef at the island and attract fish. There are quite a few fish in the area, but there are also usually quite a few people. The fish are not shy and will stick around even with all the people.

All in all, it is a fun trip, any you even get back to your hotel in time to clean up and go out for a nice dinner.

The beach at the Holiday Inn is not bad. If you want to reserve a hut, you will need to get down to the towel area by 6:30am. They are reserved for the day each day. Floatation mats are available for $3 per day. The water is clear and never gets above chest deep. In the beginning of August, the water was warm. I would assume it is like that year round. You also get the NE trade winds to cool you off all day long.