More Than Just Beaches...

Le Dome serves fine French-Belgian food and has a reputation for being one of the most elegant restaurants on the island. The food is consistently good and served in style. The menu is quite extensive, as is the wine list. And don't forget the Belgian beers!

The restaurant is divided in different seating areas (including a more casual outside terrace), each featuring a different theme, all reflecting an atmosphere of 'the old world'.

If you don't want to splurge on an à la carte dinner (since the restaurant is quite expensive), consider at least going to the Sunday brunch, featuring items from the main menu as well as other choices for a fixed price. It's well worth it!

Favorite dish: I had the New Zealand lamb, which was well seasoned and quite delicious, served with tomato and a baked potato on the side.

There's this one, well-known, built-up, and over-touristed side of the island where the hotels are situated and that everyone knows. This is the side of the island that gives the island its nickname as the "Vegas of the Caribbean'.
And then, there's *this* side of the island, where almost no tourist comes: Grapefield Beach. If you want a beach where you feel alone and where you can relax completely in solitude, this is your place. It is quite off the beaten path though: pass though the oil town of San Nicolas, take the road to Baby Beach until you reach the large red anchor (opposite the Correctional Facility, you can't miss it!), go to the left and there you have it: Grapefield Beach. In the weekends you can often see kite surfers perform their acrobatics in the rough surf further from the coast. Warning: there are NO facilities so bring your drinks and snacks with you.

The rugged northern coast of the island is as different from the built-up and touristy southern shore as you can imagine. You can drive along most parts of the coast but beware, the road is not paved and gets terrible (practically impassable with a normal car, check out a 4WD) in places.

All along the coast are hidden coves (called 'bocas', mouths, in Papiamento) that make for nice pictures. There are some beaches (popular with surfers) but again WATCH OUT, the current is very strong and people have drowned here.

Also on the northern coast, you will find the former natural bridge, which collapsed in 2005, the Bushiribana gold smelter, a couple of caves with Indian pictographs, dunes, the Natural Pool (difficult to get at) and Andicuri beach, with its great surf.

On the Northern coast, and very much on the tour bus itinerary (you'll see loads of buses and jeeps) , is the Ostrich Farm. It's on the road toward the (collapsed) natural bridge and gold smelter ruins and it's worth a visit if you have the time to spare. Tours (of a little more then half an hour) of the ostrich enclosures are given every half hour and the guides are knowledgeable and entertaining.

They'll tell you lots of facts about ostriches: did you know for example, that almost every part of the ostrich is used: the feathers, the skin (for high quality leather), the oil and the meat, which is very low in cholesterol and high on healthy fats?

The farm is open daily from 9am to 5pm (tours to 4pm). There is a restaurant (built like an African lodge) and a gift shop, featuring African crafts, on the farm. So if you want to bring a nice African souvenir from Aruba, this is the place to go! Ostrich meat is served in the restaurant, but not from the Aruban ostriches, which are not used for meat and eggs. A highlight of the visit is surely a visit to the nurseries. We saw some 2-day old ostrich chicks, very cute! The chicks are colored the same as cheetah cubs for camouflage!