We had a lot of fun this year, much more than last year even and we had a lot of fun then, too! We saved more money this year by not going out to eat every night, and because of that, I am looking forward to having the timeshare next year as there is a kitchenette where we will be able to prepare meals if we wanted to. The collapsible cooler we brought with us to the island was invaluable, as the savings in buying Balashi from the grocer instead of the resort are large. Plus, we had the added bonus of bringing some snacks and drinks down to the beach to watch the sunset on more than one occasion.
The sun is very strong in Aruba, and despite my careful planning and liberal application of SPF 50 sunblock, I still was rather pink by the end of the week, though neither of us got a painful burn (thankfully). Please don’t underestimate the intensity of the sun!
Aruba is a very safe island, and while it has gotten a bad rap lately (particularly for the Natalee Holloway disappearance) it still remains one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean. There are very few places on the island where you may feel uneasy, mostly in the inner city areas.
See you next year, Aruba!