Must do in Aruba??

For those of you who have been to Aruba in the recent past...What would you suggest as a "Must Do" experience for our upcoming stop in Aruba?? This will be our first time here!! Can't wait!!

Thanks!!

What is our "must do" might not be yours! Your best bet is to get a guidebook on Aruba and see what interests YOU!

We love beaches, so that's what we did, for the day......then, we headed to the ship to change, and went to dinner and casinos for awhile....(we were there until 2am, so that gave us LOTS of time!)

Aruba is not a lush, tropical island....it's a true desert island...quite flat and by no means "lush"!

Yes what interests you and we can make suggestions from there?

Adventure, beach, culture, nature?

Yes what interests you and we can make suggestions from there?

 

Adventure, beach, culture, nature?

Any of the above!!

We will have a beach day in Grand Turk & probably La Romana. Possibly, nature, snorkeling would be our choice!

Thanks!!

jolly pirate - fun, snorkel, rum punch, rope swing

red sail - more refined, snorkel, rum punch

go down to the high rise - shopping, restaurants, casinos, most properties you can just go into and enjoy the restaurants and lounges

go to a beach bar - passions on the beach( amsterdam manor), Moomba, pelican bar and Bugaloo (high rise area palm beach)

Stay in Oranjstad - shopping, restaurants, casinos

We have never done the 4 wheeling tour of the islands but in Nov. we have reservations for the trikes-aruba

Try tripadvisor.com for more info

kini kini atv tours are great takes you to natural pool .. baby beach is known for snorkling.. the shopping is great the beaches over in palm beach and eagle beach are beautiful!....

lmtrn-Just wanted to say Ware Eagle to ya!!! :-)

My favorite things to do in Aruba :) besides lounging on the beach ;)

In no particular order:

Tranquilo http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...95&postcount=9

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...0&postcount=32

Jolly Pirates My review

Island Helicopter Tour http://messages.cruisecritic.com/sho...55&postcount=3

Kini Kini ATV Tour http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=32823997&postcount=2

Strea Charters -- Mangel Halto Snorkel Cruise- similar to Tranquilo, Tranquilo is a longer day and imo more bang for the buck, but great excursion nonetheless

My review of Strea:

IF :o money were no object :rolleyes: http://www.morningstararuba.com/

I have friends and acquaintances who have sailed with them and absolutely raved.

If you like nature and are not interested in any of the above, you could also spend some time in Arikok National Park hiking or just touring. There is no swimming on the windward side of the island, but there is hiking, some picturesque beaches as well as caves for touring.

lmtrn-Just wanted to say Ware Eagle to ya!!! :-)

War Eagle!! :)

MUST go to a beach even if its for a little while. The water is warm and as blue as ever. Heaven!!!

My favorite things to do in Aruba :) besides lounging on the beach ;)

 

In no particular order:

 

Tranquilo http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...95&postcount=9

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...0&postcount=32

Jolly Pirates My review

Island Helicopter Tour http://messages.cruisecritic.com/sho...55&postcount=3

 

Kini Kini ATV Tour http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=32823997&postcount=2

Strea Charters -- Mangel Halto Snorkel Cruise- similar to Tranquilo, Tranquilo is a longer day and imo more bang for the buck, but great excursion nonetheless

 

My review of Strea:

Strea Charters

Strea only takes 8 people and this snorkel tour is an excellent value for the money for an intimate tour experience. Even if you do not snorkel, I would recommend this excursion for anyone looking for a leisurely boat ride along the mangroves of Aruba’s western coastline with turquoise waters all around.

 

Mangel Halto is one of the best spots on the island for snorkeling and there is much to see underwater. The shallow reef may make it a little daunting for the faint of heart, but if you are an experienced snorkeler you should have no trouble at all. The Captain John is your underwater guide. If you are not experienced, he will tell you what to do and not do to make your snorkel tour the best experience. We were the only group at the reef at the time.

 

Once out of the water, Captain John took our requests for sandwiches and we enjoyed time munching our lunch while reminiscing about what we saw.

 

Book this excursion early. Since they take small groups, it does tend to book up quickly.

IF :o money were no object :rolleyes: http://www.morningstararuba.com/

I have friends and acquaintances who have sailed with them and absolutely raved.

 

If you like nature and are not interested in any of the above, you could also spend some time in Arikok National Park hiking or just touring. There is no swimming on the windward side of the island, but there is hiking, some picturesque beaches as well as caves for touring.

Thank You for all your suggestions!! They all look great!!:D

It sounds like we might have the same itinerary as we are cruising on 9/1 on the Valor to Grand Turk, La Romana, Aruba and Curacao. Here is what we are doing in each port:

Grand Turk - enjoying the beach right off the ship in front of Margaritaville and possibly walking down to Jack's Shack for seafood and drinks.

La Romana - booked what sounds like a great tour through Seavis Tours. Check it out on their website: http://www.seavisbayahibe.com/shoreexcursion_e.htm

Aruba - booked the North Coast Jeep Safari Adventure through Carnival as it got great reviews.

Curacao - taking a taxi to The Dive Bus and snorkeling at Pierbaai Reef across the street. http://www.the-dive-bus.com/ You only pay $5.00 to snorkel in addition to the cab ride. Then we will shop in Punda and if we have time can go to the Casino next to the Dive Bus at the Breezes resort.

Have fun!