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The Caribbean Island Of Aruba

I love Aruba: (Mi stima Aruba)

Aruba have a population of mixed descent you can trace Aruba's ancestry back to 40 different ethnic backgrounds from around the world. Aruba native language is a creole dialect called Papiamento which is made up of elements of Dutch, Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, a number of different African languages, and Arawak Indian. Nearly everyone on the island of Aruba is able to speak English and Spanish, in addition to Dutch, which is the official language of Aruba.
Papiamento is a unique language which is only spoken on the Dutch Caribbean islands. It was considered a local dialect and of no significant interest until the year 1995. Three years later the Government decided to teach Papiamento officially in the schools as a new language subject. Papiamento books can be found in bookstores and the language is quite easy to learn.
History and Culture of Aruba
The first people to inhabit the island of Aruba were a nation of Arawak Indians called the Caiquetios who migrated north from the Orinoco Basin in South America and settled here approximately 2,000 years ago. Remnants of their culture can still be found at a number of different sites around the island: pottery, earthenware, and other artefacts at the Archeological Museum in Oranjestad and at the Historical Museum of Aruba at Fort Zoutman and William III Tower; and cave drawings and petroglyphs in the Fontein and Guadiriki Caves and at Arikok National Park.
has four colors: Bunting yellow, Larkspur (or U.N.) Blue, Union Jack Red and White.

Aruba's Flag

The flag of Aruba consists of a red star with a white outline set against a sea-blue background with two parallel yellow stripes.
The STAR symbolizes the four points of the compass, denoting the varied source of more than 40 nationalities living on the Caribbean Island of Aruba. Each of these colors is significant: the Red color of the star symbolizes love of country and the White outline surrounding it represents the white sandy beaches around Aruba as well as the purity of Aruba's inhabitants who respect justice, freedom and righteousness. The Blue color of the flag denotes the color of the surrounding sea.

Getting Married in Aruba

Getting married in Aruba is a wonderful way to add exotic romance to your wedding day. Whether you choose to renew your vows on the beach, during a private sunset cruise, or at a lush tropical garden, There are a multitude of properties on the island with complete banquet facilities for your reception, many of Aruba's fine restaurants offer elegant private rooms for special occasions. Afterward, enjoy your honeymoon in Aruba, taking advantage of the islands breathtaking vistas and secluded hideaway to celebrate your romance. Aruba's best resorts and hotels offer all-inclusive honeymoon packages, and the island itself is simply perfect for newlyweds.
Aruba's Climate
Aruba enjoys a dry and sunny climate which is kept pleasant and temperate year-round due to the cooling effects of the trade winds. Aruba's average annual temperature is 83 degrees Fahrenheit (27 Celsius), Aruba's rainfall amounts to just 17 inches a year, most of which occurs during the months of October, and November. Aruba is located well below the hurricane belt.
Aruba: Travel Tips
Currency
The Aruban florin is the standard currency of the country, but U.S. Dollars are accepted everywhere, including taxis, and can be expected to be returned in change. Most of the larger hotels provide currency exchange, if needed.
Banks
Aruba's Banks are open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and cash may be obtained at branches of the Caribbean Mercantile Bank and the ABN-AMRO Bank with any major credit card or with Cirrus network ATM cards. Please note however that the ATM's dispense only local currency

Transportation
Aruba's Queen Beatrix Airport is located on the southern coast not far from the capital city of Oranjestad. Jeeps, scooters, and bicycles may be rented for getting around or for going off on one's own. Cars and motorcycles may also be rented at the airport, and limousine service is available. Taxis should have a fixed price schedule for most destinations on the island. Everyone in Aruba drives on the right-hand side of the road. Taxis are common rated, and established by the government. Tipping is usually 10 percent.

Hotels

Aruba offers a wide variety of accommodations from luxury hotels with their own private beach facilities to guest houses, and rental apartments. Seasonal rates vary from hotel to hotel, the winter season from January through March tends to be the most crowded and the most expensive. Hotels routinely add between 10% and 15% as a surcharge for service and 11% for room tax. It is customary to tip the porters an average of 50 cents US$ per bag, and all other gratuities are left to the guest's discretion. View a list of hotels and resort in Aruba
Shopping
Aruba offers duty-free shopping at the airport or at specified duty-free establishments, the tariffs at other stores are still low at 3.3%, and there are many bargains to be had in European porcelain, jewelry, perfumes, and clothing. Aruba's main shopping strip is to be found at the Seaport Village in Oranjestad. Stores are generally open from 8 am to 6 pm with a two-hour break for lunch between noon and 2 pm.

Medical/Health Facilities
Hospital in Aruba is a 280 bed hospital equipped with reputable medical staff and modern equipment. The hospital, which opened in 1976, is located across from Eagle Beach. Services such as oxygen tanks and hemodialysis are available. For more information contact:
Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital
Sasakiweg, Aruba
Tel: 297-587-4300 Fax (297) 587-3348
www.arubahospital.com

Electricity
Aruba's Electricity operates on 110 volts alternating current, 60 cycles, and American appliances should work without the need for converters or adapters.
Communications
Aruba has modern international communication facilities. For international telephone calls (direct dial, person to person, or collect calls), telex and telegrams, electronic mailgram and mariphone calls, contact the hotel operator or SETAR.
SETAR located next to the Aruba post office at the Irausquinplein or at SETAR Telescope at Palm Beach across from Hyatt Regency Aruba Beach Resort & Casino or at SETAR Telescope, Schelpstraat (around the corner of Le Petite Cafe, - Downtown, Oranjestad).
Telephone
To direct dial to Aruba from the United States, you must dial 011-2978 + the five digit number. To direct dial from anywhere else you must dial 297 the seven digit number. From Aruba to the US, dial 001+area code and number.
Tipping
Gratuity of 10 - 15% is usually included on your bill. At your own discretion, you may add an extra amount for good service.
Drinking Water
Aruba drinking water has been desalinated and purified, so it is safe for drinking.

Wha t to Wear

When in Aruba, Dressing is casual informal summer wear is normal. Ladies may bring along a shawl to throw over the shoulders at night. Dress-up clothes are recommended for a night out in one of the island's elegant restaurants, nightclubs or casino's. Most casino's require jackets for gentlemen. Bathing suits are not permitted in the shopping and business districts.

 Things to do in Aruba

Wind surfing
Aruba, blustered by the Caribbean winds, is regarded as one of the best places on earth to windsurf. As a consequence the island has attracted world famous instructors and wind surfing specialty shops to cater for exponents of this exhilarating sport. Every year Aruba also hosts the 10-day Hi Winds Amateur World Challenge wind surfing tournament, which attracts hundreds of professional wind surfers, amateurs and spectators in late June.
Scuba Diving
Aruba's underwater realm draws scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts intent on exploring its famed spectacular shipwrecks
and fascinating coral formations. The island's dive sites include the largest wreck in the Caribbean, the renowned Antilla. The waters abound in exotic marine life. Most divers base themselves at hotels on Palm Beach to access the best dive sites, which lie along the western and southern coasts. There are more than 40 sites serviced by numerous operators on the island. A shallow sand plateau stretches out to the offshore reefs, which are best reached by boat. Coral formations are in relatively shallow water and visibility and weather conditions are usually excellent. Beginners will find top-rated scuba schools on offer.
Deep Sea Fishing
A visit to the waterfront in Oranjestad is all it takes for deep-sea fishing enthusiasts to hire themselves a private boat with captain and crew, for a day or a few hours, to set out to sea in search of game. The island's temperate offshore waters boast a wide variety of Atlantic game fish, including white and blue marlin, Barracuda, Shark, Black fin, Blue fin and Yellow fin Tuna. In high season charters may be difficult to come by, so it may be wise to book ahead through your hotel.

  Golf

Aruba's Golfing is an experience that merges relaxed sporting enjoyment with a celebration of the island's wildlife. A world-class golf course, the 18-hole, par 71 Tierra del Sol, is situated on the northwest tip of the island. It was brilliantly designed by Robert Trent Jones II to take full advantage of its natural surroundings. Golfers take a swing watched by wild green parakeets perched on organ-pipe cactus, and lizards basking on the rocks. The fourth hole is alongside a saltwater salina inhabited by a variety of exotic bird species, while burros graze beside the fifth hole. Aruba's endangered burrowing owls perch on coral caves near the sixth. Those hoping to polish up their game can enjoy the course's popular "No-embarrassment Clinic", run over a half a day. Pro-golfers who like a challenge will find the course offers various wind conditions that make club selection an important factor. The terrain is dry, arid and flat, typical of a desert links. The Bermuda Grass fairways are kept in excellent condition and are fairly wide. Hazards include bunkers full of soft white Aruba sand; cacti; coral rock formations; and water hazards called "salinas" on holes 13, 14 and 15. The greens are planted with Bermuda Tif Dwarf grass, are fast and have no hidden breaks. Most putts are affected by the wind.

Horse Riding

Holiday makers with a yen for horseback riding can indulge themselves in Aruba's topography, which provides plenty of adventurous and enjoyable excursions, from sand dunes to arid desert plains. Riding experience is not required to join a guided outing from one of the two main horse riding operators, Rancho Notorious and Rancho Del Campo. Most excursions take in the island's sights and landmarks, like the Arikok Hills, the lighthouse and

natural bridge, San Nicolas, Oranjestad
The industrial center of Aruba, San Nicolas is the island's oldest and largest town. Until the late 19th century it was a small fishing village but all this changed with the mining of phosphate on the island, and more recently the discovery of oil off the coast of Venezuela. The town provides a glimpse of old British-Caribbean charm and contains a handful of restaurants and shops. There are a few popular beaches to the east of the town that offer good swimming and snorkeling opportunities and are suitable for families.
Arikok National Park
Arikok National Park encompasses a significant chunk of the interior and a long stretch of the northern coast. The park has miles of well-marked hiking trails and this, for most, is the best way to discover its attraction. Between the towering cacti and the contorted divi-divi trees can be found the best preserved Indian cave paintings on the island, deserted plantation houses, and the ruins of an old gold mine. Within the park is Mount Jamanota, which at 620ft (188m) is Aruba's biggest hill. From the top one can enjoy good views of the island and on a clear day one can see across to Venezuela. At the southern reaches of the park are the Guadirkiri Caves and the Tunnel of Love. Legend has it that the headstrong daughter of an Indian Chief was trapped here with an unsuitable suitor and left to perish but their love-boosted spirits shot through the roof of the cave and into heaven.
Beach Strip
Aruba's best stretch of beaches extend four miles (7km) between Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. The endless fine, golden sand and the crystal-clear shallow waters have not surprisingly attracted the crowds and with them the high-rise, luxury hotel complexes that line the beach. There are no shortage of bars and restaurants to choose from and beachgoers are able to hire all sorts of toys including kayaks, wind surfers, snorkeling gear and catamarans. North of Palm Beach are some colorful reefs and shipwrecks to entice divers and snorkelers. Diving trips, wind surfing and sailing lessons can be arranged through most hotels. For those looking to take a break from the beach, distractions include the nearby Butterfly Farm and the Bubali Bird Sanctuary, a small marshland where visitors can view hundreds of species of migratory waterfowl including coots, cormorants, terns and herons. A favorite place to enjoy the sunset is at the restaurant by the California lighthouse on the northern tip of the island. The lighthouse was built after the British steamship, the California, ran aground here in 1891.

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Our source: Over 80% of the information on this page was taken from http://wikitravel.org the other information was gather from knowledge of the islands and news.     

 
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