|
Hotels | Attractions
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's 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. |
|
|
|
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 in Aruba
|
| 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. |
Aruba's Medical and 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 |
Aruba's 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 in Aruba
|
|
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 in Aruba: Gratuity
of 10 - 15% is usually included on your bill. At your own discretion, you may add an extra amount
for good service.
|
|
Aruba's Drinking
Water: Aruba drinking water has been desalinated and purified, so it is safe
for drinking.
|
What to Wear in Aruba
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
View more Things to do in Aruba
|
|
|
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.
|
