Aruba

[scubakittymarie]

Hello,
We have a 4-5 hour layover in Aruba before continuing on to Bonaire. Any suggestions on what to do? It is late morning into late afternoon.

 

[laserdoc]

Take a cab into town and shop and gamble. Not enough time to do much else

 

[mike_s]

yep. A cab is your best best.

however, if you are just "flying through", you won't have time really to clear Aruban customs (20 min), taxi ride into town (20 min), do anything, taxi ride back (20 min). and then go through depature processing and security again (20 min) before your flight. that's not worth the hassle for 4 hours minus the almost 1.5 hour time required above. It'd give you max about 2 hours in town to look around a few shops.

Aruba imagration/customs isn't too bad depending on how many planes arrive. They've got 5 or 6 "lanes" to serve people, but most of them were closed on our trip. Only 2 or 3 open and there was a line that took 15 to 20 minutes. The line to go back through the departure security and customs check took about the same time or longer. Note that traffic in town starts to get back about 3pm to 4pm from people going home, etc.

The downtown area of Aruba (Oranjestad ) is mostly "cruise boat shopping" anyway. If you had time to to up to Eagle beack, Palm Beach or do the trail tour from the lighthouse going east, then that might be fun, but thats too far and too much time in the small amount of time you've got on the island.

I'd take something to eat if you stay in the airport. In the terminal area they didn't have a selection of food last time I was there. the only thing besides candy snacks they had was a wimpy hot dog stand once you were inside security.

hope that helps some.

 

[Amazon]

When are you traveling? Thanks to USAir recently cancelling our direct flight home, we now have a rather long layover in Aruba coming home from Bonaire. We arrive in Aruba at 7:30am and now have a 4pm flight. This is on the 17th. I can let you know how it goes...we will be venturing in to town.

 

[gygirl]

Hi, I am coming to Aruba in a few weeks, and would like a good honest account of what the quality of diving is like there. Can anyone help ?

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

I have been there once and did only dives less than 70 feet. The weather is almost always nice, with air temps 89 F and stiff tropical breezes, little rain (the island looks and feels more like Arizona than the caribbean). The water was high 70s, low 80s (3 mil shorty) and viz about 50 to 80 feet (more like the keys than Caymans).

There is diving of the west side --- dive sites ten minutes away, calm seas, nice reefs (lots of life, plenty of spotted morays, some turtles, rays, etc, lots of nice coral) and decent shallow wrecks (the Antilla, pedernales, star gerren) --- very nice and very easy. Lots of good operators, lots of choices (am, early pm, late pm, night dives). No or little current, surge. Most will either pick you up or operate right of the resort beaches themselves.

There is diving on the south beach area, or SBA --- i didn't go there, but supposedly a little more challenging in terms of depth, current and sea conditions. Longer boat rides, am 2 tank excusions...

The island is very nice overall. But again, I caution --- no one wants to hear the name of Natalie Holloway. And, by the way, consider the restaurant at the Tierra del Sol (great chowder in a bread bowl, ask for Aldo) and the restaurant at the light house (go and watch the sunset there, breath taking and the food is great, but bring yoy credit card!)

 

[allistoy]

Contact Dive Aruba the fellows name is Clive he runs a small 8 person max dive boat. If you enjoy the freedom to dive your own dive without time restriction or depth restrictions he's the perfect operator. After having experienced the cattleboat crowd, 40 minute max time and 60 foot depth limits from Red Sail and Mermaid I now only use Clive for my diving in Aruba.

 

[Cecil]

Take a cab to Manchebo Beach resort, just the other side of town. It will cost $17 for the cab. All that was said about customs and immigration is true if its a week end. Weekdays the lines are much shorter and you can breeze through.

Skip downtown because you will have your luggage with you. You can not check your luggage through to Bonaire untill an hour before the flight. Get out of the airport the only food is a lousy Sabero inside the exit louge and a small snack shop outside with a pretty limited selection.

We ask the same cab that drops us off to pick us up for the return leg.

 

[gygirl]

Thanks all for the replies regrding diving in Aruba.

 

[The Mighty Thor]

I just came back from Aruba and used SEAruba Fly n Dive (searuba.com.) Great time. Water was about 82 degrees, visibility about 40 feet (usually a lot better I hear). Great wrecks with a lot of fish. We stayedaround the in the northwest side because of the high winds. Saw the Antilla, Pedernalis, Arashi and the Debbie II. Liked the Debbie II the best. Saw turtles, octopus, rock fish, eels, etc.
I'll be back to do the south side someday.


PLUS, great nightlife and restaurants.