2airishuman
Contributor
Why Aruba?
Aruba, near the more scuba-oriented island of Bonaire, offers reliable weather and a wide range of activities and amenities for non-divers. There are daily flights from several major U.S. hubs. English is widely spoken. The island is free of any serious security problems or political instability. There are good opportunities for scuba diving, and plenty of other water-based recreation.
The island is an ideal destination for couples and groups that include non-divers as well as divers.
While there are luxury accommodations with a luxury price, it is also possible to explore the island on a budget.
Our trip
My wife does not dive, and we set out last December to plan a trip to a warm, sunny destination that we could both enjoy. We ended up with an 8 night trip to Aruba. We stayed in an AirBnb apartment that cost $60 a night, and rented a car. Total cost of the trip including airfare, activities, and quite a few meals out was around $2000 per person.
Diving
There are a handful of dive operators on the island. We used Mermaid Dive Center, due to location and ease of joining an existing schedule as we saw fit. They operate a boat capable of carrying 20 divers. They typically run a morning two-tank trip and an afternoon one-tank trip, with night dives scheduled based on customer interest. The boat leaves from the marina -- right in the middle of the hotel district and adjacent to the cruise port. The shop is located about 10 km away in Noord. Not much in the showroom but there was an on-site pool for instruction, a considerable rental inventory, the air plant, and a nice lounge area. The compressed air plant featured continuous monitoring for CO. Despite many customers with DIN equipment, tanks have yoke-only valves. Only AL80 and AL63 cylinders were available. Cylinders were older but in good condition and had hydro stamps within the last five years (not a given outside the USA).
Dives are run with a captain and an in-water DM. There were 4 divers on my first (afternoon) trip and 8 on my second (morning) trip. The boat is older and not fancy but had oxygen on board,, a life raft, and other suitable safety gear. Captain had been on the job for over 10 years. Spoke 7 languages, he said, and I don't doubt it after hearing him converse in English, Spanish, Dutch, and the local language (Papamiento). The sites we visited were close to the marina, less than 10 minutes' boat ride. Seas and currents were mild compared to the Florida Keys even though the DM was complaining. These were run as drift dives, although the current was mild enough that it would perhaps not have been necessary to do so.
The coral isn't as healthy as at e.g Cozumel or Key Largo but I still had fun. Here's some video. I had left my red filter behind for whatever reason so the color isn't too good, but it will give you some idea what it's like there:
This operator places considerable emphasis on staying with the DM for the duration of the dive. I believe this is understandable given that the dives were being run as drift dives. Divers who prefer a more independent diving experience may wish to choose another operator.
Other operators
JADS operates from a location at Baby Beach at the southern end of the island in an area that generally lacks tourist amenities (and therefore also lacks tourist traffic). We found that we liked this area. If we return to the island another year, we would strongly consider staying in this more remote area and making journeys to civilization, rather than the other way around.
Shore diving and snorkeling
Unlike Bonaire, there is no established shore diving culture or commercial promotion of shore diving. It may be possible to rent tanks and weights after cultivating a relationship with one of the operators.
There are a variety of shallow sites suitable for snorkeling, most of them accessible from shore. We used the Franko map and tropicalsnorkeling.com for starting points although neither reference was comprehensive or 100% accurate. Some sites are protected, others exposed, providing for a range of abilities and interests.
Here is some video I shot at one location:
I did not have a camera with me when snorkeling at Baby Beach, which contrary to some reviews I found to be both interesting and safe. It's a shallow site, and there's a current that comes through a gap that attracts reef fish and some pelagics, and I spent a good hour or so sheltered next to the rocks watching all the activity.
Beaches
Unlike most major vacation destinations, nearly all the beachfront in Aruba is public. There is no admission charge, parking is free, and you can bring your own food, beverages, etc. Beaches vary widely, some have no services and appeal mainly to locals, some have adjoining restaurants, bars, hotels, and tour operators. There are sandy beaches that are ideal for swimming and rocky beaches that are suitable for snorkeling.
Weather
A major attraction of Aruba over other Caribbean islands is the relative reliability of the weather. Aruba is a desert. Temperatures are nearly always in the high 70s during the day and the low 70s at night. Usually the humidity is low and there isn't much rain. As luck would have it, we were there during an unusually rainy week and had short rain showers (10 minutes) almost every day and some nights.
Nonetheless, this is an improvement over the February weather we have experienced in the Keys, where we have found that it is too cold to have much fun on the beach on cloudy days.
Driving
Aruba has European traffic signage and road design. There is a good deal of traffic, at least at times. My wife was not comfortable driving because she was having trouble internalizing the right-of-way rules and the timing at the roundabouts. Streets are poorly marked, a GPS is a necessity unless you have a navigator in the right seat who is fantastic with paper maps.
I used Google Maps for navigation and didn't have much trouble, but then again I've driven in a number of major cities around the world that are much more demanding of driver skill.
Language
The island is multilingual. Most residents are comfortable with Papamento and have some ability with Dutch, Spanish, and English. Many are reasonably fluent in all of these, including nearly all people in tourist-facing business roles (divemasters, waiters, shopkeepers). Signage is typically in English or Dutch with some in Spanish.
Other adventures
The island is a great place for kite surfing and wind surfing with several operators providing lessons and rentals. There is rugged terrain to explore on foot in the Arikok national park, and some small dry caves. Given the geology, there are probably some underwater caves as well.
Food
We prepared some of our own food, and also ate at some restaurants featuring local cuisine. Our favorites were Gostoso restaurant (Caribbean with Latin influences), and Zeerover, which is a seafood market and restaurant.
If you go
Renaissance Hotel is primary high-end resort, though there are others. There are a wide variety of offerings on AirBnb. There is a good deal of timeshare housing, some of which ends up as short-term rentals.
It is not necessary to rent a 4x4 vehicle to see the island. We did not encounter any roads there were impassible in our cheap subcompact. We used a major international car rental agency that was on the airport. The off-airport rental agencies were no cheaper, and some had byzantine rules on what you could and could not do, such as prohibitions on parking overnight on the street.
Consider bringing portable beach chairs, and a portable beach tent or umbrella, if you will be spending much time on the beach. Beaches are public and are free, and it is practical to bring your own stuff rather than pay $60 a day for rentals.
We did not encounter any merchants who turned down U.S. dollars. Nearly all merchants accept MC and Visa (Zeerover being a notable exception). Over half those we encountered accepted American Express.
Some AirBnB listings are for rooms or apartments without a water heater. While the incoming water is warm enough to be tolerable for a short shower, it won't meet most people's expectations.
We did not find mosquitoes or other insects to be a problem, although I understand that they can be depending on time of year and rainfall.
U.S. customs operates a preclearance facility in Aruba. This means that you will be unable to bring sandwiches etc with you to eat on the return flight, since customs will confiscate them. It also means you do need to allow time to clear U.S. customs and immigration prior to boarding your flight. Lines were long and we were thankful that we were enrolled in the Global Entry program and could skip them.
Aruba, near the more scuba-oriented island of Bonaire, offers reliable weather and a wide range of activities and amenities for non-divers. There are daily flights from several major U.S. hubs. English is widely spoken. The island is free of any serious security problems or political instability. There are good opportunities for scuba diving, and plenty of other water-based recreation.
The island is an ideal destination for couples and groups that include non-divers as well as divers.
While there are luxury accommodations with a luxury price, it is also possible to explore the island on a budget.
Our trip
My wife does not dive, and we set out last December to plan a trip to a warm, sunny destination that we could both enjoy. We ended up with an 8 night trip to Aruba. We stayed in an AirBnb apartment that cost $60 a night, and rented a car. Total cost of the trip including airfare, activities, and quite a few meals out was around $2000 per person.
Diving
There are a handful of dive operators on the island. We used Mermaid Dive Center, due to location and ease of joining an existing schedule as we saw fit. They operate a boat capable of carrying 20 divers. They typically run a morning two-tank trip and an afternoon one-tank trip, with night dives scheduled based on customer interest. The boat leaves from the marina -- right in the middle of the hotel district and adjacent to the cruise port. The shop is located about 10 km away in Noord. Not much in the showroom but there was an on-site pool for instruction, a considerable rental inventory, the air plant, and a nice lounge area. The compressed air plant featured continuous monitoring for CO. Despite many customers with DIN equipment, tanks have yoke-only valves. Only AL80 and AL63 cylinders were available. Cylinders were older but in good condition and had hydro stamps within the last five years (not a given outside the USA).
Dives are run with a captain and an in-water DM. There were 4 divers on my first (afternoon) trip and 8 on my second (morning) trip. The boat is older and not fancy but had oxygen on board,, a life raft, and other suitable safety gear. Captain had been on the job for over 10 years. Spoke 7 languages, he said, and I don't doubt it after hearing him converse in English, Spanish, Dutch, and the local language (Papamiento). The sites we visited were close to the marina, less than 10 minutes' boat ride. Seas and currents were mild compared to the Florida Keys even though the DM was complaining. These were run as drift dives, although the current was mild enough that it would perhaps not have been necessary to do so.
The coral isn't as healthy as at e.g Cozumel or Key Largo but I still had fun. Here's some video. I had left my red filter behind for whatever reason so the color isn't too good, but it will give you some idea what it's like there:
This operator places considerable emphasis on staying with the DM for the duration of the dive. I believe this is understandable given that the dives were being run as drift dives. Divers who prefer a more independent diving experience may wish to choose another operator.
Other operators
JADS operates from a location at Baby Beach at the southern end of the island in an area that generally lacks tourist amenities (and therefore also lacks tourist traffic). We found that we liked this area. If we return to the island another year, we would strongly consider staying in this more remote area and making journeys to civilization, rather than the other way around.
Shore diving and snorkeling
Unlike Bonaire, there is no established shore diving culture or commercial promotion of shore diving. It may be possible to rent tanks and weights after cultivating a relationship with one of the operators.
There are a variety of shallow sites suitable for snorkeling, most of them accessible from shore. We used the Franko map and tropicalsnorkeling.com for starting points although neither reference was comprehensive or 100% accurate. Some sites are protected, others exposed, providing for a range of abilities and interests.
Here is some video I shot at one location:
I did not have a camera with me when snorkeling at Baby Beach, which contrary to some reviews I found to be both interesting and safe. It's a shallow site, and there's a current that comes through a gap that attracts reef fish and some pelagics, and I spent a good hour or so sheltered next to the rocks watching all the activity.
Beaches
Unlike most major vacation destinations, nearly all the beachfront in Aruba is public. There is no admission charge, parking is free, and you can bring your own food, beverages, etc. Beaches vary widely, some have no services and appeal mainly to locals, some have adjoining restaurants, bars, hotels, and tour operators. There are sandy beaches that are ideal for swimming and rocky beaches that are suitable for snorkeling.
Weather
A major attraction of Aruba over other Caribbean islands is the relative reliability of the weather. Aruba is a desert. Temperatures are nearly always in the high 70s during the day and the low 70s at night. Usually the humidity is low and there isn't much rain. As luck would have it, we were there during an unusually rainy week and had short rain showers (10 minutes) almost every day and some nights.
Nonetheless, this is an improvement over the February weather we have experienced in the Keys, where we have found that it is too cold to have much fun on the beach on cloudy days.
Driving
Aruba has European traffic signage and road design. There is a good deal of traffic, at least at times. My wife was not comfortable driving because she was having trouble internalizing the right-of-way rules and the timing at the roundabouts. Streets are poorly marked, a GPS is a necessity unless you have a navigator in the right seat who is fantastic with paper maps.
I used Google Maps for navigation and didn't have much trouble, but then again I've driven in a number of major cities around the world that are much more demanding of driver skill.
Language
The island is multilingual. Most residents are comfortable with Papamento and have some ability with Dutch, Spanish, and English. Many are reasonably fluent in all of these, including nearly all people in tourist-facing business roles (divemasters, waiters, shopkeepers). Signage is typically in English or Dutch with some in Spanish.
Other adventures
The island is a great place for kite surfing and wind surfing with several operators providing lessons and rentals. There is rugged terrain to explore on foot in the Arikok national park, and some small dry caves. Given the geology, there are probably some underwater caves as well.
Food
We prepared some of our own food, and also ate at some restaurants featuring local cuisine. Our favorites were Gostoso restaurant (Caribbean with Latin influences), and Zeerover, which is a seafood market and restaurant.
If you go
Renaissance Hotel is primary high-end resort, though there are others. There are a wide variety of offerings on AirBnb. There is a good deal of timeshare housing, some of which ends up as short-term rentals.
It is not necessary to rent a 4x4 vehicle to see the island. We did not encounter any roads there were impassible in our cheap subcompact. We used a major international car rental agency that was on the airport. The off-airport rental agencies were no cheaper, and some had byzantine rules on what you could and could not do, such as prohibitions on parking overnight on the street.
Consider bringing portable beach chairs, and a portable beach tent or umbrella, if you will be spending much time on the beach. Beaches are public and are free, and it is practical to bring your own stuff rather than pay $60 a day for rentals.
We did not encounter any merchants who turned down U.S. dollars. Nearly all merchants accept MC and Visa (Zeerover being a notable exception). Over half those we encountered accepted American Express.
Some AirBnB listings are for rooms or apartments without a water heater. While the incoming water is warm enough to be tolerable for a short shower, it won't meet most people's expectations.
We did not find mosquitoes or other insects to be a problem, although I understand that they can be depending on time of year and rainfall.
U.S. customs operates a preclearance facility in Aruba. This means that you will be unable to bring sandwiches etc with you to eat on the return flight, since customs will confiscate them. It also means you do need to allow time to clear U.S. customs and immigration prior to boarding your flight. Lines were long and we were thankful that we were enrolled in the Global Entry program and could skip them.
