Christine Androney

Just returned from an amazing vacation in Aruba and I am so excited to share!

Aruba is a small island (140 square km) located just 25km off the coast of Venezuela.  It's a very desert like island with temperatures averaging 27C/80.6F with constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean.  The island is located just below the hurricane belt so storms rarely pass over.  


There are so many highlights, but I will start with our accommodations. 

Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino
Located right downtown Orajestad it is not right on the beach which we were a bit skeptical about, but it ended up being fabulous.  The hotel is right above the Renaissance Mall and is adults only. We were on an all inclusive plan, so we also had access to all of the amenities at our hotel as well as the sister property Ocean Suites Family section located just across the street.  There is a boat that comes right into the lobby of the hotel to take you to the private island so you can enjoy the beach.  It runs every 15 minutes and takes about 15 minutes to get to the island. 


The Food....Oh my goodness....the Food!

L.G. Smith's Steak & Chop House
Fine dining in a casual atmosphere.  This restaurant features fresh angus certified beef, seafood and an extensive wine list.  We ate there 3 out of 7 Nights.  On one particular night my boyfriend asked the waiter if there was cheesecake on the dessert menu, but was informed that there was not, so he just ordered a coffee.  The waiter was taking a while to come back, but when he did he brought the coffee....and a piece of cheesecake.  He had gone to one of the other restaurants in the hotel to get it.  Talk about service!

Aquarius
This is the hotels buffet restaurant and it's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Great variety of salads, fruit, hot plates and desserts.  They also have a hot station where they serve made to order omelettes in the morning, hot sandwiches in the afternoon and for dinner they offer fresh fish and lobster. 



Papagayo Bar & Grill
The beach bar restaurant located on the private island.  Pizza, chicken wings, sandwiches and seafood.  We found out on the last day that we could order Hagen Daz bars for dessert, probably a good thing that we didn't know this early considering we were on the all inclusive plan. 



Blue
Located in the lobby of the hotel and just a few steps away from the pool, they serve amazing tempura shrimp, beef and tuna sliders, sushi, chicken wings, salads and much more.  In the evening when the lights come on, the bar glows blue and there is D.J. entertainment or live singers.  It turns into a night club type atmosphere.

 

Sole
Located at the pool of the Ocean Suites, it's a great lunch spot for burgers, sandwiches and fresh seafood.  There are tables set up in the pool area, and this is also where you'll find the swim up bar.

Captains Corner
Outdoor buffet located at Ocean Suites is open for breakfast and dinner. 

The Lounge, Midnight Grill
Open until dawn for late night munchies.

I would say that the food and staff service were the highlights of the hotel, but it also offers a good fitness centre, Okeanos Spa and meeting facilities.  The hotel sits just above the Renaissance Mall where shoppers can enjoy stores like Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Gucci, Cartier and Rolex just to name a few. 


Renaissance Private Island
Like I said earlier, it's a 15 minute boat ride from the hotel.  When you get to the island you walk down a path where you'll probably see Iguanas of all shapes, sizes and colours.  If you go to Flamingo Beach to the right, you'll see just that, Flamingos wandering along the beach.  Down the path to the left is another beach area where the Papagayo Bar & Grill is located.  There are many loungers to use, and the waiters come to you right on the beach. 









We did a couple of day trips and booked them right from the tour desk at our hotel.

ATV Action Tours
Our tour guide picked us up right at the hotel and drove us to where the tour started.  Stops included a visit to the Bushiribana Gold Mine ruins - an abandoned gold mine that once processed ore during the gold rush of the 19th century, Alto Vista Chapel, Ayo Rock Formation, the Natural Bridge and the Natural Pool.  The terrain was pretty rough at times, but the guide was great and we were so glad we did the tour.



Jolly Pirates
Sail, Snorkel, Swim Aruba and Swing
Great day out on this pirate ship.  Snorkel gear is provided and we stopped at three different sites including Malmok, Boca Catalina and the Antilla a WWII shipwreck.  The crew served us lunch, there was time to enjoy the open bar, music and rope swing. It was great to be out on the water for the day.





Aruba is an AMAZING place to visit.  Can't wait to go back!