One Happy Island
Every 3 months I look forward to my escapades around the globe. Unfortunately, this year for obvious reason I had to table every single one of my travels. As an avid traveler refraining from traveling was challenging and honestly contributed to my depressing tone all year. Traveling is now part of who I am, and it is quite exhilarating.
It is not recommended nor ideal to travel during covid-19. The various quarantine requirements make it inconvenient as well. Traveling to South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia/Oceania has become expensive and the journey much longer. While I visited Canada and States like Florida and Georgia because of family, by September I knew I needed to leave; I needed a new territory; I needed to disconnect before I burst in pieces. I eventually convinced my friend to join me to Barbados but unfortunately one got injured and Barbados 2 weeks prior to the trip required 5 days quaratine before venturing out of the hotel. I needed another plan fast and staying locally was simply not an option.
How many of us saw the flamingo and cabana pictures by the beach on our social media feeds? I have obsessed over them for years now and thought why not check Aruba’s travel requirements amongst many other destinations. After a few days and mesmerizing over the cabanas at the private island at Renaissance Resorts it became the ideal gateway for 5 days and 4 nights.
Although I am willing to take as many COVID-19 test that is required to travel, the test was simply not easy especially if you had my doctor who aggressively pushed the nasal swab in my nose; I was in pain for half the day. I also needed to register on the Aruba travel site and 3 days later they sent a link to pay for health insurance (which was mandatory) and submit a negative test result (PCR or Rapid PCR) to enter the island or take a test at the airport at arrival for $75. A real hassle I tell; the airport would not even let passengers check in without the Aruba travel authorization card.
Day 1
Going through Immigration was simple at arrival. They requested the travel pass to enter the island and the negative covid-19 test result. A card is provided once everything is confirmed to give to hotels or else reservations can’t be honored. Since I booked at 2 different hotels 2 cards were handed to me before exiting the airport.
I assume Aruba landscape was much like most of the Caribbean; to my surprise while heading to my first hotel located in the high-rise section of town, I found myself at a desert scattered with giant boulders, cactus forests, and woody bush.
I checked in at the Mills Resort which is now the Courtyard Aruba Resort for 2 nights. It looked like I was the only guest stay at the hotel. The restaurant was only open from Friday through Sunday. The other facilities at the entrance of the resort were all closed. The shuttle to the beach was not operating. Several times I was told the beach was right outside across the street, unless I am blind, I never saw it. I must admit I was also not looking.
Luckily just a few feet away was The Village Mall. It is not the typical mall one would think of just gathering of various restaurants, retail shops and outdoor entertainment. At night, the center is occupied with street performers and musical ambience. For lunch I went to Lola Taqueria Mexican Restaurant and had the best shrimp tacos I ever ate. For dinner I stopped at Papillon Restaurant an upscale dining option offering French cuisine with Caribbean flavor.
Day 2
My taxi driver informed me that I needed to experience the sunrise at Hooiberg. I contacted the same driver to drop me off at the entrance of the trail. By 6:15am after roughly a 25-minute steep hike I was at the summit awaiting the famous sunrise. Since I am now an avid hiker, I can admit that the view was disappointing due to electrical cellular tower equipment obstruction. At least I got to start my day with a workout.
Right after the hike caught a taxi to Palm Beach a tranquil shoreline of bright, clear turquoise waters and soft white sand located at the high-rise just 5 minutes from the hotel. While waiting for Delphi Water Sports, a hut on the beach that offers various watersport and land activities to open I walked along the boardwalk lined with restaurants, tiki bars, casinos, and stores on one side and hotels on the other side. I tend to not eat prior to extreme activities so when I noticed Eduardo’s Beach Shack I was thrilled. Because it was just the best meal option prior to the catamaran sailing and snorkeling. The shack is vegan friendly serves a range of healthy options including smoothies, açai bowls, fresh mixed fruit bowls, protein balls, poké bowls, etc. After savoring my very first acai bowl I went back to Delphi hut for the 9:30am departure. I have booked various catamaran experience in the past and this by far was one for the books. Unlimited drinks, music, sliding or swinging rope into the ocean was thrilling. We snorkeled above the “Antilla” the largest shipwreck dive in the Caribbean followed by another site with active reef and plenty of colorful fish. The tour lasted 3 hours before we were brought back to shore.
Local food is important during my travels as much as visiting historical site and venturing into various activities. Since I was already at the Palm Beach boardwalk, I stopped at the most appealing location at proximity. The Palms Restaurant at Hyatt Regency sits right on the beachfront overlooking the tiki umbrellas, lounge chairs and beach area. The food was average, I had their shrimp and lobster burger followed by the chef mille feuille.
After a long walk around the high-rise neighborhood, I laid by the pool at the resort to continue my reading of “The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck.” At dinner time made my way to Red Fish a local seafood restaurant with great ambiance, excellent service.
Day 3
While I enjoyed the high-rise neighborhood, I needed to see more of the island. I needed to see the everyday life of the locals. I hired a taxi driver right around 9am for 4 hours. There is not much to see on the island 2 to 3 hours was just about enough if you are driving. The driver a woman even went to her house at the end of the tour. I told her I did not have anything better to do then lay at the beach for the day if she had errands to get it done. I love how she knew a bit of every culture and her innocent offensive jokes made my day. During our conversations she knew where to refer me to eat, the sights to take me, like: the Alto Vista Chapel, the Casibari Rock Formation which was right across from her house, the California Lighthouse, A Divi tree and a Fofoti tree, the low-rise section, downtown, and the high-income neighborhood. After the tour she referred me to Salt and Pepper Tapas Bar & Restaurant for brunch.
It was now time to check-in at the second location Renaissance Ocean Suites in Downtown Area. I was not impressed with my stay a $500 per night not one meal was included. They thought overlooking the parking lot with a few plants would be considered a garden. I roamed both hotel facilities after dropping off my belongings. The atmosphere was just like being in Las Vegas or Miami nothing original or worth the nightly rate.
For dinner I stopped at Yemanja Woodfire Grill located next to the hotel. All the dishes were prepared on a wood fire grill with a blend of Caribbean flavor and European flair. A must try while on the island.
Day 4
Finally, the escapade that brought me to Aruba, a day on Renaissance private island with cabana rentals, Flamingos, and a butler for the next 8 hours. Although the cabana rental price tag was less than ideal, a whopping $425 not including breakfast, lunch, and dinner I lounged all day reading, eating, playing the flamingos, drinking, snorkeling, and kayaking. After running out of things to do I decided to request a deep tissue massage luckily, they were completely booked. I scrolled the internet and came across Manchebo Beach – Spa Del Sol located on Eagle beach, the southern end of the Low-Rise Section of town just 10 to 15 minutes away from the hotel.
I informed my butler that I would be back in the next 2 hours; caught the ferry back to port and then a taxi straight to Manchebo. It was far more beautiful than the pictures a Caribbean-Balinese themed spa and a much better option than the indoor spa at Renaissance. The massage session was right on the beach in a private open-air hut overlooking the turquoise blue beach. They have 2 restaurants on site, jacuzzi and sauna; by far the best massage I have experienced, I even fell asleep in the process. After the massage, sauna and jacuzzi session made my way back to the private island for dinner.
Day 5
My flight was not until 4pm so first thing in the morning I walked to Renaissance Marketplace right in front of the hotel for breakfast at Café the Plaza. Went back to my room until checkout at 2pm.
Aruba has the most beautiful shores that I have ever seeing among the 40+ countries visited. The island caters to tourist, feels like a less developed Las Vegas or Miami in the desert. Regardless of which kind of escape you decide to have, Aruba is an amazing island to get away from the everyday hustle of life. One can sit underneath a palm tree sipping on cocktails and pina colada on one of the many beaches or partake in the island many adventures such as snorkeling, kitesurfing, jet skis, take a 4×4 through the city and ancient ruins, visit historical sites and interacting with butterflies and flamingos. I only wish there were more traditional food options around town. Expect to see Iguanas and lizard everywhere. For a last-minute escapade it was worth it.
Collect Memories One Escapade at a Time 