Newbie... first trip... and we leave next week!

[Charzie]

Hi! We're so excited to get to visit Aruba this year!

For those of you from Aruba... what touristy activities do you and your friends love to do? Do you get special deals on the touristy things for being from the island?

Thanks!

[Andrea J.]

i moved this to the activity category.

i do know lots of arubans do things on aruba just like we do here in the states or canada or wherever one calls home.

families with young kids do lots of beaching, boating, weekend little league, soccer etc....

older folks play lots of cards and visiting.

i know that depalm has a "local" pricing on certain days of the month.

respectfully, my opinion about aruban citizens discounts is that it is not our place to ask.

Originally Posted by Charzie

Hi! We're so excited to get to visit Aruba this year! We'll be at the Tam starting next Sunday, not sure about buildings and whatnot yet as we're going with two other families. Reading up on what should go with us.

For those of you from Aruba... what touristy activities do you and your friends love to do? Do you get special deals on the touristy things for being from the island?

Thanks!

[Arubalisa]

Welcome to the forum.

After staying there four times, hopefully you will love the Tamarijn half as much as we do.

There is a lot of info for first time visitors here.

The concierges at the Tamarijn can book all your tours and excursions for you, however they will use De Palm Tours exclusively. http://www.depalm.com

In your research if you see any tours you like which are not through De Palm, you can also book them online prior to your departure. Some give discounts for advance booking online anyway. Jolly Pirates is one that comes to mind off the top of my head.

[Charzie]

In my travels to India, Germany, Cancun, Gabon, and South Africa, discounts for local residents were openly advertised and the young community members had favorite activities of the touristy type. We did not have the same experience in England, France, Liechtenstein, Italy, or Switzerland. In my travels, I've had a great time networking with alumni from each of my respective universities and sharing the tourist activities that these friends found to be worth repeating.
Asking local residents about activities when the local residents pay the same price tourists pay will certainly skew the results of my inquiry to those in a wealthier bracket. My experience in countries with profound income gaps has only made me more aware that local community members have the best recommendations when those activities are reasonably accessible to a large segment of the population. This is also a good way to determine whether local community members are welcome to participate in the tourist culture - if not, I will be better prepared to seek more immersive opportunities. Innocent inquiry, certainly not meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable!

[Andrea J.]

so, maybe some arubans will share with you what you are asking.
is this some kind of a survey or informative paper you are compiling?

tourism is aruba's #1 industry.

i look forward to reading some of the replies that you receive.

there are many activites in aruba well worth repeating. (not tourists alone but everyone)
snorkeling
atv
scuba
fishing
windsurfing
kite sailing
skydiving

fine dining
nightclubbing
boating
casinos

family outings to the beach

these are all things that aruban citizens and residents love to do.......same as the tourists.

the local folks LOVE baseball and soccer and their free time is filled with watching the local teams battle it out.

as a citizen of the usa i am not uncomfortable with your inquiry, but to ask arubans on a public forum if they receive discounts imo is inappropriate.
again, just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Charzie

In my travels to India, Germany, Cancun, Gabon, and South Africa, discounts for local residents were openly advertised and the young community members had favorite activities of the touristy type. We did not have the same experience in England, France, Liechtenstein, Italy, or Switzerland. In my travels, I've had a great time networking with alumni from each of my respective universities and sharing the tourist activities that these friends found to be worth repeating.
Asking local residents about activities when the local residents pay the same price tourists pay will certainly skew the results of my inquiry to those in a wealthier bracket. My experience in countries with profound income gaps has only made me more aware that local community members have the best recommendations when those activities are reasonably accessible to a large segment of the population. This is also a good way to determine whether local community members are welcome to participate in the tourist culture - if not, I will be better prepared to seek more immersive opportunities. Innocent inquiry, certainly not meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable!