First visit to Aruba - August 7th

[GHM]

We are due to arrive in Aruba on August 7th for two weeks staying at the Tamarijn AI with two children aged 16 and 13 and are really looking forward to it.

I have trawled the forum and various websites for all sorts of information about the island, the weather, the people, the Tamarijn, what to do and see, etc. etc. and must admit that I am on overload.

Any recommendations on what to see, and what to do, from members that are familiar with the island and all it has to offer?

Also, any tips on the Tamarijn and the AI experience in general? (This will be our first AI holiday.)

Anyway, we can't wait - 4 sleeps to go and counting!

[Arubalisa]

We have been to the Tamarijn four times. Twice with a group of three girls aged 8 - 13 and twice with kids ages 8 - 20. Most recently the kids ranged in age from 17, 16, 15, 13 and 10 years old. The teenagers will have a terrific time.

Kids of your children's age would surely love an excursion on the Jolly Pirates. Reserve online before you leave to receive a discount.
http://www.aruba.com/forum/tags/jolly%20pirates.html

If your family is active, I always recommend the challenge the resort offers in a guided bicycle tour along the coastline up to the northern end of the island for some snorkeling. It is about a 6 mile ride each way for some really decent snorkeling.

Before our first visit to the Tamarijn, one of my biggest questions was in regards to tipping.

We have tried an "experiment" at the Tamarijn All Inclusive during our past two visits with very very mixed results. Our dd was having difficulty getting served so first thing in the a.m. I drag her to the bar handing the bartender a $5 bill and stating in a friendly joking sort of way, "the kid is with me".

After the first two visits, dh and I had come to the conclusion that some of the bartenders, irregardless of how much we tip , will never understand that receiving a "TIP" means "to insure prompt" service.

Tipping at the Tamarijn
It is a bit of an older post, but the info is still up to date.

Overall, Karen offered excellent guidelines for all tipping.

Tons more info:

Quick Overview of Tamarijn 12/22 - 1/3

Tamarijn All Inclusive 12/22 - 1/3/08 Overview

Tamarijn All Inclusive 12/22 - 1/3/08 Food, Beverage & Service

Tamarijn All Inclusive 12/22 - 1/3/08 The Rooms

Tamarijn All Inclusive 12/22 - 1/3/08 The Activities

Tamarijn Aruba June 12 - 24, 2008 (Long)

Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive June 17 - 29, 2009 (Long)

Any further specific questions, feel free to ask.

[TEAMARUBA]

The Tam has alot to offer, and with 2 weeks you are gonna have plenty of time to take advantage of everything. the AI experience for us has been excellent there. We have stayed there 5 times and usaully travel with our kids ages 12/14/16. They always find something to do and you will definitely notice it is a family resort. The kids usually meet by the pool tables/pools and depending on where everyone is from, it turns into alot of fun. We usually book our trips through the front desk and have always had great experiences with them. We especially like the free bikes and almost everyday find ourselves going on an excursion and exploring the island. I can not stress it enough that I have taken those bikes into the heart of that island and never did I feel like I was in any danger whatsoever. We are heading there in 3 weeks but are trying the Divi this year because of a special they were running. With 2 weeks there all I can say is take it slow, don't worry about booking things too early, the pizza bar is a win win for the kiddies, and have a great time. Tipping is easy, we always tip the bartenders and the other post is correct, it either works or it doesnt. And don't even get me started on the Bunker Bar, as you can see it is my image for this website, I can't even begin to tell you how many friends you will make there. Bon Bini !!!

[cooliecanpro]

Don't overload. Slow down and have fun. A first trip is a learning experience. You've got food, drink, beach and sun. Figure out the rest as time permits.

[GHM]

Thank you very much ArubaLisa, TeamAruba and Cooliecanpro for your comments and the links to the other pages. Very interesting and useful information. I think we will need far more than two weeks to try everything!

[cooliecanpro]

You are on overload wanting to try everything!

[cpjones]

Enjoy the people and the beaches..... that's a great start!

[GHM]

Thanks everyone. I will let you know how we get on by posting a report after we get back. With any luck it might be of interest to other Aruba first-timers.

[Andrea J.]

thanks
i am sure it will be of interest to all of us.
enjoy

we also arrive on august 7th and are staying about 1/3 mile away from you at the Casa Del Mar, near the Alhambra Casino.

If you are interested, every monday there is a 2 for 1 happy hour at Amsterdam Manor Beach Bar on Eagle Beach. (about 1 mile from Tamarijn and on the bus route)
come by monday at 5 and say hello and visit.
andrea

Originally Posted by GHM

Thanks everyone. I will let you know how we get on by posting a report after we get back. With any luck it might be of interest to other Aruba first-timers.

[Sheree10]

I just got back from Aruba and spent part of my trip at Divi Tam. It's great for families and you will find plenty to do on the island and resort. Don't try to jam everything in.. go with the flow and see how you feel when you get there.

I didn't do as much sightseeing as I would have like to since I was busy( got married on the island two weeks ago) but that's an exuse i can give hubby to go back.

Enjoy!!