welcome home
thanks for the trip report
i don't know of anyone that says "it never rains in aruba".
we have all experienced some rain and washouts.
that being said, the rains are infrequent and typically one does not lose an activity due to rain.
the weather in aruba, bonaire and curacao is the best in the caribbean
amazing and frustrating that don carlos' restaurant tried to rip you off. shameful.
andrea
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diane-AKA-Lola
Well, my Aruba vacation is over. It was an adventure and we had some ups and some downs. Here goes:
First off, the downs: we had rain on the island that touts that "it never rains in Aruba." We arrived on Monday 6/23 and the skies looked overcast but not rainy. Tuesday and Wednesday were downpours -- not just a sprinkle but a full fledged downpour. We got soaked because we could not find a small umbrella or a raincoat. The mornings were okay (not sunny but not rainy either) so we used this time wisely. The afternoons were a washout -- literally. It stopped for a little while in the evenings but then we had more rain after dinner each night.
Our other down was the restaurant Don Carlos. We stayed at the Renaissance Ocean Suites and this restaurant is really close. While the food was good (the red spaghetti sauce was very tasty), both the waitress and the manager tried to rip us off for double tip. Instead of adding the customary "service charge" to the bill (for tip), they added two sales taxes. When we asked about it they both lied to our faces and told us it was not the tip. We were furious because we finally got it out of the manager that it was indeed the tip. We were livid that they would try to rip us off so blatently. DO NOT EAT THERE!!!
OKAY -- now for the ups: the Renaissance Ocean Suites. The private island is worth everything. Do not, however, go the the adult side of the island. It is very rocky and buggy. The family side is sooooo much nicer and there really wasn't many children there anyway. The boat ride and the island are so worth staying at the Ren. While there are other, more prestigious hotels on the island, the private island is golden.
Several restaurants were amazing: 1: Pinchos -- the food and atmosphere were spectacular. 2: El Gaucho -- the beef from Argentina was delicious and the little lounge across the street was fun. 3: Texas de Brazil -- while it is a chain in the United States, we do not have one near us and it was so fun to go to. The salad bar and the freshly carved meat were delicious. 4: Iguana Joes -- this is certainly not upscale dining but the shrimp royale that I had may have been the best meal I had while in Aruba.
Another up: The dePalm Jeep tour -- we did half day. It was good but rushed. We would probably do the full day next time. Although rushed, it was sooooo much fun. Even though we got rained on, the tour was full of beautiful sites and nice people. Definitely would do it again.
All in all, our trip was full of way more ups than downs. The weather didn't cooperate but we still had a great time and are looking forward to a return trip.
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