Have you visited other islands from Aruba?

[littlejen22]

Who has been to Bonaire, Curacao or Venezuela from Aruba? We will definitely not be doing it on this vacation but I would love to one time. My first flying vacation ever was when I was 23 (13 years ago) to Bonaire with a dive shop (I don't dive anymore) and I would love to go back but would be open to other excursions. It would not have to be a tour, just something not too expensive.

[~Amy~®]

We flew to Curacao from Aruba last May just for the day. Left Aruba around 7:30am and arrived Curacao at 8am. We had Dutch friends who were staying there at the time so we had great tour guides (if they had not been there we would have rented a car.) We saw alot of the island, stopped at various beach bars/coves, strolled through downtown, looked at some historical sights, and went to the Seaquarium. It was a full day but fun. We took the 8pm flight back to Aruba and were sipping drinks at Bingo by 9pm. LOL!

[rob o]

Originally Posted by ~Amy~®

We flew to Curacao from Aruba last May just for the day. Left Aruba around 7:30am and arrived Curacao at 8am. We took the 8pm flight back to Aruba and were sipping drinks at Bingo by 9pm.

Which airline? What was the round trip cost?

[~Amy~®]

Originally Posted by rob o

Which airline? What was the round trip cost?

It was around $112/person RT plus departure tax. We used Tiara Air but DAE was also available, too.

[aquaman]

Hi

I took my wife to BonAire (via Curacao) for her Birthday a couple of years ago. Flew DAE from Aruba at 8:30am. Flight was good. An interesting group of fellow passengers. Cost was around $450 return. Had to change planes in Curacao, at whicg point we were asked to pay Curacao departure tax ( Pi***d me off somewhat as we were in transit) Arrived in BonAire and rented a car and drove all around the island, breaking the trip for lunch at the Divi Flamingo. I had reserved ahead and knowing it was my wife's birthday, a special outside veranda table was setup with complimentary champagne. Nice touch. After lunch continued to drive rest of the island. Visited Flamingo sanctuary, the slave huts, the evaporation salt ponds etc. For a small island a lot of interesting things to see. Stopped at a small restaurant around 5:00pm, swam and ate and then back to airport for flight back to Aruba. A really nice day. BonAires beaches are rocky and do not compare to Arubas, but the crystal clear waters were amazing. If you have the time and a few bucks it is worth it.

[ChrisinStl]

I have been checking this out, as we plan on spending a few nights of our Honeymoon at the hyatt in Curacao.

Tiara air, has the most flights to Curacao from Aruba, daily, so it seemed,and was only $112 for a round trip for each person(taxes included). $224 for a couple. Plus they have morning and night return flights.

[rob o]

Originally Posted by ChrisinStl

Tiara air, has the most flights to Curacao from Aruba, daily, so it seemed,and was only $112 for a round trip for each person(taxes included). $224 for a couple. Plus they have morning and night return flights.

Nice deal....sounds great at that price.

[~Amy~®]

Originally Posted by ChrisinStl

I have been checking this out, as we plan on spending a few nights of our Honeymoon at the hyatt in Curacao.

Tiara air, has the most flights to Curacao from Aruba, daily, so it seemed,and was only $112 for a round trip for each person(taxes included). $224 for a couple. Plus they have morning and night return flights.

Where did you get the info about the departure taxes being included? Last I knew, you still had to pay departure taxes at both the Aruba and Curacao airports. Unless it has changed? I know they decreased the taxes over the past year but have not heard anything about them being included in the airline ticket.

[chrisk]

I have taken day trips to both Bonaire and Curacao. The departure taxes are steep (around $32 each way), but there are things that can be done to minimize them.

1) You might try to schedule your day trip to Bonaire or Curacao within the first day of your arival to Aruba. I was told this would count as a transit tax, which is lower. --I have not personally done this.

2) If you fly through Curacao for transit, there are stairs to the right when you enter the customs/passport area. Go up the stairs and pay the $2 transit tax.

Finally, be prepaired to have your flight delayed. I've gone between islands 4 times and never had a trip that ran on time. Maybe I was unlucky, but this could be normal too.

[~Amy~®]

Originally Posted by chrisk

Finally, be prepaired to have your flight delayed. I've gone between islands 4 times and never had a trip that ran on time. Maybe I was unlucky, but this could be normal too.

Maybe we got lucky but both of our flights on Tiara Air to/from Curacao were on time.