Dear Friends:

We are planning our second trip to Aruba in mid -January 2006 with a group of friends. We were able to trade our 2005 June time at the Divi Resort forThe Divi Phoenix in January 2006 through RCI, but it took over 6 months to get a confirmed trade. Some questions have come up and any help would be appreciated.

1.

Two of our friends are staying at the
CPV and another two are staying at the Divi Dutch. We do plan one dinner on the beach at the Flying Fishbone, and another beach dinner at the "Sunset Grill" at the Divi Phoenix. Has anyone tried the Sunset Grill on the beach at the Phoenix and how does it compare with the Flying Fishbone in price and ambiance?

2.

I did not get a chance to visit the Balashi Brewery last year. Does anyone know when they have tours and at what time during the day? I heard that once a week they have a party at the Brewery, but you need reservations. I would need the day and time for that event too, if possible.


3.

My wife, Joan, wants to visit the Aruba Aloe Factory, and would like to know when they have tours.

Thank you in advance for any information that you can offer us. We may have more questions as we get closer to our departure date.

F + J Landry
Boston, Ma.

Hi Frank, 6 weeks and counting, I heard a rumer about your balcony, what really goes on up there?

Well i can assist you with #1 about the Restaurants. I have been to both and I say that they are about the same, both on beach both with nice sunsets, food was great at both, so here is the difference the Sunset Grill at the Phoenix is less expensive also on some nights they had some entertainment, the service was good and its close to all the Hotels and Timeshares so no 1/2 hour ride. So my choice Sunset Grill, we went twice last April and are looking foward to it again! ENJOY

I can't answer your questions about the brewery or aloe factory but I own a timeshare at the Phoenix. The Sunset Grill is at the Radisson. The Sunset Bistro is the restaurant at the Phoenix. The Sunset Bistro is nice, the food is good and the view is great. I found the service to be very friendly but a bit slow at times. The Sunset Grill is the better of the two restaurants. No view but the food and service are excellent. I've never tried Flying Fishbone because of the distance from Hi-rise area. Too much for a cab and not worth having a couple glasses of wine and driving. I have heard great things about the place.

Hi F+J Landry,

To respond your question about beach dinner, I can tell you that Flying Fishbone is a very nice restaurant (a little pricy though), and it is located about half an hour away from the hotel area. The name of the restaurant at the Phoenix you are refering to is Sunset Bistro (not Sunset Grill). We do have Sunset Grill, but it is located at the Radisson Hotel ( it is indoor ). Between the two, I prefer the Flying Fish...
I don't know when or what time they do tours by the Balashi Brewery, but at the Aloe Factory, they do have daily tours (eccept on Sunday), which cost around 5 dollars a person. I hope you are more informed and we are glad to have you with us and will do our best to make you feel confortable on this beautiful island Aruba.
Enjoy it!

There is a 60 page brochure that you can download from this site which has EVERYTHING there is to know about Aruba....but to save you some reading.......

The Balashi tours are free and they are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11:00 a.m. Reservations must be made prior.
297-585-4805.

The aloe tour is Monday-Friday 9am - 4 pm and Saturday 9am - 2 pm 297-588-3222 they have a website, www.arubaaloe.com

There are a group of us going to Aruba at the beginning of February and we cannot wait!! Let's hope there are none of those nasty bugs!!! I've NEVER experienced them and this will be my fourth trip.....

Just a short note to say thank you to all who responded. Sorry about the confusion on the Sunset Bistro and Sunset Grill. Yes, we were refering to the Sunset Bistro at the Phoenix. We will probably do both in January.

Thank you, Heather, for the detailed info on Balashi and the Aruba Aloe tours. Last year, we had a very difficult time geting exact information on those two tours, and I realize that it can vary, depending on the season and number of people who inquire directly. We did visit Balashi on a Friday last January and were turned down for a tour and told to come back the next time, but there was no next time for us, as we had to leave the following day.

Our best memory of the Flying Fishbone in January 05 was the view and the meal itself. We were not rushed through dinner, and it was VERY RELAXING.

F + J Landry
Burlington, MA.