aruba first timers

[kapitan95]

Hello members. We(me ,wife, and 2 yrs old) will be going to aruba march 6 to 13 for the first time and I am doing some research to make the best of things. I have a few questions from the members. Should I rent a car(inland or airport) ? I want to visit a couple of the beaches like baby beach, rogers beach, etc. will the bus take us there. We have reservations at the marriott stellaris hotel( we work for marriott) . Do we have access to the Marriott surf club, ocean club pool, renaissance island? Are there resonably priced restuarants in walking distance? How far is oranjstad malls and dining from this property(walking, bus, car)? are iguanas kid friendly? What should we bring with us for the toddler(pampers, food, medicine)? what would you consider a must see in aruba besides the beaches of course? Any help would be greatly appreciated. We have travelled to Dominican republic, puerto rico, el salvador ,and honduras besides other US states , how would aruba compare? thank you...for any responses.

[ArubaSalsa]

Hi! I'm happy to hear that you'll be coming to Aruba!!! I'm sure you and your family will love your vacation!

I'll try to answer all your questions.

The first thing you could do before renting a car is take a tour of the island. (I recommend ABC-tours) After seeing and getting a feel of Aruba you can then rent a car. Especially if you would want to go to baby beach, rogers beach and spots that are on the other side of the island (like the caves). Busses do go to the other side of Aruba but not all the way to baby beach/rogers/caves.
When you are staying at the Marriott Stellaris hotel you are allowed to go to the Surf and Ocean for eating etc. but not for swimming or to use their part of the beach/pool. They try to keep it separated.
If you are not staying at the Renaissance and want to visit the Renaissance island there is a fee that they will charge you. (I recommend this as well)
There are allot of restaurants located at the high-rise hotel area, walking distance from the Marriott. (here's a couple: Texas de brazil, Moomba Beach (reasonably priced), Hadicurari, Hostaria da Vittorio)
There is a new Mall right next to the Marriott Resorts, it's called Paseo Herencia. If you would like to go to the downtown malls you can take a cab, its to far to walk.
Wild iguanas (the ones you will see at the resort or on the island) are not kid friendly. They will run away.
You should bring your regular traveling items. There are some big supermarkets in Aruba that sell about almost everything, including pampers and food. There are 2 close-by pharmacies that sell medicine (eagle and St. Ana) they are called "Botica".

A must see in Aruba is the Wild side. The north part of Aruba. That's where you will see the real Aruba. If you take a tour you will see this part as well.

If you want to compare Aruba with the other places you've been to, this is what you can expect from Aruba:
1. 99% great weather
2. A safe island
3. ease of communication
4. allot of activities to choose from
5. great food
6. high service
7. a clean island
8. US Dollars are accepted

To sum it all up: 'One happy Island'!

Just have fun and Enjoy Life!

[Andrea J.]

great post reggie!
andrea

Originally Posted by ArubaSalsa

Hi! I'm happy to hear that you'll be coming to Aruba!!! I'm sure you and your family will love your vacation!

I'll try to answer all your questions.

The first thing you could do before renting a car is take a tour of the island. (I recommend ABC-tours) After seeing and getting a feel of Aruba you can then rent a car. Especially if you would want to go to baby beach, rogers beach and spots that are on the other side of the island (like the caves). Busses do go to the other side of Aruba but not all the way to baby beach/rogers/caves.
When you are staying at the Marriott Stellaris hotel you are allowed to go to the Surf and Ocean for eating etc. but not for swimming or to use their part of the beach/pool. They try to keep it separated.
If you are not staying at the Renaissance and want to visit the Renaissance island there is a fee that they will charge you. (I recommend this as well)
There are allot of restaurants located at the high-rise hotel area, walking distance from the Marriott. (here's a couple: Texas de brazil, Moomba Beach (reasonably priced), Hadicurari, Hostaria da Vittorio)
There is a new Mall right next to the Marriott Resorts, it's called Paseo Herencia. If you would like to go to the downtown malls you can take a cab, its to far to walk.
Wild iguanas (the ones you will see at the resort or on the island) are not kid friendly. They will run away.
You should bring your regular traveling items. There are some big supermarkets in Aruba that sell about almost everything, including pampers and food. There are 2 close-by pharmacies that sell medicine (eagle and St. Ana) they are called "Botica".

A must see in Aruba is the Wild side. The north part of Aruba. That's where you will see the real Aruba. If you take a tour you will see this part as well.

If you want to compare Aruba with the other places you've been to, this is what you can expect from Aruba:
1. 99% great weather
2. A safe island
3. ease of communication
4. allot of activities to choose from
5. great food
6. high service
7. a clean island
8. US Dollars are accepted

To sum it all up: 'One happy Island'!

Just have fun and Enjoy Life!

[kapitan95]

thank you aruba salsa. very informative. How long is the tour? As we grow older we appreciate sightseeng tours more and more. We are really hyped about the vacation and are very suprised how economical the hotel and flight is. I would still like to see what other members have to say or ideas we could use for our trip. many thanks.

[ArubaSalsa]

To get more info on the tours check out their website.

www.abc-aruba.com

Enjoy!

[cindyo]

I eg to differ. Renaissance Island is a wonderful place. We own at Renaissance, and have friends and family begging us to take them over. Yes, not staying there will cost you to get on the island, however I do believe you get a lunch and a drink. If the hotel is at a full occupancy I am not sure if they let others over. Just check at one of the desks at either Renaissaince. The staff on the island is second to none, we know them all and love them. They are part of our"aruba family" and look forward to us arriving. We travel with 24 people, and they know us all by name.

[ArubaSalsa]

I agree with Cindyo. the Renaissance island is really great. It's like a tropical paradise. Gorgeous beaches and a relaxing atmosphere. If you want a nice day and just want to relax and enjoy your vacation, you have to visit the renaissance island.

[kapitan95]

From what i've seen in pictures, the airport landing strip is nearby, does this cause a distraction with noise and ambience?? Also , do you think talking to staff may get us any special consideration price? We are employed by the Marriott for a long time. Again thanks for the feedback everyone. It is greatly appreciated.

[cindyo]

You would never know the airport is off the island. Around 1 ish there are a few big planes flying overhead, but certainly not a distraction. I know nothing of special consideration of getting on the island as I don't work for Marriott. There is a fee to get on the island for those not staying at the Renaissance. I believe it's around 75.00, but don't quote me on that

[Arubalisa]

For Curacao you can get there via Tiara Air http://www.tiara-air.com/
Figure about $200 per person roundtrip for the airfare.