Lying to the northern coast of Venezuela and famous for white sand beaches, Aruba is part of the Caribbean islands. The southwest coast has many white sand beaches while the northeast coast has a rocky coastline and dangerous underwater currents. There are inexpensive flight tickets available to visit this delightful island city.
Besides the official Dutch and Papiamento, Spanish, and English are also widely spoken.
Climate
The region enjoys a steady tropical climate with trade winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean throughout the year. Temperature is around 27 degrees, and yearly rainfall is less than 20 inches. The city is at a safe distance from the hurricane belt of the Caribbean. January to March is the best months to travel to the city.
Traveling around
Flights to Aruba arrive at Reina Beatrix International Airport. Although no longer having its own airline you can get flight tickets for leading US airlines including American Airlines, Air Tran, United, US Airways, Delta, JetBlue Airways, etc. Cruise shipping service can be an advantage as it allows travelers close access to shopping areas around the ports.
The ‘Arubus’ bus service is the cheapest for sightseeing. Drivers and local travelers are unusually friendly and helpful. Being a small city, renting a car or jeep is not necessary as most places are at walking distances. Besides, being rented older cars even by big-brand companies is common, the poor signage on streets can also be frustrating.
Places to visit
Cheap flights to Aruba allow visitors to enjoy a series of beaches including the most beautiful Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. Malmok Beach, Hadikurari Beach, San Nicolaas Beach, Baby Beach is other popular ones. Most beach resorts offer to stimulate activities like sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, snorkeling, etc.
A wonderful location to visit in daytime, Natural Pool is a tiny pool of water hidden behind rocky formation on the northern side of the island. Hooiberg also known as the Haystack Mountain is 500 feet high. Being in the center, this place offers a spectacular view of the city and the Venezuela coastline. Climbing 561 steps is not at all challenging on a crisp and clear day.
A good place for animal-lovers, Donkey Sanctuary has many rescued donkeys roaming wild on streets which are often victims of cars or dogs. While petting the animals is free, there is a small charge to feed them pellets or apples. The contributions are used for further rescue work.
Shopping and eating
Quite an expensive city to visit and shop around, getting cheap tickets to Aruba is vitally indispensable. Knowing very well that their economy largely depends on tourism, even the street vendors in the city are extremely polite and respectful to buyers.
The Renaissance Mall in Oranjestad, houses many American and European brands including Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren and other stores for souvenirs, jewelry, clothing, and grocery. The duty-free shops around the airport and cruise ports offer slightly better bargains.
Major restaurant chains like Wendy’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc are present in downtown and near hotel resorts.
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