Aruba – One Happy Island

December 2015

Aruba is definitely ‘one happy island’. I certainly had a smile on my face on this caribbean gem.

Our trip to the island was part of a cruise destination with TUI (now Marella Cruises).

The currency in Aruba is Aruban Florin. However, US Dollars are widely accepted. The weather is fantastic in Aruba. Highs of 31 degrees. Although, rainfall varies in some months throughout the year.

We started our day having a walk through the capital city called Oranjestad. Oranjestad is amazing for shopping. You can find a big shopping centre with loads of high end shops, boutiques and restaurants.

The harbour is beautiful and we saw all kinds of birds and iguanas. We stopped at a restaurant overlooking the harbour for something to eat.

There are many locals trying to sell souvenirs and we met a lovely man called Nero. Nero said he wanted me to live on the island because I looked happy. Thanks Nero!

Aruba hosts some amazing beaches. We went to a well known beach called ‘Eagle Beach’. We caught a taxi and had a nice walk along the white sand. It was like something out of a dream. The only issue was…trying to find a taxi to take us back into town.

If we had had more time on the island I would have tried some water sports. You can do everything here…from sailing to snorkelling.

You may have also seen a lot of pictures of people with flamingos on a beach in Aruba. The flamingos have been in Aruba for around 15 years. They are resident on a private island and unfortunately we did not have the chance to pose for social media pictures with these lovely creatures.

So back to trying to get back to the cruise ship. We stood at the side of the main road trying to flag any car down as we were running out of time before we got stuck on the island. Luckily a taxi stopped and we made it back to the boat before it sailed. PHEW!

Aruba was lovely. If you like shopping, iguanas, white sandy beaches and clear seas. This is the place for you.

Until next time Aruba…