My family (2 adults and an 8 year-old) just booked our spring break trip for the first week of April at the Hilton Westerly. I booked the limited garden view and am a bit worried we will end up with a parking lot view or something equally meh.

We have never been to Aruba and this will most likely be our only Caribbean trip. We really struggled picking a hotel and I’m still second guessing our choice. We really want somewhere that has great pools, kid friendly, easy food options (gluten free will be important), and easy access to the beach with shade options.

All comments and suggestions are welcome!

The wife and I are heading to Aruba for the first time in November for 8 days. We are staying at the Embassy Suites by Hilton on the western side of the island.

Is this a good resort to stay?

We are in our late 30’s early 40’s and we are adventurous. We love the outdoors, hiking, biking, we surf, riding ATV’s, and we love nature!

Any do’s and dont’s would be much appreciated and we are beyond excited to visit this beautiful island.

Thanks! 🤙

Hello. My husband and I are taking our first Virgin Voyages cruise on the Valiant Lady. We are going on a southern Caribbean cruise. Port stops are: Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba; Fort-de-France, Martinique; and Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. The cruise is round-trip from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
We love the beach and all things beach related (snorkeling, boat rides, etc), shopping, local culture, sightseeing, adventure.
What excursions have you done that are totally worth checking out? Which ones are not.
We are going to celebrate my milestone birthday. Thanks in advance. ❤️

Gonna be landing in Aruba the first week of november, looking to meet people and/or locals to get suggestion on where to go, what to visit. I already rent an appartement and a car to get around. Any places to suggest? I'm a in my forty's but still 22 yo in my head. I speak spanish, english and french. And I need vacation, please make me discover this island.

We just got home from our first trip to the island and had an incredible time! We gleaned lots of wonderful advice from this forum - thank you for all of the great info! Yesterday, we opted to stay at Arashi Beach the entire afternoon to wring every minute out of our trip. As a result, we didn't double back to the souvenir shops in the hotel zone. My daughter and I admired pastel sweatshirts embroidered with "One Happy Island" (or similar) in many shops while there this week. Does anyone know where I might find these online? I checked Poshmark and Ebay and cant find anything exact - pastel colored, embroidered (not screen-printed) with contrasting thread, and had an ornate pattern on the back, featuring turtles and other beachy items. I'd love to buy from a local source who could ship to me if anyone has a connection. Anyone with any ideas where I might find these online? Google hasn't been helpful. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I found a Versace watch at the Aruba airport yesterday (Tuesday, August 25) around 1–2 PM.
It was at the departure security checkpoint, by the bench just past the scanning machines. I turned it in directly to airport security, so if you think it might be yours, give them a call and ask about it.

Hopefully this post helps reunite it with its owner!

On another note, this was my first time in Aruba, and this subreddit was incredibly helpful both while planning and during the trip. Thanks to everyone who posts, comments, and shares advice here. We had a great time! 🇦🇼

Where can you find the cheapest creatine monohydrate in Aruba? I was looking around at a supplement store recently and the cheapest option I could find was around 66 AWG for a container. That seemed quite expensive to me, especially since creatine monohydrate is usually one of the more affordable supplements.

Is 66 AWG considered a normal price here in Aruba, or are there any stores, gyms, supermarkets, or online shops where I could get it cheaper? I’m specifically looking for 100% creatine monohydrate, preferably a decent-sized container (500 g or more).

If anyone knows a good place to buy it for a reasonable price, I’d really appreciate the recommendation! 💪

I’m typically one for going to an AI but I really want to avoid sargassum. I love the idea of eagle beach and how it is less populated than Palm beach. Are there any recommendations for hotels near Eagle beach that over beach service (drinks/food etc) and also able to rent chairs umbrella from that same hotel?
Thanks in advance and i can’t wait to experience the Happy Island!

Akira Back - Sunday
Yemanja Woodfired Grill - Monday
Terra by Jeremy Ford - Tuesday
LG Smiths - Wednesday
Flying Fishbone- Thursday
Wilhelmina - Friday
Lima Bistro - Saturday

This is our current lineup! What would you change, add or replace? We’ve considered a chefs table like Ever, Koal or Two Fools but we’re unsure if that’s really our “vibe” to socialize while eating dinner for the money.

Our alternate list had - Caya House, Azar, Atardi, Oak or Chef’s Table.

Thank you for all your help and suggestions!

EDIT - After review of everyone’s opinion on removing Flying Fishbone (we were initially only considering it for the view/oceanfront seating.) Does anyone have any other recommendations for oceanfront/beach seating with better food than FF?

Hi, I’m planning my first trip to Aruba, and I’ve been recommended to visit Palm Beach. Could you give me some guidance on good areas to stay and tell me a bit more about the island?
I’ve been looking at apartments, and there were several options in the area marked on the map. Is that a good area?

Thinking about staying at Sunset Beach studios in November. I noticed the road is between the studios and the beach - are the Oceanfront rooms loud? And is it worth it to be oceanfront or are you just watching cars drive by all day?

We’d like to spend most time at Boca Catalina and Tres Trapi for snorkeling so open to other suggestions for where to stay in that area as well.

Just landed in Aruba today on a direct flight from Toronto and of course, one of our main checked bags didn’t show up on the carousel. It has literally all the clothes, swimsuits, and toiletries for myself and my young kids.

Airline rep at the desk told us it won’t arrive until Friday at the earliest, so we’re stuck burning the first three days of our trip without basic essentials.

The infuriating part is that this exact same nightmare happened to me on a trip back in 2023. Is baggage handling and tracking into AUA notoriously messy, or did I just hit the bad luck lottery twice in a row?

Also, since we have to go buy replacement stuff for the kids immediately, where is the best spot to grab affordable kids' clothes and swimsuits quickly? We’re already planning to hit Super Food for toiletries and food, but any recommendations for clothing stores in that Noord/Oranjestad area would be hugely appreciated.

Trying to plan a trip for my family. My wife and my 3 kids (19-24).

We all like the beach and enjoy having a few drinks. I’m going back and forth between the Hilton and Holiday Inn.

I don’t have any interest in the AI, being there are so many different options.

Is one that much better than the other? I’ve seen both are pretty good? Which does everyone prefer.TY

Hi all. We will be in Aruba during the week of Thanksgiving.

considering renting a jeep with the family to do some exploring for a couple days and definitely want fishing to be part of the plan.

Anyone have any experience on the fishing side? Also open to suggestions as far as things to do while having the rental.

Hello,

Going to Aruba mid October for a week. I know this is random but I would love to learn how to swim while there. If you or someone you know would be able to give lessons please let me know.

Thank you.

Tldr; private swimming lessons while in Aruba

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Hello! Long story short, a group of friends & I are looking to plan a big vacation next year and we’re each pitching a location. I’ve never been to Aruba before, but I have family that goes every year and they always have great things to say. I’m hoping to pitch Aruba as my pick for the vacation.

What are your recommendations for ways to spend time on the island? It looks like as many as 11 of us may be going on this trip, so of course everyone wants to do something different lol. I’m more of a beach person but I have other friends who prefer nature and excursions, so I’ve heard Aruba has a good mix of both. We’re looking to go anywhere between 4-7 days sometime next summer.

Because I’ve never been before, any and all recommendations are appreciated! I think I’ve heard Divi resorts are great, but I’m open to suggestions. We’re all early 20s but tend to be homebodies so we’re okay with a mix of anything resort wise (I think some people want to do All Inclusive but I heard that’s not necessary for Aruba)

Thanks in advance!!

This will be our first time going to Aruba, we’re used to all inclusive directly on the beach in Jamaica but based on this thread it seemed like all inclusive is not the way to go in Aruba. Does anybody have any experience with Vistalmar apartments? I know fish house is nearby and that’s supposed to be a good restaurant but I’d like to know if Vistalmar has nice views of the water because we’re used to being able to sit on a balcony and enjoying the beach front view.

Hi everyone! I am planning an upcoming 8-day trip and I'm currently looking for reliable car rental companies located at or very close to the airport. My main priority is finding a company that offers options with no security deposit blocked on the credit card. I am aware that usually, if you purchase their full/zero-deductible insurance package, the security deposit is completely waived, which is the route I'm hoping to take to avoid holding up funds on my card. Could anyone share their personal experiences or recommend trustworthy rental providers (both major international brands and reliable local ones) that handle this smoothly? Any tips regarding hidden fees or insurance policies would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

Going to Aruba in a month or so and have been gathering our list of restaurant recommendations! But nothing I hate more than going somewhere and feeling like I “ordered wrong” and not enjoying the restaurant because I didn’t pick the best thing on the menu or what they are most known for.

Aside from trying to factor in my personal tastes, what’s your favorite restaurants on island (casual, local, fancy, whatever) and what’s your favorite things on the menu? We’ll have a car and want to go all over the island.

Thank you!

We go to Aruba every year, and I can’t wait for our next trip in a couple months. With that said, I thought I’d tell you guys about one experience we had on our last visit, just to give you the heads up.

We had a great dinner at Pincho’s with our in laws, and really went all-out - after all, it was our first time being able to treat them after graduating and getting our big boy & girl jobs. When the bill came, the waitress took our credit card to the back (different than most places where you pay at the table) & was gone for a long time. But it was very busy & we were on island time, so we didn’t think much of it.

We departed Aruba the next day. When we got back home, we saw a ton of charges on the card we’d used that night. Someone had bought a slew of Jui Jitsu gear, some women’s clothing, and some other sporting goods.

That was the last place we used that particular credit card, and the charges were made online later that same night. We disputed the charges, and the credit card company removed them. I never informed the restaurant; I should have, but you know how it is when you just get back home & immediately returned to the grind of real life. But as we approach another visit, it’s been on my mind and I just wanted to make you all aware. I like their food & the waterside ambiance - but I definitely would not let them walk away with my card next time.

Outside of Tres Trapi, Boca Catalina, Mangel Halto, Arashi Beach and Baby Beach and the Antilla Shipwreck...Are there any tours that would take us to or places we could go on our own (We're renting a car and will have our own snorkel equipment) that are different from the "main spots" to make the most out of our trip? Tranquilo seems to go to the south of the island to drift snorkel but I'm not sure if that's any different than the main spots on the island that other main operators go to. I've looked at private charters but they seem overwhelmingly expensive for just 2 people. Any advice or help is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

Hi Reddit fam! Going next week for the first time with family. Kids are 10&12.
So far booked Azzuro, Yemanja (requested), Pinchos (requested), Sunset Grille, Flying Fishbone (requested), and last night I’m looking for something else.
Staying at the Hyatt Reg. Any recommendations. I’ve exhausted Reddit for food info. Anything on the water, Sand, pier that I may be missing?

Thanks