March 13, 2011

Travel Guide Series: Aruba (Part I)

As you can tell, I'm introducing a Travel Guide series. One day I would love to be a photojournalist for a travel magazine (my favorites to read are Islands and Caribbean), and I've been wanting to write a travel synopsis of my trip to Aruba since I got to know the island pretty well, so I'm going to write a few travel guides for fun. Maybe they'll come in handy one day or you could share them with a friend traveling soon. I'm including lots of pictures because in my opinion that's the best way to get to know a place besides going there firsthand.
Where are we going first? The idyllic Caribbean island: Aruba!Where is Aruba? About 20 miles north of Venezuela, in the lower Caribbean. The islands closest to it are Curacao and Bonaire, together known as the ABC islands. These islands are part of the Dutch Caribbean - the Netherlands Antilles. They speak English, Dutch, and their own language - Papiamento.Orientation: The island is only about 16x6miles - definitely small enough to explore in a week, or even if you're only there a few days. You will fly into Oranjestad, the capital, where you can find great shopping - including designer stores like Cartier. Climate: Aruba has the quinessential Caribbean beaches - warm, clear water year-round that flows onto the softest white sand your feet will ever step on. If you spent all your time on the north coast or inland, however, you would never know this perfect beach existed. The climate is dry and arid, and instead of sitting under the shade of swaying palm trees, the land is filled with prickly cacti. Where a soft white sand beach doesn't compliment the beautiful waters, the menacing coast wards off visitors with craggy rock too sharp to traverse in just a pair of flip-flops. (This picture shows the contrast between comforting beaches and a less-welcoming inland.)Where to Stay? The two most popular beaches to crash at are Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. Palm Beach is where all the action is at. High-rise hotels, all-inclusives, and tons of activities. Eagle Beach is its quieter, less populated companion with the same entracing beaches but with less of a fight for a lounge chair in the morning. Both of these beaches are situated on the western coast, so you will get to experience beautiful sunsets at night. If you care more about shopping than beaches, stay in Oranjestad. You can stay on the water but with a lesser quantity and quality of beaches. Eagle Beach: I stayed at the Aruban on Eagle Beach. This was the view walking from the pool across the street to the beach.Eagle Beach in the morning around 8am. The ocean at Eagle Beach. Stop searching for the perfect beach - Aruba has what you've been looking for. Take off your shoes ASAP so your feet can sink into white sand as soft as flour. If you can pull your feet away from the blanket of sand, jump into the refreshing, warm water which is clear underwater as the outside reflects light in the most perfect array of turquoises and teals. When I was there, the full moon illuminated the shore so you could relax under the stars. It was so bright you could even stand in the water up to your knees and still see your feet!Looking back on the most northern side of Eagle Beach. Looking towards the northern side of Eagle Beach from around the bend (see map). From the beginning of Eagle Beach, you can walk all the way around the bend to find more lounge areas, hotels, and restaurants.Palm Beach: A view of the beginning of Palm Beach from the southern side. Big hotels and lots to do!Palm Beach is where the nightlife is at. Behind the Marriott and a few other big-name resorts, there is a street with restaurants and shopping. There are chain American restaurants as well as other nice restaurants. Off the street, there is a really nice mall area with a cluster of shops and restaurants. If you have kids, you can let them jump in the pool & fountain to take a break from shopping if they have their swimsuits on. Stick around at night to watch the fountain light show play to Disney tunes.Getting Around: Even if you're staying in an all-inclusive, you will want to rent a car so you can get around and see everything. All the beaches are public, so get in your car and explore! If you're staying in a hotel, make a run to the grocery store on the first day to stock your fridge with fresh fruit and lunch meat to make breakfasts and lunches. Don't forget to buy brats or steak to grill out by the pool. Details: Out of all its interesting facets, Aruba is often identified by just one thing: the Divi Divi tree. This icon is a short tree with a twisty, swirly trunk. It rests by the edge of the water for fantastic photographs.Where a soft sandy beach isn't there for the waves to crash on, you will find sharp moon-like craters. If you want to explore the island, make sure you pack tennis shoes to switch out for thin flip-flops when the ground gets tough. Once you're equipped with tougher shoes and walking around, beware of blow holes! The surface appears to be a flat surface but underneath the waves break through in certain areas, spraying you if you're not watching out.On the mystical side, there are hundreds and hundreds of stacked rock towers. Some say dwarfs come out at night and build them as magical homes, and if you knock one down you kill the magic. Another more plausible theory is that tourists build them with a wish in mind, and when you knock one down their wish comes true. Which story you believe will lead you to decide to knock one down or leave it standing up.One last cultural detail I'll leave is a hidden secret beach with a wealth of treasure. On my trek from Eagle Beach to Palm Beach, I stumbled upon a shore FILLED with conch shells. You know, the rare shell that everyone tries to find - and if you find one it absolutely makes your day. Well this beach had thousands of them! Some broken but lots still in tact. So if you're a collector, make sure you explore the badlands in between the two main beaches so you can take home a conch shell...or ten.Now that you know the basics of Aruba, look for the second installment, coming soon, to learn about activities and adventures to experience on your trip!

2 comments:

  1. what a fun idea to write travel guides! and they'll make a neat portfolio to use when you apply for jobs as a travel writer in the future :) the photos are gorgeous and great job with the writing- interesting & informative but not too wordy. ...i want to go to Aruba!

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  2. I know someone who writes travel guides...I love following her on facebook. She used to clean our house! (when she was burnt out on corporate America.) You would be so great at that!
    Let's go to Arbua....family vacation!!!

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