Destination: Aruba

When planning our worldschooling adventure, we decided to start with a place that would feel familiar and get us started on the right foot. That place was the vacation destination of Aruba! This was our second visit to the country this year. It was wonderful being able to come back this time around and feel like we were at “home”. We knew the airport, we knew the resort, and we even knew many of the workers from the last visit. Best of all, grandma and grandpa were there! It made for a great first stop on our worldschooling journey though we did have snags we had to address.

Accommodations:

AirBnb at Harbour House – Oranjestad. This was a last minute reservation due to arriving a few days early. We chose this location in the city so we would be close to checking out sights we missed during our first visit like the Archaeological Museum, the shops and the restaurants that were just too far to walk previously. We can’t say enough about this spot. It’s in a beautiful, clean building with a beautiful pool, rooftop gym & spa, and security. The restaurant in the lobby is great, along with downtown Oranjestad at your fingertips!

Divi Phoenix – Palm Beach. This is where Jay’s parents have been staying for over 20 years. They have seen the resort change and grow and visit several times a year. We can see why they love it. There is a charm to this place that might be due to the comfort of knowing they have been a part of it for so long. While Eagle Beach is a very popular spot for hotels on the island, we prefer Palm Beach because the property is on the beach side while Eagle Beach visitors have to cross the road to get to the sand. Speaking of sand, in Aruba the sand doesn’t burn your feet because it’s made of crushed coral. You still need your flip flops for the walking paths though 🙂

Activities:

Butterfly Farm – Right across the street from the Divi Phoenix, The Butterfly Farm is just that – a place where they grow butterflies! The tour included in the entrance fee is packed with fascinating information about the farm, the varieties found there, their life cycle, etc. While the price is a bit steep for the 45 minutes we were there (it’s not very big), the bonus is that you are able to return as many times as you want before you head back home on the same ticket.

Parasailing – Our top adventure on the island, parasailing was something we could all enjoy. The staff were very knowledgable & made sure we were comfortable and having fun! We sailed over sea turtles and shipwrecks and enjoyed the beautiful views of the oceanfront.

National Archaeological Museum Aruba – For a suggested donation of only $10, this museum was impressive! Hands-on activities and audio-visual exhibits sparked the kids’ interest in Aruba’s past. A large variety of artifacts, exhibits, and information opened up our minds to what Aruba was like (way) before it was our favorite island.

Arikok National Park – Nearly 20% of Aruba is protected by National Park status, and for good reason. We saw original native drawings, caves, a variety of interesting creatures, plants, and even views of nearby Venezuela! We highly suggest a guided tour, as the roads are quite…treacherous and rental companies do not appreciate being returned a damaged vehicle. Our guide for the day was Alfred – comment or message us if you’d like his WhatsApp and we can connect you!

Conchi Natural Pool – While visiting Arikok, make sure your guide brings you to the Conchi Natural Pool where there is a small climb down to a special treat. Surrounded by jagged rocks and powerful waves, you can swim/snorkel in this calm and protected pool.

Baby Beach – Baby Beach has changed a lot just from our visit in January (which is the one day of our trip that it was unseasonably cold with record-breaking rain). While it used to be in an undeveloped area, resorts have started to be built and it is not quite what it used to be. We didn’t make it during our second visit as it is an hour drive from where we were staying and we didn’t have a vehicle. Our last trip was on the way back from Arikok which was a great way to pull this landmark into a day of sightseeing without spending a lot on a rental car or taxi. It is known for being very shallow and clear, with abundant snorkeling, and very little shade. The kids enjoyed snorkeling in the rain and saw a ton of interesting fish!

Caves – Another stop with our guide Alfred was the Fontein Cave, located in the park. The Arawak Indian drawings on the ceiling and walls brought us deep into the past & made us wonder about who the artists were and the stories they held. There is another cave called Quadirikiri that has two chambers and a lot of bats. We briefly stopped there to shelter ourselves from the rain (Alfred drives a very old, open sided military vehicle – we think it’s a Mercedes Unimog?, so we were anxious for a chance to warm up) but didn’t end up exploring this one very much.

Aruba Aloe – One of the first and only companies in the world to grow, harvest, and process it’s aloe onsite. The free tour gives Ben & Jerry’s vibes (minus the ice cream unfortunately) with it’s birdseye view of the factory, interesting aloe facts, and access to the fields where the rows of spiky plants are growing. The beginning of the tour features a really cool demonstration of where the useful parts of the plant are located and how they are collected. Afterwards, you are able to buy from an impressive selection of aloe-based products including soaps, hair care, skin care, and of course sun care.

Dining:

I’m not going to go into details about all the restaurants we’ve visited, but here is a list of where we’ve eaten.

Bavaria – family favorite for their schnitzel, beer selection, and family feel.
Pure Ocean – beachside dining at the Divi Phoenix. Eat with your toes the sand.
Passions on the Beach – beachside dining with romantic touches like the glow of tiki torches after the sun sets
Water’s Edge – nice location & ambiance. The selection & meals were delightful.
Smokey Joe’s Island Grill – while we enjoyed the atmosphere (and George found out he loves calamari) here, we didn’t enjoy the food poisoning that Edward was gifted with that night.
Dutch Pancake House – randomly went here one morning and realized we picked a hot spot! Fast service and delicious food!
Terrazza Italiana – Italian served on an open-air patio overlooking the ocean. We loved seeing the cruise ships heading out into the sunset during one visit.

Chalet Suisse – recommended by friends and others, this one is on our list to try next time!

The Perks

There is so much Aruba has to offer as a family vacation destination!

*same plug type as U.S – one less thing to worry about
*safe drinking water – no brushing your teeth with bottled water!
*most people speak English
*safe to be off-property (compared to places like Cancun & the Dominican Republic where the abundance of all-inclusives is a result of safety issues off property.)
*very walkable/bike friendly
*taxis are regulated so prices are very reasonable and you don’t have to worry about getting a surprise at drop-off

The Prices

*The only real “con” is that due to Aruba being an island, and one that doesn’t have much agriculture other than aloe, most food is shipped in. Groceries can be shockingly pricey if you don’t pay attention while shopping!

Other Aruba Facts

*Besides Dutch, Arubans also have their own language called Papiaemento (think Portugese/Spanish blend)
*There are no stop lights on the island. They have been replaced by roundabouts and in doing so, traffic accidents went down drastically! Can you imagine that happening in the US? At least in Vermont I think it would be a disaster!
*Aruba has the most sunny days of any island in the Caribbean
*Being one of the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), Aruba is out of hurricane alley and therefore safe to travel to year-round!

Sharing is Caring!