Aruba, nicknamed “One Happy Island,” is a tiny Dutch Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela, has dry, sunny weather, blond beaches and gentle surf. Constant trade winds bring cool breezes and cause the divi-divi trees to slope southwesterly. European influence shows in architecture that features Dutch gables painted in tropical pastels. It’s also evident in language, with English, Dutch and Spanish spoken alongside the local tongue, Papiamento. We first visited Aruba in the Spring of 2011 and stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba – Beach Resort & Casino. We enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather, snorkeling, horseback riding on the beach and lots of delicious food. Most recently, we went back to Aruba in the Fall of 2020 (for Ronnie’s birthday), this time staying for two weeks. The first week we stayed at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino by Marriott. The second week we stayed at the Marriott Aruba Surf Club resort. Both locations we used our points to stay for free. This was our daughter Nubia’s first country visited (Aruba being a territory of the Netherlands). We had an amazing time; the weather was perfect! We enjoyed spending quality time in the overwater cabanas on Renaissance private Flamingo Beach Island, where we got to take amazing photos with the pink and white flamingos. We also rented a 4X4 Jeep and explored the entire island from the famous California light house at the northern tip of the island all the way to the other end swimming at Baby Beach at southern tip of the island, with a stop at the Natural pool in the middle of the island. Aruba is one of our favorite islands and definitely did not disappoint as Nubia’s first international trip.
Aruba Gallery
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