Getaway to Aruba

My best friend and I took a much-needed vacation in Aruba this past February. Aruba has the highest rate of return in the Caribbean, and our experience on the “Happy Island” left very little to be desired…

We stayed at the Aruba Marriott & Stellaris Casino, which recently added a new adults-only pool to their exclusive resort. The pool features a 10,000 sqft terrace, plush cabanas with iPod docking, rum-infused sno-cones, and a fully-stocked bar. This new addition compliments the adults-only Tradewinds Club, which was a similar experience to staying at an all-inclusive hotel.


Access to the Tradewinds Club includes 5 complimentary meals per day, daily open bar serving premium liquor, discovery hour (sampling of different appetizers), tea time, as well as a reserved beach area. The TC rooms include upgraded perks such as pillow menus (feather, foam, etc), plush bathrobes, and luxurious aloe bath products.
The Tradewinds Club was great because we went to the pool, beach, and club kids-free. However, we did venture into the main pool a few times to relax in the lazy river.

The Screaming Eagle was a perfect off-resort restaurant, where the décor was presented in a very intimate and romantic setting. Flowing white drapes enclose private plush love seats to give a feeling of dinner in bed. Some of the popular menu items were the Thai Caramelized Shrimp and the Crème brûlée of Hungarian duck liver. I chose the lobster.

Saturday night started off as a relaxing night in, but at the stroke of 10pm, we heard the beginnings of music pumping in the distance from our hotel balcony. We ventured downstairs to what turned out to be a popular beach party adjacent to the Marriott (called Moomba Beach). The party was awesome, and the music selections ranged between R&B, Hip Hop, Reggae, to local artists. There was a guest DJ from New York, as well as popular Aruban artist, DJ Diablo. (Saturday nights at Moomba Beach are popular for locals as well as tourists).

Other nightspots that we visited were located 5 minutes from the Marriott hotel, which included The Sopranos piano bar, where you can experience live American-based music from the 60’s to current hits, as well as Senor Frogs, Confession, and Gusto lounges (typically younger crowds).

The Marriott has a resident casino (Stellaris), and I signed up for blackjack lessons during my second day in Aruba. My first time playing blackjack was very entertaining, although playing with fake money was more comforting then using real money J (the hotel also offers bartender and salsa lessons).



There are many marine/outdoor activities accessible from the Marriott beach. These sports include windsurfing, kite boarding, and paddleboard yoga. We decided to try the paddleboard yoga-an engaging aerobic activity that provided instruction in yoga positions, meditation, and allowed us to “become one with the ocean”.



One of the most widely-used excursion-tour companies on the island is DePalm Tours, as they offer land, air, and sea excursions. My friend and I took a jeep tour, which took us throughout the island of Aruba (which is only 6 miles wide), and allowed us to experience the destination’s arid, desert terrain, filled with cactus plants, rocky cliffs, and natural coral bridges.

The tour included a stop at a local Aruban church, a visit to the famous coral bridge which collapsed in 2005, as well as a swimming experience at a natural pool.



We enjoyed our jeep tour so much, that we signed up for the DePalm Tours snorkeling excursion. The tour was a half-day retreat, which took us to three popular beaches for snorkeling. The tour featured an open bar, lunch, and did not have any loud hosts or performers (it was a great laid back choice that allowed us to relax on the boat and snorkel at leisure).