Oranjestad, Aruba: Charming and Attractive
Written: Jul 24 '01
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Pros: Good shopping, casinos, colorful and unique Dutch influence, beautiful view of the ocean
Cons: It's expensive to get there.. save up those frequent flier miles!
The Bottom Line: Oranjestad - the charming, unique capital city of the desert island of Aruba; set in the southernmost reaches of the Caribbean. Enjoy the shops, casinos, and restaurants of downtown Oranjestad.
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| diverpam's Full Review: Oranjestad |
Oranjestad is the capital city of the island of Aruba. Situated deep in The Caribbean Sea, Aruba is just 17 miles north of Venezuela. Oranjestad is on the southern coast of Aruba and on a clear day you can stand along the harbor of Oranjestad and see Venezuela in the distance.
Harbor Area
A bustling little town, Oranjestad is the arrival destination of frequent cruise ships. The harbor area is filled with brightly colored buildings sporting a variety of exclusive shops and local crafts. The architecture has a definite Dutch influence with the local Aruban flair. I find it quiet charming in a picture postcard kind of way. I have some really pretty and colorful pictures.
Along the harbor, the locals will happily barter with you as you sample their handmade wares. Along with the selection of cheesy Aruba t-shirts, you'll find dolls, cloth purses, carvings, fresh fruits and Aruba - One Happy Island license plates. Thinking I was going to make a killing with these on Ebay, I stocked up on these license plates during my last visit to Aruba.
There are a variety of boats docked in the harbor, ranging from luxurious (eat your heart out) sailboats to dive boats to deep sea fishing boats. I love to walk along the docks and dream about living on one of those fabulous boats sailing around the Southern Caribbean.
Gambling and Shopping
There is a casino that you can walk into directly from the dock. So much for winning a million dollars and buying that 100 foot yacht I fell in love with. Right next door is the Seaport Village Mall (open-air shopping center) with a variety of stores, selling jewelry, t-shirts, bathing suits (imagine that!), and souvenirs. You'll also find a movie theatre and several restaurants in this shopping center.
Behind this area is an open grassy, park-like area. There's a sidewalk along the ocean (no beach here) where you can see several iguanas sunning themselves along the rocks. Lined with Divi-Divi trees this area was great for relaxing and taking pictures.
Directly across the street is the Royal Plaza Mall. It is three stories tall (maybe four) and has many gift shops, designer stores, along with Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and a variety of jewelry stores. It is also an open air mall, so you have to go into the stores to cool off. Aruba is very warm and if the tradewinds aren't blowing strongly, it can heat you up pretty quickly walking around all the stores.
This is a very colorful, highly-decorated building that serves as a centerpiece for the harbor. I'm sure it must be very appealing to those arriving on a cruise ship as they catch their first glimpse of the town.
There is also a hotel and casino in this complex. I enjoyed my afternoon of shopping, then wandered into the Crystal Casino to cool off. After dropping a few quarters in the slot machine I hit a nice little jackpot and walked away with an extra $250 dollars or so. It almost covered the cost of all the souvenirs I had bought that day.
There are several blocks in the downtown area with many stores and restaurants lining the streets. Boolchands is one of the larger stores, selling cameras, watches, and stereo equipment. They do quite a brisk business.
Jewelry and Porcelain
There are many wonderful jewelry stores, with a nice variety of watches and unique jewelry. Yes, I was very tempted and almost bought a gold and diamond mermaid pin. (My husband was playing golf, so I had little self control and I had just won $250.) After returning home, I found the same pin for sale on the Internet for twice the price.
I was also very tempted by some of the Lladro pieces that I found. The prices seemed pretty good compared to what I had seen in the States. It would be a good idea to go armed with the retail prices for any specific items you think you'd be interested in purchasing --just to be sure you're getting a real bargain.
There is no sales tax in Aruba, so that definitely makes the shopping an attractive pastime in Orangestad.
One of my husband's favorite stores that we discovered was the "As Seen on TV" store. Every conceivable corny thing you've ever seen advertised on late night television can be found in this store.
There's an ice cream store right next door, so I was able to lure hire away from the gadgets with the thought of a double-decker ice cream cone!
Clean and Safe
Oranjestad is very clean and bustling with tourists, so I've always felt very safe. There was more danger of getting run over in the crosswalk or accosted by a timeshare hawker than being robbed on the streets of Oranjestad.
Of course, where you really have to worry about being robbed is at the gas stations. Beware... gas is priced in liters, but you couldn't tell it by the price.
Heading out of Town
There are beautiful beaches in any direction you travel along the main road in Oranjestad. Head in one direction and you'll find Queen Beatrix Airport, which is fairly close to downtown. It has recently been remodeled and is very nice. The other direction will take you out past the hotels and great beaches to the California Lighthouse.
Sunday is not a Business Day in Oranjestad
Downtown will pretty much be closed on Sundays, so make other plans for that day. With all the beaches and water sports to choose from on Aruba, you shouldn't have any problems.
Recommendation
Whether you have an afternoon visit as part of a cruise, or several days to spend on Aruba, Oranjestad will provide you abundant shopping and photo opportunities.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
diverpam
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Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 350 members
About Me:
~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
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