SUPERFECTION
Written: Dec 31 '00 (Updated Jan 03 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exquisite beauty, Heineken factory, friendly
Cons: Airfare is costly and water salty and sunburn comes easy.
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| Boomerang's Full Review: Aruba |
I have twice had the pleasure of visiting the exquisite beauty of the island of Aruba. Well, there goes the suspense, you already know what I advise for this place. Before my first visit I had heard many descriptions of Aruba from my parents who are fortunate to have a time share down there as well as being able to afford airfare to there once every year. Their descriptions did not do it justice.
My first trip was a story in itself as I won it on a game show called "Remote Control." All expenses except for food was covered in this trip and the stay was at the Aruba Americana which is by far the best hotel I have ever lodged with. Like most hotels there it had it's own casino and theirs was one of the better ones on the island. In fact these are the best casinos I've ever visited without the flash of Vegas, the pressure of Atlantic City or the laziness of staff from Bahamas' casinos. On this trip the best part was every time my friend and I walked in the door one of the two staff members we had befriended had our drink of choice in our hands.
This free trip included a sunset sail which I highly recommend as you will find yourself in the middle of a perfectly blue ocean with an incredible view of the sun winding down for the day. Also included was a diving lesson so I went scuba diving for the first time and again found pure pulchritude, this time in a different world at the bottom of an incredibly warm ocean.
On a lark we decided to rent motor scooters and we rode the length and width of the island for a day, well away from the tourist area, and the simplicity of life there was also beautiful. There we discovered that the general population was just as friendly and well mannered as the employees working the restaurants and casinos. The day was so well spent that I made sure to do this again on my second trip.
Restaurants abound for almost any type of fare you are interested in. One in particular stands out by name and that was Twinkle Bones where they have a dinner show and it's best to make reservations. Also be ready to participate as this is an interactive show so don't expect a quiet and peaceful meal there. All in all I never had a bad meal nor bad service there and the food was always great from shark steak to prime rib through filet mignon and turtle soup. Just for reference if you like turtle soup avoid the restaurants that have you sitting next to huge fish tanks as it's much harder to eat the soup with giant turtles swimming by your side.
One highly recommended site is The Natural Bridge which is not very exciting but worth a trip just for the beauty of it as you walk over the perfectly blue water. Also, if interested, you can even do some spelunking but avoid it if bats give you the creeps.
A plus for me was the simple fact that Aruba is owned by the Dutch and Heineken has a factory on the Island. Those who know me are aware of how much I enjoy my Heinekens and the rest can feel free to check out my Epinions Heineken review.
Anyone on a low budget can simply stock their hotel room fridge from the grocery store in the center of town and that kind of shopping is quite affordable there. Also (sshhh, secret), if you pretend to be interested in a time share down there you can get free meals from the staff trying to sell it to you.
Nothing can be too perfect and the only negative here is the water. Their desalinization is poor which makes the water slightly salty so try to stick to bottled water for drinking, be ready for your hair to have a different texture and don't be surprised to find a strange flavor in Coca Cola as that is bottled down there too.
Warning: beware of the sun. It only rains about five days a year so the sun is what you have to expect. The trade winds there are so strong that the tree tops literally grow sideways. This has a great effect on your comfort, keeping you somewhat cooler that you would expect from such a hot sun but it is deceiving as you may feel cool but that sun will burn greatly. Be sure to use skin protection.
My recommendation is simple. If you can afford the high price of air fare for the trip, get there as soon as possible. You may never want to vacation anywhere else again. Also, if planning a honeymoon, you won't find a more fitting place to spend it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Boomerang
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Member: Mitch Posner
Location: Amarillo, TX
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I'm an opinionated, misplaced, New Yorker Know it all who loves Heineken and my family.
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