ARUBA: 12° N, 69° W

My first post I decided must be about TRAVEL! My recent trip to the beautiful island of ARUBA is definitely blog worthy. My boyfriend and I went there the first week in March (2013). We both had never been before and were pleasantly surprised by how wonderful the whole trip was. Here are a few favorites/tips for anyone considering going. #1 It is windy in Aruba... so be prepared (ladies) to have your hair blown in all sorts of ways. I would suggest bringing lots of hair binders, hairspray and hats!

HOTEL/RESORT:
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort (http://www.bucuti.com/)

The staff and overall service is top notch - you get what you pay for! We booked the hotel via Costco Travel - If you have a Costco membership I encourage you to check out their travel deals! I also checked out the reviews on Tripadvisor.

This is Palm/Eagle Beach - Bucuti's area for guests

Aruba's Turquoise waters

RESTAURANTS:

• Bob's Pizza - Pizza done well. Right across the street from Bucuti. Casual outdoor pizza spot, great service and delicious homemade pizza.
• White Modern Cuisine - This place is amazing, one of the best meals i've had in awhile. Contemporary and the presentation of the food was artistically done. Save room for dessert.
• Ike's Bistro - Seafood and Steak. Outdoor seating was nice, food was very good and the service as well. The chef even gave us a bonus appetizer for free!
• Ginger - Asian inspired food. Located in shopping mall, nice outdoor seating and the food was good.
• Romantic Dinner for two at Bucuti: Worth the $150. The food was very good and you can't beat sitting in your own private hut on the beach watching the sun set!

Ginger

 Ike's Bistro

Romantic Dinner @ Bucuti

White Modern Cuisine 

ACTIVITIES:

• THE BEACH! You seriously will pinch yourself, the beaches in Aruba are breathtaking! The water is a perfect temp (around 70°) Go in the water and enjoy the beach. We spent a couple days just reading on the beach, relaxing and swimming. If you walk down Palm/Eagle beach you can find the Divi Divi tree (pictured below) - ask the hotel where to find it, it's usually only a little walk down the beach.

• Wildlife - there are a lot of birds and lizards all around... being a photographer it was fun capturing all the different animals we came across.

• Horseback riding - we went to Gold Mine Ranch. I was not a fan. The horses seemed a little underfed and their overall care seemed to be neglected... this was probably the one thing I will not do again if I go back to Aruba. There are other ranches on the island and if horseback riding is a must then don't go to Gold Mine Ranch.

• Oranjestad - This is the capital of Aruba. Take a cab (the fare is usually just $5) and go walk around. There are a lot of shops and restaurants to explore. The cruise ships don't dock on Sundays so if you want to avoid traffic/crowds go on a Sunday. We went during the week and it wasn't bad. Definitely check out the "I Love Aruba" sign. Shopping is duty free which is always a plus!

 Pelican on the beach

Green Iguana

 Divi Divi Tree

 Horseback riding

Oranjestad

Oranjestad - "I love Aruba" sign

Overall I would definitely go back to Aruba - it was a wonderful and relaxing vacation! If you have questions let me know, I am always up for giving advice!

Here's a link to more of my pictures on FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferfallsphotos/