If travel is your love language, there’s no better way to enjoy time with the ones you love than by traveling and making memories. I recently celebrated my 10-year wedding anniversary with my husband in Aruba for 5 nights/6days. Aruba was absolutely breathtaking and we can’t wait to go back! With the help of one of Ailyak’s co-founders, Kylie (who owns Skinny Dip Travel), we were able to make the most of our time in Aruba. If you’re looking for a relaxing destination with some adventure, this is your place.
Trip Recs:
Hotel:
Bucuti & Tara located on Eagle Beach
- We stayed in the Tara suite, an oceanfront room. This is an adult only resort and our experience here was amazing. The food, service, location, and other amenities were top notch. This hotel is eco-friendly and we appreciated its commitment to wellness. We also enjoyed daily walks along the beach and nearby walking paths, champagne at sunset, and Paco – Bucuti’s famous Yellow-Head Amazon Parot, who kept us laughing. Bucuti also offers exclusive excursions for guests. We opted to do the yacht sail to the Spanish Lagoon. This was a 5 hour excursion where we enjoyed the premium bar, fresh food, snorkeling (a must!), rope swinging, and learning the history of the island.
Spa:
Spa del Sol located at the Manchebo Beach Resort
- This spa is located next to Bucuti & Tara! We enjoyed a 2 hour relaxing/bamboo couples massage in one of their outdoor cabanas. This spa offers a wide range of services including customized packages.
Restaurants:
Here are some of our favorites, but there were so many more to experience by walking around depending on which area you are at on the island!
- Eagle Beach:
- Baby Beach:
- Rum Reef (adult only, outdoor pool)
- Palm Beach
- Downtown/Cruise Port
Other activities:
- Casinos:
- Casino at the Ritz Carlton (Palm Beach)
- Alhambra Casino (Eagle Beach)
- Rent a car!
- Explore the island and visit sites such as:
- California Lighthouse Alto Vista Chapel
- Downtown Aruba
- Explore the island and visit sites such as:
- Guided tour to see Natural pools
Airport:
- Arrival:
- The Airport was very easy to navigate. We had our transportation arranged ahead of time which was helpful.
- Departure:
- Arrive early! On the weekends I would say up to 3 hours early. When leaving Aruba you will go through Aruba customs and US customs. It’s an extra step, but it makes your arrival back into the United States so easy. If you don’t have Global Entry, you may want to consider Mobile Passport Control. It cut down on inspection and overall wait time for us and was easy to use.
Aruba is a safe, welcoming and true Caribbean paradise. After all, the locals here consider Aruba “One Happy Island” and I’d have to agree.
Until next time!
