(Pre) Paring for Aruba Surf Club

[wolfhound89]

We re heading to Marriott Aruba Surf Club in October. I am in the early stages of preparing for this trip with a family of four. Two teens in tow.

From what I am reading it appears that there may be some pool / lazy river maintenance going on while we are there. So, I guess pool time may be limited.

Not too worried though. I am looking around online and seeing some decent activities. Having lived in Holland I am excited to visit a Dutch Caribbean Island for the first time.
Curious to see what they have that reminds me of my time there. Mostly food interests for me.

Back to my main question. For those who have exeprience traveling there. What are the things you like and what should we avoid?

Thank you.

 

[Tuggernaut]

You should rent a car.

Aruba is desert-like and very windy. It rains very infrequently there. Bring sunscreen.

Near the Marriotts there in Palm Beach is a restaurant called Linda's Dutch Pancakes. Those Dutch pancakes are fantastic. We ended up eating breakfast there three times during our one week stay.

Linda's Dutch Pancakes — Best Breakfast in Palm Beach, Aruba

Authentic Dutch pancakes in Palm Beach, Aruba since 2001. Fresh pannenkoeken, omelets & mimosas daily 8AM–2PM. 4.5 stars, 3,300+ reviews.

lindas-aruba.com

In about the middle of Aruba, there is a large cone-shaped hill or "mini-mountain" called Hooiberg. It is hard to miss. Years ago, a doctor or dentist paid to have steps constructed all of the way to the top. Park at the base of Hooiberg and take the steps to the top. The views are fantastic and if you look to the south, you may be able to see Venezuela (South America) if the air is clear.

While in Aruba, you must go snorkeling. A very easy & calm place to do this is Baby Beach. It has a sandy bottom for easy entry. Tour groups take people here to snorkel and they feed the fish, so the fish are accustomed to people. Anyway, do not pay any tour company. Baby Beach is open to the public. There is no coral here, but you should see plenty of tropical fish.

Baby Beach, Aruba - Best Kids Beach in the Caribbean

The famous Baby Beach in Aruba is a true Caribbean beach paradise. Baby Beach is a gorgeous half-moon sandy expanse in a calm lagoon. Visit it today!

www.aruba.com

Also consider one of the boat-snorkeling tours that leave directly from the piers at Palm Beach. Book in advance.

Take a guided tour (Safari) of the island. We went with ABC tours and did the "Natural Pool & Indian Cave Jeep Safari" and it was fantastic. Our guides were Hugo & AB. The morning tour includes lunch afterwards so, if possible, do the morning tour. I highly recommend this tour. They pick you up and drop you off at the Surf Club. Book it well in advance because they fill up.

Natural Cave Pools Jeep Tour Aruba | ABC Tours Aruba

Ride the rugged roads of our beautiful island in a custom Jeep! Experience the colors of the Natural Pool by swimming and snorkeling while spotting fish!

abc-aruba.com

 

[PsuFrh]

You should rent a car.

Aruba is desert-like and very windy. It rains very infrequently there. Bring sunscreen.

Near the Marriotts there in Palm Beach is a restaurant called Linda's Dutch Pancakes. Those Dutch pancakes are fantastic. We ended up eating breakfast there three times during our one week stay.

Linda's Dutch Pancakes — Best Breakfast in Palm Beach, Aruba

Authentic Dutch pancakes in Palm Beach, Aruba since 2001. Fresh pannenkoeken, omelets & mimosas daily 8AM–2PM. 4.5 stars, 3,300+ reviews.

lindas-aruba.com

In about the middle of Aruba, there is a large cone-shaped hill or "mini-mountain" called Hooiberg. It is hard to miss. Years ago, a doctor or dentist paid to have steps constructed all of the way to the top. Park at the base of Hooiberg and take the steps to the top. The views are fantastic and if you look to the south, you may be able to see Venezuela (South America) if the air is clear.

While in Aruba, you must go snorkeling. A very easy & calm place to do this is Baby Beach. It has a sandy bottom for easy entry. Tour groups take people here to snorkel and they feed the fish, so the fish are accustomed to people. Anyway, do not pay any tour company. Baby Beach is open to the public. There is no coral here, but you should see plenty of tropical fish.

Baby Beach, Aruba - Best Kids Beach in the Caribbean

The famous Baby Beach in Aruba is a true Caribbean beach paradise. Baby Beach is a gorgeous half-moon sandy expanse in a calm lagoon. Visit it today!

www.aruba.com

Also consider one of the boat-snorkeling tours that leave directly from the piers at Palm Beach. Book in advance.

Take a guided tour (Safari) of the island. We went with ABC tours and did the "Natural Pool & Indian Cave Jeep Safari" and it was fantastic. Our guides were Hugo & AB. The morning tour includes lunch afterwards so, if possible, do the morning tour. I highly recommend this tour. They pick you up and drop you off at the Surf Club. Book it well in advance because they fill up.

Natural Cave Pools Jeep Tour Aruba | ABC Tours Aruba

Ride the rugged roads of our beautiful island in a custom Jeep! Experience the colors of the Natural Pool by swimming and snorkeling while spotting fish!

abc-aruba.com

You should rent a car.

Aruba is desert-like and very windy. It rains very infrequently there. Bring sunscreen.

Near the Marriotts there in Palm Beach is a restaurant called Linda's Dutch Pancakes. Those Dutch pancakes are fantastic. We ended up eating breakfast there three times during our one week stay.

Linda's Dutch Pancakes — Best Breakfast in Palm Beach, Aruba

Authentic Dutch pancakes in Palm Beach, Aruba since 2001. Fresh pannenkoeken, omelets & mimosas daily 8AM–2PM. 4.5 stars, 3,300+ reviews.

lindas-aruba.com

In about the middle of Aruba, there is a large cone-shaped hill or "mini-mountain" called Hooiberg. It is hard to miss. Years ago, a doctor or dentist paid to have steps constructed all of the way to the top. Park at the base of Hooiberg and take the steps to the top. The views are fantastic and if you look to the south, you may be able to see Venezuela (South America) if the air is clear.

While in Aruba, you must go snorkeling. A very easy & calm place to do this is Baby Beach. It has a sandy bottom for easy entry. Tour groups take people here to snorkel and they feed the fish, so the fish are accustomed to people. Anyway, do not pay any tour company. Baby Beach is open to the public. There is no coral here, but you should see plenty of tropical fish.

Baby Beach, Aruba - Best Kids Beach in the Caribbean

The famous Baby Beach in Aruba is a true Caribbean beach paradise. Baby Beach is a gorgeous half-moon sandy expanse in a calm lagoon. Visit it today!

www.aruba.com

Also consider one of the boat-snorkeling tours that leave directly from the piers at Palm Beach. Book in advance.

Take a guided tour (Safari) of the island. We went with ABC tours and did the "Natural Pool & Indian Cave Jeep Safari" and it was fantastic. Our guides were Hugo & AB. The morning tour includes lunch afterwards so, if possible, do the morning tour. I highly recommend this tour. They pick you up and drop you off at the Surf Club. Book it well in advance because they fill up.

Natural Cave Pools Jeep Tour Aruba | ABC Tours Aruba

Ride the rugged roads of our beautiful island in a custom Jeep! Experience the colors of the Natural Pool by swimming and snorkeling while spotting fish!

abc-aruba.com

You should rent a car.

Aruba is desert-like and very windy. It rains very infrequently there. Bring sunscreen.

Near the Marriotts there in Palm Beach is a restaurant called Linda's Dutch Pancakes. Those Dutch pancakes are fantastic. We ended up eating breakfast there three times during our one week stay.

Linda's Dutch Pancakes — Best Breakfast in Palm Beach, Aruba

Authentic Dutch pancakes in Palm Beach, Aruba since 2001. Fresh pannenkoeken, omelets & mimosas daily 8AM–2PM. 4.5 stars, 3,300+ reviews.

lindas-aruba.com

In about the middle of Aruba, there is a large cone-shaped hill or "mini-mountain" called Hooiberg. It is hard to miss. Years ago, a doctor or dentist paid to have steps constructed all of the way to the top. Park at the base of Hooiberg and take the steps to the top. The views are fantastic and if you look to the south, you may be able to see Venezuela (South America) if the air is clear.

While in Aruba, you must go snorkeling. A very easy & calm place to do this is Baby Beach. It has a sandy bottom for easy entry. Tour groups take people here to snorkel and they feed the fish, so the fish are accustomed to people. Anyway, do not pay any tour company. Baby Beach is open to the public. There is no coral here, but you should see plenty of tropical fish.

Baby Beach, Aruba - Best Kids Beach in the Caribbean

The famous Baby Beach in Aruba is a true Caribbean beach paradise. Baby Beach is a gorgeous half-moon sandy expanse in a calm lagoon. Visit it today!

www.aruba.com

Also consider one of the boat-snorkeling tours that leave directly from the piers at Palm Beach. Book in advance.

Take a guided tour (Safari) of the island. We went with ABC tours and did the "Natural Pool & Indian Cave Jeep Safari" and it was fantastic. Our guides were Hugo & AB. The morning tour includes lunch afterwards so, if possible, do the morning tour. I highly recommend this tour. They pick you up and drop you off at the Surf Club. Book it well in advance because they fill up.

Natural Cave Pools Jeep Tour Aruba | ABC Tours Aruba

Ride the rugged roads of our beautiful island in a custom Jeep! Experience the colors of the Natural Pool by swimming and snorkeling while spotting fish!

abc-aruba.com

Can you walk from the Marriott Surf & Ocean Clubs to Linda's Dutch Pancakes?

 

[claraj]

Can you walk from the Marriott Surf & Ocean Clubs to Linda's Dutch Pancakes?

Yes it is walkable!

 

[ljmiii]

You should rent a car.

Aruba is desert-like and very windy. It rains very infrequently there. Bring sunscreen....

For us Aruba is/was a 'once and done' as the MVC resorts are in the middle of a desert on a beach with no waves in an isolated resort town with little in the way of local culture.

But recently someone who visits Aruba frequently said that was on us. Just because many of the hotels (and vacation clubs) are in Palm Beach doesn't mean that one should spend much time there. And that everything we look for in an island vacation - a good beach w/waves, great experiences in/on the water, local culture and cuisine, and a walkable big town/small city - can be found on Aruba...just not in Palm Beach.

So we're very strongly considering giving Aruba another try...and if so definitely renting a car. YMMV...no idea if your expectations match ours.

 

[billymach4]

We re heading to Marriott Aruba Surf Club in October. I am in the early stages of preparing for this trip with a family of four. Two teens in tow.

From what I am reading it appears that there may be some pool / lazy river maintenance going on while we are there. So, I guess pool time may be limited.

Not too worried though. I am looking around online and seeing some decent activities. Having lived in Holland I am excited to visit a Dutch Caribbean Island for the first time.
Curious to see what they have that reminds me of my time there. Mostly food interests for me.

Back to my main question. For those who have exeprience traveling there. What are the things you like and what should we avoid?

Thank you.

Rent a car and visit the other beaches around the island. Last trip we did not visit baby beach.

You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas to take from local vendors. Google for beach chair rentals in Aruba.

I used this vendor https://www.travelightaruba.com/

Don't rent your car from Wheels to go.

 

[m61376]

It's our favorite place, and we love going there twice a year. Over the summer with the grandkids, who are now 16 and 12; we've been going with them since the younger one was 3 1/2 months, so lots of experience with kids. I don't look at Aruba as our super active vacation time, although there are things to do. But it's a great place for quality family time. On the active side- there's the usual water sports, jet skis, wind surfing/kite boarding, etc., hydrofoils, deep sea fishing, sunset sails with a rope swing, snorkeling, bike riding, etc.. Bring water sport balls- waboba, football, lacrosse, frisbee and the like. There's volleyball on the beach. Walk on the beach. Relax with a good book. Enjoy some great dining. Our daughter loves to take the boys on all sorts of adventurous trips worldwide, so clearly the activities in Aruba don't compare to hiking and camping on a volcano, skiing in Europe or Japan, canyoning in Italy, to name only a few of their adventures, but we laugh, have fun goofing around in the pool or beach (and there will be a pool open, with the main pool slated to reopen October 6th). So it may not be the amazing trip of a lifetime type of vacation, but it is a comfortable relaxing vacation, and many people love to return to Aruba repeatedly for the consistent good weather, friendly residents, and "feel good" vibe.

I think sometimes we're so intent on jam packing every day of a vacation that we don't take the time to just enjoy being with each other and "playing.' Aruba fits that relaxing type of vacation perfectly, but there's stuff to do if you want it.

 

[bucs0721]

We enjoy breakfast at Keshi di Hulanda located across the street from LaCabana. They also have a great selection of cheese & wine. It's also a short walk from SuperFood (great supermarket with plenty of Dutch treats). You can spend a day at Arashi beach & Eagle beach. Go early in the morning to Tres Trapi to see the turtles (wear water shoes - it's rocky in this area). It's a 5 minute drive or an easy 45 minute walk from the Surf Club.
We typically do our grocery shopping at SuperFood. Ling & Sons is also a very good grocery store. Both have delivery service. We usuallystop on our way to Ocean Club/Surf Club prior to check in to see what new & different foods we can get.

Keshi di Hulanda

Keshi di Hulanda. 3,328 likes · 944 talking about this. Kazen uit Europa met een vleugje Aruba💙 🥂 Kaas• Borrelplanken• Gezelligheid 📍 Aruba| Keshi di Hulanda 🧀 Kom langs en ontdek de smaak van...

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https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g488162-d20265999-Reviews-Tres_Trapi_Steps-Noord_Aruba.html

 

[jp10558]

I think sometimes we're so intent on jam packing every day of a vacation that we don't take the time to just enjoy being with each other and "playing.' Aruba fits that relaxing type of vacation perfectly, but there's stuff to do if you want it.

I really have little interest in most cases trying to "jam pack every day" of a vacation, then it feels like work. The only time I might consider doing that is when I finally go to Japan, simply because it's likely a once in a lifetime sort of thing. Europe I've already been to twice, and have a third trip scheduled. So I feel comfortable going back for more. Not sure if I'd want to fly halfway around the world multiple times, and if I did I'd also be tempted by Australia / New Zealand for a second trip. When I'm going somewhere relatively easy to fly or drive to, I just figure I'll be back if I miss something. Though IDK about Aruba - flying is a big hurdle and I wonder if I can't relax as easily much closer to home. I still want to go to some Caribbean island some day though. Just usually the flying effort will get me back to Europe or somewhere just as easily.

 

[m61376]

I really have little interest in most cases trying to "jam pack every day" of a vacation, then it feels like work. The only time I might consider doing that is when I finally go to Japan, simply because it's likely a once in a lifetime sort of thing. Europe I've already been to twice, and have a third trip scheduled. So I feel comfortable going back for more. Not sure if I'd want to fly halfway around the world multiple times, and if I did I'd also be tempted by Australia / New Zealand for a second trip. When I'm going somewhere relatively easy to fly or drive to, I just figure I'll be back if I miss something. Though IDK about Aruba - flying is a big hurdle and I wonder if I can't relax as easily much closer to home. I still want to go to some Caribbean island some day though. Just usually the flying effort will get me back to Europe or somewhere just as easily.

From NY there are direct flights to Aruba that are just under 4 1/2 hours, so a fairly easy flight, and either no or only an hour time difference, depending on the time of year. The island is safe, clean, and below the hurricane belt. The weather is consistent, and almost always good. For us, it's an easy comfortable trip, and in over thirty visits we've experienced the occasional 10-15 minute downpour, an occasional light drizzle; only one afternoon was a rain-out from 2-4 and one morning till lunchtime. Otherwise, it was always pool/beach weather, and there's cooling breeze so you don't feel disgusting at the end of the day. The Caribbean blue water is calm so you can float on a chaise/tube in the ocean or play ball in the water with the kids/grandkids. We live 20 minutes from Jones Beach on LI, but can't compare the Atlantic coast beaches to Aruba. In contrast, I've flown to Hawaii and spent a week only venturing into the water to snorkel and had to wrap in a towel lying by the pool because it was chilly, and at least light drizzle for hours every day for a week. Of course, we still explored because we made an 11 hour flight, but missed the reliable weather of Aruba.
Aruba is our go to place for relaxing, enjoying good weather, chatting, reading and walking on the beach. When the grandkids come we're more active and will play in the pool or the ocean, and we all have a relaxing but fun family vacation week.

 

[PaulaC]

I really have little interest in most cases trying to "jam pack every day" of a vacation, then it feels like work. The only time I might consider doing that is when I finally go to Japan, simply because it's likely a once in a lifetime sort of thing. Europe I've already been to twice, and have a third trip scheduled. So I feel comfortable going back for more. Not sure if I'd want to fly halfway around the world multiple times, and if I did I'd also be tempted by Australia / New Zealand for a second trip. When I'm going somewhere relatively easy to fly or drive to, I just figure I'll be back if I miss something. Though IDK about Aruba - flying is a big hurdle and I wonder if I can't relax as easily much closer to home. I still want to go to some Caribbean island some day though. Just usually the flying effort will get me back to Europe or somewhere just as easily.

After reading your post, I was surprised that you indicated flying would be a big hurdle. When we still lived in upstate NY, a trip to Aruba was a breeze since there were daily direct flights from JFK. I think the beaches and the water in the Caribbean are among the most beautiful I have ever seen.

P.S. Where do you live? I ask because my husband and I were born and grew up in NY`s southern tier.

 

[PaulaC]

Aruba is filled with fabulous restaurants, but our favorite is Wilhelmina, owned by chef Dennis van Daatselaar. Dennis incorporates a lot of his Dutch heritage in his dishes.