Tour Arikok National Park and let the professionals do the driving. A trip to Aruba is not complete without a visit to Arikok National Park. Book an excursion through one of the tour companies. You’ll be grateful for their expertise when your jeep passes the tourists trying to navigate the narrow, rocky dirt roads in their rental vehicles.
Visit as many beaches as possible. You may be tempted to sit on Eagle Beach all week long. Don’t do it. The other beaches might be rockier, but under the water they boast a plethora of sea life from palometas to starfish to sea urchins. The Boca Catalina, Tres Trapi, and Arashi are accessible by bus. For Mangel Halto, I recommend taking a taxi or driving a rental vehicle, unless you don’t mind trekking through a neighborhood.
Take taxis to restaurants, save for those in the resort area and downtown. In terms of walkability, Aruba ranks low with few sidewalks, save for the biking/walking path along the resort/hotel area. Several restaurants outside of the resort/hotel area and downtown are worth a taxi ride, such as Red Fish and Zeerovers.
Take the bus downtown. For small groups, the bus is a viable option to travel downtown from the resort/hotel area. The Arubus website lists times from the start of the route as well as any interruptions in service. It saves the hassle of parking downtown and driving through roundabouts.
Arrive to the airport early. While the low season allows for breezing through the airport, the high season may mean longer lines. I guess this from the barriers set up in the security areas. The U.S. terminal contains not one, not two, but three checkpoints. Keep out your passport for each, and either have it open at the photo page or allow the security personnel to open it for you. Don’t be the girl fumbling around, trying to open it to the correct page. (Not that I’d know.)
Carry cash. Know that your taxi from the airport only takes cash. The same can be said for some of the restaurants. The bus also accepts cash, but you can purchase a day pass or a round-trip pass at several locations (see the Arubus website).
Check your receipts. Some restaurants add a service charge to your bill. Feel free to tip in addition to the service charge.
