I was in Aruba last week to celebrate my niece’s milestone birthday. Here are a few highlights and lowlights from my week on the island.
🔴 Lowlight: Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive
My niece booked the Tamarijn, and I wanted to be close to her, so I booked it too.
“I killed a water bug in my bathroom, and that wasn’t the worst part of my stay at this resort.”
That’s the whole Tripadvisor review I left for the Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive. One sentence. I will waste no more words on this place.
🔴 Lowlight: Druif Beach
The Tamarijn sits on Druif Beach, where I got pounded by waves and dashed against rocks. Which brings me back to where I always end up.
🟢 Highlight: Eagle Beach
The minute my niece left Aruba, I checked out of the Tamarijn and into Amsterdam Manor, directly across the street from my favorite beach on the island, Eagle Beach.
🟢 Highlight: Amsterdam Manor
I had used the hotel’s facilities several times during my Christmas trip last year, and the front desk staff was gracious and accommodating, so this time I decided to actually stay there.
I knew I’d made the right decision when I went to the bar for dinner that first night and ordered a Tres Trapi cocktail. The bartender made it so strong that I had to drink an entire glass of water before I could leave.
My room at Amsterdam Manor didn’t have an oceanfront patio, but I wasn’t killing water bugs in the bathroom, either.
So, trade-offs.
In fairness, I booked the cheapest room, which probably explains the lack of a full-length mirror. The room came with a robe for use at the resort, and a reusable beach bag to take home. I would’ve happily traded the bag for a pair of disposable slippers or a full-length mirror.
🟢 Highlight: Elements Restaurant
We celebrated my niece’s birthday at Elements Restaurant at the adults-only Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. She wanted a beachside restaurant, and after several unsuccessful attempts to get a reservation at The Old Man and the Sea, we settled on Elements. It was a great choice!
Dinner was fantastic, and I especially loved how they catered to my niece making her feel special from the moment we arrived.
I ordered the Bali Chicken, served with jasmine rice and mango sauce. This chicken was marinated for 24 hours in ginger and other spices, it was tender, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. I can’t quite describe the combination of flavors. It was like eating the continent of Asia. I enjoyed every morsel.
The only miss was that the bartenders couldn’t make a proper French 75, which is my niece’s favorite cocktail. Fortunately, everything else more than made up for it.
🟢 Highlight: My Alaïa dupe
I wore these shoes hard. So hard that I started to worry they might fall apart, considering how cheap they were. But they held up really well, and are definitely in the bag for the next beach vacation.
🔴 Lowlight: My Spanish lessons
Turns out, learning Spanish won’t necessarily help me talk to the locals in Aruba. Most of the people I tried to practice my Spanish with spoke Papiamento. I’m disappointed I didn’t pick up on that during my last trip. While plenty of the locals do speak Spanish, native Arubans speak Papiamento and Dutch. Some also speak Spanish and English, but even among those, Papiamento seemed to be the language they were most comfortable speaking.
🔴 Lowlight: The yellow suitcase: 6/10
Six points because it expands, and I was able to bring everything I wanted and travel carry-on only.
But this suitcase has ONE handle. No side handle. No cutout at the bottom to help you lift it into an overhead bin. Nothing.
Imagine a suitcase packed to capacity, and you’re supposed to lift the entire thing by one handle. A straight man designed this bag. I wish I’d noticed this when I could’ve still returned it.