Aruba

Hey guys!

We visited Aruba in Nov 2017 and spent 6 nights on the island.

Tip: Click here to read about entrance requirements for Aruba – the ED card is mandatory for every passenger entering Aruba, including babies and kids, and needs to be filled out and approved. Click here to read about Global Entry.

We had initially booked a trip to Turks & Caicos but after booking our trip there, the island was hit by two hurricanes so we decided to change it to Aruba.

We had never been to either island and after finding out that Aruba was outside of the hurricane belt we felt it was a better option. Thankfully, we had booked our airfare with Southwest  (my favorite airline).

Southwest allows you to change your flight online without a change fee. You only have to pay the difference if the airfare is higher than your originally booked flight.

Our airfare to Aruba ended up costing us an additional $35.

enhanceOur first view of the island

After reading lots of terrible reviews on the car rental places inside the airport, we chose to book with an offsite car rental company called Wheels 2 Go.

I was a little hesitant because I don’t like having to prepay for my car rental..especially with it being an international rental; I wasn’t sure what would happen if I needed to cancel.

They picked us up right outside the airport and the driver took us to our rental car at a parking lot a couple of miles from the airport.

Tip: Read here for tips for navigating the airport

It was definitely a different experience than any rental I’ve ever had before as the car was sitting in some random parking lot and not at an actual rental business. Thankfully, it turned out to be a really good experience and I would definitely recommend them.

We rented a midsize car for 6 nights and the cost was $234.

Tip: Click here for everything you need to know about driving in Aruba & here for the best car rental companies in Aruba

After a lot of research, we decided to stay at the Modern Hotel Aruba. It wasn’t on the beach but we were ok with that since we like to spend most of our time exploring.

We try to find smaller properties when possible as I am not a fan of crowds. This place only had around 7-8 rooms so it was very quiet and we hardly ever saw anyone else there.

We had the Penthouse suite, which is their largest suite. It has a “private” balcony and a huge bathroom with a shower and tub. I would highly recommend this property!

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Read reviews here

You could walk to Palm Beach from our hotel but I wouldn’t recommend it as it would have taken at least 10 mins or more and you had to cross a main road to get there.

I mean who wants to walk in the heat with all of their beach gear and risk getting hit by a car? 😉

Tip – Download the WhatsApp as most everyone in Aruba uses it. We had to use it on 3 separate occasions to communicate with people on the island. Click here for the best Aruba app & here for their food delivery app & here for a self guided tour app

After checking into our hotel, we went to Super Food to pick up a few items. This is a really nice grocery store and it’s huge!

To have your groceries delivered click here & here & for the 3 best grocery stores in Aruba click here

Click here to see a list of all the stores to shop in Aruba

I highly recommend you purchase plenty of water and keep some with you at all times. Aruba is a very hot, dry island and you can quickly become dehydrated. Also, take lots of sunscreen and wear it!!

Tip: For the best reef friendly sunscreens click here and here

We then headed to Oranjestad which is the capital of Aruba to find somewhere to eat. It was about a 20 min drive from our hotel. We ended up eating at Dushi Bagels & Burgers.

I ordered the coconut shrimp and the hubby ordered the usual burger. I wasn’t very impressed with this place. My shrimp tasted like it had little to no coconut on it and my hubby’s burger was too well done. enhance

Read reviews here

After we ate, we walked a very short distance to a nearby beach to watch the sunset. To get there, we had to walk through the Playa Linda Beach Resort’s lobby.

I had read about the spectacular sunsets in Aruba but unfortunately we never saw anything like I had seen in pictures. Still beautiful though!

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Other nearby beaches in this area include Druif, Palm, Eagle, Hadicurari, Divi, MancheboMalmok, Boca Catalina and Arashi. All of these beaches are within a 10 min drive or less of Dushi Bagels & Burgers.

The next day we had planned on exploring Arikok National Park.

Since we wanted to see the Natural Pool, we had rented a jeep for the day.

Read reviews of the park here

Tip – Do not attempt driving to the Natural Pool without a 4WD and make sure it has good tires and is in good mechanical condition.

You could easily blow a tire and be stranded and a lot of the rental companies don’t cover you if you drive here. There are several tour companies that offer tours if you choose not to drive it.

After researching the best places to rent a jeep on the island, we reserved a jeep with More4Less.

The total cost for the day was $175 for a 4 door jeep. They did have cheaper options available but this is all they had left when I booked.

Tip – Book your jeep before you arrive. They book up quickly!

It was a bit steep but cheaper than booking with a tour co and we got to explore the park on our time.

The rental co picked us up at our hotel at 9 am the next morning and drove us back to their rental location in Oranjestad to pick up our jeep.

After arriving, the process took about 15 mins. While there, they told us about this app called Maps.me and let me just say, it was a lifesaver! It’s a GPS that works off-line so it doesn’t use your data.

Tip: You can download the Airalo app and purchase an Esim card for data – the cost is $9 for 1 GB of data

The island is not easy to navigate. There are very few road signs and lots of roundabouts. This app worked perfectly and never steered us wrong… I highly recommend you download it!

I would highly recommend More4Less…..they were great!

We arrived at the Arikok Ntl Park’s Visitor Center and went in to check it out and to pick up a map of the park. You have to pay an $11 pp entrance fee before entering the park. There are also maps available at the entrance gate which is right beside the visitors center.

Tip- Have plenty of water, a full tank of gas, sunscreen and snacks.

enhanceOur first stop was the beautiful Natural Pool. It took about 30-45 mins to arrive and it was a stressful drive! We drove over so many sharp rocks…I just knew we were going to blow a tire!

You can book a tour to the Natural Pool here.

enhanceenhanceI was so ready to get out of that jeep..I felt like I was going to have some kind of internal injuries after that drive!

Thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded when we arrived. This place is very popular with tourists and can get really crowded during the day so try to get here early or later in the evening. enhanceenhance

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This place is beautiful….But it can be very dangerous. Please be very careful as there have been deaths in this area.

Tips:

  • The rocks near the water’s edge can be very slippery. I recommend you bring water shoes
  • Never swim outside of the protected pool. The surf and tides can be very dangerous
  • Bring a wet bag for cameras and cell phones because waves crash over the walls of the pool and can get your things wet if you leave them on the rocks.

Read reviews for the Natural pool here

After leaving the pool, we then headed to the Boca Prins Sand Dunes & Beach.

We stopped along the way snapping a few….thousand pics! 😉

enhanceThere were goats all over the park!

enhanceWe first arrived to the Boca Prins Sand Dunes….they looked so out of place.

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We felt like we had the park to ourselves most of the day as we hardly ever saw anyone else. It was nice to escape the crowds.

We then headed just a short distance to Boca Prins Beach. It was beautiful but it’s definitely not a swimming beach. There are signs warning you not to swim here.

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There is actually a very small restaurant located near here called Boca Prins Bar & Restaurant. – UPDATE: This restaurant is now closed

Our next stop was the Fontein Cave. It’s one of the only caves on the island that has ancient writing on the cave walls. There are park guides that will give you a short tour.

We saw bats flying around in both of the caves that we visited but more so in this one..

Within walking distance of the cave is a small pond where you can sit and put your feet in the water and get a “fish pedicure”..I just had to try it! Don’t be scared..it just tickles!enhanceenhance

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Tip – This cave doesn’t stay open all day long. It has a gate on it and they close it around 5-6 pm I believe.

Read reviews here

We then headed a short distance to the next cave called Quadirikiri. It’s a lot bigger than Fontein.

You will need to use a flashlight as it’s really dark until you get near the back of the cave where there are holes in the top of the cave that lets light shine through.

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This cave doesn’t close like the Fontein cave.

Read reviews here

Next, we headed to Vader Piet which is simply a wind farm. enhanceWe stopped and took pictures along the way to Baby Beach and spotted this huge red anchor so of course we had to stop and take a pic. 😉

It stands there in memory and in honor of all seamen who have lost their life at sea.

It’s approximately 10 feet 6 inches wide and 15 feet, 6 inches tall.

enhanceAfter being in the heat and desert like conditions all day, we were ready to cool off in the beautiful waters of Baby Beach.

enhanceenhanceWe stayed here to watch the beautiful sunset.

There is food available at this beach. There’s a place that sells just hotdogs and hamburgers and there’s Big Mama Grill where you can order a variety of food items.

The next day, we decided to explore the other side of the island.

But first, we headed to breakfast at Taste of Belgium.

This place was really close to our hotel so we decided to try it out. The food and service was really good. We ate breakfast here twice.

Read reviews here

For the best restaurants that serve breakfast click here

enhanceenhanceAfter breakfast, we headed to the California Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was named after the S.S. California which sank prior to it’s construction in 1910.

The lighthouse is a popular location to watch the sunset.

You can also tour the lighthouse for $10. Purchase tickets here.

There is also an Italian restaurant located here called Faro Blanco. The Faro Blanco Restaurant was once the dwelling of the lighthouse keeper but now serves Aruba and it’s guests the best in Italian cuisine.

Read reviews here

The restaurant has some amazing views if you are seated outside. We never had the chance to try it out.

enhanceenhanceenhanceThe next stop was the Alto Vista Chapel.

Our Maps.me app took us down this very bumpy road that I think may have been meant for 4WD but we made it just fine in our little rental car.

enhanceWe made a few stops along the way before we got to the church. We passed these big boulder fields along the way.enhanceOf course, once we spotted this big black rock that was almost perfectly round, we had to stop and take pics.enhanceenhanceWe finally arrived to the church. I think it took us around 25-30 mins or so to get there from the Lighthouse.

We later found out there was a different route that we could have taken however, I liked the road we took because it was much more scenic.

The church was built in 1750 and reconstructed in 1953. enhanceIMG_0149

Tip: Another church worth visiting is the Lourdes Grotto..it’s a Roman Catholic shrine that was built into the rocks. Read reviews here. It’s located 35 mins from this church in San Nicolas.

In front of the church, there was this little stand selling fresh squeezed lime so we decided to try it out…it was so refreshing!

IMG_0165We then headed to the Donkey Sanctuary .

The sanctuary was founded in 1997 and is a non profit organization ran completely by volunteers.

The donkeys in Aruba were brought to the island over 500 yrs ago as a mode of transportation but as cars were introduced to the island the use for donkeys drastically declined.

They were left to fend for themselves and almost became extinct after an illness killed all but 20. They have now increased in numbers and have a safe place to live. It is free of charge but you can leave a donation.

Read reviews here

enhanceenhanceWe then headed to the Natural Bridge.

The largest and most photographed natural bridge collapsed in 2005. However, it’s still a popular tourist attraction and the baby bridge can also be seen here.

Read reviews here

enhanceenhanceThe collapsed bridge

You can purchase food and drinks here. They mainly sold hotdogs and hamburgers. We ended up eating lunch here and the food was not that good.

Click here for the 10 best restaurants near the Natural Bridge.

IMG_0184We then headed to the Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins.

The gold mill was built in 1874 during the “gold rush” in Aruba.

Read reviews here

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There is a refreshment stand at the site of the ruins.

Tip: Read here about some hidden gems including a nearby hidden cave pool that you can swim in…AKA Cave pool. Read here about a tour that includes the hidden cave along with the Eyes of God and Black Sand Beach.

We then headed to the Ayo & Casibari Rock Formations. This is a cluster of huge rock formations. They were really cool and best of all, they were free to visit!

There are several short paths you can walk along. There are also stairs that have been built into the rock where you can go all the way to the top for some spectacular views.

Some of the stairs were extremely terrifying because they were so steep!

Rock drawings dating back thousands of years can also be found here.

Read reviews here

enhanceenhanceAt the top, you get an amazing view of Hooiberg It’s a volcanic formation located in the center of Aruba and is the 2nd highest point on the island. You can walk to the top of Hooiberg if you want to walk up almost 600 steps! No thanks!

Read reviews here

The highest point in Aruba is Jamanota, a hill located in the Arikok National Park that stands at 189 meters above sea level.

enhanceWe then headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner.

After dinner, we headed to Arashi Beach to watch the sunset. This was one of our favorite beaches.enhance

The next day we decided to spend snorkeling and just relaxing at the beach. We went to Boca Catalina.

Unfortunately, our snorkeling experience in Aruba wasn’t that great.

The water was always murky. We did, however, get to see an octopus for the first time.

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enhanceSince the snorkeling wasn’t that good, we decided to go back to Arashi Beach.

The water at Arashi is great for swimming but the snorkeling here is more for advanced swimmers and snorkelers. We didn’t attempt to snorkel here.

We loved this beach…it was never crowded.

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enhanceThe next day, I had surprised my hubby with a couples massage at the  Renaissance Hotel’s private island.

The hotel was located in Oranjestad. It was about a 20-25 min drive from our hotel.

The spa has several different packages you can choose from. I purchased the Caribbean  Morning Couples Package. It included a 50 min massage for two, use of the private spa cove from 9-11:30, use of beach towels and water floats, a fruit tray and 2 drinks each.

Tip: If you’re not staying at the Renaissance Resort, there’s an additional $25  boat fee per person to the island for non resort guests.

They do offer spa treatments at the hotel as well as the private island. If you stay at the Renaissance, the ferry to the island is free. If you purchase a spa treatment at the island, the ferry is included in the cost if you are a guest.

Tip – The private island is only for the guests of the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. However, if the hotel isn’t at 80% capacity or more, they will sell day passes for $125 for adults & $62.50 for children ages 5-12 but you have to either call or go to the hotel on the day you want to visit to check for availability because I don’t think they sell advanced tickets. The ticket includes round trip water taxi, beach loungers, towels, and access to the flamingos. Lunch can be purchased on the island for an additional fee. Read all about how to get to the island here.

Update: As of 2026, here are the prices for the spa packages for two people:

  • 50 min couples massage + one frozen drink each is $385 (this is the cost for 2 people not each), day access to the island, access to the flamingos, water taxi (if you are a guest…if not, it’s an additional $50)
  • 50 min couples massage + one frozen drink each, day access to the island, access to the flamingos, water taxi (same prices apply as above), and lunch for $425

I would recommend if you want to visit the island, that you either book your entire stay at the hotel, book at least one night at the hotel or book a spa treatment. It may be cheaper to book a room for one night than it would be to purchase 2 or more tickets to the island.

If you stay at the Renaissance, you also will have access to the island the day you check in and the day you check out.

I can’t say this enough, if you go to Aruba, you need to go here!! It was truly the highlight of our trip! It’s a 40-acre private tropical retreat with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters and it is beautiful!

Read reviews here

Our massage was at 9 am but we had to check in at the spa inside the hotel at 8 am. The only place to park was across the street from the hotel. After we checked in, we had to walk back across the street to catch the ferry.

Tip – If you stay at the hotel, the ferry picks you up inside the hotel…very cool.

The ferry runs every 15 mins … It’s a 8 min ferry ride to the island. One side of the island is for families and one side is for couples.

As some of you may know, there are 6 beautiful flamingos that reside on the island and you can feed them right on the beach.

Tip: De Palm Island also has flamingos  – click here to see how to get to the island & here on a detailed blog post about the island

We arrived about 30 mins before our massage so we spent some time feeding and taking pics of them. Flamingos can only be found on this island and nowhere else in Aruba.

enhanceenhanceTip– I recommend if you book a massage that you book the earliest time available to beat the crowds that are all fighting to get their pic made with the flamingos. There was hardly anyone there when we arrived.

We then walked over to our BEAUTIFUL private bungalow right on the water to prepare for our massage. The therapists were already there waiting on us.

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enhanceThey explained what we needed to do and then walked outside so we could shower off and get on the massage tables.enhance

Tip– Make sure you have NO sand on you when you get ready for your massage or you may not have a pleasant experience.

Unfortunately, I still had a little sand on my feet and even though the therapist tried dusting it off, not all of it came off and I could definitely feel it when she began the massage.

This could have been prevented if they would have started the massage with my back and not my feet. I’ve never had a massage where they started with my feet.

I was a little worried about booking this for my hubby because he had never had a massage before but he ended up loving it and said he needed to start having more of them!

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There were lots of private little bungalows all over the island and I’m not sure if it was first come, first serve or if you had to reserve them through the hotel. There were also hammocks randomly placed throughout the island.

enhanceenhanceThis was a splurge for us because we were celebrating our 29th yr wedding anniversary but I loved it so much that I would definitely pay to do it again even if it wasn’t a special occasion!

Tip – You can actually book a dinner under the stars on the island even if you aren’t a guest of the Renaissance hotel. The dinner is served on the beach every Wed at 7 pm. The cost is $65 for adults and $33 for children ages 5-12.

After leaving our private bungalow, we headed to the Papagoyo Bar & Grill for lunch. I ordered the grouper sandwich and the hubby ordered his usual burger. The food and service was great!

You couldn’t beat the views either!

After lunch we walked around the island.

Not only did the island have flamingos, but it also had tropical fish and iguanas.

After spending ½ the day here, we ferried back over to Oranjestad. I had also surprised my husband with a 5 hr private sailing tour that included dinner, snorkeling and a sunset with the Morning Star.

I had read rave reviews about it and decided to book it before we left on our trip.

Unfortunately, the weather had been calling for rain that day and sure enough it had rained quite a bit in Oranjestad but thankfully not on the private island.

Sadly to say, I received a text message from the owner of the boat canceling the tour due to the weather. Aruba is usually a very windy island but they had been having very little wind.

So, on top of the rain and no wind she felt it was in our best interest to cancel. Needless to say, I was VERY disappointed.

So, we ended up staying in Oranjestad and walked around checking out the shops & outside marketplace. enhanceenhance

 

Tip – Click here and see how many cruise ships will be in port each day. You can then avoid the crowds.

We then headed to Mangel Halto Beach just to check it out.

This is supposed to be a great snorkeling area but we never snorkeled here. It was really beautiful and the water was really calm and clear.enhanceenhanceRead reviews here

Later, we headed to Savaneta to eat dinner at Zeerovers.

We had tried to eat here earlier in the week but they were closed.

We later found out that the only day they close is Mon. This is a seafood place and they only sell whatever fish was caught that day.

This place gets very busy so I would recommend you get here early. It’s a very popular place with tourists and locals.

You order your food at a small window as soon as you walk into the restaurant. After paying, they hand you a number and then you go find a table.

They sell a variety of fish but you never know what kind it will be. It could be grouper, red snapper, amberjack etc. It’s usually more than one kind.enhanceThey also sell shrimp. You have to tell them how many pounds you want of each(if you want both). The guys that took our order were good about gauging the weight based on the number of people you were ordering for.

They weigh it, put it in a bag and then it all gets cooked together…everything is fried. It’s served with fries. They also have plantains and cornbread.

Make sure you order the tartar sauce…it was so good!

Tip – They only take cash.

The food was really good but VERY messy…be prepared to get your fingers dirty!

Read reviews here

enhanceenhanceWe sat at a table right beside the water and as we were waiting on our food, the local fishermen pulled up in their boats to drop off their catch of the day. enhanceenhanceFunny story…after dinner, we went to leave but then decided to walk down beside the restaurant to take a picture of the sunset. There was a house beside the restaurant that, unbeknownst to us, was the house of the restaurant owner’s sister.

She came out and started talking to us…She then invited us to come into her house where she began telling us that it was the house she was raised in. She was probably in her 70’s. Well, then one of her brothers walks up and joins in on the conversation.

He then takes us over to his house, which was next door, and introduces us to his wife. He is also a swim coach in Aruba and trains kids for the olympics. His name was Roly Bisslik.

His sister then asked us to stay for coffee but we told them we had to get going. It was such a neat experience. They were such a sweet family.

We should have stayed because we ended up stopping at the Hub Coffee & Juice Bar. The coffee was really good and I’m picky about coffee.

The next day was our last full day in Aruba. We really didn’t have anything planned but when we woke up that morning it was pouring rain.

We decided to get out and ride around. We knew the rain probably wouldn’t last long. We headed to Eagle Beach. It’s been voted the 2nd best beach in the Caribbean and the 3rd best beach in the world!

It’s also home to two of the most photographed and renowned fofoti trees in Aruba.

My husband apparently thought he could fly… 😉enhanceenhanceWe then ended up driving to the Bubali Bird Sanctuary.

It wasn’t easy to find and we drove around in circles for a while.

Read reviews here

IMG_0325IMG_0310We saw about 4-5 different types of birds along with a turtle. There’s an observation tower you can climb for better views but we didn’t climb it.

After we left here, we noticed this place right on the side of the road that looked like it had shells. So, we pulled over and got out. The place was covered in coral and shells!

It’s located just north of the windsurfing area. You can see an old rusted out ship sticking out of the shallow water.

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We then headed out to find lunch.

We came across a place right on the water and decided to give it a try. It was called The West DeckenhanceWe first ordered the grouper fingers and the fried funchi (similar to corn bread) with dutch cheese. The menu said it was a “must on the Aruban table” so we had to try it. Both were delicious!

enhanceWe then ordered the fish sandwich….it was so good! We both agreed that this was one, if not the best, meal we had in Aruba.

The service was excellent …very friendly people. I can see why they call Aruba “one happy island”…everyone seemed happy and were all very friendly.

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After we ate, we headed to a nearby beach to spend the rest of our day and hoped to see a beautiful Aruban sunset.

Sadly, once again, it was cloudy and we never got to witness that big orange ball sinking into the sea. However, every sunset in Aruba is beautiful. enhanceMy hubby is a burger connoisseur …he loves burgers and always researches the best place to get one anytime we go anywhere. So, during his research, he came across this place called Juanchis Burger.

So, for dinner that evening, that’s where we headed. It was located very close to our hotel in the Palm Beach Plaza Mall.

We both ordered the baby portobello burgers with an order of fries sprinkled with a garlic parmesan cheese. The burgers were awesome! So good! enhanceenhance

enhanceRead the reviews on this restaurant here. UPDATE: This place is now closed.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and called it a night….sadly, we would be flying out the next day.

The next morning, we headed back to Taste of Belgium for breakfast.

This place is also located in the Palm Beach Plaza Mall.

We then headed back to the hotel to pack up. We checked out of the hotel around 11 am.

We had a few hours to spend on the island before our plane departed.

So, we decided to drive back down to Eagle Beach. It was about a 10 min drive from our hotel.

When we arrived, there was this amazing dark cloud in the sky. It made for some great shots.enhanceenhanceenhanceAfter spending some time here, we headed out…but about that time, I told my husband that it looked like a water spout was forming. I had never seen one in person so I was really hoping that’s what was happening.

Sure enough, by the time we got parked again, one had formed! It was so cool to actually see it in person!

enhanceI only had time to snap a few pictures with my iPhone before it dissipated so the quality isn’t the best.

It was a great way to end our time in Aruba!

We then headed back to the parking lot where we had initially picked up our rental car. The rental company was meeting us there so we could drop off the car and then they were going to drop us off at the airport.

We had a great time in Aruba and I highly recommend you visit this beautiful island.

enhanceGoodbye Aruba..it was fun!!

Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Other things to do while you are there::

Every Tue they hold what’s called a Bon Bini Festival in the outer courtyard of the historical museum near Ft Zoutman.  You can also climb the stairs of the fort for 360 degree views.

Shopping – Seaport Marketplace Mall and Seaport Village click here for more

Sea glass Tour

Wilhelmina Park – lots of lizards hanging out

De Palm Island – Aruba’s only all-inclusive destination offering something for everyone! Enjoy body drop slides, a kids waterpark, snorkel tours, an underwater helmet walk, banana boat rides, beaches, and more. – Read reviews here

Ostrich Farm  – read reviews here

Butterfly Farm – read reviews here

Behind the boat docks in downtown, fishermen can be seen cleaning their catch of the day. You can also see large pelicans near the yacht slips.

Eagle Beach – most popular and widest beach & home to 2 world renowned Fofoti Trees

Palm Beach – pretty but crowded and not good for snorkeling

For a complete list of photographers in Aruba click here

For a luxury picnic on the beach click here

For a list of events in Aruba click here

For the best spas click here

Street Art in San Nicolas

St Ann’s Catholic Church

Philips Animal Garden – Read reviews here

Kukoo Kunuku Party Bus – Read reviews here

The Trolley – The trolleys offer free transportation to and from the main street downtown area in a loop with the cruise ship terminal. The streetcars can be boarded right outside the cruise port’s main gate.

Click here for 72 fun things to do in Aruba & here for 25 more things to see/do

Best snorkeling beaches: Arashi, Boca Catalina (small bay in the Malmok beach area), Catalina Cove (close to Boca Catalina – you have to enter the water at Boca then swim north – swim along the edge of the coves to see fish). Baby Beach – warning: the currents can be strong here, Mangel Halto – 4 star snorkeling but must be a good swimmer – located in the city of Savaneta. Tres Trapi – next to Catalina Cove(has 3 steps in the rocks to get into the water – apparently lots of colorful starfish here). We checked out Tres Trapi and there is no way I would have gotten in the water here….the water was very rough. Maybe it’s usually calm but not the day we went.enhance

Click here for top 10 beaches in Aruba

Click here for best restaurants in Aruba

Click here for the 10 best wedding venues

Click here for most romantic things to do in Aruba

Click here & here for most popular tours in Aruba

Click here for most popular hotels in Aruba

Click here for best things to do with children

Click here & here for very useful Tips for traveling to Aruba for the first time

Click here to find out about 3 hidden gems in Aruba that most don’t know about

Click here for 16 facts that may surprise you about Aruba

Click here for a list of all the beaches in Aruba shown on a map

Click here for 13 things to know before you visit Aruba

Click here for 14 things NOT to do in Aruba

My own suggestions for romantic things to do: Watch the sunset at the lighthouse, book a private dinner on the beach, book a couple’s massage on the beach, take a stroll on the beach during sunset, book a private sunset cruise, have breakfast/dinner delivered to your room & stay in, have a picnic in a secluded area or on the beach during sunset, take a horseback ride on the beach or take a midnight swim in the pool..I would say ocean but I’m terrified of sharks so I can’t recommend! 😉

Thanks for reading. I hope this helps you plan your own trip to Aruba!

If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment.

Banff & Yoho National Parks

Hey Guys!

Due to this trip being 8 days I’ve decided to do 2 separate posts. One for Banff and Yoho and then one for the Icefields Parkway and Jasper. We did 4 full days at Banff & Yoho. We visited in July 2017 however, my post has been updated with recent information.

Update: Read my post on Jasper & the Icefields Parkway here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

In my 2nd post, I will also include a day by day itinerary that may help you plan your own trip. I spent countless hours researching, planning and mapping out locations. Try downloading the app, Maps.me. We used it in Aruba and it was a lifesaver!

We flew into Calgary and rented a car from Enterprise. The cost was around $480 for a full size car through Expedia.

Tip – check both the online travel sites and the car rental agency’s site to compare prices. We drove from Calgary to Banff  which takes approximately 1 hr.

It was late when we arrived so we went straight to our hotel, Irwin’s Mountain Inn. We only stayed here the one night as we moved around often to be able to see and do as much as possible.

Read reviews here

Sunday was our first full day in Banff. We woke up and headed to Melissa’s Missteak for breakfast. This place is so good! We ate here 2-3 times.enhanceenhance

Read reviews here

The first day in Banff we visited the following locations: Bow Falls  (you can park and walk a path along the Bow River or you can park at the falls) & the Banff Gondola ($62 pp adult or $56 if booked in advance – $31 or $28 for children – check site for free rates for children).

Let me just say, the gondola was extremely crowded so I highly recommend you get here early and check the weather before you go. If it’s cloudy, you won’t see much. We didn’t buy our tickets in advance so we stood in a very long line.

They have food and drinks inside and at the top. The gondola ride takes 8 mins to the top and it can be a bit scary if you are afraid of heights. You also have a certain amount of time to spend at the top (1 1/2 -2 hrs if I can remember correctly).

If you want to leave before your designated time you have to go to customer service (at the top) and see if you can get your time changed. That’s what we ended up doing.

The views from the top are truly spectacular!

We also did the Tunnel Mountain  drive. This is a about a 5 mi scenic drive and starts at the intersection of Banff Ave & Buffalo St.

On this drive you will see, Surprise Corner (a view of the historic Banff Springs Hotel), Hoodoos (unique rock formations-we never found them), Bow River, Mt Rundle and the Bow Valley. You will end up back on Banff Ave.

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We then drove the Lake Minnewanka Loop. This is a 15 mi scenic drive. It’s about 10 miles from Banff. Your first stop along the drive will be Cascade Ponds. There’s a short .3 mile trail that leads to Cascade Falls.

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You will then see Johnson Lake , Two Jack LakeLake Minnewanka and Upper and Lower Bankhead. There are scenic boat tours, kayaking and canoeing available on Lake Minnewanka. There is also a cafe here.

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The loop ends back in Banff. I would allow approximately 1.5+ hrs for drive w/stops.

Tip: Click here for 21 things to do in Banff & Click here for 56 free things to see/do in Banff

We then headed to Eddie Burger for a delicious burger and our first ever poutine fries. They were delicious!

Read reviews here

After we ate, we headed to our next hotel, Castle Mountain Chalets.

Read reviews here

We stayed here 4 nights. The chalets were about 25 mins from Banff, 20 mins to Lake Louise, 10 mins to Johnston Canyon, 40 mins to Lake Moraine and about 5 mins from the Bow Valley Parkway.

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We absolutely loved this place. It was so quiet! You have an amazing view of Castle Mountain. The property has a small general store that sells all kinds of snacks.

They also offer bike rentals, maps, discount Lake Louise ski lift passes and Lake Louise Gondola discounts. They also sell gas.

The general store hours vary seasonally so check their website for store hours.

The Bow River was a short walk from our cabin. There’s also a small parking lot at the bridge. We drove down a couple of nights to watch the sunset.

We also saw a bear in this area. The closest restaurants are at Baker Creek and Johnston Canyon Resort.

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The next day we headed to Sunshine Village to do some hiking.

This place is known for their ski resort and their spectacular hiking trails. It was approx. 25 mins from our cabin.

We arrived and it felt like a ghost town…hardly anyone was here! It was wonderful!

We purchased the gondola and chairlift tour. The cost was $64 pp.

You ride the gondola for approx 25 mins and then get on the ski lift for about 10 mins. It was a little scary but the views were amazing!

HIGHLY recommend hiking here!

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Picture taken from the standish viewing deck. You can see all 3 lakes from this viewpoint.

There are several trails here but we only hiked to Rock Isle Lake (seen in the pic above). It’s about a mile one way and considered to be a moderate hike. There are trail maps available when you buy your tickets.

We were here in July and the flowers were blooming all over!! Also, this is bear habitat so wear bells or make noise..becoming bear poop is not how you want your vacation to end! 😉

We ended up eating lunch at one of the cafes. Not many choices available…we ate a pre made sandwich and chips.

We then headed to the Bow Valley Parkway. This is a 32 mile scenic drive and our cabin was only a mile from this parkway. This drive offers one of the best wildlife opportunities in Banff …however, we never saw anything.

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There are several stops along this drive as well as hiking trails. However, there was only a few places worth stopping in my opinion and my favorite was the beautiful Johnston Canyon.

Tip: A portion of the Bow Valley Parkway is closed seasonally to vehicles in the spring and fall for cycling

There are 3 hikes at this location…. The upper and lower falls and the ink pots. This place has bathrooms as well as food. If you are pressed for time, I would pick this one stop over the others.

Tip: Read here for a complete guide of this area and recent closures

Unfortunately, we only did the lower falls because it started raining and it was SO crowded on the trail that you could barely move! Get here early if you can.

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We only did 4 stops on this drive.

One of the other stops we did was Morant’s Curve.

There were no signs for this stop.

It has panoramic views of the river, rail line and the Canadian Alps. A lot of people will stop here in hopes to capture a train on the tracks. Below are some shots I took at this location.

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Another stop was at Hillsdale Meadows: A short hike to an open meadow. There were 2 red chairs sitting against the aspen trees that made for a pretty shot.

The other stop we did was Backswamp. This place is a marshy wetland where the Bow River once flowed. You can sometimes spot big horn sheep here as well as Ospreys and Blue Heron.

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After we finished this drive, we headed back into Banff to find something to eat.

The food is expensive and the service was sub par at most of the restaurants we went to.

After eating, we walked/drove around Banff. Don’t miss taking your picture at the Banff sign.

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We then did the Vermillion Lake Drive. The drive is less than 5 mins from the Banff sign.

It’s a really peaceful place and we loved it here. It’s only a 2.5 mi drive and there is a 3.5 shoreline path you can walk and the adjacent 1.25 mile Fenland Trail.

This is also a good place to spot wildlife. We saw a black bear while we were here.

It’s also a great place to watch a sunset or have a picnic. The views of Mt Rundle are awesome!

Don’t miss this short but scenic drive!

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We then headed to one of the must do places….Lake Louise !! This place is not to be missed! The lake usually thaws sometime in June..we were there in July.

You can hike along the shoreline or hike up to the famous Lake Agnes Tea House. We did this hike on a different day and I’ll write about it later in this post.

Click here for the 8 best hikes in this area

Lake Louise is a year-round destination outside of the shoulder months of October/May, and even then, certain points in those months can be great. In the winter, you can enjoy sleigh rides, ice skating, ice climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing.

The best tip that I can give you is to get here either very early (6-8 am) or much later in the evening (7-8 pm) to avoid the crowds. They do have an overflow parking lot where you park and are shuttled by bus to the lake. We parked at the lake both times we went.

Update: Paid parking will be in effect for Lake Louise from 7am-7pm between mid-May and mid-October. This is in addition to your Parks Canada Pass needed for all of Banff National Park.  Look for pay stations when you arrive at Lake Louise; the fee is $12.25 per vehicle per day. You’ll need to input your license plate number into the pay kiosk. You cannot park overnight at Lake Louise lake shore.

Also new is the need for a reservation if you intend to ride the summer shuttle to Lake Louise from the Lake Louise Park and Ride. Reservations open on May 4th, 2022 at 8am MST, on the Parks Canada website. This option guarantees you will get to Lake Louise, while the paid parking is on a first-come/first-serve basis

Once at the Lake Louise Lakeshore, you can connect between Lake Louise and Moraine Lake on a first-come, first-serve basis via the Lake Connector shuttle (free with shuttle reservation); they run every 15 minutes.

There will also be a portion of seats released on a rolling basis for the Lake Louise shuttle, 48 hours prior to departure day at 8 am MST. Walk up seat sales are possible if there is space on the shuttle. You’ll be able to book your seat reservation on the Parks Canada website.

After arriving to the lake, we rented a canoe at the boathouse. The cost was $105 for an hour. The beautiful, historic Fairmont hotel is located right on the shoreline. The cost to stay here in July is around $700-900 a night. (Update: The cost is now $135 for an hr and $125 for 30 mins)

We purchased our lunch at the 24 hr deli inside the hotel and it was very good. There is also a gondola ride you can do for around $30 pp. It’s a 14 min one way ride.

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The next day we decided to spend at the beautiful And not to be missed, Lake Moraine! This lake is even more spectacular than Lake Louise!

Again, get here early or late evening to avoid the crowds. There isn’t an overflow parking lot for this lake unlike Lake Louise and parking can fill up quickly! I wouldn’t get here later than 8-8:30 am.

Update: There is now a shuttle for Lake Moraine that leaves from the Lake Louise overflow parking lot & the Banff train station.

Update for 2023: In 2023, Moraine Lake Parking will be officially closed to personal vehicles. This new policy will help alleviate some safety, preservation, and congestion concerns around the Moraine Lake site. Read more here and book your shuttle ticket here.

Visitors can now visit the lake through the public shuttle bus system known as Park & Ride. It is also possible to access the lake via bike, public transport from Banff, or a private tour company. Disabled visitors can still access the Moraine Lake parking lot.

You can rent canoes here and the cost is around $100 an hr (not per person) unless you stay at the Moraine Lake Lodge, then it’s free. There are plenty of things to do here to keep you busy for several hours. (Update: The cost is now $130 an hr)

There are several hiking trails as well as horseback riding and a gondola you can ride.

For more activities in this area click here

Be mindful, if you are planning a visit here, the lake does not begin to thaw until June and you can’t access the lake during the months of Nov – April due to high avalanche risk. Also, during the times of high grizzly bear activity, there are many hiking trail restrictions.

After arriving, we did a small portion of the shoreline hike and the Rockpile hike.

Don’t miss the “20 dollar” view as it’s called from atop of the Rockpile. They call it this because it’s actually on the back of their older 20 dollar bills. It’s a very short hike and so worth it!

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The color of the water changes depending on where you are viewing it from!

After Lake Moraine, we headed back to Lake Louise. We actually visited both lakes twice. We visited in the evening and during the day and let me just say, during the day it’s a mad house! Since Lake Louise has overflow parking, you may want to go to Lake Moraine first.

After reading about the hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House during my trip planning,  I really wanted to add this hike to our list. It’s a 4.5 mi round trip hike. I thought I was in half way decent shape until I took on this hike! It was brutal…to me anyways.

I mean, there was an 80 yr old man that passed me but whatever! It was uphill and I could hardly breathe due to the elevation gain! Be prepared and take plenty of water and snacks.

There is food at the tea house so maybe that will motivate you enough to keep going! They also serve more than a 100 different types of loose leaf teas!

Read reviews for the hike here

Sadly, it was so busy when we arrived, we decided to pass on eating lunch here… I did hear the food was really good.

On this hike you will see some spectacular views and even though, at times, I felt I needed to be airlifted out of there, in the end, I was SO happy that I endured the pain and blisters for the views I saw! Make sure you have very comfortable shoes for this hike!

You will not only see Lake Agnes and the tea house you will also see Mirror Lake & Beehive. The hike continues past the first tea house. If you continue, you will come to a 2nd tea house which was built in 1924.

The first one was built in 1901 but was replaced in the early 80’s. However, there were some tables, chairs and windows from the original tea house used in the building of the newer tea house in order to preserve the authenticity and rustic charm.

This trail also leads to the Plain of Six Glaciers and the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

We turned around after arriving to the first tea house.

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Views of Lake Louise from the trail…if you look closely, you can see canoes!

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Mirror Lake and Beehive

Read here about the hike to Big Beehive

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Small waterfall on the trail

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Beautiful Lake Agnes!

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The very crowded tea house

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We hiked a short distance around Lake Agnes...

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The flowers were in full bloom!!

A few more pictures of this area..it was stunning!

We then headed back down…much better!

This is actually the day we canoed Lake Louise and had lunch at the 24 hr deli inside the Fairmont hotel.

Yoho National Park

On day 4, we planned to spend all day at YOHO National Park.

It was a 45 min drive from our hotel.

Yoho is located in Field, BC. I would highly recommend you add this park to your list of must dos!

There are several things to see/do at this park.

Your first stop will be the Spiral Tunnels. The Spiral tunnels are railways that have been carved through mountains. If you time it right you will get to see a train coming through the tunnel.

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There is a second spot where you can view the Upper Spiral Tunnels in Cathedral Mountain. Its a pull off located 2.3 kms along the Yoho Valley Rd.

The tunnels are now so obscured by trees you can barely see it. I had to zoom all the way out with my camera to find it.

The next stop will be Takakkaw Falls. It’s one of the highest waterfalls in Canada.enhanceenhance

You will then come to the Natural Bridge. The bridge is a limestone rock formation that has formed over the Kicking Horse River.enhance

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Next will be the breathtaking Emerald Lake!

You can hike and canoe here. There is also food available as well as the beautiful Emerald Lake Lodge.

We hiked a short distance around the shoreline trail.

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Read more here on things go do at Emerald Lake

After leaving the lake, we headed to the very small town of Field.

It was really cool and I highly recommend you make a stop here.

There are a few restaurants in Field and we ended up eating at Siding Cafe. We all ordered the chicken “burger”. It was truly one of the best I’ve ever had…my daughter and hubby agreed!

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After spending some time here walking around and admiring this quaint little town and all of the beautiful flowers that were blooming, we headed to the next stop which was Wapta Falls.

Tip: Click here to read safety tips when visiting this park

The falls are accessed by driving a 1.25 mile gravel road off the Trans-Canada Hwy. The trail is approx 3 miles roundtrip and is a fairly easy trail. I would allow approx 1.5-2 hrs for this stop.

I would recommend you wear bug spray as the trail is in a very forested area. I would also make noise in case of bears. The trail leads to the largest waterfall on Kicking River. It drops 30 meters and is 150 meters wide.

There’s a view looking at the river and the top of the falls however, if you go a bit further down (which is a bit harrowing), you can get to the viewpoints at the lower part of the falls for a different view.

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These were the only stops we did in the park. There is also  Lake O’Hara.  However, access during the summer months are limited in order to protect the delicate environment. It can only be accessed by foot along a 7 mi gravel road or by reserving a seat on the Parks Canada bus.

These tickets start selling online April 20, 2018 at 8 am and are $14.70 r/t for adults and $7.30 for youth 6-16 yrs of age. Children 5 and under are free. Please keep in mind, these tickets book up for the entire season almost instantly! You can call Parks Canada at 1-877-RESERVE and make reservations over the phone as well.

Update: Read here on how to visit the lake and the reservation system

There is also the Burgess Shale tour. This is the site of fossilized remains of over a hundred different marine animal species. This can only be accessed by a guided tour. You need to make advanced reservations as they limit the groups to 12-15 people.

We then headed back to Banff. We spotted an old bridge on the way back so we made a quick stop to check it out and take some pics.enhanceenhance

We spent the rest of our time in Banff walking around town shopping, eating and of course, taking lots of pictures! 😉

My hubby had read about these desserts called beaver tails so we just had to try them out! They were messy but so delicious!

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Here are a few shots of Banff. We loved it here!

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Me standing in front of the Bow River.  You can canoe here as well.

Other activities in Banff includeCave & Basin National Historic siteBanff Hot Springs, tour the historic Banff Springs Hotel that opened in 1888, do a boat tour on the Bow River, hike the Hoodoos Trail, do a hop on/off bus tour, visit the Cascade Gardens or canoe the Bow River for $40 for an hr. Rent a bike, visit the Banff Park Museum, do a Blue Bus Tour, do a river float on Bow River, take a sleigh ride, book a cowboy cookout or take a carriage ride. Visit the nearby town of Canmore.l

There is also another national park only 30 mins from Banff or 10 mins from our cabin. It’s called Kootenay. I wished we had had time to visit…from what I read, there seems to be a lot to do and see there.

Tip: If you don’t want to stay in the town of Banff, another option is Canmore. It’s only 20 mins from Banff

Well, I hope you found this post to be helpful and informative and something you can refer to when planning your own trip to Banff or Yoho.  I’ll be working on my next post for the Icefield’s Parkway and Jasper and get that posted as soon as I can.

UPDATE: Read my Icefield’s Pkwy & Jasper blog here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

Thanks for reading!! 🙂