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Chris Bell | 'A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.' |
| - Henry Ford |
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Chris Bell | 'A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.' |
| - Henry Ford |
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In August 2015, my wife and I spent our 10-day honeymoon at the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, and we give it a 5-star review. We loved the A+ service, the gated adult pool, the big family pool, the pool bar and the long walks on the beach. There's a calm feeling of safety in Aruba that allowed us to roam free, travel the island, walk down long paths between hotels and rent various motor-sport activities. There were a few piers and restaurants (bars) within a 5-minute walk and multiple high-rise hotels that are mostly welcoming for guests to walk through.
Some of our favorite activities throughout Aruba included the Jolly Pirate cruise (rope swing), Sunset Dinner Cruise, Kukoo Kunuku Party Bus, Segway Tour (Lighthouse) and various places to eat! There's a small shack called Eduardo's Beach Shack on the beach, in Noord, next to the Holiday Inn hotel. They have big protein balls, protein cups filled with fruit and healthy veggie shakes. Next time we go to Aruba we plan to repeat some of these activities, rent four-wheelers and explore more of the island.
The Jolly Pirate cruise starts by pouring free drinks and traveling to a spot for snorkeling and jumping off the 20-foot platform. I was diving off the platform and many people were doing front-flips and back-flips. The snorkeling flippers, goggles and snorkel are provided and there are plenty of tropical fish to view. There are about 3 stops on the cruise, for snorkeling, jumping / diving and getting refreshed from the hot sun. The final stop is the rope swing! It's harder to do a flip than you think! I tried a few times but never completed a full back flip. They even let my wife and I swing together.
The Kukoo Kunuku bus tour is mostly suited for bar hopping around the island, and the staff is joking around during the entire ride. It's a great place to meet other couples that share your interests since everyone is on vacation and looking to have fun. This can be a long night, so prepare for a loud crowd, multiple drinks and pace yourself!
A few dislikes or things to be careful of in Aruba include; Getting up early to put a towel on your pool / beach chair, the Jet-Ski sales staff roam the beach trying to sell illegal items and the southeastern side of the island is quite sketchy at night #partytime. You need to accept the towel situation and play the game by getting up early and covering your pool chairs with hotel towels. You also need to prepare early in the week to request/save beach chairs if you enjoy hanging out on the beach with a hay umbrella, small table and two chairs. The Jet-Ski staff is friendly and they will ask you about the motor sports, but be careful, they will also quietly ask you about buying illegal items. Finally, the airport is in the middle of the island, and 90% of the time you'll travel to the northwestern side of the island (Oranjestad - downtown) or Palm Beach where there are multiple high rise hotels. However, if you use Google Maps to find a certain restaurant, it might take you across the island (passed the airport) to the southeastern part (35 minute ride). My wife and I ended up in a sticky situation trying to find a restaurant, so beware!