If there’s anything I enjoy just as much as I do fashion, it would have to be traveling, traveling has always held a special place in my heart. I remember hearing about Aruba at a very young age (my parents honeymooned in Aruba) but didn’t really know what an amazing island it actually was. I recently went on a trip to Aruba and had an absolute blast! Of all the places I’ve visited Aruba has definitely landed a spot in my top five destinations. Between the crystal blue water, pretty white sand beaches, friendly locals and perfect weather (which never went higher than 83 degrees with a consistent breeze and no rain) there’s not much to dislike about this island. I’ve been to islands that were super turnt and islands that were more laid back and Aruba was definitely more laid back, depending on what you’re looking for in a vacation. May came super fast as I started planning for this trip back in February, I was packed and ready to go for my 5 night 6 day getaway!
I research EVERYTHING, and this trip was no different…I looked up all the cool things to do while vacationing in Aruba. The one thing that came up repeatedly were the flamingos, after a quick Instagram search and I see why they are so popular. These gorgeous, slightly timid, birds were such a treat to be around. They are sorta shy and won’t come anywhere near you and don’t think about getting to close to them either lol although pretty harmless they’re somewhat introverted. You’re more than welcomed to take photos with them just at a proper distance. Most people go to The Renaissance to see them but we chose De Palm Island, which is an all inclusive type of water park. Although it isn’t actually a hotel it’s more of an activities resort. Included in the cover charge was; transportation to and from your hotel, banana boating, snorkeling, zip lining, a water park (including some really cool slides), open bar, all you can eat Buffet (with really good food), several small picturesque beaches, lounge chairs, live entertainment (with salsa dancing lessons) and the main attraction being the flamingos. I definitely took advantage of all the activities they had to offer. It was about $120 for an all day pass (8 hours) which also included a quick ferry ride from the pier to the actual beach. There were also other excursions you could book (for an additional cost) with one of them being Sea Treking.
I wanted to do this so bad, I even paid but couldn’t get past the helmet thingy being on my head lol. I am a huge water person (I’m a water sign) and am not by any means afraid of water but I have a real fear of being claustrophobic…that nearly sent me into a panic attack. I couldn’t get the breathing down to save my life and ended up not doing it 😩 I did try though lol I get an “E” for effort right?
Another cool thing I did was horseback riding through the mountains, this was definitely a fun time. I’m no stranger to riding, as I’ve rode them plenty as a child, but this was a completely different experience. They took us on a trail through the mountains and past a beautiful, picture perfect beach. Fun Fact: The horses really enjoy walking on the sand, after walking on the hard trails all day long the soft sand is like a treat for their hooves. They get really excited and will start to act like it lol. My horse in particular started to gallop and nearly took off leaving the rest of the group behind. My horses name was “Ritmo” and boy was he a ball of energy, we were right behind the line leader but he was determined to root the line and be the leader. He wanted to do his own thing and lead the line so bad lol (sounds a lot like myself). In Aruba they don’t allow the horses to actually walk through the water as the tourists complained to much about the waste and the tides can be to strong. They did however take us to Aruba’s Natural Pool which was so serene with stunning views!
The pool is surrounded by volcanic stone circles and rocks, the rugged terrain makes this pool only accessible by 4×4, hiking or my choice of transportation, horseback. It’s one of Aruba’s most sought after natural attractions. All the bumps in the road and at times heavy galloping was well worth it to get to this! My thighs ached for about 3 days afterwards 😩but I’d do it all over again.
I did manage to get in a little partying while there, although not the busiest nightlife scene, they did have a crazy fun party bus! The bus (which was an actual yellow school bus with all the windows knocked out) was lively and super lit! It stopped at 4 different bars with about 40-45 minutes in each bar. Cover charge and a free complimentary shot at each location was included in the cost. It was definitely a good time!
Check out my Instagram @Storiesxstyle under highlights “Aruba“ to see all the live footage of the bus! Lol
Overall I would give Aruba a 8/10! I wasn’t at all impressed with the food options which is why I only gave it an 8 because a girls gotta eat lol. I was expecting more of a Caribbean type of cuisine but most of the food was mainly American dishes. The official language of Aruba is, Papiamento & Dutch, although most of them speak several languages including English. It was never hard to communicate with any of the natives. The currency in Aruba is the Aruban Florin but US dollars are accepted just as much. To be completely honest, aside from the homes I saw up in the mountains, Aruba looks really Americanized to me but that’s just my opinion.
Have any of you guys ever been to Aruba? If so what are your thoughts?? I’d definitely visit again, I am already imagining myself being on another island sometime soon. For me if there’s no beach included then is it really even a vacation?? Lol I will say that I did the most activities on this particular trip than I’ve ever done on one single trip. I’m more of a beach bum, I have no problem sunbathing all day long…with a cocktail of course lol. Do you have any travel plans this summer? If so, where are you headed? We’re officially in the countdown to summer! Thanks for stopping by and as always, whatever you do, do it with style.
Xx, Quita
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