10 REASONS WHY ARUBA SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT VACATION

  Mike Maher & Babin Rijal 

Aruba is my favorite place in the world. The weather is so predictable that they do not have weather forecasts. It will be low 80’s with a stiff breeze. Rainfall is brief showers most times. They are out of the hurricane zone so it is rare that a hurricane comes near.

When I took the children and grandchildren on vacation there (10 of us in all), the amazing thing was at the end of the vacation, I asked each what their favorite part was. Each loved it and had something different that they loved: horseback riding along the ocean shore, snorkeling with the colorful fish, the pool sliding board, the great restaurants, the casino, the wonderful hot stone massage, the lazy river at the hotel, the butterfly farm, doing the jeep tour of the island (including the most romantic spot in the world) the natural pool where waves from the ocean come crashing over the rocks to fill the pool. 

There was pretty much full employment so there is no abject poverty as on some islands. The slogan of One Happy Island applies almost universally and the people are very friendly. Costs are also not as high as some islands. All types of vacation housing (in different price ranges) is available. The island is only 28 miles long so getting anywhere is not real difficult.

 One of the reason I do not like ocean cruises is that each place they dock is pretty much the same with the junk tourist shops and this is not an exception. Downtown has a fair amount of these but some are interesting. With the cruises, you do not have time to explore the rest of the island which is a shame. There is all kind of great restaurants there: seafood (of course) but French, German, Italian, Papiamento, Dutch, Brazilian, Argentinian steak houses, etc. All kinds of nightly entertainment for adults. Also a donkey farm, an ostrich farm, caves, off roading, the water sports, scuba, fishing, sunset cruises.

 10 REASONS WHY ARUBA SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT VACATION

1. The Weather: Aruba sits right about 80 degrees Fahrenheit all year long.
2. The Beaches
3. The People
4. The Underwater Experience
5. The Exploration : The Arikok National Park
6. The Celebrations: Aruba holds a number of local festivals, including carnivals, and parades that are always filled with bright colors and upbeat music!
7. The Ease of Traveling
8. Our happy island is easy to reach. In just four hours from New York City, and two and a half from Miami.
9. The Food : local dishes like gouda-glazed keshi yena joining South American, European and Caribbean favorites on menus around the island.
10. The Family Memories : Pictures of Aruba can never do justice to the incredible majesty of the island