Trip Report: A Quick Winter Escape to Aruba

A few days of intensely cold weather in NYC made Thomas and I want to leave for Aruba pronto. This 5-day Xmas trip was my idea. Although Thomas objected to it at first (he always does that when I book our trips far in advance), he seemed very ready to be somewhere warm a few days before our departure (right when the cold snaps hit NYC). I was very ready to leave town for a few days as well. Somehow 80 degrees fahrenheit sounded better to me than minus 5 degrees fahrenheit.

Aruba sure did not disappoint us with her weather. Even though rain was in the forecast during our entire stay there, the rain would last no more than 10 minutes and when it was done, the weather was sunny, windy and warm. Aside from a submarine ride we took in Oranjestad, followed by a tour of the capital city, we pretty much stayed in the hotel and tanned ourselves away. Aruba beaches have nice fine sand. The beach at our hotel was nice but was packed with all these families from the States (which frankly ruined the experience for me). The beaches in the low-rise hotel area are much nicer if you want peace and quiet. Trust me, you will find fewer American brats (those 9-12 year olds who would die for the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana) in beaches like Eagle Beach, Manchebo Beach and Druif Beach.

The food in Aruba, though pricey, did not disappoint us in the quality and taste department. If you want inexpensive food, take a trip down the main street of Oranjestad and you will find a few inexpensive restaurants where the local frequent, including one that is run by this Chinese guy who serve up Chinese and Surinamese dishes. Didn't try it but the place was packed when we walked past it. Also for people who can't live without Asian food for more than 3 days, there are a few Chinese and Thai restaurants there as well as a supermarket chain called "Supermercado Kong Hing" where you can buy Asian groceries. I persuaded Thomas to go to this Thai restaurant called "Sawadee" and found out after we ordered that none of its staff were Thai, including the Chef, who was this German guy who took up Thai cooking classes when he was living in Bangkok. Needless to say, the Thai food there tasted very bland but the shrimp was fresh at least. The three restaurants that we really liked were as follow:

1. Amazonia Churrascaria
Website: http://www.amazonia-aruba.com/
This is a traditional Brazilian grill located in the Palm Beach area that serves great grilled meats and offers a great salad bar.

2. Gianni's Restaurant
Website: http://giannisaruba.com/default.aspx
An Italian restaurant in the Palm Beach area serving up great and authentic tasting Italian dishes (make sure to order its seafood risotto but stay away from its broccoli rabe -- the pathetic portion size of this hot antipasti dish can almost make you cry). Reservation is highly recommended since this is quickly becoming a popular dining spot in the Palm Beach area.

3. Casa Tua
Website: http://www.casatuaaruba.com/
A pizzeria in Oranjestad serving up great thin crust pizzas and pasta. Make sure to get a table on the balcony.

A lot of Americans travel to Aruba. In fact, it's such a popular destination among those who live in the New York metropolitan areas that hotel guests can get the local New York City channels on the major hotels' cable programming there. We felt like we never left New York when we watched TV in our hotel room.

We had a great time in Aruba. The food was great, the weather was perfect, the Arubians were friendly and the beaches were beautiful. Now only if our hotel had banned families, especially those from the States, then it would be perfect vacation for us.