Aruba, Desert Isle

Oranjestad is more of a destination than the downtown areas of most Caribbean islands, with lots of dining and nightlife options.

Dining in Aruba is a mixed bag. While some Arubian specialties can be found, you'll have to dig deep for a purely Arubian restaurant versus one featuring a mix of Arubian, Caribbean, American, and/or European foods. There's also very little local fish served on the island (explain?). The island is essentially desert, so fresh fruits and vegetables, when available, can be pricey as they're imported.

Quick Tips:

Consider traveling to Aruba during the off-season. It's a little hotter, but trade winds will cool you off. You'll have more of the beach to yourself and popular restaurants will be easy to get into even without reservations.

Best Way To Get Around:

Cabs are priced by zones. It will cost you US per carload (not per person) to get from the highrise area to Oranjestad; US after midnight. A cab to the airport is US from the highrises.

Ordinarily I would choose to stay directly on the beach, however I wasn't the planner of this trip. The Mill was great in that it was inexpensive and reasonably nice, however I didn't love the place.

Rooms were clean and colorful (some will say garish). The bed spreads have seen better days, but our bathroom and kitchenette were like new. Satellite TV featured about 25 channels in a variety of languages--Papiamento, Spanish, and English. In-room safes were great and easy to use. There was lots of closet and drawer space. Ask for a room in the newly renovated wing facing the pool. You will want to avoid facing the parking lot--a dismal view. None of the rooms have ocean views.

Beach access is confusing--the hotel directs its guests to access the beach via the Wyndham and they have a towel hut on what appears to be the Wyndham's beach, however the Wyndham features a large sign describing a court case re: this very issue.

Hotel staff, while efficient in responding to requests for maintenance or extra towels, weren't always the nicest; the reverse of my experience on other islands. Timeshares are offered, but not aggressively so.

There is an on-site restaurant. Lunch and dinner options there were expensive and bland, but breakfast is a good deal (a la carte is far less pricey than the $11 buffet). The bar has live music and dancing some nights.

Also on-site:

* De Palm Tours desk for watersports booking, travel to and from airport

* Thrifty car rental desk

* Internet access terminal (US$.25 per minute)

* Mini-market (convenient, but insanely overpriced)

If I return to Aruba, I would be inclined to check rates at the gorgeous Radisson, the Playa Linda or the Hyatt. All had impressive grounds and were impeccably maintained.

Somewhat sheltered from the wind, the tables have a partial view of the lovely beachfront pool at the Raddison. Upon entering the restaurant, the host will show you a case of the night's freshest offerings from clams prepared casino-style to cuts of prime beef. Although there's seafood present, most of it is imported from other seas.

At Sunset Grille, we enjoyed great service and tasty food, especially (and I still feel strange saying this in the Caribbean), the beef selections. Desserts, such as the apple pie pizza, were the perfect closer.

If, however, you are not ready to call it a night, visit the hotel's nearby open-air bar or the casino on the lower level.

Coupons available in all Aruba hotels led us to Cuba's Cooking for a free drink (choose between a bottle of Balashi Arubian beer or a Hemingway daiquiri). The bar is full of character--old photos and good lighting.

Servers were warm and knowledgable. In our first of two visits, we were seated in what we affectionately called the "naked lady room." See photos below to see what we meant.

And, oh, the food! Our favorites included sauteed pork with garlic, beef empanadas, and chicken stuffed with plaintain. For dessert, go Cuban and have the tres leches. So good.

Several times each week, live Cuban musicians perform. If I lived in Aruba, I would surely eat here weekly.

We arrived slightly early for our reservation and were politely sent across the street to their sister bar, Garufa, with a pager. At Garufa, a lovely dim lounge perfect for a good old-fashioned make-out session, we started into a pitcher of sangria. Before one glass per person was down, our pager was beeping and it was time for dinner.

And what a meal it was! Certainly not for vegetarians, El Gaucho offered a good selection of Argentine beef. The highlight was a platter featuring beef tenderloin, beef ribs, pork tenderloin, pork ribs, and one big fat sausage as well as side dishes of corn on the cob and potatoes. All of it was delicious--the beef ribs were particularly flavorful. One entree could probably feed two or three people.

There are other options on the menu, but at an Argentine steakhouse, why would you bother? We didn't have room for dessert, but they do have several to choose from.

The sun in Aruba is exceptionally strong. Plan accordingly by:

* Packing sunscreen of at least 15 SPF and reapplying frequently
* Bringing a hat with a brim--locals suggest one with a chinstrap
* Keeping a long-sleeve T-shirt handy for those days when you start feeling a burn but aren't ready to call it a day
* Not being shy about sitting in the shade.

You may be approached about timeshares or hair braiding on the beach, but generally people won't be very aggressive. A polite "no" sends these salespeople on their way.

At night, check out the pier bars that dot the beach. They are low-key fun and often feature both drink specials and live music.

Carlos & Charlie's, the chain, is easily located (Weststraat 3A). You will not be able to miss it between the various party buses (more on those later) parked outside, the noise and the locals sending you in that direction. Unlike some other islands' C&C's, this one seems to attract a crowd that includes just as many locals as tourists. Although cheesy, I suppose it's nice to know that if other clubs are having a slow night, C&C's will still be full of folks dancing to pop hits from the 80s to today and entering contests to win free jello shots.

Moving right along...a hot salsa scene will be found at Mambo Jambo (Royal Plaza Mall). It's lively and fun. You absolutely cannot be a wallflower here. If you don't jump onto the dance floor, trust me: someone will drag you out there.

We avoided the party buses - including Kukoo Kunuku - but other people seemed to have lots of fun on them. To us, it seemed like one very large bachelorette party on wheels minus the bride.

Finally, gambling in Aruba can be another fun distraction. Although I didn't enjoy the stand-alone slots-only casinos (crowded, bright and smoke-filled), the hotel casinos were similar to those found in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, albeit on a much smaller scale.