Aruba… even the name is exotic…
You’ll have heard the phrase Life’s a Beach. Well, for me, that’s exactly what I look for when I start planning my precious two weeks of holiday bliss. I don’t really want to tour about busy cities – I live and work in one of those. My desires are simple – sun, sea, sand and a blue sky with palm trees right outside my window. There’s no finer feeling than waking up when your body wants to, not when a noisy alarm clock jolts you from your slumber.
There’s a place that will bring you right into the chill zone and far far far from the madding crowd. That place is…Aruba.
Aruba… even the name sounds exotic, conjuring up images of the perfect paradise where anything might be possible and if something magical was going to happen to you, it would happen here on this island. It’s little wonder that the locals refer to it as One Happy Island. What could be better than spending a week or two on a sun kissed beach during the bleak winter months of gloomy British weather.
A phrase you might become familiar with on Aruba is Bon Bini – it means ‘welcome’ in the local Papiamento language and ‘welcome’ is exactly how you will feel. Arubans are proud of their island but they seem quite happy to share it with visitors too.
Aruba is in the southern Caribbean, 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela. It is fortunate to lie just under the hurricane belt so it is blessed with dependable fine weather all year round and rain here is very rare indeed!
Aruba’s colourful, multi-cultural past is evident in the island today – in its people, its cuisine and its architecture. The island is a happy blend of Dutch, South American, Spanish and Caribbean influences.
Today, Aruba is a constituent country of the Netherlands and Dutch is the official language, alongside Papiamento, although it’s not uncommon for Arubans to speak up to four languages so you’ll be understood in English, Spanish and Portuguese too.
Besides being a stunning island bolthole under the blazing sun, there’s lots of things to do in Aruba. If you fancy getting out and about, there are some great island tours and excursions if you can be tempted off your sun lounger or your hammock. 4×4 off road adventures are very popular, as is land sailing and mountain biking. Or if you fancy getting wet and wild, there are several watersports on offer such as deep-sea diving, windsurfing and parasailing.
If like me, you simply want to chill out, it’s easy just to soak up the sun on dry land with a good book in one hand a cocktail in the other!
Lots of holiday destinations allow us to chill out and relax but I’ve found that nowhere does it better than a tropical, paradise island. Maybe it’s the night, the rum and the palm trees swaying in the warm breeze but a beach holiday in a faraway land is almost like a total reboot; a clearing of my cache and able to start afresh with renewed energy when I head to the airport for the flight home.
Don’t just take my word for it though – have a look and see for yourself. There’s some great Aruba travel deals around too so make sure you snap one up and get over there for some Aruba magic.
I am from the UK and a massive travel addict but I also work full time, so trying to fit in those long-haul trips is what my holidays are used for. I love worldwide travel from Aruba to Thailand to Texas – the world is only as big as you make it. It’s all about culture when I travel afar.