Question 1

Aruba on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Aruba is simple to explore without a tour: Oranjestad is walkable from the ship, and a bus or short taxi ride reaches the western beaches. A good day is a morning in town and an afternoon on the sand. Oranjestad on foot: Walk along Caya G. F. Betico Croes, the main street, which is open to pedestrians only. Fort Zoutman, built in 1798 and the oldest building on the island, houses the Historical Museum of Aruba, and the Willem III Tower beside it once served as a lighthouse. The archaeology museum: The National Archaeological Museum Aruba, on Schelpstraat, covers the island from 2500 BC to the 19th century. A beach afternoon: Arubus buses from the downtown station reach Palm Beach, where the water is calm, and Eagle Beach. Drivers accept US dollars, though change may come in florins. Carry ID: Aruban law requires you to carry identification, so keep a copy of your passport with you. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, so leave the beach with time to spare.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Aruba is small, and most visitors get around by bus, taxi or rental car without trouble. Arubus buses leave from the main station in downtown Oranjestad for the resort beaches, and stop running at about 9 p.m., except on the routes along the western beaches. Arubus also runs the small heritage-style streetcar through central Oranjestad. Check before you go, as its schedule may have changed. Bus drivers accept US dollars, though they may give change in florins. If you rent a car, there is no turning right on red, there are several roundabouts, and the speed limit is 40 km/h in town and 60 km/h outside it unless signs say otherwise. Keep clear of the streetcar tracks downtown: accidents happen when drivers assume the tram will stop for them. Some roads are for buses only and are not marked, with deep pits built to stop ordinary cars. Bus times can change, especially in the evening, so confirm your return bus.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Keshi Yena, a spiced mixture of chicken, peppers, capers, olives and tomatoes baked in a shell of Gouda cheese, is often called Aruba's national dish. Restaurants are easy to find within a short walk of the center. Balashi, brewed on the island since 1996, is the local beer, and the name is said to mean "near the sea." Most groceries are imported, a large share from the United States, which keeps food prices high. Locals jokingly call a glass of Aruban tap water a "Balashi cocktail".

Question 4

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping on Aruba is not mandatory but is welcome, and many visitors leave 15 to 20 percent. Some restaurants and bars add a service charge of about 15 percent for groups, which is shared among the staff, so check the bill before you add more. You can still leave your server something extra on top of a service charge. Taxi fares are fixed, and tipping the driver is up to you. The currency is the Aruban florin, and US dollars are widely accepted.

Question 5

Language and Money

Accepted Answer

Dutch and Papiamento are Aruba's official languages, and English is widely spoken. Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its own government and currency. The currency is the Aruban florin (AWG), and US dollars are accepted almost everywhere. The name Aruba most likely comes from the Caquetío word "Oruba", meaning "well situated island". Cars drive on the right.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Aruba's first peoples came from what is now Venezuela, the Dutch took the island in 1636, and gold, aloe and oil shaped it before tourism did. Since 1986 it has been a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Caquetío: Between 850 and 1000 AD, Caquetío people migrated from western Venezuela and brought pottery and farming to the island. Spanish contact: The Spanish reached the island at the start of the 1500s and called Aruba and its neighbors "useless islands" for their lack of mineral wealth. The Dutch, 1636: The Dutch from Curaçao occupied Aruba and Bonaire in 1636. Fort Zoutman, 1798: The fort was built in 1798 by enslaved Africans, with materials supplied by Indigenous Arubans under forced labor for the Dutch West India Company. The Willem III Tower was added in 1868. Gold, 1824: A 12-year-old herder, Willem Rasmijn, found gold in 1824 and started the Aruban Gold Rush. Phosphate and aloe followed in the 19th century. Oil, 1924: The Lago refinery at San Nicolaas opened in 1924 and grew into one of the largest in the world. Its own country, 1986: On 1 January 1986 Aruba left the Netherlands Antilles and became a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A national park: Arikok National Park was established in 2000 and covers about a fifth of the island. To learn more ashore: The Historical Museum of Aruba, inside Fort Zoutman in Oranjestad, covers the island's history, and the National Archaeological Museum Aruba on Schelpstraat covers its first peoples.

Question 7

Traveling With Children

Accepted Answer

Aruba is an easy island with children: the capital is close to the ship, the western beaches have calm water, and there are short, hands-on stops for animal lovers. Pick a beach that suits your children's swimming before you set out. Younger children: Baby Beach, near San Nicolas at the southern end of the island, is a sheltered bay no more than about five feet deep, with calm water. Palm Beach also has calm water and is reachable by bus. School age: At the Butterfly Farm, guides explain how butterflies live and change, and at the Ostrich Farm a tour walks you past the pens and the incubator. Fort Zoutman's museum is in the center of town. Older children and teenagers: In Arikok National Park, Guadirikiri Cave has two natural skylights and colonies of harmless bats, and the first chambers can be explored in daylight. Rough water: Boca Prins, Andicuri and Boca Grandi have strong currents and big waves, so do not let children swim there.

Question 8

Shopping in Aruba

Accepted Answer

Downtown Oranjestad's shops are close to the pier, and some sell jewelry and other goods at so-called duty-free prices, although the island is not a duty-free zone. Dutch Gouda from the supermarkets is a popular thing to take home. Most shops open Monday to Saturday, and many close for a break around midday. If you buy Gouda, check that the maker's seal is intact. Aloe vera has been an Aruban industry since the 19th century.

Question 9

Beaches

Accepted Answer

Aruba's beaches split by coast: the west and south have calm, swimmable water, and the wild northeast coast has rough surf that is not safe for swimming. Palm Beach and Eagle Beach are the easiest from Oranjestad by bus or taxi. Baby Beach, at the southern tip, is shallow and good for snorkeling. Palm Beach has white sand and calm water. Arashi Beach, near the California Lighthouse at the northern tip, is calmer than Palm Beach and good for snorkeling. Mangel Halto is a quiet cove edged with mangroves, used for snorkeling and kayaking. Boca Prins and Dos Playa, inside Arikok National Park, have dunes and cliffs but powerful waves, so admire them from the sand.

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