CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009 - (Page 15)

ARUBA Aruba where the people and places ALL SAY “WELCOME!” B on bini means welcome in Aruba, and Arubans are truly eager to share their island with visitors and wish them bon dia (good day). Endless sun and scenery, breathtaking blues of crystal clear ocean, and white, sandy beaches also seem to say bon bini to families and honeymooners, and provide a welcoming backdrop for weddings, meetings or just a wellearned escape from the workaday world. It’s hard to get lost on Aruba, even when venturing off its few main roads. The island’s cooling tradewinds bend its gnarly divi divi trees into near-right angles, always pointing west toward the hotel zone. On the other hand it’s easy to get “lost” in the excitement of all that this 21-mile-long isalnd has to offer. The real draws for most visitors are the manmade attractions: glitzy casinos, clubs and bars that stay lively into the wee hours of the morning, luxurious accommodations that range from high-rise to villa-style, a creative array of sports, and dining from fast food to gourmet. Add to that a friendly culture and a location outside of the hurricane belt and it’s easy to understand the popularity of this fascinating island. Oranjestad, Aruba’s charming capital, dates back to 1797 and is reminiscent of Holland. Its pastel-painted, gabled buildings brim with boutiques and shops catering to cruise and island visitors with Delft Blue china ﬁgurines, Dutch cheeses and fashionable clothing and jewelry. Mornings along the wharf, locals come for fresh ﬁsh, often right off the ﬁshing boats, while visitors bargain for local handicrafts and T-shirts. MIX OF CULTURES AND CUISINES Most locals speak English, although the ofﬁcial languages are Dutch and Papiamento, an Afro-Portuguese dialect blended with Spanish, Dutch, Indian and English. The cultural mix is also evident in island cuisine. European and Caribbean ﬂavors meld at Madam Janette. Papiamento, a 175-year old Aruban manor, serves specialties such as tenderloin topped with melted gorgonzola, while Chez Mathilde draws Francophiles to its in-town mansion. Other favorite spots include casual Salt & Pepper for Spanishstyle tapas, Amazonia for all-you-can-eat Argentine meats, and Flying Fishbone for ARUBA GEOGRAPHY: Situated in the southern Caribbean, 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela; 19.6 miles long, six miles wide, 70 square miles. On the northwest coast there are seven miles of palm-fringed white beaches as well as some small caves with clear blue water. The northeast coast is rugged with high waves. LANGUAGE: Ofﬁcial languages are Dutch and Papiamento (a mixture of Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese with a bit of Indian, English, French and African). English and Spanish are widely spoken and understood. POPULATION: 103,459 (CBS/Population Registry Ofﬁce, 2006). CLIMATE: Average annual temperature is 82ºF. The average annual rainfall is less than 20 inches per year (mostly in brief showers during November and December). Aruba is located on the outside fringes of the hurricane belt. TIME: EST +1. GMT -4 15

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009

CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009 Contents Beaches and Water Sports Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Golf Courses Romance Spas Destination Websites Caribbean Map Caribbean Hotel Association Members Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Aruba The Islands Of The Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cancún, Cozumel, Riviera Maya Cayman Islands Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Guadeloupe Guyana Haiti Jamaica Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Martinique St. Barthelemy St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius St. Martin St. Vincent & The Grenadines Suriname Trinidad & Tobago Turks & Caicos U.S. Virgin Islands

CaribbeanTravel.com - Winter 2009

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