Aruba Vacation
| Capital | Oranjestad |
| Currency | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) |
| Population | 71,891 (July 2006 est.) |
| Government | parliamentary democracy |
| Language | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a creole of Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch origin), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
| Time Zone | UTC -4 |
When to Go
Aruba is perfect if you are looking for a truly sun filled vacation. It is just as comfortable in July as it is in January.
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Language
Languages spoken are Dutch (official), Papiamento, (also official) (a creole of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch origin), Spanish, and English (widely spoken).
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Some things to see and do
On and off the resorts, the following activities are available: Horseback riding, Jeep safari, hiking, cycle tours, 4-Wheeling Tours, rock climbing, sailing, scuba, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, and many beautiful beaches.
Tour the Balashi Beer brewery. There is also a drive-thru beverage store next door.
Visit a museum:
• Historical Museum- It contains a large collection of artifacts and paintings from Aruba's earliest through those reminiscent of colonial times up to the present day.
• Archaeological Museum - The archaeological museum exhibits ceramic, shell and stone artifacts which a.o. portray
the customs, beliefs and traditions of these first cultures.
• Numismatic Museum- The museum contains over 35,000 different pieces covering over 400 countries.
• Aruba Model Train Museum
Weather
The average daytime temperature is 27° C. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, and with the constant cooling influence of the trade winds, Aruba is one of the most mild islands in the Caribbean.
The weather is almost always dry with most rain showers coming at night and lasting only a little while. Temperatures in Aruba do not change dramatically. Between the months of January and March the temperatures stay around 24-29 C.
April to December is considered off season although temperatures do not change much. The difference between mid-day and night temperatures, and between summer and winter temperatures, is just 3.6°. The rainfall occurs mainly in short showers during November and December. From January to March, the trade winds provide ideal windsurfing conditions off the windward coast. Since the terrain is almost flat, these same winds sweep clouds quickly over the island without allowing moisture to build into rain showers.
Cruisine
Many chain restaurants, both fast food and upscale, from the United States are present in Aruba. The local fare restaurants serve traditional meals like baked cheese and some more interesting items such as Iguana soup.
Beverage
Balashi Beer is Aruba's National Beer. It is the only beer brewed on the island of Aruba. Balashi Cocktail is a local term for the Aruban water.
Safety first
Aruba is generally a very safe place at any time of day or night. However, it would probably be wise to stay away from the area surrounding the Valero refinery on the southeast part of the island at night (in the words of a Valero employee, "you will get some undesirables down there at night"). There is generally no reason for a tourist to go there at all anyway, so this likely will not be an issue. While rarely enforced, all drug abuse - including cannabis - is illegal.
Healthwise
The running water in Aruba is safe to drink. The main hospital is well-equipped with staff and equipment. Hotels have doctors and dentists on call and appointments can also be arranged through your hotel. Several other medical clinics also exist on the island.
Find your perfect aruba vacation packages with TravelOnly!
On and off the resorts, the following activities are available: Horseback riding, Jeep safari, hiking, cycle tours, 4-Wheeling Tours, rock climbing, sailing, scuba, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, windsurfing, and many beautiful beaches.
Tour the Balashi Beer brewery. There is also a drive-thru beverage store next door.
Visit a museum:
• Historical Museum- It contains a large collection of artifacts and paintings from Aruba's earliest through those reminiscent of colonial times up to the present day.
• Archaeological Museum - The archaeological museum exhibits ceramic, shell and stone artifacts which a.o. portray
the customs, beliefs and traditions of these first cultures.
• Numismatic Museum- The museum contains over 35,000 different pieces covering over 400 countries.
• Aruba Model Train Museum
Weather
The average daytime temperature is 27° C. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt, and with the constant cooling influence of the trade winds, Aruba is one of the most mild islands in the Caribbean.
The weather is almost always dry with most rain showers coming at night and lasting only a little while. Temperatures in Aruba do not change dramatically. Between the months of January and March the temperatures stay around 24-29 C.
April to December is considered off season although temperatures do not change much. The difference between mid-day and night temperatures, and between summer and winter temperatures, is just 3.6°. The rainfall occurs mainly in short showers during November and December. From January to March, the trade winds provide ideal windsurfing conditions off the windward coast. Since the terrain is almost flat, these same winds sweep clouds quickly over the island without allowing moisture to build into rain showers.
Cruisine
Many chain restaurants, both fast food and upscale, from the United States are present in Aruba. The local fare restaurants serve traditional meals like baked cheese and some more interesting items such as Iguana soup.
Beverage
Balashi Beer is Aruba's National Beer. It is the only beer brewed on the island of Aruba. Balashi Cocktail is a local term for the Aruban water.
Safety first
Aruba is generally a very safe place at any time of day or night. However, it would probably be wise to stay away from the area surrounding the Valero refinery on the southeast part of the island at night (in the words of a Valero employee, "you will get some undesirables down there at night"). There is generally no reason for a tourist to go there at all anyway, so this likely will not be an issue. While rarely enforced, all drug abuse - including cannabis - is illegal.
Healthwise
The running water in Aruba is safe to drink. The main hospital is well-equipped with staff and equipment. Hotels have doctors and dentists on call and appointments can also be arranged through your hotel. Several other medical clinics also exist on the island.
Find your perfect aruba vacation packages with TravelOnly!
