Exploring Aruba 2023: A Guide to the Island (4K)

g'day welcome to the windy desert island of Aruba my name is Ricky Dunn and together with my wife Nat I've been lucky enough to call this country home for the last three and a half weeks and over the next 10 minutes or so I want to show you some of the picture perfect features if you look at the Capitol some of the coastline and hopefully a feel for what life is like on this Southern Caribbean Paradise [Music] foreign foreign [Music] country within the kingdom of the Netherlands the population of roughly 120 000 people speak a few languages including Dutch Spanish English and papiamento which is kind of a mix between the three [Music] one of the Island's selling points is being located south of the hurricane belt meaning unlike many other Caribbean destinations weather doesn't need to be a factory in choosing when to visit tourism is a major part of the economy and while Peak Travel period runs from mid-December to mid-april cruise ships are seen in Port most weeks and why not there's only 15 inches of rain here per annum and temperatures remain consistent throughout the year we arrived in mid-november to ideal conditions intermittent clouds and a regular trade wind balance out the heat of the Sun and keep it from getting too hot there is the occasional short-lived shower but as some of the locals say if you don't like the weather just wait five minutes foreign is only 180 square kilometers or 70 square miles in size and it only takes one hour to drive top to bottom the desert landscape is littered with cacti tall swaying palms and the country's natural Compass the Divi Divi tree which all points Southwest [Music] the east coast of the island has a rugged feel while the western side houses the pristine white sand beaches the country is known for [Music] foreign [Music] a car for a few days to visit some of the beaches further from our accommodation renting a vehicle here is as easy as it gets we had a car delivered to us within 24 hours of booking for a price of 50 US dollars a day including insurance and parking around the island was never a problem our first stop was a 30 minute drive south of the capital of Arundel stud Parson Nicholas where many of the locals reside to spectacular baby Beach thank you baby beach has calm shallow Waters and is known for its resident Turtles we spent over 90 minutes swimming with these gentle creatures which was an amazing experience I'll never forget you can find them on other beaches too with mornings the best time to encounter them as they come to feed on the seagrass well down this way we checked out the Landscapes around the southern Cliffs where there's an abundance of different cacti some goats and rugged rock formations [Music] but back to the beaches and at the Northern end of the island is a Rashi Beach a perfect place to spend a lazy day foreign [Music] Y and the temperature's perfect well it's a popular spot it never felt too crowded you can hire lounges and umbrellas but we were able to take advantage of the beach chairs our accommodation provided and scored some shade under one of these popular huts these are found on most beaches around Aruba or more food to use they're very popular [Music] nearby malmoth and some of the smaller beaches surrounding it are quieter and ideal for snorkeling there's not much sand here but the water is crystal clear and there are plenty of fish [Music] Palm Beach a further five minutes driving South is where many of the big resorts are located this is the main tourist area and it offers a completely different vibe you don't need to stay at the hotel to use these beaches but you're sharing them with a lot of other people behind the high rises the streets are filled with popular restaurants and bars that are busy well into the night we preferred the more chilled out option of Eagle Beach which offers The Best of Both Worlds and is a little closer to the capital here the turquoise water meets a huge stretch of sand that backs onto beach bars restaurants as well as resorts the sheer size of the beach allows it to cater to all tastes and it's easy to find a quiet spot to yourself [Music] DV Beach a short walk from our accommodation was our most visited water was usually calm and there always seemed to be a patch of shade available I swam here most days and would regularly come for a dip while watching the sunset I don't think life would get much better [Music] even closer to us droof Beach is one of the most peaceful on the island and another great option to take in the sunset while watching the ship sail off in the distance staying for an extended period and seeking more of a local experience we chose to avoid the major resort area and face ourselves near Aruba's attractive capital of orangester [Music] [Music] this is where the cruise ships dock and day or night there's plenty to keep you entertained [Music] I found there was a healthy mix of both locals and tourists but along the main road most of the places seem to be catering to cruise passengers the streets are easy to walk but if you don't fancy that there's a free tram service that does a small loop around the city I like the Waterfront but I also enjoyed exploring a little further Inland or I found more of the pastel colored Dutch looking buildings I'd envisaged in Aruba the Dutch connection here was most obvious during the football World Cup when everything turned Orange but it can also be seen in many of the shops and restaurants despite that there seems to be a consensus amongst the people I spoke to the river feels more American as European [Music] while it can be busy when cruise ships are docked I often found the capital to be quite peaceful and it feels less touristy than the resort area of Palm Beach orangestad is only a 25 minute walk or a short bike ride from Stone throw Apartments an adult's only complex but we called home while in Aruba there's only a handful of rentals here and they share an outdoor space with a pool barbecue and dining area we booked this recently priced newly renovated unit and I think we made a great choice it was really peaceful and having multiple work areas with fast and reliable internet made life that little bit easier Beyond being very comfortable what really made our stay was the convenient location and taking advantage of the bikes they provided there's a low-lying island Aruba is perfect for cycling there are dedicated bike Lanes linking the main tourist areas of Eagle Beach Palm Beach and Beyond taking the bikes out became a daily ritual for us and made for an idyllic lifestyle foreign hosts Rick has lived on this island for almost 30 years and I asked him to share what he thinks makes Aruba special what I love about life on Aruba it is the slow down lifestyle and that's partially due to the to the perfect weather we basically have a year-round beautiful weather they say it never rains in Rua but not completely true but you get the idea the weather was so great I basically don't even own a long pair of pants or a jacket the beaches are open to the public so you can go anywhere you want Aruba is very safe we can walk to downtown enjoy some great restaurants and never have to worry about our safety and those feelings combines that is why I love living on Aruba and that same feeling is what our guests tell us when they are here and everybody just loves it how to argue with that Rick said many local tips his favorite thing that you can bring your own beers and drink at any of the Island's beaches we could pick some up at the large supermarket nearby called Lings which has a comprehensive selection of high quality food and drinks almost everything is imported and you're paying Island prices there's plenty of nightlife in Aruba and no shortage of venues to enjoy a drink it's common for beers to be sold by the bucket with six of these small bottles costing as little as 17 at nearby local establishments or sometimes more than double that in the resort areas cocktails seem to start around seven dollars and are also significantly more at the resorts when it comes to food there are numerous casual Beachside bars and restaurants we can get a fresh fish burger tacos or something similar for about 10 to 15 US dollars like most tourist destinations these days Aruba office Cuisines from all around the world with almost every taste catered for including a good number of vegan options high-end eat trees come in many forms and if you have the money to spend the options are plentiful from Resort establishments to beachfront dining and fusion restaurants in the capital there is plenty here for the foodie The Gourmet dining is expensive the sun has set on our time in Aruba and I've squeezed just about all I can into 10 minutes but I hope this video has gone somewhere to showing you what I've Loved about being here we've spent the last eight months in Latin America that's one of the best parts about being here was just how convenient and how easy everything is no one haggles everywhere takes US Dollars people speak English and I've never felt unsafe I was worried it could be a bit expensive but I've been reminded that it's the simplest things that often bring me the most Joy to take a bike ride it along the coast tie it to a palm tree and swim in that incredible turquoise water has cost nothing and it's epitomized so much of what I want from the Caribbean it's been an awesome few weeks I'm really gonna miss it but our time is up if you'd like to follow our journey you can do so on social media or subscribe to this Channel and if you've got any feedback on what I've created or your own tips for Aruba please let me know but until next time thanks for watching take care bye for now

Channel: Life Dunn Differently

Views: 63,477

Keywords: guide to aruba, aruba travel guide, aruba, things to do in aruba, 2023 guide to aruba (, aruba travel, travel caribbean island aruba, caribbean island of aruba, caribbean island, island, caribbean, aruba 4k, aruba 4k drone, travel guide to aruba, what to do in aruba, travel guide, aruba travel tips, aruba travel vlog, digital nomad aruba, where to go aruba, visit aruba, travel, aruba tour, aruba beach, aruba island, tour, life dunn differently, trip to aruba, aruba vlog 2023

Id: LK0WbJdYj7Y

Length: 11min 52sec (712 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 12 2023

Reddit Comments

[u/ZippoNights]

I just recently watched this video. As someone who has visited the island numerous times this is a very accurate and concise overview on what to expect and the areas you featured are some of my fave as well.

During some of your of b-roll you featured Flor de Oriente where my buddy/owner Peter works and the Beach Bar next to the Divi Beach is one of my fave spots as well. Your video was well put together and one I would def share with people who are looking to visit the Island. Just one cruise day is def not enough time to experience the entire island and that's why I think people continue to return. Great work 👍🏻

[u/midnitewarrior]

Great video, great production quality too. You captured the vibe of what it's like to be there accurately.