I am fortunate enough to travel ever so often and love to share all my travels and experiences with others. My travel buddy is my sister – no secret in that. We have the same taste and travel well together. Generally she picks the location and I plan. I want to share a series of our past travels over the next few weeks with my readers. Majority of these trips were taken before I started blogging – therefore the series shall be #tbt (throw back travel) and over the next several weeks I will share snippets from all my favorite past travels. This week it’s Aruba! My sister and I went to Aruba in August 2012.
First Night
Once we arrived in Aruba we took a taxi to our hotel and checked in. We were there for four nights and stayed at the Aruba Mariott Resort & Stellaris Casino. We booked our hotel through Priceline name your own price and got a great deal. After we freshened up we went to Flying Fishbone Restaurant for dinner. Words can’t describe how amazing this dinner was. The food was just amazing. However the location was unreal. Literally dinner on the beach with our toes in the water right at sunset. It was a very romantic spot and my sister and I kept saying how this restaurant would be perfect with a significant other but oh well – we have each other – sisters forever. #awkward
Day 1
Day 2 began with a trip to the Butterfly Farm. All the employees were extremely knowledgable and explained everything there was to know about butterflies. We bought some amazing souvenirs from the Butterfly Farm!
Afterwards we went back to the hotel for some beach time and laying out in the sun.
For dinner we went to Papiamento Restaurant – which was recommended by a taxi driver to us. Once again the food and location were on point!
Day 2
Day three began with a submarine ride via Atlantis Submarine which we booked through our hotel. Since I can’t really swim – that well – and there is no chance I can learned to SCUBA dive the next best thing is a submarine ride! This was definitely an experience I won’t forget! So much fun.
After the submarine ride we went back to the hotel for some beach time and then watched the sunset.
For dinner we went to Gianni’s Ristorante Italiano. It was located in the more touristy area of Aruba and we got a glimpse of the night life.
Day 3
Day three was a long one but so much fun. We hired a taxi driver – that actually picked us up from dinner on the second night. He was born and raised in Aruba and offered to give us a tour of the Island by the hour. We visited many highlights of the island and were able to see the entire island in the span of 4 hours. We went to the Ayo Rock Formation, Arikok National Park, Caves at Arikok National Park, Casi Bari, Natural Bridge, and Baby Bridge. The caves are just stunning because they are above ground and contain drawings on the wall. In addition there are bats – lots of them – flying around the cave. I had some moments of yelling – no shame.
Our last dinner was at Marandi Restaurant. We watched the beautiful sunset and enjoyed delicious seafood. All the restaurants in Aruba during our trip were a hit. Not only was the food delicious but also the ambiance and locations were breathtaking!
My tan in full effect on the last day in Aruba!
The only thing I will add was that my sister and I didn’t rent a car while we were there and instead took a taxi everywhere. Majority of the taxi drivers in Aruba were female! We chatted with a ton of them and they were so delightful and helpful with restaurant recommendations, information about the Island, and much more!
Has anyone traveled to Aruba? What is your favorite location on this beautiful Island?!
Happy Thursday!
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