Despite my obvious and bitter jealousy (I lied above), Leah tricked me with her friendliness into making a list of my favorite places on the island to help in your planning. My friend and I worked as interns in Aruba for a few months in 2006 and we explored just about every corner of the place. I will list my absolute favorite island spots in priority order from 1 (best) to 6 (lowest priority). I decided to list them all in separate posts just for the sake of organization.
Aside from those recommendations, here is some overarching equipment/advice I suggest for Aruba travelers:
1. You must take snorkels especially considering that my top recommendation is a coral reef. I got one from Walmart because I didn't have $200 burning a hole in my pocket for one of the deluxe models and the Walmart unit was perfectly adequate. Whatever you do, find one with some type of splash guard to keep water from coming in the top of the snorkel itself. I also have a pair of flippers you are welcome to borrow if anybody in the group wears size ~12 in mens. I actually developed a habit of barefoot snorkeling because I enjoy it much more so you could ditch the flippers and never miss a beat.
2. Fish food. The tour groups take these toothpaste-looking tubes of fish food to attract tons of colorful fish while you are snorkeling. Of course they charge a ton of money for this crap but we once took small chunks of papaya snorkeling with us and the fish went just as crazy for it. I would say do some research and take some type of cheap fish food. There is nothing like swimming through hundreds of tropical fish that are eating little morsels right out of your hands.
3. I would get a jeep for a rental car. This is not an uncommon practice as there are a lot of off road adventures to be had and I don't think you will regret it. We visited everything on the island in a sedan or a light pickup truck but we would have been much, much happier when the asphalt ended if we would have had a jeep. We actually got stuck for a few hours at the Natural Pool because we couldn't get back up the road! A kind gentleman in a jeep helped us out or we may have spent the night.
4. Get ready for some combat driving. Unless the police have changed their tune, it is an absolute free for all when it comes to driving (in mostly good ways). If you are sitting at a red light and somebody honks at you, it is because nobody is coming and they want you to run the red light. It would definitely be worth your time to research the traffic signs before you go or you'll have a steep learning curve as they are totally different and written in Dutch (INHALEN VERBODEN). And be very liberal in your interpretation of what comprises a "parking spot." Don't be afraid to park in a crazy way if you see other cars doing the same thing. We were always shocked at where people parked and how relaxed the cops are about the whole thing. Again, this is to be taken with a grain of salt because it has been 7 years since I've been down there...
Now, on to the recommendations.
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