Sun, sand, and drinks are all I need to have a good time. Yes, I know I am very low maintenance.
Luckily, the Caribbean has plenty of all three. I have been to a few islands in my long 19 years and I say with complete confidence that Aruba stands above the crowd.
I have been three times—I know, I have a problem-- and I never get tired of it. So here are 10 reasons why you should ditch those unimaginative spring break plans for Florida and hop on a plane for Aruba.
- It’s one happy island. Seriously. I know that’s the tourism slogan, but it is probably the most truthful statement I have ever heard in my entire life. The people there are seriously happy, as in all the time. There must be a happy drug in the high-quality drinking water.
- The wind. Usually wind is gross and messes up my hair, but these tropical trade winds are truly delightful. Aruba is really hot (duh), so the winds keep you from sweating rather unattractively while tanning.
- Aruba is too cool for hurricanes. The island is outside the hurricane belt, so those storms can go ruin someone else’s well-deserved vacations. No one in Aruba’s got time for that.
- Adventure tours. There are so many rugged, outdoor adventure tours for the testosterone in your party. There are ATV trips through the landscape and off-roading in tricked out jeeps. I must admit, there were a few moments when I thought our jeep was going to fall off a cliff. I may have let out a girly shriek, but I’m not entirely sure because it was all a blur.
- Keep your cash. Aruba widely accepts the American dollar so you don’t have to waste time with that currency exchange nonsense.
- The ostrich farm. Yup, apparently Aruba has the ideal climate to breed ostriches. I don’t know about you guys, but I just think ostriches may be the coolest bird in the world. I mean, look at those necks! Anyway, you can feed them and look at baby ostriches and eat questionable, but delicious, meat that may just be an ostrich. I have never received a straight answer on that.
- They have cacti. I don’t know why I think it is so fascinating, but it is a desert even though it is surrounded by water. So check out a cactus. But don’t touch them, because they actually do hurt. I checked.
- Spotted, Venezuela! South America is less than 17 miles away and you can see the coast from Aruba on a clear day
- It is not just all Americans. Many Caribbean destinations rely entirely on America for tourism so the only interesting people I meet are from Texas and Utah. Aruba has Spanish and Dutch history, so there is a strong European presence. My vacation is instantly more satisfying when I encounter a British accent.
- Aloe is everywhere. The island has a healthy aloe vera business from the abundance of aforementioned cacti. The green slimy stuff is always on hand because the locals know the stupid tourists will forget to apply sunscreen at least one day. So lather up!