I need some Aruba Help from a veteran?

[Quaff King]

Greeting Lads,
We are headed down to Aruba on Feb. 5th and we are staying at the Westin. There are three divers in our party of four.
We are currently booked with Jads for our diving. Can anyone tell me if Jads picks up at the Westin? How far of a car ride is it to the boat Etc?

I'm not sure if the Westin has a dive shop but in Cayman it was Red Sail. I won't do Red Sail again.

I'd appreciate any lowdown on whats near the hotel as far as restaurants etc.
Thanks
Mark T

 

[bartzunga]

Hi Mark,
Jads picks you up pretty much anywhere on the island.
The island is small so the ride from Westin to where the boat is docked takes about 10-15 minutes.
But the drive to the shop is about 30 minutes.
As to restaurants, there are quite a few in the westin area about 5 minutes driving. But don't expect cheap prices like at a Fridays or Chili's. The food is better in Aruba but more expensive as well.

 

[jackplum]

Take a leisurely walk down the road (Irausquin Blvd.) fronting the Westin heading towards the Marriott and you will find numerous restaurants including a Friday's across from the Holiday Inn in a new small upscale shopping area.

I have not found the prices to be outrageous. Most menus have reasonably priced items or you can share as servings are sometimes quite large.

I'll be arriving on the 13th, unless I decide to go earlier!

 

[phelana]

Please rent a vehicle for a few days. Then you can dine at:

Gasparitos
Driftwood
Mirandi
Madame Janette's
Chez Mathilde

Honestly I do not feel there are any great places to dine near Palm Beach proper. They are hotel priced and well, IMHO mediocre at best.

Have a great trip and post your trip report.

Ann Phelan
Caribbean Wind & Sun Vacations--Your Caribbean Travel Specialist

 

[Quaff King]

Thanks Mates,
I appreciate the feedback. I'm looking forward to the trip. We did Curacao in April and had a great time there. If Aruba is half as good I'll be delighted.
Dive Safe!
Mark

 

[highlandfarmwv]

If you are adventurous, do the Baby Beach drift shore dive with JADs It's great

 

[Solomander]

If you are a carnivore, El Gaucho and Amazonia are great restaurants.
Joel

 

[ScubaBOS]

JADS is down in San Nicolas, at the Eastern end of the island near Baby Beach. From the High Rise area it's a 30 to 45 minute ride depending on the time of day. If you drive your self, stop off at Charlie's Bar on the way home for lunch.

There's no shop at the Westin, however, Unique Water Sports of Aruba is located on the beach between the RUI and Radisson, just a short walk from the Westin.

I've dove Aruba now for about 15 years and have never had a bad dive there. It doesn't compare to destinations like Bonaire or Cozumel but it is good. The island can be broken into two main diving areas.

The West Coast is the area off shore from the High Rises. The most famous site is the wreck of the Antilla which was a **** German freighter scuttled there at the start of WWII when the German's invaded Holland. It's a beautiful wreck, sitting up right with a 45 degree list to port in about 55 feet of water. The wreck has deteriorated radpidly in recent years and I understand it took a beating in a big storm this past fall. Otherwise most of the other dives off the West coast range in depth from 25 feet to 70 feet, including scatter wrecks and reefs. It's a most flat, sandy bottom which can result in limited viz at times, around 50 to 75 feet.

The South Coast runs from San Nicolas to Oranjestad and has deeper wall dives. Viz tends to be better and there is usually a gentle current in the area. Most dives end up being drift dives.

I don't know if any shops are allowed to do it anymore, but at least once we dove at the same time the Atlantis submarine was making a pass over a reef. It was pretty cool to see a submarine crusing along whiel we were at depth. Unfortuneatly too many divers were misbehaving underwater, flashing obscene signs and even mooning the passengers on board so most shops don't operate in the area when the sub is down now.

The Westin is on the southern end of Palm Beach (aka the High Rise area). Most of the resorts and restaurants run to the north but are within easy walking distance. Personally I don't go to the chain restaurants when I'm on vacation but you'll recognize a few.

While you don't need to rent a car, I always find it nice to have one just for the freedom to move around. There are always plenty of taxis available and the local bus system is cheap and reliable. One route passes in front of all the major resorts connecting the High Rise and Low Rise areas to the Downtown area.

 

[ScubaBOS]

For meat, my favorite is El Gaucho located downtown. Their signature dish is the Churrasco or Gaucho steak. 16oz of pure Argentine beef. It practically melts in your mouth. Reservations are suggested: El Gaucho Restaurant Aruba - HOME

For Italian our favorite is Sole Mare, near the High Rises. They have two sister restaurants, Gianni's across from the Radisson and Azzurro at the Playa Linda. I have read reports that the quality at Azzurro has diminished lately.

Here's a long but maybe not complete list of restaurants in the High Rise area alone. Where possible I've included directions and the type of cusine. Most restautants on the island are casual and you can wear shorts into:

Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Ketsu Sushi Bar - Japanese
La Vista - International
Ruth Cris Steakhouse
Simply Fish - Seafood
Wave's Beach Bar & Grill - American

Marriott Aruba Ocean Club
Champions Sports Bar
Pavilion

Marriott Aruba Surf Club
Captain's Galley

Holiday Inn Sunspree Aruba Beach Resort & Casino
Miramar Restaurant
SeeBreeze Grille
Boardwalk Caf
Corals Restaurant
Caff Da Vinci

Playa Linda Beach Resort
Aromi d'Italia
Sushi Ya - Japanese/Sushi
Azzurro - Italian
Haagen Dazs
Le Petite Caf
Dushi Bagel
Charlie's Grill
Subway
Dunkin Donuts/ Baskin & Robbins

Hyatt Regency Beach Resort
Ruinas del Mar - Continental
Caf Japengo - pan Asian
Caf Piccolo - Italian
Palms
Foot Prints Beach Grill

Occidental Grand Resort (former Allegro)
The Palm - International Buffet
L 'Olio - Italian
El Olvido - Mexican
Zen - Asian
The Pizzeria
The Beach Club

Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino
Sunset Grille
Laguna Fish Market
Gilligan's Beach Bar and Grill

Hotel Riu Aruba Grand (former Aruba Grand)


The Westin Aruba Resort
Bon Bini Caf
Rick's Caf
Blossoms
Pago Pago
Caffe Baci
Tambu Bar
Azull
The Lobby Bar

Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort
Sunset Bistro
French Market and Deli

Brickell Bay
Tomato Charlie's
Hooters
Benihana

The Mill Resort & Suites
The Garden Caf Restaurant


Restaurants close by, within walking distance:

Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant Between Marriott & Holiday Inn Website
Pelican's Nest On pier between Holiday Inn & Playa Linda
Tony Roma's Across road from Holiday Inn Website
Smokey Joe's Across road from Playa Linda
Sbarros Across road from Playa Linda
Texas de Brazil Across road from Playa Linda Website
Amici's Across road from Playa Linda
Tango Across road from Occidental / Next to Brickell Bay
Salt & Pepper Across road from Occidental / Next to Brickell Bay
Sopranos Across road from Occidental / Next to Brickell Bay
Amazonia Churrascaria Near Brickell Bay Website
Aqua Grill Near Brickell Bay
Hostaria da Vittorio Behind Brickell Bay
Hadicurari - Between Holiday Inn and Marriott Website
Gianni's Across road from Radisson
Benihana's at Brickell Bay
Hooter's at Brickell Bay
Tomato Charlie's at Brickell Bay
Daniel's Steak and Chops Across road from Radisson

Along or just off the road from the High Rises towards Noord. Most can be walked to:
Mc Donald's
Wendy's
Dominos
Sole Mare
Bella Luna

Long Walks off the main road to Noord. Safe, but best with a group.
The Old Cunucu House - Aruban Website
Buccaneer - Seafood - Food is so-so, but if yo uhave kids they'll love the giant aquarium
Gaparito's - Aruban Website
Papiamento - Aruban Website
Linda's Pancakes & Pizza