Hi - my family is travelling in Aruba end of June with a 5 1/2 yr old. What can I do with her besides the typical pool and beach thing? Any sights we should visit? Things to do? How expensive are the gorceries? And where is the best place to buy them? I'll be at the Marriot Time Share.

There is a Butterfly Farm that I would think she would enjoy. They might still have the deal going that once you go you can return during your stay. You will be at the Marriot Time Share, there is a lazy river that you both can float down. Bring a lot of beach toys with you - I always see kids building sand castles, etc. etc. in the sand. You might also want to bring some "blow up" floats and toys. There is an area near the Lighthouse that has goats running around that you can view from the safety of your car. As far as groceries are concerned, there are 4 large supermarkets. My favorite is Lings but they are all nice. Groceries are a little more expensive that home (I live in New York) but nothing to stop you from buying. There will be many families with small children at the Marriot Time Share and you will get some ideas from the families you meet there. Hope this helps.

thank you shirley K - i too live in NY and was wondering what supermarket you would compare the prices to? Maybe it might be worth it for me to pack some items from home as a added savings? anydining suggestions?

Hi, travelbuff! We just returned from Aruba!!! We stayed @ Marriott Ocean Club next door to Marriott Surf Club.
Although I had planned to do a proper "grocery shopping" @ Lings I never did get there. We pre-ordered some basic groceries from The Market @ Ocean Club & topped it up throughout the week. Mainly breakfast items & cheese & crackers. We went to breakfast @ the Marriott Hotel a couple of mornings & sat outside on the patio.( not the buffet but a lot of people seem to like that). I ordered their large fruit plate & took that back to the condo after breakfast "for later".
We went out for dinner every night & grabbed a quick lunch wherever we happened to be.
You have to make reservations for Simply Fish on the beach @ Marriott!! Tables are set in the sand w/ linen tablecloths & candles (battery candles but the effect is wonderful). You can get the Marriott "Vacation Planner" to make this for you in advance. Ask for a table closest to the water.
We had a wonderful dinner @ Ruth's Chris @ The Marriott Hotel. Make sure you make a reservation in advance for that one b/c they are v/ busy. I did not & we had to wait about 30 minutes.
A couple of nights we just strolled down the walkway that connects the Ocean Club & The Surf Club & stopped along the beach if some restaurant looked interesting.

Have a great time! Post back if you have any questions.

Pack as much from home as you can, especially if a special brand is needed, since not everything will be found in Aruba. The most important thing I can think of is suntan lotion and lots of it with a high SPF. The sun is very strong and there is always a breeze, so you feel like nothing is happening - but it is!!! As far as restaurants are concerned, are you looking for kid friendly or adult type? Aruba has almost every type of restaurant you can image. From every fast food restaurant you can think of to $200 restaurants.

Shirleyk makes an excellent point about the sunscreen. I tan easily & usually wear no higher than 4 or 8 SPF. So, for Aruba I brought a sunscreen w/ 30SPF & guess what? The first day my arms & chest burned after about an hour in the sun! I could not believe it. So, I went to The Market & bought a sunscreen w/ 50SPF. I wore 50 SPF...Coppertone Sport..... for the rest of the week & was ok. Still came home w/ a nice tan.

Shirlyk - thanks for the tips. As far as eating, we like variety. I plan on cooking the breakfast every morning and eating out for dinner every night and doing lite lucnhes by the pool. All of my daughters snacks and drinks will come from home as I hear on here and from several others that the costs are high for most items. Is Senor Frog's still there. We'd do that one night for her to experience. And then something middle of the road, say $150 for 2 with wine. No $200 dinners for us, at least not in this economy.

Travelbuff: Sorry for suggesting Simply Fish & Ruth's Chris....& other comments that you did not like.

I think that Senor Frog's is still in town. There are a lot of places to eat that are right on the beach. The closest one to the Marriott is Moomba Beach which is between the Marriott and Holiday Inn. The best time to go, of course, is to see the sunset. Also on the beach is Flying Fishbone and The Old Man and the Sea. Another fav with many people is Madame Janetts - you will need a reservation. Texas De Brazil and Amazonia if you want steak. Sunset Grille in the Radisson is also good. Sooooooooooooooooooo many restaurants it is hard to narrow is down to a few.

OceanBreeze1 - honestly - thank you for your comments and participation. please do not take offense. I have memory lapses after juggling 5 things at one time every minute of every day. bear with me. i appreciate it - honestly.

OceanBreeze
I'm surprised at the suntan lotion. I have a tan and usually never use suntan lotion except on my nose. Now, I don't know what to buy to take with.

cd, I was shocked that I burned! I have never burned. But my arms & chest were red after an hour in the Aruba sun with a 30 SPF(Coppertone lotion). So, after that I wore 50 for the entire week on the top & 30 on my legs.
I would err on the side of caution even if you have a tan b/c you do not want to burn! Bring 50, 30 and 15. That ought to do it! The last time we were in Aruba was Christmas 2000. I think I only wore 8 during that visit & I did not burn. Things have changed in the atmosphere in that time!
When are you going to Aruba, cd?

OceanBreeze
We will be on a cruise and in Aruba for one full day in April. What would you suggest fot one day? We would like to experience the beach for a few hours but I would also like to see some of the countryside. Rent a jeep and drive and then park at a beach for the rest of the day? However, I heard there are no road signs. Any suggestions are appreciated.

cd, I can't help you there b/c we did not tour the island. But whenever we took taxis, I was glad I was not driving b/c of the lack of signage. There was a lot of construction around the Marriott where we were staying so that added to the confusion. I would be inclined to book a tour rather than venture out on my own.

Thanks OceanBreeze, that is helpful and also thanks for the tip on sunscreen!

cd, have a great time! April is just around the corner! What other islands will you be visiting? How long is your cruise?

11 days. We will visit Aruba, Cartagena Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Grand Cayman. We've been to the Cayman's before but not to any of the other destinations. Your sunscreen tip will be handy there also, these destinations are hot, hot, hot.

Sounds great!
Bon Voyage!

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