See, in Aruba they don’t care how old you are. They don’t care what color you are, or where your ancestors came from. In Aruba, they care about one color: Green. I was walking through the Casablanca Casino located at the Westin hotel (up town tourist area) when I ran into a 16-year-old kid. To be completely honest, I didn’t exactly know how old he was; only that he looked 16. When this young man dropped $200 US dollars on a roulette table, I could only guess why he wasn’t being bothered; the kid had money. This leads us to our #1 thing to do while visiting Aruba:
1) Visit the Casinos
If you are a big fan of situs judi bola online or any other casino online games and websites, one of the best things that you’ll do in Aruba is to visit the casinos. Watch out though, because gambling is addictive, and everyone here (besides us poor upper-middle class) has money to lose. Me? I’m at the casino to make money, which might be one of the worst ideas ever conceived. The first night on the island I lost $120 in 3 minutes and 27 seconds-I looked at my watch before I started, and then when I had no more money to gamble. One learns quickly at the casino however not to spread their money too thin, as I made $325 dollars the next day. The ONLY thing you have to learn is when to quit. If you can do that, you will make money. If only it were that easy….
2) Go to the clubs, Señor Frogs and La Bahia
Wednesday nights Señor Frogs might be one of the best times to visit this club in the Oranjestad (downtown) section of Aruba. Wednesday nights Senior Frogs is ladies night, when girls get in for free, and are privileged with a 2-1 drinks special. The ratio for girls to guys might as well have been 2-1. The music at Frogs is mostly current, and the club itself is nice and spacey. You won’t feel claustrophobic in this club and you will find more Aruban locals here. La Bahia on the other hand is a little different. The music-a mix of mostly local Spanish club with spouts of current hip-hop-can be heard from the main street. The inside of the club boasts both an outdoors bar and an indoor dance hall. The dance hall fires off lasers and fog all night, while the bass from subwoofers pounds a hole in your chest. Oranjestad during the day is a touristy area, but at night, expect to interact with the locals.
3) Beaches, Beaches, Beeches
There are plenty of beaches on Aruba. Not surprising for an island of this type. The water is a beautiful shade of green-blue, the people are nice and tan, and there is enough shade just where you need it to be; just pick a spot under a spacious leaf umbrella. But not only can you just relax with your family on these beaches, but also you are able to do a multitude of water sports, including: Jet Ski, Tubing, Banana Boating, snorkeling, underwater diving-you name it, they have it! For the single guys, take a walk on the beaches and enjoy the wonders of “European women”, who are used to “European-style beaches”. (If you don’t know what that means, use a lifeline and phone a friend.) For the ladies, the guys are plentiful. Native Arubans are everywhere, and they are unsurprisingly very friendly. Don’t be too shy. As for party beaches, Eagle is nice and quaint, but Moomba Beach is where to get our party on, during and after-hours.
4) Restaurants
Short and sweet, there are two restaurants that absolutely MUST be visited when in Aruba. Those two are the Screaming Eagle and Driftwood. Screaming Eagle is so good at what it does, that it has no signs in front of the restaurant; it doesn’t have to advertise its name to get business. The whole place is surrounded by hidden red lights, which adds to the mystery of this place. What do they serve? Just about everything imaginable, with tons of fish selections, also including duck, veal, and steak. Every dish not only looked but also tasted delightful. Someone dining at the Screaming Eagle will only leave screaming for more.
Driftwood restaurant is a fairly small restaurant located in downtown Aruba, and is a stark contrast to the more upscale Screaming Eagle restaurant. While it doesn’t look as upscale, everything flows with the cabin-on-a-ship theme. While the theme might be tacky, the food is excellent. Surf and turf, grouper, filet… all cooked perfectly. The restaurant is a must-try for all first time visitors.
