Aruba...... One Happy Island

 Aruba was our first trip outside the country with our daughter.  She is 22 months old and we want to show her the world (even if she won't remember) as she grows up.  With this being our first trip of any great distance, we didn't want to go to far.  We left from Atlanta where our travel time to Oranjestad, Aruba was 3 hours 45 minutes.  Because she is under 2 years old we traveled with her in our lap.  With the iPad loaded with plenty of episodes of Dora the Explorer and backpack full of snacks and drinks we were off.  The flight went fantastic, she did get a little squirmy buy overall she was wonderful.

 We stayed at the Palm Beach Retreat (Facebook Link) where we received excellent service.  This is a family owned and operated Bed and Breakfast. It is more like a little apartment.  We had a full kitchen and enough space to sleep 6 if needed.  I had been in touch with Marvin Franca several months prior to our arrival.  He scheduled our pick up from the airport back to the apartment, which cost $20 USD.  There is a homemade breakfast made daily that is phenomenal.  The staff is very friendly and treat you like family. We like to stay more off the beaten path and not swamped with tourists.  If you like more of the resort setting I would not recommend this for you.

 Aruba is set up to give you the kind of vacation you are looking for.  If you are looking to party and have cocktails on the beach Palm Beach is as good as it gets.  If you are looking for a more peaceful setting and gorgeous white sand beaches then Eagle Beach is my recommendation (this was my favorite beach).  The food is fantastic and the seafood is fresh, you may find yourself eating more than soaking up the sun.  We highly suggest the barbecue at Smoky Joe's and the seafood at The Pelican's Nest.

Tips

Currency - Aruba has a dual currency system.  They have a local currency called Florins and are set up to take U.S Dollars as well as charge in USD. We found there was no reason to exchange any money but if you want to here is a link on the current exchange rate.  Florin Exchange Rate

Immigration and Customs - When booking your trip there is no need for any additional visas. Although you will follow standard customs when leaving to Aruba, when traveling back you will pass through both Customs and Immigration from the airport in Aruba.  This makes it much easier when entering back in the U.S. Normally you would do this when arriving in the U.S.  I do recommend arriving at the airport in Aruba 3 hours early.

Luggage - Normal baggage handling on suitcases but if you are checking strollers, car seats or packages you will have an extra step to take.  Don't wait on these items to come off the baggage carrier because they won't come.  After picking up your luggage, you will need to pass through customs agents before leaving the airport.  Let them know you have checked these extra items and they will walk you down to the area where you can pick them up.

Transportation - Aruba has a fantastic bus system and cheap taxi rides.  I was close to renting a car prior to our arrival but happy I saved the money because we did not need it.