Aruba, Part II

If you like to try a different cuisine every night, then Aruba is the place for you. It certainly does not lack in variety. We found it very odd that there wasn’t as much of a seafood selection as we anticipated, what with Aruba being an island, and all. While in Aruba, we went to several restaurants for dinner, a couple for lunch, and one magically delicious kiosk for late night desserts. I’ll highlight the good, the bad, and the dessert.
The most delicious of all the places we tried was Amuse Bistro (http://www.amusearuba.com/). It is located in front of Playa Linda, one of the high rise hotels in Palm/Eagle Beach. Amuse Bistro serves French-inspired cuisine. Everything we tried was simply amazing. From appetizers, to main course, to the wine, there was NOTHING that we did not love.
The worst place we tried was also the most expensive. Have you ever had the desire to try extremely overpriced paella which tasted like it came out of the frozen section and was microwaved a wee bit too long? Then Ruinas del Mar, Hyatt’s seafood restaurant is the place for you. The atmosphere was beautiful, elegant, romantic and very relaxing. The food was atrocious. My paella was the worst seafood dish I’ve ever tasted. My friend’s fillet of some horrible fish was mediocre at best.
If you want to try Hyatt’s cuisine, stick with Palms Restaurant, a less expensive and far more delicious option. Try their BBQ pulled pork sliders, fish tacos for lunch, or Mediterranean salad for lunch. For dinner, go with beef fajitas or mushroom risotto. Full menus for both restaurants are available here http://aruba.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-aruba/entertainment/index.jsp
This brings me to dessert. While the dessert we tried at Hyatt’s platinum lounge was very pleasing to the palate, the best dessert we tasted was off the grounds. In a strip mall down the street from the hotel is a tiny kiosk which serves the most amazing crepes. It is open until 1pm in the morning and reopens for afternoon and late night snackers 5 pm – 10:30 pm. Watch them make the crepe right in front of you and enjoy your dessert in the fresh Aruba night air perched up on bar stools & tables in front of the kiosk.
I will return with part III to talk about the activities you can enjoy while in Aruba. You will need to burn off all those crepe calories to keep fitting into that swimsuit.
Yummy travels to all!

Aruba, Part I

I am back from the holidays. Hope everyone had a happy & safe Holiday Season.
My younger daughter recently came back from Aruba. Below you will find the first part of her story...

Ever wanted to visit a country with perfect beach weather? Go to Aruba! This tiny island in the Caribbean Sea is a mere 20 miles long. We were there for nine days – the ideal length for a Caribbean vacation, if you ask me. The main activities on the island are water-related, hiking/ATV tour, and, of course, dining.

The weather is perfect year-round. Their record low was 69F. Beat that! Even when it gets really hot around noon, there is always a trade wind blowing so we didn’t feel the heat as much as we would in , say, New York. Humidity is pretty high, though, so, ladies, bring your anti-frizz products. We tried leaving the balcony door open so we could sleep in the fresh air, but even with the AC on that made it too humid. Even our money was soggy by the morning!
We stayed at the Hyatt. This is not an all-inclusive hotel; it is, however, considered the best on the island by many visitors, locals, and travel sites. All the high-rise hotels are located on an approximately 5-mile strip, called Palm/Eagle beach. You can do what we did and book your activities in advance, or chance it and book everything on the spot. You will find a kiosk offering water activities such as parasailing, banana-boat rides, snorkeling trips, etc. in front of every high-rise hotel. The staff is very pleasant, the atmosphere is very relaxed. Do not expect fast service, though. Everyone is on what the locals call “Aruba time”. You will get exceptional service, just be patient.
This was true for every place we went. Once seated, our waiters/waitresses did not rush right over as they do in the US. This is just fine when you’re on vacation, just takes some getting used to. More on restaurants next time…