Aruba Travel Guide

Aruba was one gorgeous place. As part of my new #TravelWithDevon series, I’ll be giving you my tips and sharing experiences traveling around the world. I hope you enjoy this Aruba travel guide and please let me know if you have any questions 🙂 
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What to do…
  • Pack a lunch + snacks and hit up Baby Beach! Here you will find amazing snorkeling and places to take photos + spend the day. Baby Beach is located on the other side of the island, so keep that in mind. Be sure to bring your camera or go-pro. Most hotels offer Go-Pro rentals as well, complete with all water accessories. Perfect for capturing exhilarating moments at sea. More on that later!
  • Rent a car. We have found that traveling is so much more meaningful when we get to really get to know the place. One way to do this is by renting a car. In Aruba, we found the process extremely seamless and easy. Most services will come to your hotel and pick you up if needed! Or simply make plans while at the airport.
  • The Flamingos on Renaissance Island. I was most excited about the flamingos! I have all the information you need coming this week on my blog. Trust me- As much as I want to gush about it right now, you’ll have to stay tuned!
  • Eduardo’s on Eagle Beach for a refreshing snack. In my opinion, they definitely have one of the best acai bowls I have ever eaten. Or maybe in the world. Dare I say? Eagle Beach is one of Aruba’s more quiet areas. That’s what we loved about it! There are plenty of beautiful things to look at and places to eat, so check out Eagle Beach on your stay.
  • Go out for dancing at Gusto! Christian, The Caribbean King, took us out to Gusto, one of his personal favorite hot spots in Aruba. The vibe is great and we had such a wonderful time dancing around. I’ll have more from our time with our friend Christian (a local who showed us around Aruba) this week on the blog.
  • Visit the Divi Tree. After seeing so many gorgeous photos of the tree online before traveling, we were so happy to see the tree in real life. The Divi Tree is somewhere you definitely want to be for taking photos. It sits on a lovely little beach, too, so we beach hopped for the day on our journey. More on that soon!
  • Visit Manchebo Beach. This was one of the most gorgeous beaches we discovered in Aruba. It’s definitely quieter than the others, but we liked it after a week of running around exploring the island. The sand on this beach is so much softer and seems to be perfectly placed at all times. Its truly beautiful and the hotel sitting on the beach is perfect for photos!

Where to stay…
  • Boardwalk Hotel- With
    planning our trip, we knew that we wanted to experience a boutique hotel and
    resort to mix things up. Our first hotel, The Boardwalk, was a small boutique
    hotel with adorable villas. It almost feels like a house rental. You’ll lose a
    lot of amenities from the resorts, but the small and friendly boutique feel
    definitely makes up for it! The price was great, too!
  • Hyatt Hotel Aruba- What
    a beautiful hotel! In our opinion, it was a great stay because it provides this
    tropical jungle lush environment right outside. Both exotic animals and flowers
    fill the Hyatt’s courtyard walk to the beach. The hotel’s location on the main
    resort drag on Palm Beach allows for easy access to great restaurants, shopping
    and more.

Hot Restaurants! Where to eat…
  • Lunch or snacks at Bugaloe. We loved this little joint for small bites and drinks! Plus, during Happy Hour they put on a concert that you’ll love and sing along to. And the best part? It sits right on the water, is inexpensive and has WIFI! If you don’t have an international phone plan, rejoice!
  • Breakfast at Diana’s Pancakes Place. Talk about a cute breakfast spot! Diana’s pancakes were one of the most delicious spots for breakfast on the island. Any type of pancake you imagine can be made here. Like, any type. It’s amazing!
  • Dinner at Papiamento Restaurant. Christian told us this is the hottest (and most delicious) restaurant on the Island. We have to agree! So much Dutch character in this joint. I would highly recommend!
  • Breakfast at the Hyatt – The Hyatt has a few great restaurants for breakfast and we loved each. The vibes are tropical and beautiful!
  • Dinner at Madam Jeanette’s. We LOVED this restaurant. With great live music, a fun island dinner atmosphere and delicious food, we were so happy to have this recommendation! I highly, highly recommend dining here. You will not be sorry!
  • Dine on the beach at the Flying Fishbone. We loved dining in the sand at this adorable restaurant. Be sure to get a 6pm reservation if you want to watch the sunset. 

Where to shop…
  • The Renaissance Mall. For luxury shopping and a great time,
    visit the Renaissance mall. It’s close to downtown, so it’s a perfect start to
    a fun day of shopping.
  • Visit the local markets. There are a few markets across from
    the marina where you will find great local goods, jewelry, etc. I’m personally
    someone who has to check out each location’s shopping (naturally) so I love the
    little local markets. No matter how cliché I may be!
  • Believe it or not, the hotel gift stores in The Marriott
    & The Hyatt are pretty stinking awesome. Tons of great bikinis and beach
    accessories – with not a terrible price like I typically think of when I think
    hotel gift store.

Overall, we had a great experience in Aruba and can definitely
see why it boasts one of the highest return rates in the Caribbean. Stay tuned
this week for more travel diaries, videos, photos and more info about Aruba.

MY OUTFIT>>
Swimsuit: L Space  // Romper: Show Me Your Mumu // Sunglasses: Karen Walker // Sandals: Sam Edelman (last season, new version here) // Hat: Genie by Eugenia Kim // Bag: Chloe //

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