Aruba, One Happy Island

Where: Aruba

When: First week of October

Why: Our honeymoon <3

Hotels: Boardwalk Boutique Hotel & Manchebo Beach Resort

Top 5 must packs: Books, newlywed hat, bathing suit coverup, sunscreen, a bathing suit for every day

Top 5 must see/do: Flying fishbones, Parasailing, Visiting Baby Beach, Snorkeling with Jolly Pirates, California Lighthouse

One thing about me, is that no matter where I go, no matter when I go, I will always have shit weather. I’m not sure what I did to deserve this, but it’s just something that Mother Nature has decided and here we are. Please do not hold this against me if we travel together.

For our honeymoon, we wanted to go somewhere tropical. Being the first week of October, we were concerned with weather, as that is hurricane szn in most island areas. We had heard from everyone and their mothers that the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) are NOT in hurricane territory and almost never see rain. We decided to take the chance, pray that we had dodged the hurricane weather, and jet set to Aruba. Wouldn’t you know, that 3 days into our week long trip, Aruba was experiencing record high winds and rain, and were about to be in a “tropical depression”. Aruba was not the only one experiencing signs of depression that week because what the actual f. The locals were psyched because they had been in a dry spell, so you’re welcome Arubians. It was our pleasure.

She’s gorgeous, she’s flat, she’s hot af. Not much going on upstairs but on the surface level, she’s a 10. Yes, I’m talking about Aruba, baby! Even though it rained 3 out of 7 days we were there, it was still incredibly hot and the water was great. We spent part of the week at Boardwalk Boutique Hotel, a precious little hotel by the Ritz and the high rises, and then the latter part of the week we spent farther south on the quiet, more reserved resort part of the island at an all inclusive on a secluded beach called Manchebo Beach Resort. Both hotels were excellent with very different vibes but I’d say my favorite was Boardwalk Boutique because it reminded me of Ken’s Dojo Mojo Casa House which is a major slay.

Boardwalk Boutique Hotel

ITINERARY

Day 1

• We checked into our adorable hotel. I can’t say enough good things about Boardwalk Boutique. We had our own little casita, complete with grill and wicker swing on the front porch. The whole place felt very secluded and romantic. The first night, we walked across the street towards the beach in Noord. We grabbed dinner at Yemanja in Oranjestaad (best meal on the island in my opinion) and drinks after at Moomba Bar on the beach.

Day 2

• We spent the morning catching some rays on the beach, toasting to married life and reading my new Colleen Hoover (no relation by the way).

• We had an early reservation at Flying Fish Bones, which is known for their dining area being set literally in the ocean where the fish will swim around your feet. Be sure to make a reservation way ahead of time, or you may get stuck dining on the sand which is kind of not the vibe. I got lamb chops, Bob got their local fish (snapper). The ceviche was our favorite. They even brought us a sweet dessert that said “happy honeymoon”.

Dinner @ Flying Fishbones, with our toesies in the water

Day 3

California Lighthouse

Aruba Safari Tours

• We rented a car (cheap cheap) and drove out to the California Lighthouse. Climbed to the top to view the entire island. The lighthouse was originally named for the steamship ‘California’ which wrecked nearby in 1891. The lighthouse was built to prevent future wreckage.

• At noon, we had a reservation booked for the Jolly Pirates Tour! When I tell you this was the most fun of my life… The crew was so energetic and lively and they served us drinks non-stop. I swear that is the only reason why I jumped from the rope swing, but also maybe because a legitimate baby went before me and she motivated me. Kudos to baby.

• After we docked and literally blacked out from all the pirate punch, we started walking back towards the hotel and realized we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Big oops! We ordered a pizza from a bar, dropped it in the sand, and continued to eat it on the side of the curb like feral animals while families with small children walked by in broad daylight.

  Day 4

• Excursion day! Booked a viator that included 3 excursions; parasailing, waterskiing and a UTV guided tour.

  I’d like to start off by saying thank you to the precious family on the boat that convinced me I would in fact NOT die during parasailing. The kids calmed me down saying that they’ve done it before and it’s really fun and cool. I also wanted them to think I was really fun and cool so we went first. I have an immense fear of heights and free falling to my death, so parasailing has never been a cute option for me. But it was our honeymoon and I was turning a new leaf. So here we were in the middle of the ocean, rising to great heights, with our lives in the hands of two 18 year old boys blasting Cardi B and openly swiping on tinder instead of manning the boat. I am shocked to admit that I actually loved parasailing! We saw baby sea turtles from above and I started crying at how beautiful of a moment it was. Don’t hold it against me, I was PMS’ing. I think that if I saw a shark in the water, it would have been a different story. Thank you, Ezekial and family, you continue to motivate me everyday.

  Day 5

• We took the rental car out to the National Park, but would definitely recommend NOT taking a honda civic because we it was consistently bottoming out. Not pleasant. The first section of the park it was raining and gloomy but once we made it to the coast, the sun came out and the views were awesome. The waves were choppy, which made for good photos. We checked out some caves and had some very unsettling moments of bats flying by our heads. The main attraction here were the rocky cliffs, the caves and desert lands.

• Had to stop by Zeerover’s on our way back from the park. Upon walking in, you’ll head straight to the fish counter where you’ll choose between 2 options; shrimps or the catch of the day. Bob and I did one of each. They weigh the fish raw, take it to the chef who cooks it up, serves it with your choice of sides- yuca fries or grilled plantains. You sit right on the dock to eat at a picnic table, watching the fishermen come and go. The fish they were taking off the boat was going straight to the counter… talk about ocean to table. Options for buckets of beer as well!

  Day 6

• A relaxing beach day at our new hotel. My biggest hesitation booking this hotel was the all inclusive food and drink, worrying that the food would suck. However, Manchebo had amazing options for food, there were multiple different restaurants on site and I can accurately say that ALL were bangin’. I loved Eagle Beach so much better than Palm Beach; it was cleaner, quieter and didn’t smell like low tide. The ocean water felt like a tubby, and I liked that. The waves weren’t crazy either, so I could wade all day and get wildly sunburnt while enjoying my time peacefully.

• We booked a sunset booze cruise out of Oranjestaad which was full of wannabe influencers and men from Long Island. Not the best combo but the drinks helped us get through it.

  Day 7

• Took the car out again over to Baby Beach in Sint Nicolaas. We got there quite early, around 10 AM and the crowds were starting to roll in. Chairs with umbrellas were available to rent for $65 a day but we weren’t planning on staying long so we stayed vibing on our towels. Baby Beach is gorgeous and there’s a bar called Rum Reef Bar and Grill with an infinity pool overlooking the turquoise waters. The drinks were stunning and the bartender was our personal photographer. 10 out of 10.

Main character energy @ Rum Reef Bar and Grill

PROS

1. Short and direct flight from Boston.

2. Everyone speaks English.

3. The food is TIGHT. I think I had more seafood this week in Aruba than I’ve had in the last year.

4. The locals were lovely, very personable and happy to share their love for the island.

CONS

1. Not many adventures outside of the resort.

2. Chaotic around high rises.

3. Expensive.

4. Stray animals will lead to severe depression; It made me sad to see all the stray dogs and cats. Like very sad. To the point where I thought we would be leaving with at least 4 animals.

RECAP: As you know, Aruba has some of the most beautiful, pristine white sand beaches. I will not deny. I absolutely loved our time relaxing on the beach chairs with an Elin Hilderbrand novel in one hand, and a rum runner in the other. I’m glad we loved the beaches because, other than that, there’s not much more to do in my opinion. Unless you like gambling? There are more casinos in Aruba than there are Dunkin Donuts in Massachusetts. We spent a lot of time eating and drinking- the food in Aruba is scrumptious, mwuah, chef’s kiss. We did rent a car because we knew we wanted to check out a couple excursions away from the resort area, but I also don’t think it’s necessary if you’re looking to mainly hang on the resort.

Manchebo Beach Resort

Eagle Beach