Dushi Aruba

One of the best things about Aruba is how accessible the resort area and coastline are.

In the morning, we walked three miles to and from the Ritz-Carlton and the California Lighthouse (on Aruba's northwestern tip). It was very easy to navigate and we stoped at several of Aruba's public beaches along the way (most had food and beverage spots) , including Arashi Beach which was a good spot to snorkel.

The lighthouse provided amazing 360 degree views of the island, and there was a food truck that served fresh drinks and smoothies (in a coconut!).

We lunched at the Madero Pool & Beach Grill, which was also a fun site for spotting iguanas.

After a group dinner at the pool, we strolled the Palm Beach resort strip, which was vibrant and lively, and felt very safe to walk around at night.

We had an early morning wake-up to go deep sea fishing on a private charter. Our Captain and First-Mate were fantastic! They knew exactly where to go to reel in the fish. Our group caught six fish--one tuna and five mahi-mahi. What a fun experience and a great time on the ocean. We were able to take some of the fish back to the resort and the chef at the Madero Pool & Beach Grill prepared it for us, which was so cool.

The afternoon was spent back at the resort in the clear and clean Caribbean Sea, sipping on drinks and playing in the water.

We walked to MooMba Beach Bar & Restaurant and had their surf and turf Pinchos sitting on the beach at sunset.

Aruba has so many opportunities to get out and play in/on the water from kiteboarding and windsurfing to jet skiing and boating...and everything else in between. eFoiling was the chosen water sport of the day, which consisted of a 90-minute session (with a private lesson and a few tumbles in the water).

After the morning's water adventure, we went on another three-mile there-and-back walk. This time we went to Eagle Beach to take in the white sand, turquoise water and iconic Fofoti trees. On the way back, we stopped at the Hyatt's Kadushi Juice Bar for a fresh acai bowl.

After another afternoon at the beach, we headed to town for dinner at CAYA House and some shopping. CAYA House's atmosphere was perfect and the good was the best we had all week (especially the Pan de Bono).

The day brought another early-morning wake up call, this time to explore Aruba's rugged terrain via UTV (off-road 4x4 vehicle). This was a great way to see the island. With four stops, and lots of zipping around and off-roading in between, we explored National Park Arikok, Twin Bridges, Blackstone Beach, Bushiribana Gold Mill ruins, and Mangel Halto Beach.

Our day, and trip, concluded with a group event on the beach, where we were treated to a special dinner and dancing.

Before we headed off to the airport, we had a great breakfast at Ritz Carlton's Solanio and picked up some amazing Royal Aruba Aloe products at the spa's gift shop. Royal Aruba Aloe is one of the only companies that grow, harvest and process its aloe onsite. We like the products so much, that we purchased more from the shop at the airport (which had an even bigger selection of the aloe-based products).

We, again, benefitted from the service of the First Class Experience attendants who walk us through the airport, the customs process, and directed us to our gate. Our attendant also gave us a pro tip regarding Mobile Passport Control (MPC), which enabled us to submit our travel documents, photos and customs declaration online instead of waiting in the long lines at the airport--which saved so much time! (We also found out that the MPC is available to use for re-entry into the United States at 33 international airports.)