Nothing Stands Out

We are going to do beach days in Grand Turk and Dominican Republic, so I don't really want another beach day in Aruba (or night we are there from 2 to 10p or something like that).

I just really can't find anything that stands out. Is there stuff to see just walking around? I see we can go bowling, though maybe that will require a taxi.

Normally I like to throw tours of something historical or where they make things ... I don't really find anything like that.

Help?

We did a horseback ride with Goldmine Ranch in Aruba and it was awesome! They picked us up just outside the terminal and drove us out to the ranch. We rode beautiful Paso Finos along the beach, to various sights, and then up into the hills.

You can book a group or private ride. DH and I opted for just us with a guide. She tailored the tour to our very different riding skills, allowing me to race ahead on some stretches, while subtly giving DH great instruction so that he was very comfortable and riding very well by the end. The horses were well trained and super responsive.

A professional photographer dropped in on the trail and took great photos of us that we could purchase at the end, but were not pressured to do so. Our guide also took a lot of photos with our camera. After the ride we were given cold waters and taken back to the ship right on time.

We learned a lot about the history of the island as well as the geography. I highly recommend!

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There are shops, restaurants and casinos within easy walking distance, if you don't want to take a bus or cab somewhere. A guidebook might point you to something that you would enjoy...libraries have them in the reference section! It's worth a look!

We did a bus tour which took us around a good portion of the island. It was only 3 hours. We stopped at the

Aloe Factory Farm, the Casibiri Rock Formations, and the Baby Bridge-plus we saw many of the major sites.

Then, we had plenty of time to go to Palm Beach and also to shop at the port.

Many enjoy renting jeeps in Aruba. They get quite dirty but say it's LOTS of fun. :D

Thank you for the feedback, it looks like we may just shop around and maybe hit a casino. My son is interested in the splash park too, so more water after all.

There is a new Downtown Walking Tour in Aruba. We did this last month and it was extremely interesting. They can meet you near the port and you see some things you would normally walk right by if you didn't know the history. You stop at 2 places for a taste of some local food. We even met 2 members of Parliament on the tour. It lasts about 2.5 hours, leaving plenty of time to explore on your own or do something else. I highly recommend it.

There is a new Downtown Walking Tour in Aruba. We did this last month and it was extremely interesting. They can meet you near the port and you see some things you would normally walk right by if you didn't know the history. You stop at 2 places for a taste of some local food. We even met 2 members of Parliament on the tour. It lasts about 2.5 hours, leaving plenty of time to explore on your own or do something else. I highly recommend it.

This sounds interesting, who was the tour offered through? do you have a web page or contact?

Thanks for the info

Bev

It's arubawalkingtours.com.

In a word trikes! Did it in feb and loved it!

I agree with the Trikes. So much fun! We liked them so much we have them booked for Cozumel in two weeks!! (They are just starting in Cozumel).

Another vote for Trikes Aruba!

We thoroughly enjoyed Trikes Aruba. Had a very good time.

In a word trikes! Did it in feb and loved it!

I second the trikes Aruba. All you need to know is how to drive a manual transmission. Not motorcycle shifting, but that would have been fine with me. They can seat one driver and one or rwo passengers.

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I second the trikes Aruba. All you need to know is how to drive a manual transmission. Not motorcycle shifting, but that would have been fine with me. They can seat one driver and one or rwo passengers.

 

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AND NOW THEY HAVE AUTOMATICS FOR NON-SHIFTING PEOPLE LIKE ME! GRIN.

Pooh

We did a horseback ride with Goldmine Ranch in Aruba and it was awesome! They picked us up just outside the terminal and drove us out to the ranch. We rode beautiful Paso Finos along the beach, to various sights, and then up into the hills.

 

Thank you so much for this testimonial! How long were you riding on the beach would you say?

Thank you so much for this testimonial! How long were you riding on the beach would you say?

The entire excursion was about 3 hours, including travel time, so we were probably actually in the saddle about an hour and half to two hours. (It flew by!) You can see the beach from the farm, and ride along a road to get there, then go along the beach to several historical spots and photo opps (under an arch with the surf crashing, along a cliff, in the water (not deep). We then rode along a dirt road that ran parallel to the beach, and got to really run the horses. The beach and dirt road were the longest portion, then we turned and went uphill and along a narrow path through a different landscape and back toward the farm. Beautiful view the whole way. It's amazing how much variation there is in the vegetation and elevation within a small area. Our guide shared a lot about the area and its history as we went along. There was a professional photographer who stationed himself at various points along the ride and got some fantastic photos of us, which of course we had the chance to buy later. Very reasonably priced and the $ helps the dog rescue the ranch runs.

I will say, my husband and I chose to do the private excursion, and we felt we got much more out of it than the group who went at the same time. Our guide gave us her undivided attention and was able to assess our riding ability and tailor the ride accordingly. My husband is not as experienced a rider as I am and she gave him really expert instruction that enabled him to enjoy a good gallop by the end, while I was encouraged to range ahead a little and really put my horse through his paces. The horses were so well-trained, it was just a joy. I believe the large group was more of a go-in-a-line ride.

:) thanks so much!