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General Info
| Dive Services
/ Accommodations | Travel/Tips
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Perfect weather, gorgeous beaches, shimmering
seas, duty-free shopping, and friendly Dutch West Indies hosts
shouting "Bon Bini" (welcome) will greet you upon
arrival in Aruba. The island will capture your heart as you
experience friendly hospitality in the hotels, dive centers,
restaurants, casinos, and shops throughout the island.
Diving in Aruba is famous for the spectacular shipwrecks and
interesting coral formations that dominate Aruba’s underwater
realm. This includes the 400 foot Antilla wreck, which is the
largest wreck in the Caribbean.
Most of Aruba’s dive sites lie along the protected western and
southern coasts, a short distance from the hotels along the
famed Palm Beach. Aruba’s waters are rich in exotic marine life,
including stingrays, moray eels, manta rays, barracudas and
yellow tail. A large, shallow sand plateau surrounds Aruba making
boat travel the most convenient method of reaching the off-shore
reefs. Interesting coral formations are found from shallow water
depths of 20 to 100 feet, with little or no current and flat
surface conditions.
Climate 75 - 85F 24 -29C Water Temp 75 - 82F 24 - 28C Visibility
50 - 100+ ft 15 - 30+ m
Dive
Services / Accommodations
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Sasaki
Apartments
Bubali
143, Noord, Aruba.
Tel.: 297-5877482, 5876474
Fax.: 297-5878448
Conveniently located, walking distance to Eagle Beach,
quiet residential area. 24 fully furnished and air-conditioned
studios, hot water, equipped kitchenette. Daily maid service,
telephone, wi-fi internet access, relaxing swimming pool
and BBQ area. Perfect for scuba divers, business travelers,
honey-moon or family vacation.
E-Mail: sasakiapartments@hotmail.com
Web: http://www.sasaki-apartments.com |
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The
Boardwalk Vacation Retreat Aruba
Bakval 20
Palm Beach
Aruba
Ph. 00 297 5866654
Fax. 00 297 5861836
The Boardwalk is a charming island-style small hotel with
several beautifully designed 1-bedroom & 2-bedroom
casitas (little villa's) located only 150 yards from Aruba's
best swimming and beach area at world famous Palm Beach.
theboardwalk@setarnet.aw
http://www.arubaboardwalk.com |
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Travel
& Tips
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The
following airlines have Aruba on their route:
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Air Canada
- Aires
- American Airlines
- American Eagle
- ArkeFly
- Aserca Airlines
- Avianca
- Avior Airlines
- Continental Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Dutch Antilles Express
- Insel Air
- JetBlue Airways
- KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines
- Martinair
- North American Airlines
- Santa Barbara Airlines
- Skyservice Airlines
- Surinam Airways
- Tiara Air
- United Airlines
- US Airways
- USA 3000 Airlines
Check
the Aruba Airport website for live arrival
times and live departure
times.
Entry Requirements
For complete entry requirements, please visit http://www.aruba.com/sigma/Entry_Req-Eng.pdf
Getting
Around
Taxis
Rates, set by the Government, are based on destination
rather than mileage traveled and are for the total number
of passengers in the car or van.
Rental Cars
There are a number of international and local rental agencies.
It's nice to be able to explore the entire island at your
leisure. But many of the roads are rugged and not suitable
for a car. Make sure that your spare tire is full of air
before heading out into the rough rugged terrain. Many
4-wheel drive rentals often have no roof, so make sure
you put on sun block because the sun shines brightly in
Aruba! 4-wheel drive vehicles are numerous but they are
often hard to get because they are used for "Jeep
Safari" tours that are popular sightseeing day trips.
- Arubans drive on the right-hand side of the road.
- The minimum age of 21-25 and the maximum of 65-70 vary
slighty by company.
- International driving license or any valid license held
for at least two full years is required.
- Unlimited mileage; rates subject to change without notice.
- Deposit of US $500 or open signed credit card.
- Towing service available.
- Windsurf roof racks upon availability and upon request.
- Pick up service available, with some exceptions, at
the cruise terminal.
- Insurance recommended, but does not cover if the driver
is intoxicated in a car accident.
Scooters and motorcycles are also available and lots of
fun. A regular driver's licence is all you need! Helmets
are supplied.
Gasoline
Gas pumps for your rental car register in liters: 1.06
quarts to 1 liter. One gallon is 3.78 liters. Prices at
gas stations are in Aruba florins. It is not usually the
custom to pump gas for oneself, please check if the attendants
are to pump gas or if it is a self-service gas station.
Buses
There is inexpensive and reliable daily bus service between
all the districts and the hotel areas. Check at your hotel
for schedules and hours. The main bus station is located
in downtown Oranjestad across from the waterfront shops
and restaurants.
Helpful Information
Telephone Services: For dialing direct calls from Aruba,
the code into the international circuit is 00 followed
by the country code, area code and the number. For assistance,
call 121.
Aruba's International telephone country code is 297. To
direct dial Aruba from the U.S., the code is 011-297-plus
the number.
You can use the public phones (with Aruban calling cards)
that are placed all over the island. Unfortunately, it
is not possible yet to use your foreign cell phone in
Aruba, due to the specifics of the telephone net in Aruba.
If you want to rent a cellphone, there are several places
where you go.
Mail Services
The Central Post Office is located diagonally across from
San Francisco Church in Oranjestad. Open from Mondays
to Fridays from 7.30 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4.30
p.m. The Post office at the Royal Plaza Mall in Oranjestad
is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6.45
p.m.
Dress
Aruba is tropical and very warm. You should bring light,
casual clothing. It is generally not allowed to enter
shops or casino’s in your bathing suit. Evening's lower
temperatures and breezes may warrant a light jacket if
you chill easily.
Water
There is no need to buy bottled water, Aruba’s water from
the tap is praised for its excellent quality and taste.
Aruba’s drinking water flows from the world’s second largest
desalinization plant. It is not only perfectly pure and
safe to drink, it’s also very delicious.
Electricity
Aruba has the same voltage standard as in North America
(110 volts AC). Therefore, European appliances (that use
220 volts) generally cannot be used in Aruba (unless you
have a converter).
Safety
Aruba has always been considered one of the safest destinations
in the Caribbean, however incidents may occur. Please
do not provide temptation by leaving your valuables unattended
on the beach or in your rental car.
Room Taxes
Generally, there is an 11% service charge on room rates.
Most hotels also apply a 6% government tax.
Tipping/Service Charge
Most Aruban restaurants maintain a service charge of between
10 and 20%.
Shopping
Shops are open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 12
noon (many closing for lunch) and from 2 PM to 6 PM. Some
stores close Tuesday afternoons. The Alhambra Bazaar is
open until midnight. Bargaining on prices in Aruba is
not considered polite - even in the many bazaars. What
to look for - china and crystal, clothing and accessories,
leather goods, jewelry, local crafts, food (Edam and Gouda
cheese and Dutch chocolates).
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