Come along with me to the beautiful island of Aruba. The Happy Island, where the sand is soft, the water is blue and palm trees sway in the gentle sea breeze. My husband and I have travelled to quite a few countries including much of the Caribbean, but Aruba is the one place we could definitely see ourselves living. The people here are so friendly and the weather is the stuff dreams are made of. The warm sun on my body and the constant breeze blowing through my hair….UGH…if only I were back there right now.

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Our trip started at the gorgeous Manchebo Beach Resort in Oranjestad, Aruba. This is where our adventure begins. Picture yourself walking out the door of your room. You’re standing there, bare feet in the warm sand. The sun caressing your skin. You look around to find yourself surrounded by gorgeous palm trees stretching up into the bright blue sky. A short distance away you can hear the waves crashing. You look out to the horizon, and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean are calling to you. As you quickly make your way down towards the water’s edge, you notice a small group has gathered at the edge of the breaking waves. What could this be you ask yourself? When you reach the group, it is then that you notice baby sea turtles emerging from the sand and making their way out into the gentle sea. This is just one of the many amazing experiences we had during our stay in Aruba.

Manchebo Beach Resort is located on the western coast of the island overlooking the white sands of Eagle Beach. The resort has 72 guest rooms, 4 restaurants, a poolside bar as well as morning yoga and spa treatments overlooking the calming sea. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. Whatever we needed, they were there for us to make our stay as carefree as possible.

The hubs and I aren’t usually thrill seekers, but our next adventure was just the right amount of adrenaline with magnificent sites to see along the way. It was truly an awe-inspiring experience. We booked the Andicuri UTV Off-Road Adventure with De Palm Tours in Oranjestad. They arranged to pick us up in the morning at our resort, and then brought us into town to hop in our UTVs. After a short drive east through the city, we began to notice how the landscape changed from beautiful white sandy beaches to a barren desert landscape, where large boulders and cacti abound. We drove down to the ebony shores of Black Rock Beach and watched the waves crash against the remnants of the Natural Bridge. The tour finished at the northern most point of the island at the California lighthouse. The scenery was absolutely stunning. We had soooo much fun!!

There are too many good restaurants in Aruba to visit in one trip. A few of the ones we went to are Red Fish Aruba (best shrimp fried rice), Gianni’s Restaurant (spaghetti and meatballs so good we went here twice), Madame Janette’s (you have to try their Famous Bang Bang Shrimp), The Dutch Pancakehouse (the fruit delight pancake—AMAZING!!!), and the breakfast buffet at the Manchebo Resort (such a great yummy selection). Next time we’re in Aruba we’ll have to try more places, but these will definitely be on our short list.

Stay tuned for a full recap of our visit to Flamingo Beach on The Renaissance Private Island.

Thank you so much Aruba for another amazing experience. We can’t wait to go back!!

I’m 5’1″. Typically wear 6.5-7 in shoes. XS/0 in tops and dresses. 24 in Jeans.