Fun facts I learnt about Aruba- It is a Dutch Island. They have Dutch passports and Arubans can live in the Netherlands or Similar Dutch islands like St. Martins, Curaçao etc. The island is about 19.6 Miles long and 6 miles wide. The Dutch came to the island for gold that was at the time plentiful on the island many years ago. The native language is called Papiamento (It is a mix between Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Dutch- Very cool.) They teach English, Dutch, and Spanish in school. One of many native dishes is called Keshi-Yena, (Recipe below). To skip straight to the summary of things to do in Aruba in 5 days, click here.
Full disclosure, this was a free trip for me through my sister’s company. She was invited to support the president’s club(where they give awards for top sales personnel.) I was her plus one. As a result, I incurred very limited personal cost, but documented the expenses incurred as my blog posts are focused on understanding the cost of travel. This trip was on the luxury spectrum of vacationing, so I will share luxury cost expenses and the average non-luxury cost breakdown. In addition, I will also share recommended things to do in Aruba based on what we experienced and observed while in Aruba.
Pre Travel & Airport Experience enroute to Aruba:
This was a very straightforward experience traveling solo, No check in bags, one passport, straight through security.My point of origin was Portland, Oregon to get to Aruba, I flew red eye Monday night to get to Miami which was a 5 hr flight to Miami, a 3 hr layover and then a 3.5 hour flight to Aruba(was actually just 2 ¾ hrs). Immigration in Aruba was a breeze. We did have a perk of VIP service with a pick up and service ready to get us to our resort at the Ritz Carlton.
Things to do in Aruba: Day 1/Night 1:Hotel/Beach Lounge
I flew out Monday night as stated above without much sleep on the redeye. Met up with my sister in Miami, we arrived in Aruba at 1:30pm. I was on my third or fourth wind. I worked through the plane ride and the rest of the afternoon, If you have read my Costa Rica blog, you can tell, I like to work through transit when I can as I find the best ticket deals are when you depart mid-week. We had a welcome dinner at 6pm. We joined the rest of the attendees, had drinks, ate food and socialized. Typically, I dread small talk but meeting the folks at the event was better than I anticipated. It was also nice to meet my sister’s co-workers and get a peek into her world.
Things do in Aruba Day 2/Night 2: Activity Day- UTV riding Sasariwichi Dunes:
Remember I said this was a company event, well they had pre-paid activities booked for us to attend by choice, We chose UTV riding.UTVs are different from ATVs. ATV’s are what you imagine them to be . UTV’s are more like go cart small pick up trucks. We boarded the shuttle, the company booked for us and took a 15 min drive from the resort to the UTV pick up location. The company we rented UTV’s from was called fofoti, our Driver’s name was Z, yes just Z and when you see him, he truly represents that name. Super nice guy, he was fantastic in guiding us through the terrains. The experience started at 8:30am. We went out for over 4 hrs on the UTV and perused approximately 14 miles of the island going through sasariwichi dunes with 4 stops off about 15 mins to sight see and get some relief from the dirt raised by the vehicles. The company that booked the services gave us a bandana and the UTV company gave us some goggles. Both came in very handy as there was an inexplicable amount of dust.(Think Mad Max style). If you have ethnic hair(dreads, braids etc), I recommend a hair cover as well. The last stop was Arashi beach, which we learnt was one of the famous beaches in Aruba. Also Aruba probably has the bluest water I have been to. The beaches were pristine with white sand. It was a beautiful sight. After the beach, we then rode on the streets for approximately 4-5 miles back to the rental office. This tour guided UTV ride is one I would definitely recommend. By 2pm, it was time to get to the hotel, eat more food time, and get all the dirt off our skin. At night, there was an awards dinner in which my sister’s company awarded the top sales people. It was a fancy dress night on the beach with good food and meeting new people. The surprise event of the night was some carnival dancers. Another fun fact, Carnival in Aruba , I was told, starts in February and goes through March. I have always wanted to experience Carnival in its fullest but this gave a glimmer to what it would be like to experience Carnival.
Things to do in Aruba Day 3/Night 3: Seabob or any water activity you please
This was mostly a chill day, gym time in the morning. Then out to the city in the afternoon. For some others in the group,(there were approximately 80 people in Aruba for this company event. ) They went out on other pre-booked activities. SeaBob( I didn’t know what that was until Aruba).
–Snorkeling
–Deep Sea fishing.
Other non-company sponsored activities we could have filled the day with are listed below;
–Kite and Windsurfing
–Bird Watching.
–Sunset Dinners
–Chartering a boat for the day.
Basically what you would expect to see on an island.
The city was relatively quiet as we learnt it was off season and the day after Labor Day(End of April).If I am being honest, the downtown/shops weren’t much to write about(This could have easily been just our experience and not a norm). Most shops were closed, we didn’t find any local places to shop or eat(Our own fault due to lack of research). We tried to find “Aruba Made” with no luck but stopped at Lucy’s for a drink. Aruba Made is supposed to be where to get locally made souvenirs and food. Lucy’s was a local recommendation; it is on the water with decent drinks. We went back to the resort via the shuttle provided for us and walked the beach to sight see and people watch. If you see a theme here is that most people were at the beach or a bar by the water as that’s where most of the tourists hung out. You go to Aruba for the beach. Evening was a company business unit dinner. We went to Azar’s, a Peruvian restaurant quite popular on the island. Food was decent but good company with my sister and her boss.
Things to do in Aruba Day 4/Night 4: Spa Day, Cooking Class & Chef table dinner.
Friday was our last full day in Aruba, I was getting used to being on the island. If not for missing my wife and kids, I wouldn’t mind living the luxury life for a few more days. Early morning workout then breakfast with my sister. We had a cooking class scheduled for later that morning. As a wannabe chef, this was up my alley. Now I am not sure if this is something that is offered outside the resort but if it is, I recommend it. It was only an hour. The ingredients were prepped and we just followed the Chef’s instructions. The meal we made was called Keshi Yena, which I am told translates to Stuffed cheese. There are several ways to make it but below is how ours turned out. This is a meal that is definitely going to go in our rotation. The recipe is here for anyone interested. We ate what we made, and did more walking around the resort.
Neither of us actually went into the pool or beach throughout our stay. My sister was uncomfortable being in swim suits in front of her colleagues and I was just too lazy to change after every event. What’s your vote? Weird or not Weird to be in swim suits in front of your colleagues?
Spa Day
After the cooking class was Spa day. We both had massages scheduled through the afternoon. I would say Spa Day at the Ritz-Carlton is truly special. It’s pampering on a different level. Great massages, clean spaces, cookies and a fruit bowl after the massage, I mean who doesn’t want those. Spa class took up most of the afternoon then it was chef table dinner. I would say this was a highlight for the week. We went to a place called the kitchen table.When we arrived , the host greeted us with champagne. There were 2 sets of guests, a newly wed couple and friends of the owner as we would come to learn. The first thing I said to my sister when we got there was I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. As it turned out, It was a very lovely dinner with lots of small talk,laughing and connecting with random strangers who even gave us a ride back to our resort. The point here is sometimes, just go with the flow and great memories could be had. An hour and half dinner took 3 hrs. Thanks Jay from Aruba Port authority, Neely, Syam, and Brennar.
Day 5/Return
Typical morning stuff, packed up, had breakfast, got some gifts for my wife. One thing I also forgot to mention is that we had room credits from the company for our stay, which was also a nice perk as the breakfast served was nothing to speak of, not even at the Ritz.(Portland Food snub here). However they did have a nice coffee shop on site, which is where we spent the most of our last credit. We got picked up by a concierge service(First class experience) that walked us through the airport and immigration. Why do I mention this?
YOU NEED TO BE AT THE ARUBA AIRPORT 3 HRS BEFORE DEPARTURE BECAUSE YOU GO THROUGH SECURITY 2 TIMES AND SHOW YOUR PAPERS AT LEAST 4 TIMES.)
This service allowed us to get through the airport in 45 mins.We were told that this was off season and the number of people awaiting flights were over 1000. You can do the math in season. Very thankful for this service. The return flights were long but relatively straightforward. 5.5 hrs to Dallas , 2hr layover and 4 hr flight back home to Portland. Aruba was a beautiful country with nice people and I would be back again.
I recognize some of the activities above are for those with a luxury budget, below, I went through the exercise of planning the trip how we would do it with and without our kids.
| Expense | Luxury Solo Travel | Standard Couple/Travel | Standard Travel with Two Kids | Comments |
| Flights | $650 | $1300 | $2600 | |
| Lodging | $3,600.00 | $470-$1500 | $900-$1500 | |
| Breakfast | $300.00 | $200.00 | $400.00 | |
| Lunch | $400.00 | $250.00 | $400.00 | |
| Dinner | $500.00 | $400.00 | $500.00 | |
| UTV | $210.00 | $210.00 | $275.00 | Note kids have be 6 and older for most places |
| Cooking Class | $300.00 | $600.00 | $600.00 | not kid friendly activity- but used 600 asa place holder for ther activities |
| Spa Day | $300.00 | $600.00 | $600.00 | |
| Other activities | ||||
| Souvenirs | $200.00 | $200.00 | $200.00 | |
| Rental( you really don’t need one). | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Concierge service | $145.00 | $290.00 | $410.00 | |
| transportation | $250.00 | $250.00 | $250.00 | |
| Total | $6,855.00 | $4270.00-$5700.00 | $6935.00-$7725.00 |
Summary of Things to do in Aruba in 5 days.
| Day | Activity (Luxury) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hotel/Beach Lounge (Ritz Carlton) | Relax at the beach |
| 2 | UTV Riding Sasariwichi Dunes | UTV Riding Sasariwichi Dunes OR Explore Arikok National Park (Natural Pool, Caves) |
| 3 | Seabob, Snorkeling, Deep Sea Fishing | or other water activities Choose from Kite Surfing, Sunset Boat Dinners, Boat Charters |
| 4 | Spa Day & Cooking Class | Explore Oranjestad (shops, restaurants) |
| 5 | Chef’s Table Dinner (The Kitchen Table) | Relax at the beach |
Additional Notes:
- Day 3 also mentions Arashi Beach as a great beach option.
- Consider the age of your children when choosing activities (UTV age limit is 6+).
Keshi Yena Recipe from the Ritz-Carlton chef as a cooked.
Keshi Yena, a delectable Dutch Caribbean dish, features a hollowed-out Gouda cheese filled with a flavorful savory mixture. This recipe incorporates the sweet and savory notes of ketjap manis, a popular Indonesian sweet soy sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 large Gouda cheese (around 2 pounds)
- For the Filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1/2 cup chopped green olives
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped cashews
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketjap manis (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Cheese: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Carefully cut a lid off the top of the Gouda cheese, creating a hollow shell. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out the cheese, leaving a 1-inch border. Set aside the cheese lid and scooped-out cheese. Grate or crumble the reserved cheese and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, and celery, cook for another 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Combine the Filling: Stir in the shredded chicken, olives, raisins, cashews, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, ketjap manis, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Assemble the Keshi Yena: Lightly grease a baking dish. Fill the hollowed-out Gouda cheese with the chicken mixture. Top with the reserved grated or crumbled cheese. Replace the cheese lid on top.
- Bake: Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If desired, broil for the last few minutes for a slightly browned top.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley (optional) and serve hot. Enjoy Keshi Yena with a side salad or rice.
Tips:
- You can adjust the amount of ketjap manis based on your desired level of sweetness.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the oven.
- Feel free to experiment with other ingredients in the filling. Options include chopped ham, chorizo, mushrooms, or peas.
