Enjoy the adventure in Aruba and Curacao!

We visited Kamini’s Kitchen often during our stay. This is a fantastic local restaurant with an owner who really cares and it shows because the food was delicious! This can be found in the San Nicolas area.
O’Niel Caribbean Kitchen can be found in the Saveneta area. The food is delicious and it is located in an awesome Caribbean Dutch neighborhood. Well worth a visit!
We tried a little fine dining at BLT Steak, located in the Ritz Carlton in Noord. The food and service were good, but for the price I wouldn’t recommend it. We enjoyed so many local restaurants more than this and for only a fraction of the price.

Eagle Beach is as good as advertised. The sand is butter soft. This beach is great for those who enjoy some crashing waves. We had a great time body surfing and enjoying endless sun!
We took a day trip to the Natural Pools. This gave us a chance to drive to the highest peak in Aruba, explore some of the rough terrain of the desert island, and do some small cliff jumping and swimming in the natural pools. Highly recommend spending a day doing this tour while you’re in Aruba.
We tried something new an took a submarine tour to a depth of 145 ft. While it was interesting to see some marine life and try something new, I wouldn’t recommend this. It was a bit boring and tourist trappy. There is so much more to enjoy while in Aruba!

The Northern end of the island is more populated. It has resorts and bigger retail. We chose to rent a house in the quieter, San Nicolas area. The house was well kept and had daily cleaning service. The house has private access to a tiny beach, and included kayaks so we were able to venture out to Indian Head Island.
Highly recommend staying at this house as you’ll feel like you have your own little private area on the island. It has fantastic indoor/outdoor living, a hot tub, pool, laundry, and everything you’ll need for a large group stay.
You can book directly through Vacation Aruba or using VRBO through our Expedia TAAP link. Search for BeachFront Villa w/ Pool.

We ate at Iguana Cafe because of the incredible views. Look at beautiful historic Willemstad in the background! The food and service were lacking so I’d recommend trying another restaurant with outdoor dining in this area.
Steak and Ribs at the Renaissance Shopping Plaza is fantastic. The food is great. The atmosphere is phenomenal. Our server fed the giant barracudas swimming in the ocean below. We watched massive cruise ships passing in the night and loved our time here.
Pancake Sensation was probably our favorite meal in Curacao! The food and service were incredible. Located at the old Fort Nassau, you can explore the fort and walk to Queen Emma Bridge. Highly recommend!

Willemstad is a fun town, unlike any we have ever visited. It combined incredible Dutch stylings with a Caribbean vibe. Even the kids loved walking around this town and seeing the shops and historical sites!
We explored the many beaches of Curacao. Highly recommend Kokomo or anything along the western coast of the island. The coral creates the most clear water I’ve ever experienced. This was the best snorkeling I’ve enjoyed anywhere in the world. I can’t even describe how clear this water is - you’ll have to experience it for yourself.
Playa Forti has some incredible fun! Local fishermen dock their boats near here and as they clean the fish, it attracts sea turtles. So you can swim near the dock with turtles all around. We were also able to jump off a 40 ft cliff into the crystal clear water below!

We stayed at the Marriot Beach Resort near Willemstad which you can book directly through our Marriott account or Expedia TAAP.
The location - near Willemstad - was ideal. We were able to easily get anywhere we wanted to be on the island.
The pools and beach were well maintained and the restaurants were good.