Maps
Maps of Aruba are available from several sources. None of them are completely accurate. All of them, for example
show the road between Santa Cruz and Oranjestad as 7B/7A. If you happen to be in Santa Cruz and are looking
for that road, you will find that it is marked 5B on the road signs. Also, none of the maps show
the road(s) to the base of Hooiberg where the stairway begins.
The best way to get to Hooiberg is to turn right off 4B to the Piedra Plat Protestant Church, then make a
right before you enter the church yard and follow the road to the mountain.
The best map is the Berndtson & Berndtson (B&B Map) which can be purchased in Aruba. I got mine from the Samsom Bookstore
in Aruba. You can also get them from bookstores in the USA for $9.95.
The best free map is bound in the back of the Aruba Experience book available in your hotel lobby.
The AMEX map from the car rental agencies and the one in the Aruba Nights book only have marginal usability.
Casino Notes
All gaming in the Aruba casinos is done with US currency.
The mechanical slots use either US coins or tokens of the same value depending on the casino.
Most machines will accept your paper US currency directly.
There are nickel and penny slots at all the casinos. There are also a lot of electronic
machines that will print a ticket rather than dumping coins.
Sports betting is available at many of the casinos.
Do not expect slots payouts like Nevada or New Jersey, the machines in Aruba are very tight!
Table minimums vary depending on the casino.
Airport Notes
If your flight is a direct flight to the United States, you will clear US Immigration and Customs at the airport in Aruba.
The procedure (when we departed in early May) was as follows:
- Check in with your airline in the US departure building (possible long queue).
- Proceed to the main building and clear Aruban Immigration (turn in the stub of your tourist card).
- Next is x-ray security (possible long queue).
- Next you will pass a collection of shops and snack bars. This is where you can get your duty-free stuff and a last minute snack as
there is very little available in the gate area. There are also tables and chairs where you can sit down and complete your US Customs form.
- You must then retrieve the luggage you checked with the airline.
- With your luggage you go through US Immigration and Customs (possible long queue).
You may have to submit to a hand inspection of your checked luggage before it is placed
on a belt for loading onto the airplane.
- You will then pass through a second x-ray security (possible long queue).
- Lastly, you proceed to your gate and wait for your flight.
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For those staying in time-shares or other places with kitchen facilities, there is a cluster of supermarkets just
north of Oranjestad near the low-rise hotels. Most everything that you will need can be found in one or more
of the markets with prices much less than the hotel mini-marts. There are fresh fruits, meat, cheese, eggs, and
fresh milk (both regular and 2%) as well as a variety of frozen and packaged foods.
The
Located on the road to the Natural Bridge, just before you get to the Bushiribana Gold Smelter Ruins,
you will find the Aruba Ostrich Farm. The tour encompases the entire process of raising Ostriches.
In addition, there is an African style Bar-Restaurant and a gift shop with African art objects.
The Arikok National Park
provides an unspoiled view of
Aruba landscape. There are walkways and signs identifying some of the more prominent flora.
There is also a replica of an ancient Aruban farm.
The Bubali Bird Sanctuary located just south of the high
rise hotels, is a good spot for birdwatchers. Access to the
observation tower is across the road from the Dutch windmill.
