The amazing scenery of Aruba!
We visited Aruba as part of a 12-night cruise through the ABC islands and South America — 12 hours on the island, and it’s one of those places I recommend without hesitation. Great variety, easy to enjoy, nothing not to like.
This trip was taken December 2022.
Want to see where else we stopped at? Check out: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Puerto Limon Costa Rica, Panama Canal, Cartagena and Santa Marta Colombia.
For our day in Aruba, we skipped the cruise ship excursions (overpriced, crowded, and never as fun) and booked through ABC Tours on Expedia instead. The tour we did: Island Ultimate Safari! I’d recommend to anyone!
We were late getting off the boat, still waiting on port authority clearance, and the guides were still there waiting for us. They whisked us to the group without missing a beat — and promptly threw us in the back of a truck with wooden planks for seats. The kids were immediately obsessed.
The tour covered a ton of ground: natural bridges, a lighthouse, a church, a national park, cacti everywhere you look, natural pools, and more. Our guides — Boss Lady and JD — were funny, knowledgeable, and genuinely great company. The whole thing was bumpy and a little chaotic in the best way. We had lunch back at their headquarters, which was delicious and very laid back.
Highlights: fish in a pond that cleaned our feet (weird and great), jumping off rocks into the natural pool, and swimming at Baby Beach. It had rained right before we arrived at Baby Beach so the water was a little chilly — not what you’d expect in Aruba — but we still loved it.
Unanimous family vote: best tour of the entire 12-day cruise.
After the tour we had a little time to walk the touristy area near the ship, but honestly the tour was the day. If you’re stopping in Aruba on a cruise, book something like this instead of going through the ship. You’ll thank yourself.
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