I took a quick 48-hour getaway to Aruba — a beautiful island in the southern Caribbean. While it’s part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba is a ‘self-governing entity’ with its own government. Known for its constant sunshine, white-sand beaches, and being outside the hurricane belt, it’s a perfect escape. Here’s a quick recap of the trip!
First, you’ll need a visa to enter Aruba — but be careful! Many websites pose as the official site and charge extra. Several of my friends ended up overpaying on these lookalike sites. The real visa is only $20 per person, and here’s the official link to avoid the markup.
The flight is around 4.5 hours, and you can fly direct with United, Delta, or JetBlue from Newark, LaGuardia, or JFK. American also offers direct flights from Philly (PHL), but they are generally very pricey—only worth it if you’re using AA points.
Now for the fun part! We landed in Aruba and took a $35 taxi, as there is no Uber or Lyft in Aruba, to our hotel—the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino.
(If you’re familiar with Hyatt or Chase points, this is a great use of them. Rooms can start at $650 a night, depending on the season, but you can book it for just 25,000 points!)
The hotel was absolutely stunning. The beach was huge, and when we went, we found spots to relax.
The Hyatt offers free activities, so review their schedule and book your slot.
We enjoyed the yoga, but they have different activities throughout the day.
PRO TIP: People wake up early to reserve a good spot at the beach (starting at around 7 and then they go back to sleep) since the seating fills up.
One of the coolest parts? They had Cholov Yisroel kosher pizza available right on the beach for $16 a personal pie.
Additionally, they have a full Glatt Kosher meat restaurant on-site called Piccolo.
Piccolo is a beautiful upscale restaurant with amazing service. Our favorites were the Caesar salad, the salmon, and the passion fruit mojitos.
They have beautiful desserts as well – you can make reservations HERE.
After a little digging, we found out the hotel was purchased by a Jewish family from the Five Towns—which explains all the amazing kosher options!
Did you know: Aruba is small! Driving from one end to the other takes about 45 minutes.
Service on the beach is minimal, but the setting and white sand beaches are absolutely breathtaking. There’s excellent seating with palm umbrellas, and the overall vibe is relaxed and upscale. The staff were friendly, and the experience felt more ‘refined’ than what we’ve had in Puerto Rico or Jamaica.
The hotel offers 30-minute speedboat rides for only $100 for up to 4 people.
Just a short distance away, the Renaissance Hotel (a Marriott property) offers access to its private Flamingo Island—known for its gorgeous beach and free-roaming flamingos. We spent a day there and really enjoyed it. Access to the island is $125 per person, unless you’re staying at the Renaissance, in which case it’s free.
There’s also an option to rent luxury cabanas (up to 5 people) included in that day pass. To reach the island, you take a small boat from inside the hotel. Technically, there’s an additional fee for the boat ride, but we weren’t charged—we just showed our island tickets, and that seemed to work. The ride itself was a lot of fun, especially if you sat in the “splash zone”!
The island is divided into two areas: a family section and an adults-only area. They provide complimentary snorkeling gear and floating mats, which were a nice bonus. I really enjoyed snorkeling, and the mats were awesome for relaxing in the water.
The flamingos are a great photo op, but there were fewer than we expected—we only saw about three at a time. You can buy animal feed, soak it briefly in water, and hand-feed the flamingos to get them to come close. Overall, it was pretty cool.
Some travelers choose to stay at the Renaissance to avoid the day pass fee. It’s a beautiful hotel, featuring a luxury mall and a water canal that leads right to the island. That said, it doesn’t have its own beachfront—so if you’re traveling with kids and want quick beach access from your room, this might not be the most convenient choice.
We stopped in the Renaissance outdoor marketplace and shopped for souvenirs- they have a section where they have a Starbucks and an Arcade.
The Flamingo Island boat dropped us off there – it’s one of their stops!
The boat ride to the island takes about 10–15 minutes, and they run every 15 minutes.
Pro tip: If you book a massage on the island in advance, it includes your entry fee—so it’s basically like getting a free massage with your island access!
There are practical Shabbos and Holiday options with minyanim and meals at the local Chabad, in addition to a WhatsApp Aruba Minyan group. So all in all, Aruba has got you covered!
This airport is known for long wait times—up to three hours isn’t unusual! They even offer a $100 fast pass if you find yourself stuck in line. We had to show our passports and boarding passes multiple times throughout the process. Thankfully, we lucked out and didn’t hit any major delays.
Note to self: Get Global Entry! My friend who had it breezed right through customs.
The best part? Once you land back in the U.S., there’s no customs to deal with—since it’s all taken care of in Aruba!
We just wrapped up a short & fun trip to Aruba and we’d love to hear your thoughts on our recap! Comment below! What city should we explore next? Whether it’s a favorite destination or a hidden gem, your suggestions are invaluable to us! Please comment below! To reach our travel team, click HERE
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