Oranjestad, Aruba + Add a trip

Where to stay

MVC Eagle Beach is a great, cozy little hotel. It adjoins the popular Tulip Restaurant, where you get a good free breakfast every morning of your stay. There are only 19 rooms, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Get a room on the second floor if you can for the best view. Very clean, nice, basic rooms. Right across from a gorgeous, uncrowded beach. And cheap!

Bar/restaurant

Check out the Ali Baba Shoarma Bar and Restaurant in Oranjestad. Tiny but friendly little local bar, right beside the bus stop. Delicious middle eastern food- but a big menu, lots of things. We enjoyed the falafel, hummus, and tabbouleh with a nice cold Balashi beer.

Tel: 5834615

Not sure of your budget: The Marriott Resort is beautiful, has large rooms and good air conditioning, and has a beautiful pool and beach area. All the high-rise hotels, including the Hyatt and the Holiday Inn are on one strip, where there's a ton of restaurants and bars, including Sr. Frogs. The Renaissance is in downtown Oranjestaad, and it has a great upscale mall in it, but it lacks the beach feeling.