Hi!

I’m visiting Aruba for the first time this november with my wife on our baby moon! We are very excited to go!

I’ve been reading this sub for tips/recommendations and noticed most of the posts recommend a lot of restaurants but most don’t mention Giannis while in other social media or even internet where is mentioned as one of the main places to go.

What is your take? Is it a must or are there better places to go?

PS: Any recommendations are more than welcomed!

My wife and I are looking to book a quiet hotel/resort for the end of October/first week of November.

Our preferred places , Bucati & Tara & Manchebo are already booked.

Any suggestions?

Was thinking about Amsterdam Hotel, but reviews state there is a strong possibility of sewage smells.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

UPDATED.

Hi everyone!

I'm visiting Aruba from November 2–13, 2026, and I'd love to bring my DJI Air 3S to take some recreational photos and videos of the island.

While researching the drone regulations, I came across this Reddit post in r/drones from about seven years ago by u/NightAngel79. He shared an email from Willem Vrolijk at the Department of Civil Aviation Aruba (DCAA), explaining the drone authorization process and the information required to obtain permission to fly.

According to that email, drone operators need prior DCAA approval, and the application should include the drone model, purpose, maximum altitude, operator details, a local Aruba mobile number, operating locations, and dates and times.

The email also listed these contacts:

• Willem Vrolijk: [willem.vrolijk@dca.gov.aw](mailto:willem.vrolijk@dca.gov.aw)
• Anthony Kirchner: [anthony.kirchner@dca.gov.aw](mailto:anthony.kirchner@dca.gov.aw)

I've now emailed both contacts with my travel dates, DJI Air 3S details, serial number, and a list of potential locations around the island. I've asked whether one authorization can cover multiple locations throughout my stay, since I won't know exactly where I'll be flying each day.

I've also contacted Aruba Customs to clarify whether I need an import permit to temporarily bring my personal drone into the country. I'm currently waiting for replies from both DCAA and Customs.

My questions for anyone who has flown a drone in Aruba recently:

1. Are Willem Vrolijk and Anthony Kirchner still the correct contacts for recreational drone authorization, or has the process or responsible department changed?
2. Is the authorization process still handled by email, or is there now an official online application form?
3. Is a local Aruba mobile number still mandatory before authorization can be issued, or can you provide it after arriving?
4. Can one authorization cover multiple locations over a date range, or do you need to specify the exact location, date, and time for every flight?
5. Has anyone recently brought their own drone into Aruba temporarily for a holiday? Did you need an import permit or any additional paperwork from Customs?

I'm trying to get everything sorted out before travelling so I can follow the rules and avoid any surprises at the airport.

I'd really appreciate any recent experiences, advice, or official links. If you've gone through this process in 2025 or 2026, I'd especially love to hear how it worked for you!

Thanks in advance!

Note: I'll share an update here as soon as I hear back from DCAA or Aruba Customs, in case it helps anyone else planning to bring a drone to Aruba. Hopefully, we can get some up-to-date information on the current process!

______________________________________

Update 13.10.2026:

Reply from Aruba Customs

I received a reply from Aruba Customs regarding bringing my personal DJI Air 3S drone to Aruba for my holiday from 2 to 13 November 2026.

According to their response, there are three things I need to take care of:

1. Temporary import declaration: This must be arranged through a customs broker a few days before arrival.
2. DTZ import permission: I must contact the Department of Telecommunications Business at [dirtelza@dtz.aw](mailto:dirtelza@dtz.aw) to obtain permission to import the drone.
3. DCAA flight authorization: I must contact the Department of Civil Aviation at [dca@dca.gov.aw](mailto:dca@dca.gov.aw) to confirm suitable flying locations and permitted operating hours. I have already submitted my flight authorization request to DCAA.

Customs also provided a list of local customs brokers who can arrange the temporary import declaration.

I'm now following up with Customs to clarify a few things:

• Is a customs broker strictly necessary for a tourist bringing their own drone temporarily, or is there a simpler procedure?
• Can the temporary import declaration be completed directly at the airport upon arrival?
• Are there any import fees, administrative charges or refundable deposits, and if so, how much should I expect to pay?
• Should I obtain the DTZ permission before contacting a customs broker?

Has anyone else gone through this process when bringing their own drone to Aruba?

I'm a little surprised that there may be import fees and broker costs for a drone that I'm bringing for personal recreational use and taking back to Germany when I leave. I'm not bringing it into Aruba to sell or leave it there; it's my own drone for an 11-day holiday.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through this process, especially whether you had to arrange a temporary import declaration through a customs broker, how much it cost, and whether any deposit was refundable when you left Aruba.

I'll share another update here as soon as I hear back from Customs or DCAA, in case it helps anyone else planning to bring a drone to Aruba.

Presently, I have us booked for the Couples Full Experience Package at Spa Del Sol this week. After reading more recent reviews and then searching through this sub- I am now concerned the massage experience is going to be less than ideal. Does anyone have any recommendations for other places where they thoroughly enjoyed their experience and felt it was worth it? Thank you kindly in advance 😊

My husband and I were just in Aruba for a week. Had the best time ever. Here are my quick personal food ratings below:

Organic Bodega Cafe- 8.5/10 delicious and very kind people

Drunken Burger- 3/10 terrible, bland, soggy

Hot Box (Paseo Herencia Mall)- 5/10 meh

Lionfish Snack Aruba- 8/10 delicious !!! Please try it. but seating in the back is not very comfortable bc of flies and it’s cash only

Lola Taqueria/Craft- 4/10 two TINY tacos were ~$15 at noon. Ended up spending around $50 for very little food at lunch. Was ridiculous

Les Cappuchinas- 7/10 food was good, wanted to go back to try the savory food but didn’t get to. was also a little overpriced but the coffee flavors were fun. I do think the Organic Cafe’s coffee woke me up more

Zeerovers- 7.5/10 fries and plantains were the best part. fish a little dry but awesome price for two!!!

Yemanja- 10/10 expensive, but we knew that going into it. Everything was amazing

Azar- 9/10 took a point off bc we had a dry, crumbly, hard brownie for dessert. This was the best entree I had in Aruba though (short rib) very very good but $$$$$

Passions- 9/10 beautiful views great staff wasn’t blown away by the food but very fresh and still tasty

Arashi Beach Shack- 7/10 only tried the pastechi was yummy though. Guy working the counter lowkey had an attitude idk why

So overall we felt like the food was hit or miss, but such is life. If you want a very good meal you gotta spend a buck unfortunately.

My husband and I are going for 3 days in Dec. He loves boating and exploring but we don’t enjoy snorkeling. Is there any boat rentals you recommend? Ideal afternoon is floating in the water with some music and drinks (me not him haha) and maybe boating to lunch somewhere? Do they even have island to boat to for lunch? Thank you for all the help! He planned the hotel so trying to help plan the rest!

A group of friends and I are planning a 5-night, 6-day trip to Aruba, staying around Palm Beach. We’re a pretty lively group, so we’re looking for a place where we can have our own space.
We’re trying to figure out a realistic per-person budget excluding flights and lodging. We’re thinking restaurants, a rental car, 2–3 excursions, transportation, drinks/nightlife, and general spending. We’ll mostly use taxis/Ubers at night when we’re drinking.
We want a mix of casual spots and nicer dinners and enough room in the budget to enjoy ourselves without constantly watching every dollar.
I’ve seen people recommend anywhere from $1,000–$1,500 per person for this type of trip. What do you think is realistic?
Also, PLEASE drop your best dinner and nightlife recommendations! We’re looking for fun spots with great food, a good atmosphere, and a social/energetic vibe. 🙏🏽

Here currently and we ran out of diapers for our 1yr old. Does anyone here have extra size 4 diapers I can buy off them? Or anyone have an idea where to buy some from at this hour. Only need about 5 give or take! Staying at the Marriott surf club. I know it’s last minute but any help would be appreciated!

Looking for restaurant recos for a special birthday meal! Something unique and tasty is what we're looking for - kid friendly is a plus as we're not sure we'll have a babysitter for our 5 and 9 year olds.

I've seen some restaurants that are on the beach, which sounds fun. Husband liks fresh seafood, so that's the cuisine I'm leaning towards, but open to anything where the food is delicious!

We'll be staying near Palm Beach. Thank you!

Hello r/Aruba!

My wife and I have a trip planned Nov 17-30. We’re staying at Bucuti & Tara on Eagle beach.

I know that historically November is a wet month in Aruba, and I wanted to understand what that usually means for beach days/on the ground.

Obviously nobody can predict the future but normally at that time of year, can we still expect to enjoy lots of time on the beach and intermittent sunshine?

Thank you in advance !!

Looking at trip to Aruba for family of 4 in mid August. Found decent deal for Hyatt, but can’t get around the idea of not being able to get palapa sir pool chairs/umbrellas unless we pay a $60 or $80 fee? Lots of conflicting information about this out there. Anyone traveled there recently that can clarify?

Wife and I just spent 4 days in Aruba staying at Manchebo. We were pleased with the resort, but we are glad we didn’t do the all inclusive food. There were two meals that stood out to us. These meals weren’t just the best on the island; they were some of the best meals we’ve ever had.

Zeerovers for lunch was incredible. Red snapper, jumbo shrimp, and fries. The seasoning was top notch and the way it was cooked was excellent. Maybe this is a bias for this place, but we were first introduced to the Aruban papaya hot sauce (AMAZING) here and we had it with every bite along with the tartar sauce. We could not stop talking about it. Add a cold beer and a table on the water and we couldn’t ask for anything better.

Well, then we went to Terra for dinner the following day. It’s on the fancier side, but let me tell you that it lives up to any and all hype. It’s been open for almost 1 year. The service and vibes in the place were also on point. We got the bread to start which I honestly loved. It was like croissant brioche. I also am partial to honey and butter so I was in heaven. The bone marrow and beef tartare dish has everything you could want in a small plate. Crunchy toasted sourdough with a warm fatty marrow spread topped with chilled tartare gave me life. We also loved the charred Octopus! There was so much going on the that dish I can’t remember it all, but it was also the perfect amount so-much-going-on, y’know? The amount of detail that gave every bite a delicious balance in flavor really showed.

I could go on about each spot, but I just had to say that these two places are a MUST when I go back to Aruba. We had other delicious food and great times, but part of me just wanted to do those meals all over again!

I am a skinny 50 year old who needs to be mindful of food. I've been to Curacao and now I want to travel to Aruba. I've been eating gluten free for many years. I was diagnosed with hypertension three months ago. So far it's been well controlled with medicine.

I'm wondering if people who've been to Aruba think it will be easy to navigate these needs. I stay in hotels rather than Air B and Bs because I'm a solo traveler and I prefer the security of a hotel. But I realise if I cook a few meals for myself it would eliminate some risk.

Hi everyone! 💕 My fiancé and I will be in Aruba for our honeymoon and I’m looking for recommendations for the best spa for a full relaxing spa day.
I’m looking for somewhere that has:
💆🏽‍♀️ A really good massage
🧖🏽‍♀️ Sauna/steam or other relaxing amenities
🏊🏽‍♀️ Pool/day-pass access if possible
🍽️ Good food or drinks
🌴 Beautiful, peaceful atmosphere
Basically somewhere we can spend several hours and completely relax!
What spa would you recommend in Aruba? Bonus points if it feels luxurious and romantic but isn’t insanely expensive. 💕

This was our third time visiting Aruba but def won’t be our last. Just wanted to share some pictures. The turtle pics (and pretty sure a barracuda) as well as starfish and ray were right in front of Bucuti.
Something new this trip was visiting Alto Vista for wine tasting and rum cocktails (highly recommend booking tour).

Good morning. Looking for feedback on the Cabana rentals at LaCabana. I think they’re about $150 a day and it’s nothing over the top as far as any amenities. I was just thinking it would be a nice treat for one day. We are going Thanksgiving week and getting a spot at the pool is a bloodsport most mornings. Thank you for any feedback!