Im going to aruba in 2 weeks aug 29 through sept 8 2008 and wanted to know what to expect. is it expensive

Question

how is the shopping down there.

Answer 1

Yes, Aruba is expensive.  Don't forget everthing is imported.  It's a low-duty port so the shopping is great.  Lots of high end items like jewelry, perfumes, shoes & handbags from around the world!  You'll find Gucci, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, & Tous boutiques.  They have their own Aruba aloe factory for great buys on suntan lotions, etc.

Answer 2

About the same as here in the states.

Forget the jeep tours. Rent one your self and drive at your own pace.

My wife and I did it, drove up to the light house, along the norht side of the island to the natural bridge then down to baby beach to do some snorkeling. One big tip, bring plenty of water if you do that, after you leave the natural bridge, it's pretty much nothing but desert type terrain.  

Answer 3

First, it will be really HOT.

Second, yes the prices are up there.

Third, they have nice beaches but avoid the interior of the island which is a desert wasteland.

Answer 4

The prices on most items aren't much worse than they are here in the USA, and I think some may even be a little less expensive (I got a souvenir t-shirt for $5).  Gas is a little more expensive than it is here, but fortunately the island is small enough that you probably won't be using a large amount of gas.

Answer 5

I have been to Aruba twice and loved it.  It has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.  The island is hot and dry but NOT green at all like most of the other islands in the Caribbean.  And the wind blows at about 15 to 20 MPH all of the time.  But that's good because it keeps you cool and cut the effects of the humidity.

There is not a lot to see in Aruba and a 1/2 day tour will get you to see all there  is there, which isn't much. On a tour you’ll see the lighthouse, a national park that’s kinda like wilderness, a cave with some petroglyph's, and the remnants of a natural bridge where the water at one time came under it and washes onto a small beach. There is a tour that takes you in a jeep across some of the desert areas.  The island has nice hotels; we stayed at the Marriott which if I remember correct is on Palm Beach.  Several of the hotels have casinos, not big buy sufficient to slots and table games.  There is a casino in the town of Oranjastad and also at several of the hotels on Palm beach.

The town also has  a small shopping mall and a few other stores.  The craft market is limited to a few stands in Oranjestad across from the Mall and near the cruise ship port.  When we were there we did not rent a car but rode the public bus and that worked just great.

We had breakfast included in our room rate but went out to eat for dinner and found that the meals are rather expensive.  However, we did find a good variety of restaurants, most in walking distance from our hotel.  The beaches have a good variety of activities like jet ski rentals, para-sailing, kite boarding and surfing and sail boat rentals.  So you can do things or just kick back and relax.