I’m slowly getting more and more experienced in the realm of solo travel. My latest solo adventure was a trip to Aruba. Aruba is the fifth country I’ve visited solo (and counting) so let’s get into a recap and why I think Aruba is one of the best solo travel destinations for someone new to solo traveling.

Why Aruba?

I originally booked this trip back at the start of February as an action item from my coach. I mentioned that looking ahead at the month and everything I had in store, I was going to be on the brink of burnout by the end of it. We had previously discussed how I feel most rested when I’m in warm weather, near water—yep sounds like vacation to me too. So she made it an action item for me to book a vacation. In my research, Aruba came up as a place that was warm, not too couple-y or romantic for a solo traveler like me, and very safe and easy to navigate. It was also going to be warm at the time I visited (I considered Bermuda as well but Bermuda isn’t quite the warmest at this time of year since it’s further North.) On top of that Delta had direct flights to the island and as a Delta loyalist, this was an opportunity to rack up those miles. So Aruba it was.

The Logistics of a Solo Trip to Aruba

Another reason Aruba is a great option for a last-minute solo trip is that it is very easy to navigate logistically. With an American passport, there are no entry requirements other than completing a government form before you travel. Outside of booking my flight and hotel, I hadn’t done much planning for this trip before I got there.

Transportation

Aruba does not have any ridesharing apps like Uber or Bolt which some other countries I’ve traveled to have. Taxi or car rental is pretty much the only way you’ll get around the island. As someone who doesn’t drive (yet?) I spent my days there taking taxis. There is a very specific pricing chart that taxi drivers use that determines the price so know that it’s pretty set and this isn’t really something you can haggle down. That being said the taxis can add up. The most I paid for a single taxi in one direction (to head to Zeerovers from my hotel) was 30 dollars. That meant I spent 60 dollars round trip just to get some food. But I think 30 dollars is the most you’ll pay on a single trip because the island is very small. Keep in mind that taxis are cash only. Needless to say car rental is probably the more affordable option. There’s also the possibility that hiring a personal driver for your time in Aruba could be cheaper as well depending on the payment scheme. If you don’t get a personal driver and opt to take taxis like I did, keep in mind that hotels and restaurants will be able to call you taxis when you are ready to leave.

Currency

The official currency in Aruba is the Aruban Florine but US dollars are widely accepted and most prices at tourist destinations and popular restaurants are listed in USD. So yes, you’ll be able to pay your taxi driver in US dollars.

Where I Stayed During My Solo Trip to Aruba

There are many resorts on the island but I chose to stay at Renaissance Wind Creek Hotel because guests of the hotel have access to Renaissance Beach included in their stay. Renaissance Beach is the private beach where you’ll see those IG-worthy photos of guests with flamingos, so if you want to see the flamingos you’ll probably want to find a way to get to this beach. There are two parts of the hotel: Marina, the adults-only side, and Ocean Suite, the family-friendly side. Renaissance Island itself is also split up into an adults-only beach and a family-friendly beach.

Overall I will say my stay at the Renaissance Hotel was pleasant but nothing extraordinary. The hotel houses a pretty popular and well-reviewed steak house called L.G Smith’s Steakhouse that I didn’t get to try because I wanted some more local food. I think this hotel got the job done and I would recommend it for that reason, but if you’re a hotel snob I would maybe lower your expectations or try to stay somewhere else like the Ritz Carlton, which is on the island as well!

What I Did During my Solo Trip To Aruba

I’ll preface this by saying this was a short and sweet trip that was meant to be more of a vacation and less of a travel experience. That being said I didn’t really get into much on the island so I’ll share what I did but share some things that came up in my search that I might have done.

Day 1: Arrival & Evening at the Hotel

• I did not have energy the day I arrived so I just stayed in my room, ordered room service, and watched TV. I have no regrets

Day 2: Beach Day

• Renaissance Island: I got up bright and early to head to Renaissance Island via boat that comes to pick guests up every 15 minutes from 7 am to 7 pm. There are restaurants on the island as well as a spa so that’s a great opportunity to get a massage in. I opted to lay out in the sun all day after feeding the flamingos. Keep in mind that if you want to feed the flamingos you’ll need US quarters to pay for the flamingo food.
• Dinner at Flying Fishbone: After returning to the hotel and showering I headed back out to get dinner at Flying Fishbone, a very popular restaurant for tourists in Aruba. This restaurant has an amazing view of the sunset so I would consider timing your reservation around the time of the sunset that day so you can experience it! I thought the food here was actually very good so I would recommend heading to this place during a visit. Just be sure to make reservations ahead of time on their website.

Day 3: Horseback riding & Zeerovers

• Horseback riding with Hoofs of Hope: One of my favorite vacation activities is horseback riding and when I found this horseback riding session on Viator I just knew I had to experience it. It did not disappoint/ The views riding through the desert land in Aruba were beautiful and the horses were well trained and taken care of.
• Zeerovers: I had heard and seen great things about this restaurant and it came highly recommended for those who love seafood. It’s a no-frills restaurant enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. This absolutely did not disappoint. They catch the fish daily so you don’t have a choice as to what’s available as they serve only the “catch of the day”. The day I went the catch of the day was Mahi Mahi which I don’t think I’m particularly fond of. But let me tell you that fish was so good you would have thought I loved Mahi Mahi all my life. The food was so well seasoned and fresh. There’s a reason why their line is always very long. Keep that in mind and plan ahead because I think I waited in line for about an hour before placing my order so budget time accordingly if you plan to eat here.

Day 4: Breakfast and Departure

• Linda’s Dutch Pancake House: I am a huge panacake lover so I had to see what the hype was about Linda’s Dutch Pancake House before I left. While these weren’t the best crepe-style pancakes I’ve ever had in my life, the food was good and it was a nice breakfast to have before I left. Also to be fair, I did clear my plate and that says something.
• Departure: I checked out of my airport and the designated time of noon and headed to the airport for my 3:15 direct flight to New York. The airport is not that far from the hotel where I stayed however I recommend budgeting more than enough time at the airport before your flight. There was a long line to reach check-in after bag drop (but thankfully I didn’t need this as I only packed a carry-on and had checked in and received my boarding pass through the Delta app). Then there was a long line to get through passport control. After you get through that line there is a line for Aruban customs and TSA and then a line for baggage recheck. Why? Because you are about to go through US customs while in Aruba. Again, because I didn’t have checked bags I didn’t stop at this part but if you do, you’ll have to wait for your bags to come out on the baggage claim belt and then check it back in for your flight to the US. After that process, you’ll have to get on the U.S. customs line. At this point, having Global entry comes in clutch, as it always does, but if you do not have global entry know that the amount of time it takes to get through customs typically is the length of time you’ll be waiting in line. In other words, a really long time. Once I got through customs there was a second TSA check so I had to do the whole process of removing shoes and laptops and all that good stuff. Once you’re done with that then you’re finally free to head off to the gate or lounge if you have extra time. I got to the airport three hours before my flight and had one hour of free time before boarding and that’s because I had Global Entry. I would say if you don’t have global entry, anticipate needing all three of those hours. This was a very long way of saying that the process at the airport for those going to the US is long. However, the good news is once you land in the US you won’t have to go through customs because you did the process in Aruba. So you land in the domestic section of the airport and are free to head straight to baggage claim and leave the airport.

What I Would Have Done if I Had More Time (and Energy) on My Solo Trip to Aruba

My trip was short and sweet and it wasn’t meant to be a jam-packed trip so I didn’t get to do too much. I’m fine with that but here are some other activities I came across in my research that you might want to consider on a solo trip to Aruba:

• A night out at South Beach: This came highly recommended as a nightlife spot with great music and vibes. I thought about venturing out solo but was too tired.
• A party bus tour: There are some party bus tours on the island that you might want to look into if that’s your vibe. They are a great way to meet people and have a good time. I opted out of something like this because I am currently not drinking during the Lent season and most of these party bus tours stop at bars and offer shots at each stop—while I have no problem turning down a drink, I’m not sure what a non-drinker does on a bar hop tour if they aren’t drinking so I was fine skipping out on this.
• A cooking class: I’m always a fan of getting to know more about the local culture through food. I looked up and came across some cooking classes on Airbnb Experiences but it didn’t work out with my schedule
• Eduardo’s: Many people were in my DMs saying I had to check out a restaurant called Eduardo’s. I didn’t have time to do that on my stay but if you do, just know that many people recommend it so it is probably worth a visit!

Final Thoughts on My Solo Trip to Aruba 

Overall I felt very safe in Aruba and felt like the island presented the perfect mix of relaxation, culture, and adventure. I highly recommend a trip to Aruba if you are looking to dive into solo travel for the first time as it is not too far, presents no language barriers for an English speaker, and overall is very safe. Let me know if you decide to take a trip to Aruba as I’d love to hear how your experience is!

“Then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble.” Proverbs 3:23 

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