I just got back from Aruba a week and a half ago. It was beautiful and the most relaxed I've literally been in years. I didn't want to leave.
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FI and took an early honeymoon b/c we'll both be in new jobs when we get married so we won't be able to go then.
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, which is in the high rise hotel section. I think the Riu was a maybe 2 or 3 down from us. It's the Moroccan-inspired hotel right? We went and saw it. It's really pretty. You should check out some of the other hotels while you are there.
So a couple of recommendations. I'm sure you heard of the Flying Fishbone restaurant. We ate there and it was fantastic. Not so much the food, although that was good too, but the set up. Eat on the beach. So great. My only complaint was that I ended up getting like 5 mosquito bites that night but totally worth it. Aruba has these fantastic trade winds that help keep you cool but when they die down the mosquitos come out to play.
Flying Fishbone has a sister restaurant called the Screaming Eagle on Eagle Beach. We didn't get to go but I heard really good things about it. Just to let you know, Flying Fishbone is about a half hour drive from the high rise section. It's about a $35 cab ride, maybe a bit more we were told by our concierge. FI and I rented a Jeep and did sightseeing one day and then we drove to the restaurant at night.
There's shopping and nightlife/restaurants on the hotel strip you will be staying on, across the street from the hotel. There's Senor Frogs and we ate at an Italian restaurant called Gianni's. Highly recommend. We got this pasta dish for 2 that they finish in front of you. They put it in a giant round of parmigiano-reggiano and flambe it and finish cooking it tableside and it's delicious. Also, w/i walking distance another great place is Amazonia Churrascaria, a brazilian steak place. If you like meat, you'll love it. It's a set price per person and it's pretty much all the meat you can eat. Really, really good.
Shopping in downtown Oranjestead is really good. Go check out Renaissance Mall with the high end retail shops like Louis Vuitton, etc. I didn't find the prices particularly lower but it was fun to window shop. There are a ton of jewelry stores too and they did have very good and competitive prices. I looked at wedding bands but didn't buy one. I will say that FI and bought wedding gifts, (yes, jewelry), for each other b/c we found pieces we loved and got great prices.
Finally, sightseeing. I mentioned that we rented a Jeep. We got a Wrangler and went exploring one day. We went to the Natural Bridge and then explored for a bit and came a cross some great spots. Then we went to the Natural Pool. Everything was beautiful but a word of caution on the Natural Pool. It is really rough terrain to get there. You need 4 wheel drive. The roads are unpaved and really, really bumpy and very steep. We had a couple of moments where I was like OMG. There's a sign that says swim at your own risk and we did. You have to climb over rocks to get in and out, no smooth path or walkways. I would have done it regardless, I just wish I knew what it took to get there, which is why I'm letting you know. You can also book a tour that will take you to these places, b/c we saw lots of groups that day, we just decided to rent a Jeep and do our own thing.
Ok, as you can see I had a great time and you will too! If you have any questions or want more info, let me know.
