ArubaHouse
A private villa on the beach
(click picture to see more)
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Five bedrooms with TVs. Master bedroom suite with TV, VCR and stereo in separate wing with its own sitting room. Ocean and garden views. |
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Our house sleeps 9 people very comfortably. |
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Three bathrooms, plus outdoor shower. |
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Swimming pool and Jacuzzi under the palm trees. |
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Living room, with large TV, VCR and stereo. Ocean View. |
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Cable TV with US programming. |
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Dining area. Ocean view. |
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Playroom with pool and garden view |
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Large fully equipped kitchen. Garden view. |
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Laundry with washer and dryer. |
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Large, very private tropical gardens with bar-b-que, gazebo, hammock and caretaker's house. |
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Telephone answering machine (fax available). |
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Maid and caretaker included in rent |
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All services except international calls included in rent |
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Video of house and area available |
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For a guided tour of our house e-mail me and I will make arrangements with our caretaker. |
Our house is located in Malmock, the finest residential area on the island, but less than two miles from most restaurants, casinos, hotels and two American style supermarkets with most American products. Windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, tennis, swimming in our pool under the palm trees, relaxing in our Jacuzzi or whatever Caribbean fantasy you desire is either on our beach or close at hand.
Fodor's Pocket Travel Guide 1998 says(page 54) Malmok. On the drive to the northern tip of the island you'll pass through Malmok, where Aruba's wealthiest families reside. Jutting above the water not far off Malmok Beach - one of the finest spots for shelling, snorkeling, and windsurfing, are parts of the wreck of the German ship Antilla, scuttled here in 1940.
Aruba is a self-governed Dutch Caribbean island with very little unemployment, poverty or crime. With a population of 71,000, it's like small town America 100 years ago. If you leave your snorkeling or windsurfing gear on the beach, it will be there when you return. Almost veryone speaks English and the signs, menus, phone books, etc. are all in English. Direct flights are available from New York and Miami among other places. Aruba has a very modern fully equipped hospital, a modern phone system for your fax and modem, a new Robert Trent Jones II golf course less than 1/2 mile from our house and you can drink the water. The major industry is tourism and the local Arawak Indian and Dutch population is very friendly and helpful. Because Aruba is located 12 degrees from the equator and is a desert island, the weather is always perfect (that is, if you like year round 82 to 85 degree temperatures, bright sunny skies, refreshing trade winds and crystal clear 82 degree, calm, turquoise Caribbean water every day of the year). Aruba is so far outside the hurricane belt, storms are unheard of. The license plates tell the whole story; "Aruba - One Happy Island."
Rent from 11/1-4/30 is $3,500 per week ($500 per extra day) and $11,500 per month. From 5/1-10/31 rent is $2,450 per week ($350 per extra day) and $8,000 per month. Major holidays and events please add 20%.
Please click on pictures to enlarge them
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| View of verandah front | View from front | Back garden view | Floor plan | Map of island |
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The pool and jacuzzi |
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This page has been visited times
since June 2, 1997.
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| Water
- It comes from a desalinization plant and is pure and drinkable. I usually
buy a large plastic bottle of water the first day then refill it 2/3's
from the tap and put it in the freezer to take to the beach.
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| Supermarkets and Food
- Ling & Sons, Hong King and a new one where Pueblo was
are large supermarkets on L G Smith Blvd. on the way to Orangestad. Between
them they have most of the usual American brands. They make good BBQ chicken
(we prefer Ling & Sons) and have decent meats and produce. You can
also buy fresh fish and produce items in town by the docks. You may also
be able to get fresh fish, shrimp from the fishing boats that dock next
to the Holiday Inn (near Fisherman's Huts). They return in the late morning
around 10:00 AM and late afternoon. They usually sell their catch to the
restaurants and are reluctant to sell to you but we have been successful
with a smile. Ask them to clean the fish for you. There is a NY style bagel
bakery and a good French type bakery in Orangestad near where the cruise
ships dock.
Shopping - There are generally two types of shopping experiences that I have observed; shopping and sport shopping. Shopping is buying what you need. The goal is to buy it and get to the beach as fast as possible. Then there is shopping refined to the art of a sport and engaged in for the joy of the sport; the process may be as important as the end result. Many of the shops have the usual branches of the jewelry stores, some beach ware shops and the like. The best shopping is in downtown Oranjestad. On the main street at the wharf is a farmers type open air market where you can buy native art, tee shirts, produce and fresh fish. On the other side of the street and several streets parallel to it going inland are a wide variety of shops that sell jewelry, designer clothes, perfumes and Cuban cigars (I am told that it is illegal to bring Cuban cigars into the U. S. but I believe it is not illegal to light one up in Aruba and take a walk on the beach after dinner.) The town is very safe, unless you are a compulsive shopper with an unlimited credit card. It also gets a bit crowded when the cruise ships are docked so check on their schedule. Many shops close for siesta around noon to 2:00pm. Negotiating for large purchases is not considered rude! With all that said, shopping in Aruba is not a third world bargain hunters paradise but can be interesting and worthwhile for the shopping enthusiast. |
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| Car Rental- Drive on the right side of the road, just like the U.S. Speed limits are in kilometers and so is the speedometer. I usually rent from Trac Rental Toyotas at the airport. Their phone and fax numbers follow. If you tell them you are staying at Playa Linda you get a 15% discount. We have a timeshare there and they give us the discount even when we don't stay there. Ask them for the discount and see what happens. Good luck. Your travel agent can arrange cars with the usual assortment of rental companies. Open top jeeps are available. They sound great, but Aruba is a hot and sunny place. It's nice to get out of the sun when you are not on the beach, playing golf, tennis etc. You're the guest and it's your call; just our comment. Get a road map from the gas station. Worth the cost. | |||||||||
| Tennis - There is a tennis club close to the house. Close, but complicated directions. They charge $10-$15 per hour. Our caretakers can give you the telephone number or make the arrangements. Ask them for directions. You can always get a court in the middle of the day when it is sunny, hot and windy, or you can call ahead and reserve one for the time you want. | |||||||||
| Windsurfing -
(See windsurfing section for more extensive info)
You can rent from Sailboard Vacations on L G Smith Blvd. Look for the Windsurf
Village sign (say hi from Hugh), Vela near the Marriot (say hi to Dasher
for me) or the F2 center on the beach at Fisherman's Huts (you past it
on the way to the house from the airport. It has the things on the beach
that look like eh...huts). It is about 1/2 mile towards the lighthouse
from the Marriot. Vela has a nicer beach but is in the windshadow from
the hotels. It is a little slow launching and getting in with a short board.
Sailboard's has a better launch, but not as nice a beach. Both places have
good equipment, friendly instructors and are fine for your non-windsurfing
friends to hang out at. If you rent our house, you can sail right up to
our house and leave the equipment on the beach. Don't worry, it'll still
be there when you get back. Just in case...we accept no liability. Or you
can stay at our house and launch at Vela or Sailboard's.
Stop by Geert Van Den Berg (the Board Walk Apartments across the road and up the street from Vela and the Marriot) to see some really great custom boards. He makes them. He is also a Neil Pryde dealer who gets the stuff direct from Hong Kong. Cheap prices on the NP equipment. The boards cost a lot, but are scary, scary fast, and very light. Maybe he'll let you demo one or sell you a used one at a cheap price because it was traded in by a fanatical boardhead who has to have this years innovation and doesn't want to lose to someone who does. I own one of his 8'9" and 10'0" boards. They are superior to my custom Priestar and Hi-Tech boards in NY. |
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| Snorkeling -
For a pretty good reef in shallow water, go down towards the lighthouse
and look for where the snorkeling tour boats are anchored. This is Little
Arrashi Beach. It is shallow and safe but, like most Carribean reefs, the
black spiny porcupine looking things in the rocks are sea urchins. Generally
accepted Caribbean wisdom is, don't do things that will result in one of
the black spines sticking in you. Since they don't come after you, you
have to go out of your way to get stuck. Also don't stick your hands into
any holes (for obvious reasons). The snorkeling tours go to a number of
places, so if you book one, don't book one that goes to Little Arrashi
Beach, unless you just want the sailboat ride. The Tribuna snorkeling boat
goes to a wonderful underwater coral garden and forest. Look them up in
the phone book. You can also swim to little Arrashi Beach from our house.
The reef extends towards our house. Reefs are alive!! And the ecosystem
around them is fragile. Please don't take anything off the reef or stand
on it.
There is a sunken freighter about 1/2 mile off shore. When you look from our house to the ocean, on the right, you can see some of it poking out of the water. Unless you are a good swimmer don't do it. If you are a great swimmer or windsurf or sail there, it's a nice place to snorkel. 60 feet of clear water. Say hi to the big moray eel that lives in the freighter and the usual assortment of tropical fish. If you sail there, take a line to tie up the board to the buoys. Baby Beach, at the other end of the island near the town of St. Nicholas, has a nicer reef. It is a 20 mile drive. You can also go to the Sonesta Island by taking a boat from the Sonesta Hotel. Lastly, very near our house is a very nice reef. Don't even think about taking anything from it. It is our own private underwater park. If you rent, we will tell you the exact location. To snorkel on your own you can rent snorkel equipment from Red Sail Sports located in several of the high rise hotels, or better yet, bring your own. |
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| Scuba - If you rent from us, ask our caretakers to set it up. There are a lot of wrecks and other points of interest. They will tell you where to go, make the call to one of the scuba operators. They are all good and caring. You can take a "resort course" and be diving the same day. You can find several good dive operators in Aruba. | |||||||||
| Golf - There is a new (and I'm told good, since I don't play golf) golf course near the lighthouse. It is about 1/2 mile from our house. Drive towards the lighthouse and make the first major right. Up about 1/4 mile is the entrance. My golfing friends say it is a 3-4 club wind on some holes. Some find this interesting, some don't, but it is a very beautiful course. | |||||||||
| Horseback Riding- There are several stables that offer horseback riding either on the beach or in the back country. Look them up in the phone book. The beach ride is great around sunset. You can see the sun go down over the ocean with the ships off on the horizon and the last of the local windsurfers heading in. | |||||||||
| Casinos - Fair rules, relatively small and low key by U.S. standards. We favor the one at the Hyatt for our once every two years gambling excursion. The Las Vegas style show at the Americana gets good reviews as do the female impersonators at the LaCabanna Casino. We've never been, but always plan to go. | |||||||||
| Hospital - We hope you don't need their services, but the telephone number is 74300. My daughter was there once and my wife says it is a very professional and efficient operation (OOPS bad choice of words). Well trained doctors, well stocked pharmacy, and modern equipment. Everyone speaks English. It is about 3 miles from the house towards Orangestad on the main road past the high rise hotels. When you see the sign, make a right. | |||||||||
| Palm Trees - A word of caution. The coconuts are real. If you sit under a palm tree, don't sit under the coconuts. The ripe ones will fall when they are ready. Bonk!!! An easy way to open them up is to throw them down on a large pointy rock until they crack. You lose most of the milk, but you don't need tools. | |||||||||
Emergency Phone Numbers
Phone - works the same as in the U.S. but the tones are different. The short interrupted tone every second is the busy signal. |
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| Oranjestad - This is the name of the big town you passed coming from the airport. When the cruise ships are in, the town is very busy. Lots of tourists who don't know where they are going. Town is safe night and day - really! Don't be afraid to leave the main streets by the wharf. A few of the restaurants I'll mention are in Orangestad as are some interesting stores (for the sport-shoppers). Cuban cigars, knock offs of Chanel handbags, discount watches. The stores close down for lunch. Don't be afraid to bargain. Bargaining is not as big a part of shopping in Aruba as in other parts of the Carribean, but it never hurts to ask for a better price. | |||||||||
| Malmok Fodor's description of Malmok: On the drive to the northern tip of the island you'll pass through Malmok, where Aruba's wealthiest families reside. Jutting above the water not far off Malmok beach-- one of the finest spots for shelling, sorkeling, and windsurfing, are parts of the wreck of the German ship Antilla, scuttled here in 1940. | |||||||||
| Places of interest - Read the free guidebooks. A few interesting things for people who must tour: horseback riding on the beach, the shell museum, California Sand Dunes, deep sea fishing, surfing at West Point, casinos, huge miniature golf course, sailing, parasailing, glass bottom boat, Atlantis Submarine, outdoor market, natural pools, bat caves, etc., etc., but we focus on the water and sun. Because I go to Aruba for the windsurfing I save these things for the light wind days. | |||||||||
| Carnival and other Local Events- Carnival is the local Mardi Gras. It is generally mid to late February and there are several parades over a period of a few weeks. Everyone is into it and very friendly. Join in! Look at the tourist guide and the two free newspapers for the other local events, such as the Jazz Festival, Aruba Hi-Winds World Cup International Pro-Am Windsurfing Race, Sinbad Music Festival etc. | |||||||||
| The Sun- I know you've been all over the Carribean and know all about professional tanning, but at 12 degrees from the Equator the sun really is much stronger than you think. The trade winds mask its intensity. The hospital knows all about treating severe sun burns and sun poisoning. If they made SPF 250 sun screens, I'd wear it...plus a hat, plus take cold water to the beach. | |||||||||
| Dress code -
Aruba is a casual place. You can even wear shorts to most restaurants except
Chez Mattilde. Wear a sport jacket if you like. People will really notice
you if you wear a tie. I'm not an expert on woman's fashions but they can
calibrate from the above. They also like to dress up a little more (or
less). Basic rule - if it looks good, and feels comfortable wear it.
Restaurants - The tourist guide has all the phone numbers. The following is a list of the ones we especially like. It is always risky to recommend restaurants. But if you promise not to hold us responsible, here is our personal guide on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best on the island Food/Ambiance/Service/ $ is the average cost of an entrée; following is a composite score for each
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 Aruba Restaurant Ratings 4/17/98 |
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Food Weighting |
10 |
If the food isn't good why bother |
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Service Weighting |
5 |
If the food is good this also matters |
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Ambiance Weighting |
5 |
If the food is good this also matters |
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Price |
With equal ratings lowest price wins |
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Restaurant |
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
Composite |
$ |
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Que Pasa |
10 |
10 |
8 |
9.500 |
20.00 |
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Flyng Fishbone |
9 |
9 |
10 |
9.250 |
20.00 |
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Chez Matilde |
9 |
10 |
9 |
9.250 |
25.00 |
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El Gaucho |
10 |
8 |
8 |
9.000 |
19.00 |
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Marina's Killer Sanwiches |
10 |
9 |
6 |
8.750 |
5.00 |
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Golf Club (Vantantas) |
9 |
8 |
9 |
8.750 |
20.00 |
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Challet Suisse |
9 |
8 |
8 |
8.500 |
22.00 |
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Bistro 81 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
8.250 |
19.00 |
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Valentino's |
9 |
7 |
8 |
8.250 |
25.00 |
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Hyatt (Fancy) |
8 |
9 |
8 |
8.250 |
22.00 |
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Tuscany |
8 |
9 |
8 |
8.250 |
22.00 |
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Papiamento |
8 |
8 |
9 |
8.250 |
23.00 |
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Trotoria Fero Bianca (Lighthouse) |
8 |
7 |
9 |
8.000 |
19.00 |
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Le Dome |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8.000 |
20.00 |
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Vela Thursday Night BBQ |
8 |
7 |
9 |
8.000 |
25.00 |
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La Dolche Vita |
8 |
7 |
8 |
7.750 |
16.00 |
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Tony Roma Ribs |
8 |
8 |
7 |
7.750 |
16.00 |
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Old Conuccu House |
8 |
7 |
8 |
7.750 |
18.00 |
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Le Petit Café (Playa Linda) |
8 |
8 |
7 |
7.750 |
19.00 |
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Boonoonoos |
8 |
7 |
7 |
7.500 |
19.00 |
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La Bouillabaisse |
8 |
7 |
7 |
7.500 |
20.00 |
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The Driftwood |
8 |
7 |
7 |
7.500 |
20.00 |
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Windsurf Village Wednsday BBQ |
7 |
7 |
9 |
7.500 |
25.00 |
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Hyatt (casual) |
7 |
8 |
7 |
7.250 |
15.00 |
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Benniehanna |
7 |
8 |
7 |
7.250 |
17.00 |
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Marina Paratta |
7 |
7 |
8 |
7.250 |
18.00 |
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Hyatt (Casual) |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7.000 |
15.00 |
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By the Wharf In Town |
6 |
7 |
8 |
6.750 |
17.00 |
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Buccaneer |
6 |
6 |
7 |
6.250 |
20.00 |
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Charlie's Bar |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6.000 |
17.00 |
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| 1. Boonoonoonoos - F7/A8/S8/$20 good local Caribbean food. Some hot and spicy, some not. Most people like it. Orangestad. Phone 31888 | |||||||||
| 2. El Gaucho - F10/A8/S9/$20 Argentine aged beef. Great! Get the tenderloin. Decent south American red wines if you'll spend $30 for a bottle. Not a good pick for vegetarians. Orangestad. Phone 23677 | |||||||||
| 3. Chez Mattilde - F9/A10/S9/$30 Fanciest place in Aruba. Good food, nice ambiance, high prices. Orangestad. Phone 34968 | |||||||||
| 4. Charlie's Bar - F6/A6/S6/$?? Saint Nicholas (the other end of the island, near Baby Beach which is good snorkeling beach but 18 miles from our house). Cold beer and boiled shrimps. Not worth the trip from the hotels but worth a late snack if you go to Baby Beach. | |||||||||
| 5. Golf Club Restaurant (Vantantas Del Mar) - F8/A10/S9/$20 Good food, nice place (especially the more intimate seating area by the bar or outdoors). Very good jazz trio. Lighthouse area. Phone 67800 | |||||||||
| 6. Light House Restaurant (La Trattoria) - F8/A9/S8/$20 Really nice for the early sunset dinner, but then again so is our verandah. Good Italian food. Sit outdoors. Lighthouse area. | |||||||||
| 7. Bistro 81 in the Radisson - F9/A7/S9/$20 NY style bistro food. Piano player. High-rise hotel area. Phone 66555 | |||||||||
| 8. Bistro-Quet at Playa Linda - F8/A8/S8/$20 Cooking on hot stones. Flavorful! High-rise hotel area. | |||||||||
| 9. Buccaneer - F6/A6/S6/$20 on one of the roads going away from the high rise hotels but less than 1 mile from our house. Major selling point are the GIANT aquariums with interesting tropical fish. Food OK. You can always go there for a beer and see the fish if OK isn't good enough for you. | |||||||||
| 10. Brisis Del Mar - F7/A7/S8/$18 About 5 miles past the airport going away from our house. Typical open air Aruban seafood, on the water. Tourist and locals like the place. Get directions. | |||||||||
| 11. Grand Hyatt Hotel - Two restaurants. The fancy one F8/A9/S8/$25 has indoor and outdoor seating. Sit outdoors at a table next to the black swans pool. Check out the iguanas that climb the rocks. Good food, nicer ambiance if outdoors, prices you expect. Less fancy one F7/A8/S7/$16 has seating on a deck and the outdoor bar by the beach also inside but the whole point is eating outside by the beach. Real casual and food OK, but they do have their "margarita night" and other specials. Nice place to have a beer and see the people who are paying $1,300 (plus room tax and service) per night for a two bedroom suite. (Perhaps you should be paying us more?) | |||||||||
| 12. Old Conucu House - F8/A8/S6/$18 Nice ambiance, decent Caribbean food, slow service so don't go if you're a "type A". | |||||||||
| 13. The Driftwood - F8/A7/S7/$18 fish restaurant in Orangestad. Good fresh sea food. They tend to overbook so expect to have a drink at the bar. Phone 32514 | |||||||||
| 14. La Bouillabaisse - F7/A7/S7/$18 Fish with a Caribbean French accent. Not the south of France but you won't be hungry or unhappy. The Bouillabaisse is good. Phone 71408 | |||||||||
| 15. Marina Piratta - F7/A8/S7/$18 Local Aruban seafood on the water well out of town. Get directions and look at the map. It's a little tricky. | |||||||||
| 16. Le Dome - F8/A9/S8/$20 Local This newcomer is located near La Cabanna, Divi and La Quinta. Continental and charming. | |||||||||
| 17. Papiamento - F9/A9/S7/$23 Nice old house, good food, romantic setting for dining outdoors by the pool. Near our house and the high rise hotels but on one of the roads north of the hotels. Quite popular so make a reservation in advance. Phone 64544 | |||||||||
| 18. In town by the wharf - There are a lot of restaurants there. Lively and decent food. Mostly tourists (but then again so are you.) I haven't been disappointed but can't remember the names. Let me know what you think. | |||||||||
| 19. Sandwiches - F8/A8/S8/$5 For the windsurfing types try the little shop in the sail loft of Sail Board Vacations - killer but order ahead. Casual, real casual and you can sail there and tie up at their corral. | |||||||||
| 20. Wednesday Night Windsurf Village BBQ - Very low key and friendly atmosphere. Beer, chicken and ribs. Outdoors. All you can eat. Moderate price. Windsurfing videos. Locals and visitors of all ages. A lot of fun, especially for the 18 year olds - they can walk to it. Stop by Windsurf Village to sign up. $25 (all you can eat) | |||||||||
| 21. Thursday Night Vela Night - At the Boardwalk Apartments near Vela. Catered by Boo Noo Noo Noos. Similar to Windsurf Village but different food. See the folks at Vela to sign up. Also a lot of fun, especially for the 18 year olds - they can walk to it. Outdoor dining. Go early and stay late. $25 (all you can eat) | |||||||||
| 22. Tony Roma's for Ribs - F7/A7/S8/$17 The usual Tony Roma's. That means good tasting greasy ribs, onion rings and fries. You can call ahead and take out probably the best fast food in Aruba. | |||||||||
| 23. Bennehana - F7/A8/S9/$18 - The usual Bennehanna everything tastes like soy sauce and garlic. Great show for the kids. | |||||||||
| 24. La Dolce Vita - F8/A7/S8/$16 - Perfectly made al dente pasta. Good Ceasar salad and eggplant parmesan. Relatively inexpensive. | |||||||||
| 25. Tuscany - F8/A9/S8/$22 - Italian (hence the name Tuscany) at the Marriot. Most people seem to like it. Some think it is a bit high priced compared to the many other good Italian meals you can get in Aruba. | |||||||||
| 26. Valentino's
- F8/A8/S8/$25 - Italian. Expensive but good. Try
the various seafood pastas. Quite popular so reservations are a must.
27. Flying Fishbone- F9/A9/S10/$20 - Located on the beach near Brises Del Mar and the desalinization plant (about 5 miles past the airport going towards St. Nicholas) this charming palce is worth the drive. The food (even some decent wines at affordable prices) and ambiance are the strong points (isn't that what you came for) and the energetic young Dutch staff are a plus. 28. Que Pasa- F10/A10/S8/$20 - Located in Oranjestad on a side street you might be put off by the location and appearance form the outside. The food (surprisingly sophisticated, is the strong point along with a cordial and knowledgeable you Dutch staff. While I like the ambiance (it can best be described as Euro-Caribbean funky with a certain charm if you are into that sort of thing) others may find it a bit too funky. Owned and operated by the owners of Flying Fishbone but a different menu. |
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| 29. Marina's Killer Sandwiches - F9/A9/S9/$5(lunch only)- As weird as this sounds...go into the sail storage area of Sailboard Vacations. In the back on the left is the sandwich shop. They are killer and not too expensive. Best to drive by (or sail by) before 11:00 am and put your name on the list with your selection. She will build it for the time you indicate. | |||||||||
| 30. Aruba House - F?/A10/S? - Eat what you like. Truly authentic home cooking! Prices vary - Grilled shrimps & pasta $2.50 | |||||||||
If I left out one of your favorites, let me know and I'll comment on it. There are a lot of good places in Aruba and its hard to remember them all. Mostly I like to buy some fish or shrimp or lobster from the fisherman at the dock and grill them on the BBQ in our garden. Great views, no wait for the table, the music I want to hear on the stereo and a choice of dining in or outdoors. I can even sit in the hot tub with a glass of wine while I wait for dinner to be served. I can't get away with it every night soooo I take the family out when they insist. Make reservations in advance in the high season.
Cocktail hour - Our verandah, of course (if you rent our house), and any of the hotels happy hour. Again, for the windsurfing types (or others who have perfected a good line of BS...did you see my duck gybe, forward loop, big air...? Don't mention the backward triple loop, it's never been done! Even if you were never on a board and they say they didn't see you, you can say you were sailing on the "outside" and thought you saw them. Chances are, they weren't on the outside, but they will be complimented that a great sailor like you thought you saw them when you did the loop.) Try Sailboard Vacations mini bar on the deck in front of the windsurfing storage area. Frozen drinks and cold beer. Not fancy...forget the sport jacket and maybe the shoes. Notice the people with the duct tape on their hands and feet. It holds the blisters in place. Don't feel sorry for them, they had a lot of fun. The tape is a kind of medal of honor thing or a badge of perseverance. You get blisters from trying too hard, especially in light wind days. Oh! Try the Polar Beer from Venezuela.
Timeshare Purchase or Rent Analysis
Aruba has a lot of very nice timeshares. So do a lot of other places. Travel Bulletin Boards often have people asking questions about buying or not buying a timeshare. I have read mostly poor discussions on the subject and thought I would add my thoughts for those who may want a concise, but correct method of analysis.
Purchasing a timeshare requires partly a financial and partly life style analysis. I don’t claim to be an expert on peoples life style but I do have a facility with financial analysis. Below I summarize my views on purchasing a deeded timeshare. In deeded timeshares you own the unit in perpetuity for a specific week each year.
With other arrangements you own a certain number of weeks, 20 for example and when you have used them you are history. Or you may have the same week each year for 20 years. Flex time weeks may give you the right to a week per year but the specific week has to be reserved each year. This analysis doesn’t apply to these types of arrangements but they also can be modeled. They are often sold to the unwary with the pitch that you can swap them for weeks at other desirable resorts. Don’t count on getting what you want or when you want it through an exchange program. Aspen may be great in the winter but in May, you gotta like mud. Buy what you are buying because you want to be there at that time.
Purchasing a deeded timeshare is a life style commitment. The resort and the dates have to fit your life. (Your kids’ spring break in Aruba for instance.) Don’t depend on swapping dates or resorts. It may work out well and then again it may not, but you can’t tell how it will work out when you buy. You have to want to stay at the resort. This means you must like the place and the people. Chances are if you really like it other people will also and it will be easier to sell or trade.
Once these decisions are made the financial analysis is simple. The main element are:
In the above example $1,050 weekly rent less the $275 maintenance fee is a savings of $775.
Before tax adjustment this is a yield of 15.5%.
However if you are in the 39% tax bracket you have to divide the $775 savings by (1-0.39) or 0.61.
The result is a pre-tax equivalent savings of $1,270.49.
Another way to look at it is that you would have to earn $1,240.79 to have $775 leftover after paying 39% in taxes. $1,240.79 is a yield of $25.41% pre-tax savings per year for the rest of your life on the $5,000 investment. And you get to congratulate yourself for such an astute decision while sitting on the beach, sipping a beer and watching the sun set over the ocean, in front of your timeshare.
A few considerations.
A crass commercial message! Well, what did you expect?
I own weeks 22 & 23 at Playa Linda. Unit 105. A large studio that sleeps 4. It has a large terrace overlooking the pool and the ocean. It was refurbished this year and looks great. These weeks are the Aruba Hi-Winds Windsurfing Race and the Aruba Triathlon. It is usually busy this time of year and we have generally rented it out easily. If you got this far, you know we also own a beach house in Aruba and now don’t need the timeshare. You can buy it for $5,000 per week. Hey! Guess what? The numbers in the above example are for my unit but the analysis works for any deeded timeshare. Playa Linda’s Price is $7,400 per week. Email me or call to than me for the effort of placing this analysis on my web page or it you want to own a piece of paradise.
The following are my personal observations and/or experiences. They are listed as a guide to your planning a great trip to Aruba that includes windsurfing.
I have started keeping a log of my windsurfing so that you can gauge the windsurfing conditions. By way of background I am a decent windsurfer able to water start and jibe consistently. The jibe's are not always pretty, but they work. I weigh 165 pounds and am 5'10". In New York I generally sail with about 1 sq. meter larger sail than most people my size that I see on the water. In Aruba the same is true for the visitors but I tend to be 0.5 Square meters smaller than the locals. I launch straight from my house. It is about ½ mile from Fisherman's Hut's and a broad reach to the Huts or West Point (WAVES) which is about 2 miles away on a broad reach.
General Sailing conditions:
Rental Equipment and Lessons:
There are basically four places to rent equipment. I have no experience with the F2 center on the beach at Fisherman's Huts or with Roger's. Both Vela and Sailboard Vacations (the Windsurf Village) have good, modern equipment, a lot of it, great instructors and lesson programs. Vela has a nicer beach and Sailboard's has an easier launch in a short board in light winds. You can't go wrong with either place so check both out and make up your mind when you get there unless you are planning to stay at Sailboard's.
Places to Sail:
Tips:
Blisters the dredded windsurfing disease I often see people with surgical or duct tape covering blisters on their hands. It comes from holding the boom too tight. Generally this comes from not having harness lines the right legnth or in the right position. I can't show you want to do about that on my web page but there are severl things you can do to prevent them:
Put waterproof surgical tape on the places that tend to blister before you sail on the first day. This will save a lot of aggravation.
Have an instructor or rental shop person set the harness lines for you.
Don't sail in very light winds where the sail can't hold you up instead you you holding the sail up.
When you first start to get a blister. STOP! Take a break and let the skin dry. I t will form a callous faster and be natural protection. If you wait too long and the blister breaks it will take longer for the red meat to heal.
The Reef
Before you go out have some one show you where the reef is. You don't want to hit it going 30 miles and hour.
Before you sail to West Point alone go with someone who know the paths through the underwater rocks. It is pretty easy to get through all three wide paths, but you have to know where they are.
My windsurfing log:
Below you will see the size boards and sails I have used since starting this log. I tend to go out in the afternoon and into the early evening to about ½ hour before the sun goes down. You can sail all day in Aruba, but I only have about 4 good hours in me and prefer to sail later. Most of the locals do as well. Less hot, fewer people on the water and generally less gusty.
Listed below is my equipment so that you can evaluate the conditions based on what I used:
The boards are all custom Gert Van Den Bergs. Gert lives in Aruba and makes great boards, scary fast, light and strong - carbon, kevlar etc.
9"2' slalom race, 8"8' bump and jump and a new 305 course race board. Sorry I don't know the volumes. Stop by his shop. He ships all over the world. It takes a couple of months to get one made but he also has some used ones in good condition for cheap prices. Everyone (except the international pros) who wins races in Aruba wins on his boards.
My sails are all Neil Pryde VX's 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 and 6.8 square meters.
Carbon Masts and Booms.
Four fins for the different board and sail combinations. Aruba doesn't have seaweed in the water so no weed fins are necessary.
| Hugh's Aruba Windsurfing Log | |||||||
| Date | Sails | Sails | Sails | Boards | Boards | Boards | Comments |
| 10/30/97 | 6.0 | 9.2 | Steady | ||||
| 10/31/97 | 5.5 | 8.8 | Steady | ||||
| 11/1/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Overpowered | ||||
| 11/2/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Overpowered | ||||
| 11/3/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Overpowered | ||||
| 11/4/97 | 5.5 | 9.2 | Perfect combo | ||||
| 12/20/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Reported condtions. I got in too late to sail. | ||||
| 12/21/97 | 5.5 | 9.2 | Perfect combo | ||||
| 12/22/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Overpowered and gusty early and steady at 3 PM | ||||
| 12/23/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Overpowered and gusty early and steady at 3 PM | ||||
| 12/24/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Overpowered and gusty w/ high chop on outside | ||||
| 12/25/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Way over powered…getting a 4.5 | ||||
| 12/26/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Gusty with large holes. 9.2 board better. | ||||
| 12/27/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Perfect combo | ||||
| 12/28/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Perfect combo | ||||
| 12/29/97 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Perfect combo | ||||
| 12/30/97 | 5.5 | 9.2 | Perfect combo | ||||
| 12/31/97 | 6.0 | 305 | First time on 305. Had to try it. Great. | ||||
| 1/1/98 | 6.8 | 305 | 9.2 would have been fine. Wanted to sail the 305 | ||||
| 1/2/98 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 9.2 | 8.8 | a little bit of rain killed the wind early then bam | ||
| 1/3/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | a 4.2 sail would have been perfect - got slammed- Waves | ||||
| 1/4/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | 4.5 would have been better - waves | ||||
| 3/14/98 | 6.0 | 305 | powered up, 9.2 would have been find | ||||
| 3/15/98 | 5.5 | 9.2 | powered up | ||||
| 3/16/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up to over powered | ||||
| 3/17/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up to over powered | ||||
| 3/18/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up to over powered | ||||
| 3/19/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up | ||||
| 3/20/98 | 5.5 | 9.2 | powered up | ||||
| 3/21/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up | ||||
| 3/22/98 | 5.5 | 9.2 | powered up | ||||
| 3/23/98 | 6.8 | 305 | light winds | ||||
| 3/24/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up | ||||
| 3/25/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up | ||||
| 3/26/98 | 5.0 | 8.8 | powered up | ||||
| 3/27/98 | 6.0 | 6.8 | 305 | powered up | |||
| 3/28/98 | 6.0 | 9.2 | powered up | ||||
| 3/29/98 | too light for me after two weeks of great conditions | ||||||
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A luxury 14 Room Hotel |
| Featuring: |
All rooms with kitchens, TV, VCR, Stereo, wireless phones, Internet connection
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Located between the high rise hotels and the light house |
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Daily, weekly, monthly and long term rentals Opening scheduled-Winter 1999 Email Arubahouse@bigfoot.com |
| 1.Where to Stay in the Caribbean |
| 2. Aruba Classifieds |
| 3. Aruba Online |
Well, that is the accumulated wisdom from the Lamle's. It ain't much but we are glad to share it with you. If there is something you can think of that we should have said, let us know. Our editorial review board meets regularly to consider comments.
Lastly (yet another commercial message), please let us know if you are interested in renting our house. Call, fax, email, write. If you are in Aruba and want to see our house, email meor call Anneke. She has a key and will show you the place if it is not being used. The ArubaHouse address is LG Smith Blvd. 494 in case you want to drive by.
Bon Bini
Hugh, Betsy and Alexandra
Last revision 9/8/1998
