Aruba
A country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located on the South American continental shelf in the Caribbean Sea, 23 kilometers north of the Paraguaná peninsula of the Venezuelan state of Falcón. It belongs to the ABC - islands of the Lesser Antilles. Aruba has a population of 119,428 (2020) inhabitants and an area of 180 km². The island is quite dry with little of the lush tropical vegetation common in the Caribbean.
Crime
Petty crime occurs in Aruba, just like in the European Netherlands.
For your safety, take precautions:
Be alert and don't give thieves an easy opportunity.
Do not leave valuables in plain sight in your apartment or in your (rental) car.
Take good care of your money and belongings.
Carry money, credit cards and other valuable documents inconspicuously on your body (for example in a suitable thin bag or belt under your clothes).
Also pay attention when visiting (tourist) locations.
Keep your passport, plane ticket and money that you do not need immediately in a safe place.
Make sure you have a copy of your passport with you.
Have you been robbed or robbed? Or has something else happened to you? Always report it to the local authorities.
Public holidays
New Year's Day (January 1);
the Dia di Betico (January 25);
Monday before Ash Wednesday;
the Dia di Himno y Bandera (March 18);
Good Friday;
Easter Monday;
Ascension Day;
King's Day (April 27);
Labor Day (May 1);
Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25 and 26).
Please note: Public holidays are not considered holidays and are therefore extra days off for the employee.
Travel document
You always need a valid passport when traveling to Aruba, with which you can identify yourself.
The passport must be valid during your entire stay in Aruba.
You cannot travel to Aruba with your Dutch identity card.
Electronic entry and exit pass
Before traveling to Aruba, you must complete an electronic entry and exit card (ED card) from the Aruban government.
Traveling with children
Children also need a valid passport to travel to Aruba.
An ED card must also be completed for children.
Are you traveling alone with children under the age of 18? Then check which documents you need and take them with you. This way you avoid long waiting times at border controls.
Drivers license
The European Dutch driving license is valid in Aruba.
Travel insurance
Always take out good travel insurance that covers additional medical costs such as hospitalization and repatriation. Your basic health insurance does not always reimburse these costs 100 percent.
Are you going to practice (extreme) sports? Take out additional insurance.
Put the telephone number of your travel insurer's emergency center in your phone.
Money
In Aruba you can pay with the Aruban florin. American dollars (USD) are also accepted in many places. Euros are generally not accepted as a means of payment. You can exchange your euros for Aruban florins or USD at the local banks. There are good debit card options on the island.
Make sure you have enough financial resources to deal with unexpected situations during your trip (think of extra costs in case of delays, higher costs for accommodation and transport).
Take multiple payment methods with you to Aruba, such as a debit card or credit card(s) and cash.
Put your bank's phone number in your phone. You will need it if you want to block your bank card in case of loss or theft.
Check whether your bank card is activated for debit card payments outside Europe (World).
Mobile phone
Check with your provider what the costs are for mobile calling and data use outside the EU. It may be useful to purchase a foreign package.
People staying at home
Don't turn people at home into trackers and let them know what your travel plans are.
Make good agreements with those at home about your accessibility.
Give those staying at home a copy of your travel documents, vaccination record, credit card and insurance details. Also keep these copies in a safe place online.
Also give people at home the IMEI number of your phone: in the event of an emergency, your mobile provider can use this to locate or block your phone. The easiest way to find out this number: dial *#06# on your phone. Then the number will appear on your screen.
Enter your emergency contact number as an ICE number in your phone. Then emergency services can contact this person without having to unlock your phone. Read how to set an ICE number.
Aruba is part of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This means that there is no Dutch embassy. In case of emergency, you can contact local emergency services.
Local emergency services
Do you need immediate help in Aruba? Contact local emergency services at:
General emergency number: 911
What to do in an emergency or crisis situation
Are you on the island and is there an emergency? Always follow the instructions of the local authorities.
If you are taking an organized trip, keep in touch with your tour company.
Contact details
In case of emergency, you can contact the Dutch Representation in Oranjestad (local number +29 75 25 28 66). The Dutch Representation provides consular assistance to Dutch nationals registered in the Netherlands (with a Dutch passport).
The name Aruba
The name Aruba is probably derived from the Arawak language, which is now completely extinct. The name Aruba first appeared in a historical document from 1526. It has never become clear whether the island owes its name to its inhabitants or the other way around.
On January 1, 1986, Aruba was separated from the Netherlands Antilles and became a completely independent and autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (separate status): Aruba, like the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles, acquired the status of a full-fledged country within the Kingdom. On January 6, 1989, separate elections were held for the first time since the status was obtained. These were won by the MEP, which gained 10 of the 21 seats.
In June 1990, Prime Minister Nelson Oduber and Minister Hirsch Ballin decided to continue the "Status Aparte" after 1996. In 1994, the previously intended independence of Aruba in 1996 was finally abandoned. From then on, the Netherlands would no longer insist on independence. from Aruba. Aruba did retain its Status Aparte, and the option to choose independence in the future. On October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved as a country, and Curaçao and Sint Maarten, like Aruba, became independent countries within the kingdom.
Dishes
A typical Aruban dish is the pisca hasa (baked/fried fish) with a side dish of fried plantain slices, pan bati (a kind of pancake made with sorghum flour) or funchi (thick corn porridge that resembles Italian polenta), sauce crioyo (a sauce on base of tomatoes, onions and vinegar) or pica den vinager.
Stobá, stews of stewed meat, fish, or vegetables. Kabritu Stoba (stew with goat meat), Galina Stoba (stew with chicken meat), Papaya Stoba (non-vegetarian stew with papaya), etc.
Sopi, various soup dishes. Sopi di karni (Soup with beef). Sopi di Yuana/Iguana (Soup with iguana meat). Sopi di Kabritu (Soup with goat meat). Tamarind soup. Sopi rabu di baka (oxtail soup). Sopi di Kadushi (This cactus soup is a variant of the Yambo dish with the okra substitute for the Kadushi cactus).
Yambo, Guiambo or Okra is a dish of okra, salted meat (and/or pigtail), fish, cheese, shrimp and karko (shellfish).
Savory snacks
Well-known savory snacks in Aruba are Pastechi (pastries with fish, meat, cheese or ham-cheese filling), Palito (sausage in dough) and Johnny Cake (a flat round pie made from flour, milk and butter), fried in oil. Antillean croquettes are a variation on Dutch croquettes, but firmer and smaller. Other popular snacks include cheese balls and pika balls.
Sweets
Bolo (all types of cake).
Tèrt (related to apple pie or flan, but with coconut or plums).
Repa di pampuna (pumpkin pancake).
Lèter di pinda, (confectionery in an S-shape with sweetened almonds in it).
Kokada, (delicacy made from grated coconut).
Koi lechi, (sweet milk confectionery).
Other traditional sweets called kos di boka dushi or ko'i dushi are: tentalaria, kakiña and panseiku.
Bolo pretu is a dark fruit cake made from fruits soaked in alcoholic syrup; plums, dates, raisins, currants, figs, almonds, candied peel.
Drinks
Various cold drinks such as Awa di Lamunchi, Awa di Tamarijn, or Awa di Sorsaka, chukulati di peanut, (chocolate milk made from peanuts).
The flag is predominantly light blue, which symbolizes the sea and the sky. The red four-pointed star represents the island itself and the four languages spoken there (Spanish, Papiamentu, Dutch and English); the two yellow stripes represent separate status as well as tourism and industry. The white border around the star serves to make the star stand out more and symbolizes the surf of the waves.
Queen Beatrix Airport
is the national airport of Aruba, located near Oranjestad. From here there are flights to Europe (mainly the Netherlands), South America, most Caribbean countries, the United States and Canada.
The airport is named after the former head of state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix.
Aruba is a prosperous country. Unemployment is low and per capita income is one of the highest in the Caribbean (approx. US$ 24,087). At the end of 2018, the labor participation rate for women was 56.6 percent. Since 2001, Aruba has had general health insurance (AZV) for the entire population.
Until the mid-1980s, Aruba's main industry was oil refining. Then the refinery was closed and the island's economy shifted to tourism. Aruba now welcomes more than a million overnight tourists per year, three quarters of whom are Americans. Tourism mainly focuses on the beaches and the sea. The refinery closed in 1986, reopened in 1991, sold in 2004, closed in 2009, reopened in 2011, and closed again in 2012. A letter of intent was signed in 2012 with CITGO (the American subsidiary of the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA) to investigate whether the refinery can be reopened.
Healthcare in Aruba is fairly comparable to that in the European Netherlands.
Most medical treatments can be performed.
Most doctors speak Dutch or English.
There are general practitioner posts in most neighborhoods.
In the event of an emergency, you can go to the emergency room of one of the hospitals on the island.
Medicines
Take enough medication with you for your travel period and for an additional week. Not all medicines are always readily available, nor are all brands prescribed in the European Netherlands.
The Netherlands & Bonaire
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(time difference: -6 uur)
+31 8820 420 02
info@bluebirdtravel.nl
