When
you arrive at the Airport:
Currency
The Aruban florin is the standard currency of the country, but
U.S. Dollars are accepted everywhere on the island, including
in taxis, and can be expected to be returned in change. Most
of the high-rise hotels provide currency exchange, if needed.
Banks
Banks are open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and cash can be obtained
at Caribbean Mercantile Bank and at the RBTT Bank with any major
credit card or with Cirrus network ATM cards. ATM's on Aruba
dispense both local currency (Aruban Florin) and U.S. currency
(U.S. Dollar).
Passports
& Travel Taxes
Passports are required of U.S. and Canadian citizens. Often
the exit tax at the airport is included in the ticket price.
Customs Regulations
Visitors 18 years of age and older may bring into the country
up to two (2) liters of liquor, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, and
250 grams of tobacco.
Hotels
Aruba offers a wide variety of accommodations from luxury high-rise
hotels with their own private beach facilities to low-rise hotels,
time-share hotels & condominiums, and rental apartments.
Seasonal rates vary from hotel to hotel, but the winter season
from January through March tends to be the most crowded and
the most expensive. Hotels routinely add between 10% and 15%
as a surcharge for service and 11% for room tax. It is customary
to tip the porters an average of 50 cents US$ per bag, and all
other gratuities are left to the guest's discretion.
Shopping
Aruba offers duty-free shopping at the airport or at specified
duty-free establishments, but the tariffs at other stores are
still low at 3.3%, and there are many bargains to be had in
European porcelain, jewelry, perfumes, and clothing. The main
shopping areas are to be found in Downtown Oranjestad and in
the Palm Beach hotel area.
Downtown Oranjestad has two big malls, which are the Renaissance
Mall and the Renaissance Marketplace. There are also small outlet-stores
in Oranjestad such as Panache, Athlete’s Foot, United Colors
of Benetton, Mango, etc. These stores are located in the Main
Street officially called Caya Betico Croes.
In the Palm Beach hotel area there are two malls which both
opened recently. The most known mall to Aruban locals up to
now is Paseo Herencia. Paseo Herencia is located in the hotel
strip in front of the Holliday Inn Sunspree Resort & Excelsior
Casino. The other mall in Palm Beach called Palm Beach Plaza
and is located just on the right-hand side of Paseo Herencia
when you are on J.E. Irausquin Boulevard. Stores on Aruba are
generally open from 8 am to 6 pm with a two-hour break for lunch
between noon and 2 pm.
Our Medical Facilities
Here on the island we have several medical facilities that are
at your service.
We have a first-class hospital located within reach of the low-rise
hotels and in some minutes away from the high-rise hotels. ALL
hotels on the island have a doctor on call 24 hours a day, seven
(7) days a week.
Drug stores are NOT permitted to fill a prescription from a
doctor who is not present on the island, but the staff working
at the drug store will advise you on ways how you can obtain
one if needed.
Doctors & Dentists
Instituto Medical San Nicolas (IMSAN)
Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht
Building Pastoor Hendrikstraat 10,
San Nicolaas, | Aruba
Tel: (297) 524-8833
IMSAN is a medical center equipped with a trustworthy
medical staff and contemporary equipment. Consulting hours for
general practitioners are from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m.
to 12 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Emergency assistance is
available 24 hours, seven days a week.
For on-site medical care, the Medical Mobile Team can be reached
by calling 584-0500.
This service, provided by registered
doctors specifically for tourists in the hotel area, includes
medical consult, treatment and prescriptions. If an ambulance
is required, the medical mobile team can make arrangements and
treat the patient until the ambulance arrives. This service
is for such ailments as falls, sprains, abrasions, lacerations,
burns, ear infections, tonsillitis, urinary tract infections,
ear infections, and bites, eliminating waiting time in the hospital
or a physician’s office.
For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.
Emcare Medical Services
Playa Linda Beach Resort
Tel (297) 743-4200
www.emcarearuba.com
Emcare operates a clinic located on the property of the Playa
Linda resort. Qualified nurses and physicians provide 24 hours
a day, seven (7) days a week (24/7) care for tourists. In case
of emergency, patients will be given advanced medical care in
the local emergency room. There are Various hotels and timeshare
resorts work on a regular basis with Emcare. Medical consulting,
prescriptions, pharmacy services, laboratory services and patient
transport can be arranged.
NOTE: Your U.S. medical insurance is not accepted in
Aruba.
Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital
Sasakiweg, Aruba
Tel: 297-587-4300
Fax (297) 587-3348
www.arubahospital.com
Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital in Aruba is a 280-bed hospital equipped
with reputable medical staff and modern equipment. The hospital,
which opened in 1976, is located across from Eagle Beach. Services
such as oxygen tanks and hemodialysis are available. For more
information contact:
Centro
Medico (Medical Center)
Dr. Rudy Engelbrecht Bernhardstraat 75
San Nicolas, Aruba
Tel: (297) 584-8833
Information for Travelers with Disabilities
Detailed information on hotel facilities for the physically
challenged is available through the hotel’s reservations staff.
Room reservations are on a special request basis and are subject
to availability. Please note that wheelchairs are not obtainable
at hotels. Guide dogs are generally allowed, with proper documentation.
LABCO Medical and Home Healthcare Services
Operating in Aruba for eleven years LABCO sells, leases and
rents Medical and Home Healthcare products. Their mobility products
include wheelchairs, scooters and walkers. They also have bathroom
and bedroom safety material, aids for daily living, pillows
and cushions, and personal care products. LABCO is also specialized
in oxygen delivery systems. LABCO also provides free product
delivery to hotels.
www.labcoaruba.com / labcolabcomed@hotmail.com
Tel (297) 582 6651 / Fax (297) 582 6567
LiteLife Medicab Aruba
LiteLife Medicab Aruba provides professional medical transportation
with trained driver-attendants for those in need of wheelchairs
and specialized transportation. LiteLife Medicab Aruba has four
vans all equipped with hydraulic lifts and one with a ramp.
The maximum passenger capacity per van is five persons.
www.litelifemedicab.com / litelifemedicab@hotmail.com
Tel (297) 585 9764 / Fax (297) 585 9765
Electricity
On Aruba, electricity functions on 110 volts current, 60 cycles,
and American appliances should work without the need for converters
or adapters.
Our Time Zone
Aruba is located in the Atlantic Standard Time zone but does
not observe daylight-saving time. In other words, the island
is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. During the period
of daylight-saving time, Aruba's time zone is aligned with that
of the eastern United States. In fact, Aruba’s standard time
is four hours behind of the Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. - 4:00).
Communications
Aruba has modern international communication facilities. For
international telephone calls (direct dial, person-to-person,
or collect calls), telex and telegrams, electronic mailgram
and phone calls, contact the hotel operator or SETAR.
SETAR is located next to the Aruba post office at the Irausquinplein
or at the SETAR Teleshop at Palm Beach across from Hyatt Regency
Aruba Beach Resort & Casino or at the SETAR Teleshop, Schelpstraat
(around the corner of Le Petite Cafe, - Downtown, Oranjestad).
Telephone
To call (direct) to Aruba from the United States, you must dial
011-297 + the number (the five-digit number). From Aruba to
the US, dial 001+area code and number.
Our Cell Phone Services
Your cell phone will work here but be aware that there will
be roaming charges. Please contact your local service provider
before traveling to Aruba. It is possible to rent a cell phone
at the airport arrivals terminal; cell phone rentals require
proper identification such as a passport, and a deposit is usually
required.
Internet Access
Aruba is equipped with WIFI technology and has hot spots throughout
the island. Most of the hotel properties on the island now offer
WIFI service.
At the island’s Wi-Fi hotspots you can connect to the internet
with your prepaid access code or using your credit card. Please
find below a list of all SETAR hotspots:
Available hotspots:
Seasons Concepts Internet Café (new)
SETAR Teleshop Palm Beach (new)
Cruise
Terminal
Renaissance
Marina Hotel
Sunset
Apartments
Spirit
N.V.
Delifrance
Restaurant
Manchebo
Beach Resort
Board
Walk Vacation Retreat (apartments)
Wendy's
Palm BeachWendy's
Cura Cabai
Sbarro
Restaurant - La Hacienda
Sbarro
Restaurant - Airport
Certified Megamall
Cyberzone
Internet Café
Aruba Grand Beach Resort & Casino
Brickell
Bay Beach Club
Aruba
Beach Club
Casa
del Mar
Playa Linda Beach Resort
Queen
Beatrix International Airport
Café
the Plaza
Drinking Water
The water on the island is continuously desalinated and purified.
This desalination and purification is done by the W.E.B. (Water
en Energie Bedrijf). The desalinated and purified water is safe
for drinking.
What to Wear
Dress is casual informal summer wear. Ladies may bring along
a shawl to throw over the shoulders at night. All casinos are
casual, they do not have a dress code, nor do most of the restaurants.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISLAND INFORMATION (FACTS): http://www.aruba.com/ExploreAruba/islandfacts.aspx
http://visitaruba.com/about-aruba/general-aruba-facts/
