A RU BA What is on?
A ruba’s got a new festiva l
You may have noticed that we are having a little love affair with the gorgeous island of Aruba, and who can blame us? Crystal clear waters, ivory sands, steel drums playing and palm trees swaying, it’s a dream. But that aside (yes we are putting all that aside for a moment). There are so many un-missable events for you to get involved in over the next few months. We are certainly counting down to ‘Sail Aruba’ on the 1st- 3rd of May, the first edition of what sounds like an event we are going to be adding to our bucket list. Sail Aruba is going to be one of the largest events organised this year to mark the 200th year existence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. What’s more is that it’s going to be a huge celebration involving all the beat bits of this beautiful island.
Food? Check. It wouldn’t be a Caribbean festival without good food, and Sail Aruba sounds like it is not going to disappoint. Across the port of Orajestad will be an abundance of food and drink tents, full of enthusiastic locals wanting to share their culinary creations; we are getting particularly excited at the sound of a BBQ cook off.
Sailing? Check. Across the two days, you can watch endless sailing races, marvel at beautiful boats, and even visit the sail-in cinema. Yes you heard right, you can hop on a boat, take in the tropical scenery and drift in and out of your favourite film (literally). There are even miniature boat races for those who want to keep their toes on dry lands.
This sounds like a jam-packed, rum filled couple of days that we certainly want to be a part of, as well as the perfect way to mark such a milestone occasion.
Music? Check. Any festival in Aruba, or in the Caribbean for that matter would not be complete without live music spilling over the island for the perfect atmosphere. We love the idea of strolling along the beach, cocktail in one hand, jerk-shrimps in the other, moving to the Caribbean beats. Not forgetting the finale of live international music they have promised to close the event.
g et you r soul on Caribbean Style
Aruba is becoming more and more popular for its music festivals. And we aren’t surprised, We can’t think of a better host than this little slice of paradise. At the end of May (20-25) Aruba will be holding its 15th Annual Soul Beach Music Festival. And we cannot wait. The idea of a star studded line up on sugary white sands almost seems surreal. Let’s get real though, would you turn down performing on this Caribbean playground? Over the years, SBMF has had the likes of Mary J Blidge, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Ne-yo and Robin Thicke dock the shores and serenade the Island. Day and night your ears will be filled with Caribbean beats and international artists. Voted one of the top five Caribbean celebrations, we certainly do not want the fear of missing out. Each day is filled with a variety of music events. On day one, you have your welcome celebration. And considering they hold a welcome festival every week, they are no strangers to a good hello. From beach parties to comedy concerts, there is a wealth of events to get involved in. As you’re in Aruba, you know you won’t be short of exotic
food and drink to keep you fuelled over the five days. Tropical punches, open fire BBQ and soul music pumping, this sounds like a Beach Tomato kind of festival. Let not forget you’re in Aruba. The festival aside there is still so much to do on or off shores. We like the idea of being able to kick that rum-filled hangover into shape every morning by diving into the cool blue waters and lapping up the rays in between that warm palm breeze. Now that’s what we call a real hangover cure, there is absolutely no room for feeling grotty on this Island. With Trey Songz and Charlie Wilson announced as 2015 headliners, we can’t wait to get our soul on. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on the latest line –up announcements. This May, we think you should feel the rhythm of Aruba.
c lea n marine ma ntra Post beach party season, Aruba gives a little love back to its tropical landscape. With the multiple festivals, sporting events and celebrations taking place over the summer months, we aren’t surprised that the island is feeling a little exhausted. This September, Aruba hosts its 22nd ecotourism opportunity for over 800 visitors and locals to get involved in. Over the years it has become the islands largest and most popular community project to be a part of. We think it’s great to get involved in all aspects of the community, and the Reef Care Project is just another way to feel close to the pulse of the island. Like all parties, you offer to walk around the bottle ridden house with a binbag the next day in order to secure your invite for next time (guilty). We think Aruba certainly deserves a little something in return for its impeccable year round hospitality, plus we are pretty sure you’d like to come back to somewhere that’s as beautiful as when you arrived. What’s more is this day will not feel like a chore for a second. There won’t be one moment you feel forced or obliged to walk along the warm white sandy bays giving something back to this paradise, you’ll just want to – we promise. Variety is the spice of life they say, so what better way is there to step back and look at the undeniable beauty this haven has to offer, plus being out in the sun all day guarantee’s an awesome tan. Throughout the day to will be part of a big team, placed on a part of the island (all parts are beautiful) where you will work together to clean-up, restore and refresh the natural landscape, on and off shores. In addition to this, you will be inducted on the clean marine mantra, and what each and every one of us can do to preserve this Caribbean gem. Here at Beach HQ, we think it’s great that Aruba has an initiative like this to bring the community and visitors together to appreciate the island, and educate one another about maintaining a clean marine environment. Here here! A big thumbs up from us, it’s days like this which keep these islands so beautiful for all of us to see over and over again. Aren’t we lucky?
h i winds festiva l
In a destination where the sun bleached sand is lapped by crystal clear seas and temperate winds, there is certainly room for water sports events, and trust us, Aruba does them well. Celebrating its 26th year, the annual Hi Winds event kicks off on the 7th July for five days filled with wondrous water sporting activities for all abilities. This year also happens to be the first year that Aruba will play host to Mountain Bike races and Kite freestyle competitions two days before the main events commence. A festival so popular it had to add on a couple more days. That’s got to be a good sign. Take to the Fisherman’s hut (the best surf spot on the island) and be one of the 2,000 spectators that come to watch surf champions from all corners of the globe. There is something quite therapeutic about watching people glide along the seas weightlessly and you’ll be cheering and gasping in awe with the rest of the crowd as the professionals rip and curl across the waves
Along with the surfing, you’ll find slalom races, windsurfing, kite boarding and much more taking place around the island. You’ll find it seriously hard to know where to look. But of course this festival it’s not just about water sports. Any event on this island is an excuse for a party right? Like all celebrations here in Aruba, the food and music you’ll find is second to none. Throughout the day there will be endless stalls of tasty snacks for you to try, whilst each evening, dinner will be served up by a local caterer, eager for you to try their homemade goodness. On a side note, we’re also pretty happy to hear that Amstel will be doing a daily happy hour. Five days of sporting entertainment, gourmet BBQ food, live music and a fresh beer in your hand. Could it get any better than this? We think not.