LR Travel Report
Celebrating Rejuvenation:
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Check Out What’s New in Aruba
Aruba’s Diamond Jubilee
O
n the heels of enjoying Aruba’s Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of colourful Carnival, I am back to report on everything new on the island. In the past year or so, Aruba has been beyond busy redefining and redesigning just about everything in an effort to improve services and attractions for locals and tourists alike. It has all been part of a government plan designed to refresh, rejuvenate and get the island ready for a greener and more productive future. Let’s start with downtown Oranjestad. The entire downtown infrastructure has been upgraded and improved. New sidewalks, green spaces, landscaping, new outdoor art, eco-friendly lighting, new shopping emporiums and much more have all been added to the beautiful capital city. And the best way to explore it all is via the new eco-friendly electric trolley, which is free to all. It stops at the cruise terminal and all major intersections so that riders can hop on and off as they please. Another big change downtown is the fact that they have moved the cargo terminal to another part of the island, giving first time visitors
a much better first impression of the pretty city. They are also well underway in the construction of what will be the longest linear park in the Caribbean, which when finished will connect the two most popular resorts areas (Eagle Beach and Palm Beach) by boardwalk. Along the way will be concessions stands and entertainment. On the sunrise side of the island, San Nicolas is also undergoing many improvements and enticing visitors and locals alike back to the original capital city. The plan is to make it the new cultural capital in its own right. New buildings, restored areas and a new museum are already in place, and a new stand-alone carnival city is also planned. For now, you can enjoy the “Carubbian Festival” there – a colourful mini-carnival in the streets every Thursday night. Also new is the nifty Aruba app designed by the Aruba Tourism Authority; it helps you explore the island from your phone and also works without Internet. Visit their website for more: www.aruba.com. SUSAN CAMPBELL
48 LuxuryReportMagazine.com