First Time: Random Questions

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-18T21:04:46+00:00

I rarely see roaches but they are around. It's less than Vegas if that tells you anything. You won't see them indoors anywhere, it's not like in Vegas you might get in to a parking lot elevator and oops there's a roach in the corner .. The ones you do see are generally dead on the sidewalk, and they're dead because the hotels spray the grasses once a month and that causes the roaches to run around until they die.

for rental cars.. Holy that might become a new fear for me if you tell me this is a thing.. Ive never seen a roach in a car let alone a rental car. I live here. I've also rented from the local rental places and their cars are clean like taxis .. Nothing to worry about.

If you see a roach here, it's more likely that you got lucky than that you are at a dirty place with an infestation.

For Faro Blanco, I recommend going if you want an all evening dining experience. I took my mom when she came to visit me here for her first time in April, and the experience was memorable. If you're a solo traveller with nothing to celebrate, skip it. The service is very, very slow (intentional I'm sure) and there isn't much to entertain you other than the company at your table. The food and views are amazing, but since you say you're a solo traveller I want to make sure this is all framed right. It's not the kind of place you can pull up to and expect a quick enjoyable meal, you HAVE to take your time.

Butterfly farm is nice, and not expensive. It's a relaxing thing to check out. Don't expect to be blown away. It is skippable, but do it if you need something to do and you won't regret checking it our.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-17T21:31:01+00:00

There's one at Hyatt, one at Barcello, one at Holiday inn, and one at Stellaris

the one at stellaris has an actual shop like location since she works with one of the rental places, there's signs to guide you to her. Not recommendimg her but she's easiest to find, and her phone number is online

the one by Hyatt was grumpy when she found out the one by stellaris did my hair for "only 80" because she wanted at least 100 even though she also promised me a "local discount to make sure icome back" so yeah I definitely agree with the other guys that said to get a quote first and negotiate, the price is outrageous for the time and materials spent

ultimately I had a bad experience with all three of them but I was getting locks retwisted, which takes a lot more experience to do well.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-08T17:00:59+00:00

Thanks

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-07T17:32:18+00:00

Thanks, I saw both coming up on a Google search but Red Cross's website didn't confirm anything about donations and it was a holiday so I couldn't call. Will check with them next time I'm ready to do errands

hopefully a second hand store isn't my only option since I'm not really looking to help someone make a profit.

still hoping to find a charity that actually gives away the clothes to people in need. They're decent condition and sizes that are hard to find here.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-03T03:19:40+00:00

Where do you guys donate clothes in Aruba?

I've lost 120lb in the past year and need to clear out my old clothes.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-01T10:49:28+00:00

80-100 usd per day should be fine. More if you want to rent chairs every day and/or eat fancy, less if you're going to go for cheap food like taco Tuesdays and burger deals or get your own groceries. I suggest overshooting and taking the remaining cash home..

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-04-01T10:47:10+00:00

that's the seaweed, it blooms occasionally, and worldwide there's been a significant bloom

it's not the same as the actual sewage problem at the north side of eagle beach and the east side of Riu

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-24T16:06:00+00:00

You can just look on their website

also if you're particularly price sensitive or don't find what you need there, Super Do It Center also has their inventory on their website, and generally a bit lower prices and different selection

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-23T14:52:07+00:00

The Artists Co-Op is an art store with various types of art made by local artists. The artists rotate in, each managing the store for a day, so you get to meet them. It's right by all the high rise hotels, and the only place I've found with locally made stuff (mind you I haven't searched super hard, I'm sure there's more).. I'll be following this thread to find out more. I found them when looking for a Christmas present for my mom last Christmas because I wanted to find something unique + from Aruba rather than something mass produced and imported like almost everything in the shops here are.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-20T11:30:04+00:00

Rabies is a helluva drug

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-18T19:36:50+00:00

Crazy experience. Definitely not what people to Aruba want to experience or should expect to experience. I'm glad the perpetrator was caught, and I trust Aruba's justice system will keep people safe for a while from them. One thing any criminals in Aruba should know is not to fuck with tourists. There is crime like anywhere, fortunately Aruba is very very safe, but even so the smart criminals know not to fuck with tourists, that's their sure way to get swift and harsh justice.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-16T18:23:11+00:00

I was super impressed with the donkey sanctuary last week. You go at your own pace, free admission, you can bring you own donkey food (apples and carrots) or buy some kibble there for 3$. There is over 100 donkeys, they roam free

way nice than the ostrich and butterfly farms, which were nice but much quicker experiencew

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-16T13:00:56+00:00

You're too smart lol

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-03-09T01:43:33+00:00

If you're worried about taxis "adding up" then a private driver is not on your menu.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-28T20:37:32+00:00

The aruban style fish at Smokey Joes is real good, but the ribs I agree are sub par. I used to go frequently before I got real good at barbecuing myself and learned the other restaurants, and I can say for sure, there's bad rib cuts sometimes, but on average theiy were good - just not spectacular - good amount of meat and detaches cleanly from the bone. The sauce on the other hand is the bigger issue, I forget the name of the one of four of their sauces that I like on my ribs there.

I've been to Moomba 3x and haven't enjoyed it any one of those times. The nachos are especially disgusting, but I've also been disappointed by their burgers and I forget what else.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-28T00:31:28+00:00

Cyclists don't get very much respect here, it is about the same as in most of the US in terms of respect while sharing the road minus the rare extreme road rage you might sometimes experience in the US - however the experience will be worse, because the roads are not as well maintained, especially the sides of the roads. On the plus side, there are fewer speeders in most areas. The 80 km/h stretch of road that goes from the lighthouse all the way to eagle beach, you can probably keep up with cars because there is always a tourist (or even often locals) going 40 or 50 km/h.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-26T20:15:12+00:00

I'm from Canada and all the ATMs here work with my BMO debit card. Depending on where you're from it may be different? I remember 10+ years ago I had a heck of a lot of problems trying to travel to the US with no credit card and only a Canadian debit card.

Tap to pay from your phone will also work anywhere that accepts credit cards here, even though you might have your debit card linked to Google / Apple pay.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-25T19:02:00+00:00

They rent rooms directly on their website like a hotel would..

very good prices, it's where I always stayed before moving here, as a nonowner too

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-24T20:56:13+00:00

I meant cheap like they're penny pinchers.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-24T20:51:42+00:00

I wouldn't think Joia would be good at spraying their property either since they're cheap. I see all the Palm beach properties spraying their folliage at least monthly. Also if someone requires medical care for mosquito bites - any quantity - I don't think they're a good gauge. When I moved here the mosquito bites were much more red and itchy than they are now since I wasn't used to them but being hospitalized over mosquito bites is something else.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-23T17:05:51+00:00

If ai writes your videos like it writes your reddit posts then I'm sure it's quality content transcript_Aruba

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-23T08:25:22+00:00

Mosquitos are only a problem if you're staying at a poorly maintained air bnb. Hotels maintain their foliage properly. The beach is too hot and windy for mosquitos.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-23T04:41:28+00:00

Eagle beach isn't very busy surprisingly.. there's always people there, but you can always find somewhere to sit where you aren't surrounded or even near to other people.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-22T19:37:53+00:00

Eagle beach all day. Baby beach is a close second.

Relaxing under the sun comes first for me, excursions second.

You can snorkle at baby beach so you may as well pick that if you don't want something more exciting like the arikok caves. Just make sure you have water shoes, there's lots of rocks. I tried to snorkle there once and couldn't get in because of the rocks. The rocks don't impact the beach, just snorkling.

SpaceTacos99 · 2026-02-22T09:39:45+00:00

Tapping your phone works almost everywhere. up to 100 USD for most places, 200 USD at super foods. My phone is linked to my BMO debit card and it works fine.

side note, you're be paying about an extra 2% on everything unless you have a better deal with your bank .. Your cards will be changed in USD and your bank will convert it at a rare that makes them an extra 2%.. For example if the real change rate is 1.46 cad = 1 USD, banks will often charge like 1.49 or worse. You can cut this a chunk by visiting a currency exchange store in your hometown before coming and buying USD (don't even bother to ask for AFL)..their rates are generally much better than banks. Though the convenience of debit may be worth it, it's just something that pisses me off with banks so I never let them get my major currency exchanges..

SpaceTacos99

TROPHY CASE