My husband and I had never been to Aruba, a Caribbean island less than 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela, but we’d heard all sorts of wonderful things about its exquisite beaches and friendly residents. So we finally designed a trip around our most precious traveling companion, our 12-month-old grandson, Jason. It took a little planning but we couldn’t have been happier with the end result: a 10-day vacation filled with memories maybe even our grandson will remember.
First on our list of preparations was finding a hotel that was child-friendly, one that provided the following necessities:
1. A suite with a balcony and a beautiful view so whoever stayed in during Jason’s nap could still be outdoors. Sort of.
2. Highchair, refrigerator, crib, and a baby or toddler pool.
3. Close access to a gentle beach.
4. Babysitters available if we needed one.
The Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort, a low-rise hotel of three floors across the road from Eagle Beach, fit the bill on all counts. The red-roofed, yellow lodge in the Dutch colonial style offered a two-bedroom suite (we brought Jason’s parents with us, after we
 Photo courtesy of Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort |
made them promise that he was ours for the trip) with a balcony overlooking the ocean. And it employed the most child-friendly staff imaginable.
Thanks to a snowstorm in Boston our flights turned out to be a bit frustrating, but Jason never noticed. With four adults catering to his every wish and lots of books and toys, he survived hours and hours and hours on planes and in airports.
The second we arrived in sunny Aruba, on New Year’s Eve, he was transformed into the sunniest little guy around, donning his bathing suit and swim diaper and heading for the pool. Because he was still crawling, he was more interested in eating the sand than using it to build castles, but the toddler pool brought squeals of delight and perfect safety every time he jumped in. While Aruba offers lots of sightseeing opportunities and beautiful snorkeling locations, our little group spent most of the time at the beach or in the pool.
Bingo, Butterflies, and Birds
One special bonus of the trip was the fact that the place was filled with other families that included three generations like ours. Everywhere we looked, we saw white-haired men, like Jason’s Grampy, toddlers attached to their shoulders, marching across the beach. The major crew member of every sand castle development also appeared to be someone over the age of 60. When Jason and Grampy ventured down to the Costa Linda Beach Resort, they joined some friends who brought them into the hotel’s arts and crafts room and had them stay for the child-friendly bingo game.
 Photo courtesy of Aruba Ostrich Farm |
When we finally left the beach, there were lots of exciting places to visit. Located at Palm Beach, across from the Aruba Phoenix, the
Butterfly Farm was teeming with butterflies from all over the world.
The Ostrich Farm, situated along the road leading to the Natural Bridge, offered a small taste of Africa in the middle of Aruba, with its tame ostriches that love to be hand fed, and their enormous eggs. At the Santa Lucia-based
Donkey Sanctuary, dozens of donkeys were patiently waiting to be petted. And more than 80 species of beautiful migratory birds rested and nested in the
Bubali Bird Sanctuary, close to our hotel.
Dining Around Aruba
Finding dinner restaurants that catered to little people wasn’t that difficult. We just made sure we went out to eat before 6:00 at restaurants that met our needs: chicken fingers on the menu, friendly waiters and no complaints if our little guy squealed with delight over his grandparents’ stories. El Gaucho, a famous steakhouse, had a game room even a toddler could enjoy. The fire and the knife-wielding chef at Benihana http://www.visitaruba.com/benihana/ delighted Jason, though we did notice that a little girl at a nearby table was terrified. Other favorites: Hostaria da Vittorio, a kid-friendly Italian eatery; Tony Roma’s, a ribs place perfect for families; the Buccaneer with a huge fish tank; and Amazonia, a lively Brazilian restaurant.
On the one night when it was decided that we would dine after 6:00, all five of us couldn’t have been more delighted with the babysitter provided by our hotel. A mother of a child exactly Jason’s age, she spoke English beautifully and won Jason’s heart with a few toys she bought from her own home. Knowing that she babysat regularly for the hotel’s little guests brought us peace of mind, even though we all decided that the best nights were the ones we shared with Jason.
The problem with Aruba is that there are too many activities and too much sunshine and too much delicious food waiting to be enjoyed, and not enough hours to do it all. Jason and his grandparents needed lots of naps in order to find the energy to enjoy all this amazing island had to offer. Yet, the truth of the story is that it wouldn’t have mattered where the three of us were. Just being with our very special grandchild is the best luxury vacation in the world.
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