Our first trip to Aruba...I've broken down our experience into numerous categories...happy reading! <br><br>Travel <br>We flew on United using frequent flyer miles. United now has nonstop flights between Washington Dulles and Aruba every Saturday. The flights going both ways were perfectly fine, and it was really nice not to have to change planes in Miami or San Juan, which is our typical experience when we visit the Caribbean. <br><br>Unfortunately, our check-in experience for the return flight was a nightmare. We were in the First Class/Premier line and were about 5th in line. Believe it or not, we waited an hour and forty minutes to check in. United only had three agents on hand to check in everyone (coach and first class) for two full flights. To make matters worse, only one computer at check-in was operational! So the agents would have to take your ID, run it back into a back room somewhere, print out your boarding passes, etc., and run back. For each family, it took them anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, as the back room computer wasn't working very well either (and I'd like to personally thank the people who requested a seat switch; that took 40 minutes). All of us in line managed to enjoy a little camaraderie while we waited and waited and waited, but it was sad that our final impression of the island was so negative. United held the plane until everyone made it on board, delaying our departure by an hour. <br><br>Car Rental <br>As we were staying off the beaten path, we elected to rent a car for the entire week, which was a good decision. We used our car every day to go to the beach, go to dinner or go shopping. We rented a four-door Mitsubishi Galant from Econo Rental for $165 for the entire week. It had a/c and automatic transmission, and we thought this was a great deal. We had no trouble with the car, the folks at Econo were terrific, and we would highly recommend them. <br><br>Accommodations <br>We stayed at Sunset Boulevard Studios, which is a very small property across the street from Malmok beach, not far from the Fishermen's Huts. It was a lovely, clean place with a pool, a hot tub, and daily maid service. It never failed that when we returned from our morning beach visits, our room had been cleaned. They even did the dishes! Sunset Blvd. is owned by the same people who own the windsurfing concession at Fishermen's Huts, so it's often frequented by windsurfers. However, there were numerous non-windsurfers there too (including us). We had a "large garden studio" unit that had a deck with table and chairs that looked out onto the water and the beautiful sunsets. It had a small kitchenette also with table and chairs. All of this for about $800 for the whole week -- a bargain for Aruba. We also enjoyed being away from the crowds in the high rise area. <br><br>Beaches <br>We tended to stick around three beaches: Fishermen's Huts (great for watching the windsurfers), Catalina (for snorkeling) and Arashi. All have their advantages. We especially loved Arashi for swimming. The only time it was unpleasant was on our last full day when it was completely overtaken by hundreds of cruise-shippers. Otherwise, it's a beautiful, quiet beach with nice huts for blocking the sun and the wind. Catalina has a few shelters but you spend most of your time in the water, enjoying the beautiful fish. Fishermen's Huts also has plentiful huts but the swimming isn't the greatest, as you risk being plowed over by the windsurfers, many of whom simply don't watch where they're going (especially those who seem to be less experienced). Also, the bottom is rather mucky, so beach shoes are a must. <br><br>Activities <br>Other than snorkeling on our own, our only activity was the afternoon "Sundown Safari" on the Mi Dushi. This is an 80-foot sailing vessel built in 1925. It's a beautiful boat with a wonderful crew, and it's a pretty good deal. For $39 per person you get snacks, open bar (with top shelf liquor) and snorkeling equipment. There is one snorkeling stop (at Boca Catalina) and one of the crew members -- Spencer the crazy Englishman -- gives a great snorkeling lesson before everyone goes in. The outing ends at around 6:30, right as the sun is setting, so it's a lovely experience. I wish I could say the same for their office staff, however. I made our reservation over the Internet and got an immediate e-mail response saying our reservation was "written down" and that I should call to reconfirm after arriving on the island. When I called on Sunday, I got their answering machine and left a message. After they hadn't called back by Monday afternoon, I called them again, and -- of course -- our reservation was not written down anywhere. So they took our reservation and credit card over the phone. When we arrived at the dock on Tuesday to check in, once again they could not find our reservation on their list, so they started taking our credit card info all over again. As the gentleman behind the counter was writing everything down, I looked at the list and recognized our credit card number. The person who had taken the reservation over the phone had put down my first name only on the list, so the counter guy couldn't find it. Counter guy acted all put out that he would have to void a credit card transaction and kept telling us it wasn't his fault -- implying, of course, that it was our fault. The sailing experience was wonderful, but we'll have to keep an eye on our credit card statement to see exactly how many times we end up getting charged. <br><br>Restaurants <br>We ate at La Trattoria al Faro Blanco (at the lighthouse), Chez Mathilde, Amazonia and Cuba's Cookin';. All very different experiences but mostly good. The lighthouse restaurat has a lovely atmosphere but the food is so-so given the prices they charge. Chez Mathilde is fabulous...service, food, everything...worth every penny. Get their filet au poivre if you go. Amazonia - great food, just too much. We could barely walk after that meal! Cuba's Cookin' was fabulous: the mojitos, the food, the entertainment. What a find - great meal for two including drinks and dessert was under $80.<br><br>General Impressions <br>We enjoyed our trip immensely. We were especially pleased with our accommodations and with the snorkeling. We were a bit stunned by the American brands everywhere: Dunkin' Donuts, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Wendy's, McDonald's, Hooters, Tony Roma's, etc. etc. etc. (Sorry if I come off sounding like a snob, but I don't go to the Caribbean to eat at McDonald's.) However, we can also imagine that families with small children appreciate the familiarity these establishments offer. We were also pleased that so many alternative - and excellent - eating places were available.