Thirty one kilometers north of the Venezuelan coast lay a beautiful spot which houses people of different languages, cultures and traditions. Nineteen miles long and six miles across, the 193-square kilometers Aruba has a climate ranging from an average of sunny 81 degrees as dictated by north easterly trade winds. Ideally, Aruba should be out of the range of the hurricanes but it was in 2004 when hurricane Ivan managed to place a seawall of corals and rocks just right within the eastern coast of the area. But Aruba has remained to be the ultimate travel destination if you want a sun-filled vacation after long months of work.
If you are one eager tourist to visit the place and yet, you worry about traveling time, just remember that Aruba follows the Atlantic Standard Time year round which is equivalent to the Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Expectedly, count five to six hours difference between Aruba Time and European Time based on the Summer-Time and Winter-Time.
Entering Aruba now asks for different requirements for various nationalities. The main thing to be asked for those who want to visit the place is to have a passport or a visa. US Citizens should be able to have a valid US passport. Those naturally born citizens should present original or government certification and a photo ID while those naturalized citizens must show the Certificate of Naturalization along with a raised seal and a valid identification card. On the other hand, Canadian citizens must have a Miniature Birth Certificate, Miniature Certificate of Proof of Canadian Citizenship or Miniature Baptismal Certificate. A landing stamp on the certificate of identity or the national passport is required for whom visa requirements are not applicable. For all nationalities wishing to enter Aruba, it is recommended to consult travel agents for a complete list of requirements.
There is not much to worry about money, though. Aruba’s currency is the Aruban Florin. The exchange rate is 1USD for every 1.80 AFL. There are a lot of ATM Machines that are stationed just around the island. If you want to dine in restaurants or buy something for your friends at the local stores, the dollars are already accepted if ever you are running out of their money. If you still want to make use of the Aruban Florin, you can visit local banks which are open from 8:00 in the morning and close at 4:00 in the afternoon.
Tourists who are traveling for business purposes and who want to get in touch with their families once in a while during their Aruba travel, they should know that the island’s area code for the international circuit is 00. To call, key in 00 plus the country code which is 297 followed by the area code and the number. For call assistance, just dial 121.
Aruba vacation is not as complicated as what it may first sound to you. If you are already knowledgeable of what it can offer you and how to get there, surely you will not regret as you scour its wonders and enjoy everything it has to offer its visitors.