Tamarijn Mega All Inclusive

June 22 - 29, 2003 by Craig "Oakley" Sutton

OK, where to start. After we made up our mind at 2 am to continue with our plans (after a moderate family emergency and a stop at the emergency room the night before) we got 2 hours of sleep and then off to Washington National and on our way. Best decision we ever made. No problem at any of the airports. We arrived in Aruba about 10 minutes late, but no problem. Customs is "MUCH" easier if you have a passport. We did and had no problems. More than one person was left at the gate with improper identification. In Aruba it was obvious they prefer passports as well. I would recommend everyone get one.

ARUBA!!! Let me say this once, right at the start. Every single person we met in Aruba was glad to see us and happy to help do anything they could to make our stay as great as possible. I mean everyone. (Except some of the tourists) We were semi lost downtown one night looking for a restaurant and went up to several people we saw and they all were happy to get us in the right direction. This brings up another point as to the feeling of being very safe anytime day or night anywhere we were. You can't find this anywhere else I have ever been anywhere around the world. PERIOD!!!

Now the trip: We had the Mega all inclusive deal at the Divi and Tamarijn Resorts through Funjet vacations. All transfers and airfare was included. It was very reasonable. Once through customs there were DePalm tour people every where and pointed us to our bus transfer with no problem. The car rentals are right there too and I would feel just as comfortable now getting to the hotel on our own when we go back. Yes we are going back but that's another item for later. The Tam was the third stop and we were dropped off at the entrance and escorted to the front desk for check-in. They were waiting for us and we had no problems what so ever. We soon were loaded onto a golf cart with language on board and zoomed off to our room. We were in the 2400 block of rooms and they had been recently renovated and our room was great. A few comments about the rooms: They are all the same and great. All ocean view means just that. The only difference you have is whether there is beach in front of your room. There is a lot of erosion. There is no longer any beach in front of 2400 or 2500. There is coral rock helping with the erosion. The beach starts up at 2300 and goes all the way until the last section on that side of the resort. No beach on the other side of the resort either until you get to the activities hut where the snorkeling and windsurfing boards are. The Divi has great beach the entire resort. The nice thing about these two resorts was the availability of lounges and large areas of individual space you have on the beach and in front of your room. You are not cramped at all. Down at the ritzy high rise's it was really packed, not enough lounges and the feeling of a zoo!! We liked the low rise section/beaches much better. If we did it again we might try the Divi next time but not the high rise area. The all inclusive feature was great. The buffet at the Tam and Divi was very nice, with a very good variety every day. The restaurants also served excellent food with great atmosphere. I know many folks say not to take the AI so you can experience the great food on the island, but you do that at a great cost. All of those great restaurants come with great cost and the drink prices are way too inflated. We had two small pina coladas at normal price and two at happy hour at the Wyndham bar and the bill was $29 before tip. We ate out twice and the average price for the two of us, with one glass of wine each and no appetizers was $92 before tip. The food was exceptional but to eat out every meal would have been double or triple what we paid for the all inclusive. Plus we really got our moneys worth with the unlimited drinks. If you don't drink I think the price is different and should be looked into.

The weather was perfect everyday. Mostly sunny high 80's and a constant 25 to 30kt wind keeping you cool. You can burn in a heart beat and we were very glad we did some pre-tanning at home prior to going. We still used an SPF 10 to 15 for most of the stay. There are many things to do on the island and we took one tour of the island and spent time snorkeling on DePalm island. If you go on the Aruba Safari be ready to get really dirty and dusty. What they call a dirt road is really off road along a dessert landscape. In case you are a first timer, the island is a dessert and except for the hotel section and the towns you could easily be in Arizona dessert during a drought. All the neat places you hear about are off the beaten path. I recommend air-conditioned bus for the less adventurous. We rented a car for one day and did some exploring of our own which was great. Taxi is very convenient but could get expensive if you go out a lot. We visited the Aloe Vera plant and bought some sun tanning and after sun lotions that are outstanding. You might want to go there first day and load up for the week.

We got most of our "things to do" info from fliers, the front desk/concierge and word of mouth. The concierge and front desk were a great help. The Tam only had one most of the time and we noticed the Divi had two. Two would have been better but as it was you only had to wait 5 to 15 minutes or so in any event. We never had a problem making a reservation for anything after we got there. Summer is their slow time we were told. We made the reservation for El Goucho mid-morning with no problem. It was expensive, but easily the best steak I have ever had. I lived in Texas for four years and have eaten in NY's finest and they don't come close.

One thing I heard about before we went was that we would be smothered with timeshare salespeople. We were approached once in the resort and that was it. We did see a tag team act working at the natural bridge but avoided them. We decided to check out one of the time shares to give us some time out of the sun and got two beach towels, a bag, and took the free car for a day option for our trouble. I think the new Divi Golf and Beach Resort they are building next to Divi Village will be worth checking out in the future.

The next time we go we will spend more time just relaxing around the pool or on the beach and maybe get in some golf or fishing. We met and made great friends from Boston and hope to see then again on a return trip. You can meet as many or as few people as you want. The kids we saw had no problem finding friends to hang with either and they lots of activities for them as well. The evening shows were a lot of fun. They had everything from Aruba culture to Karaoke, dancing to magic shows. Magic show seemed a little dragged out but was pretty good for the kids. There was a great magic act at the Alhambra Casino for those that wanted more. I lost ten bucks in the casino but had a great time people watching as they lost and lost. One person hit a slot for 5K but that was the only big winner at the casino we saw.

Leaving was very hard but made very simple by the Tam staff. We checked with the concierge for our show and bus time and had no problem making our transfer and getting to the airport. We showed at the airport two and a half hours early and breezed right through check in and customs. First you drop off your luggage at check in and get your boarding pass. Then you pass through Aruba emigration and somehow get back with your luggage again to go through US customs inspection and into the duty free area. Then it is on through security and to your boarding gates. Not sure it is the most efficient system but it seems to work for them. Our USAir flight was slightly delayed but we arrived in Philly with plenty of time to catch our connection. It was a good thing too because we seemed to go from one end of the airport to the absolute opposite end of the airport. Good thing you clear customs in Aruba before you leave and your luggage can go straight through to your final destination. We arrived in Washington DC just a little late and collected our luggage and headed home.

Craig "Oakley" Sutton