Aruba Trip Reports

Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort

April 21-May 2, 2005 by ~Amy~®

Aruba Forum Profile: ~Amy~®

11th trip to Aruba

Great sunset - 11th Aruba Vacation

Another great trip to Aruba, as always, but this one was a little different since it was a "girls only" trip and we didn't do a lot of activities other than a lot of R&R and I actually did a little work while I was there.

Jansen Rent A Car: It was Leo Jansen's son's birthday on the day we arrived so the car rental kiosk was decorated with balloons and we were offered birthday cake while we filled out the paperwork. Leo had previously told me it was his son's birthday so I had a gift-wrapped present waiting for him. Got a nice 5-door Kia Rio and headed to Amsterdam Manor.

Amsterdam Manor: The staff checked us in quickly and I bonded with the nice gentleman behind the front desk immediately because his first name was the same as my last name. I think we had him laughing throughout the entire check-in process and I'm sure he knew he hadn't seen (or heard) the last of us. In fact, a few days into our trip a friend from home tried to phone us to see how the trip was going - as soon as she mentioned our names to the front desk…."Ah yes, Miss Amy and Miss Stacy……" as they chuckled out loud.

We had a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit on the 2nd floor with a full kitchen, living and dining area, and a balcony with an umbrella, table, and 4 chairs - came with a nice view of the water as well - perfect!

Unpacked and headed to the manager's cocktail party which is held every Thursday for guests. Had dinner at Mango's that night and back to the bar for a nightcap (or two or three.) Between being up since 3am, not eating much all day, drinks at the party, drinking 2 bottles of wine with dinner, more drinks after dinner…..let's just say I was moving rather slowly the following morning and was almost happy to see that it was a cloudy, overcast day.

In my 11 trips to Aruba, this was only the second time I've stayed here but it has become our new favorite "home" since last year. They have studios, one bedroom, and two bedroom units which all have either a full kitchen or kitchenette with all of the comforts of home. Happy hour at both the pool and beach bar from 5pm-6pm every day and again from 9pm-10pm at the pool bar. You even receive fresh fruit kabobs and cool towels for your face during the day on the beach. Everything is easily accessible - room service (used that a couple of times), beach service (used that a lot!), free Internet, and a staff that will bend over backwards to make you happy!

Weather: First few days were very unusual in that it was cloudy, overcast, and there was NO WIND! The heat and humidity were oppressive. The water on Eagle Beach was also turned up with seaweed and was very cloudy which made me hang out at the pool for a couple of days. But by about the third day, all was back to normal again - bright sunny skies, clear water (so clear that I could see a ton of fish when I was out swimming) and breezy….not windy like usual but just breezy. Still, it was perfect enough for me!

Restaurants/Bars: Went to a few new places this year and some old favorites but kept it pretty casual on this trip since we'll be back again in Sept. Old favorites Rumba, Marandi, Que Pasa, Kokoa Pier Bar, Salt & Pepper, Tomato Charlie's, and Mango's did not disappoint - great as always. Also had the best red (not white, which is too sweet for my taste) Sangria at El Gaucho. Went to Garufa after dinner at El Gaucho on a Friday night and the place was packed - luckily, a nice couple offered to share their table with us and we watched a really incredible band that night.

Nos Cunucu - serves Aruban food and I think we were probably the only Americans in the place that night. Very inexpensive meal - 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 6 Polar Ice, and tip came to only $40. There are some resident pets on the premises including a peacock, goats, and a very friendly donkey who will join you for dinner if you encourage him (not that I would ever do such a thing!) Tulip - located at MVC Eagle Beach; great food & service and inexpensive. I think the most expensive entrée on the menu was $18.

Soprano's Piano Bar - Great entertainment, great drinks and great bartenders (Mark, we'll be back in Sept. to make your life miserable again!)

Bingo's - They serve dinner here but we only made it for drinks one night. The owners were very nice and the place was a lot of fun - could be because we were the only Americans AND it was mostly full of Dutch men…I'll say no more!

Bulletin Board Part(ies): We had a great turnout for the bulletin board party that Amsterdam Manor has every Monday at their beach bar! Some friends I haven't seen in a few years and also made alot of new ones! Had a great time getting acquainted among 2 for 1 drinks and some nice treats courtesy of Amsterdam Manor. Also had a few mini-parties throughout the week as well - Tom & Karen surprised me by stopping by the hotel to say hello (very nice couple and I hope they invite me to their new Aruba home once it's completed!); Claire & Kees (congratulations on your wedding in Aruba!) found me on the beach and we shared a couple of Polars and Balashis; and Randy and Kelly also found me on the beach (I must have been easy to find!) - we had a nice time drinking at Amsterdam Manor's beach bar and listening to the live music on the beach at happy hour on Sundays! And then there was Charles who owns a cell phone rental business on the island - think he did the best job of tracking me down when he arrived too late for the BB Party - he found me having dinner down the street at Tulip (good detective work on his part!) Absolutely LOVED meeting everyone - such a great group of people!!!

Other than relaxing on the beach, dining out, socializing, reading a book or two, and doing a little work (yes, I said "work" - but much better than being in the office!), I didn't really plan any activities on this trip. It was nice to just relax for a change without a schedule of things to do.

Many, many thanks to the entire staff at Amsterdam Manor, Leo (Jansen's), Stefan (Rumba), and Mark (Soprano's) for the wonderful service and friendship! See you in September!