Bucuti Beach Resort

Dec. 24th to jan. 8th, 2006 by France / golfersnorkeler

Who we are

A couple in their forties, no kids, from Calgary, Alberta in Canada. We like to golf, snorkel, eat out etc.

Transport

Friday the 23rd, Air Canada flight from Calgary to Houston at 18:00. Overnight at the Airport Marriott. Then, Saturday the 24th, 13:30 flight with Continental, Houston-Aruba, and arrival at 20:00. Return: 10:35 flight with Continental from Aruba-Houston. Then, an 18:00 flight with Air Canada, Houston-Calgary, arriving at 21:00. We had 3 seats for the both of us on the way to Aruba and back, since the plane was not full.
No major problem, apart from the fact that my husband suitcase & golf bag never made it out of Aruba on the 8th. But Air Canada delivered them to us on Monday night at home!

Car rental

We rented a Jeep Laredo from American, fairly expensive: $970.00 for two weeks, but with 3 suitcases, 2 golf bags and 2 carry-on, we didn't have much choice. On December 31st, the driver side window would not go up anymore, so we went to the airport to trade car, but the office was closed due to the holidays. After numerous phone calls, we were able to meet with them at the airport and get another jeep Laredo. At first, we phoned the Emergency phone # of American and were told by the person who answered the phone that he was not working that day! That was somewhat inconvenient and annoying, but at least we got another car the next day. So, if you are in Aruba during the holiday season, you might want to ensure that the company you are renting from will have employees working on Statuary holidays!

Tara suites at The Bucuti

Fabulous! We definitely picked the best hotel in Aruba! The Tara suites are gorgeous, and brand new. They all face the ocean. We were in the Penthouse for the first four nights. All 4 of the Penthouse rooms are on the top and fifth floor (double the size of the Tara suites), and the last eleven nights in a Tara suite (third floor). The suites are on the first four floors. Our view was as good on both floors. I have to mention that we would have been disappointed if we had been in their normal accommodations since they do not face the ocean like the Tara suites. They actually just started renovating those rooms while we were there. We loved being able to watch the sunset from our balcony, and have a great ocean view all day. It depends of your needs, to us it is important!

Weather

We had a lot more rain than anticipated. Everyone says that the rainy season ends at the beginning of December... Not so! It was our first time in Aruba (we like to visit a different island every year), so we had nothing to compare it with. However, we played golf 6 times, and were always paired with time-share owners who had been going to Aruba for an average of 15 years. At least 6 different people told us that the weather pattern in Aruba has changed in the last 3 years. The rainy season tends to last up to the end of January now. What wind?? The wind is less dominant than it used to be. It was actually windier on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico than in Aruba.

We were there for 15 days.

First week:
- 2 full days of sunshine.
- 3 days that were sunny with clouds half the day, and the other half was cloudy (not much sun) with rain. We had a big downpour one evening while eating at Le Dome.
- 2 days that were mostly cloudy with some sun and some rain.
Second week:
- 3 days that were sunny with clouds. We had a downpour one morning while playing golf... Had to wait it out for 15 minutes.
- 2 sunny days (with some clouds)
- 2 days mostly cloudy with some sun and rain. 2 big downpours at night.

So, if we had been there for just one week, we would have been disappointed. But two weeks allowed us to get a nice tan (from the beach and the snorkeling boat tours). We had never had so much rain on a Caribbean holiday before, but the weather pattern might be changing everywhere in the Caribbean, not just in Aruba.

Beaches

We were very happy that the Bucuti was on Eagle Beach. It is a much nicer beach than Palm Beach. As we golf early in the morning, we can't go down to the beach and reserve a hut or chairs. We never had to do that at the Bucuti. We always had lounge chairs, either under a palm tree or a hut, and a little table to put our stuff on. We walked both beaches (you need water shoes to walk all the way to Palm Beach, as you have to walk on rocks between the two beaches for about 15 minutes. Palm Beach is crammed with people. Lounge chairs are all side by side, no room to move, no privacy. Plus, the tours depart from the pier next to the Radisson, or the Holiday Inn, and there is a lot of boat noise etc. For us, having to get up at 5:00 am, and stand in line to guarantee a hut for 3 days, and then do it again, and again is not a holiday! From what I have noticed, Eagle Beach is a quieter beach, hardly any motor boats, except the odd sea-doos that come by from time to time. There are more Europeans and Canadians. Palm Beach on the other hand has more Americans, especially families with children,(which makes sense since they can have all the toys they enjoy on that beach like, sea-doos, banana boat rides, parasailing etc. The low-rise hotels on Eagle Beach are definitely a quieter atmosphere than the high-rise hotels on Palm Beach.

What to bring

We love to float on our floaters on the ocean, so we always carry our foldable floater, and we really made good use of them there. Insulated mugs are a must to keep your drinks cold on the beach, or while you are floating. Binoculars are great too!

Activities

We are fairly active when on holidays, so we enjoyed a variety of activities.

Golfing

We always golf early in the morning, so we can do something else in the afternoon. First tee time is great, nobody in front of you, so no delays... except for some rain delays! We booked all our tee times on-line in September without problems.

We golfed twice at the Divi links, the new 9 hole course at the Divi Resort. The course is in great shape, but the greens even though they are in excellent condition, are somewhat shaggy , therefore slow! It does not have ocean holes, and has more of a resort feel to it. We played 18 holes once and 9 the second time. Even though we had a 7:10 tee time for the first 18 hole, it took 5 hours to play. So, the second time we only played 9 holes since it was still slow, and we had to switch room that day!

We golfed 4 complete rounds at Tierra del Sol and loved it. O.K, hole # 4 (par 4) has a temporary green (because they had so much rain that a fungus developed in the green and they lost it. They are still trying to bring it back to life, but I don't see much hope in that. The par 3 green of # 15 is in rough shape too. But apart from that, it is a great golf course, beautiful setting , and some ocean view holes. It has the feel of a 18 hole golf course , which the Divi does not quite capture.

Wind was not a factor for us when we played (as explained in weather section). Rain was, however, on a few occasions. Their pro shop is well stocked with golf apparels if you want to buy souvenir shirts etc.

The Caribbean golf courses that we have played so far, and how we rank them:

Moon Palace (Mayan Riviera): Great conditions, no ocean holes.
Punta Cana golf course (Punta Cana): Great conditions, ocean holes.
Tierra del Sol (Aruba): Ocean views.
Varadero (Cuba): Ocean holes, good conditions, can't beat the price!
Provo (Turks & Caicos): Good conditions, ocean view.
Cocotel (Punta Cana): Good course, offers 3 (9 holes), no ocean holes.
Sandals (Ocho Rios): Good conditions, 1 ocean view.
Playacar (Mayan Riviera): Just o.k, lots of houses around.
Divi Links (Aruba): Only a 9 hole course

Snorkeling

We went on 3 snorkeling tours:

Mi Dushi, Taste of Aruba (10:00 to 2:30, about 30 people on board)
Octopus, morning 1/2 day tour. (9:00 to 12:30, 16 people on board)
Tranquillo (South side tour (10:00 to 4:00, 20 people on board)

We enjoyed Tranquillo the most. Then Octopus, and finally Mi Dushi.

On Mi Dushi, we enjoyed the ship wreck stop (because you can't go from the beach), but when we got to the Malmock stop and Catalina stop, it was not long enough (1/2 hour each). That might be long enough for some, but not us.

On Octopus, we went back to the ship wreck, and Malmock beach. We stopped longer and in a better spot, so it was better.

On Tranquillo, we went in the opposite direction as the two other tours. We went south towards the Spanish Lagoon, and did the drift snorkeling. We saw a lot of fish on this tour, and more corals on the drift snorkeling.

Snorkeling on our own

We did a full day trip on December 31st with many stops.

1st stop: Baby beach, nice fish, not much coral.
2nd stop: Mangel Halto: Nice reef with lots of fish.
3rd stop: Collapsed Natural Bridge.
4th stop: Natural pool, nice fish in the pool... tough drive though!!

One afternoon, we drove to Malmock beach, and snorkeled for 1 hour and 1/2.
I saw a moray eel brown with white dots. We also saw lots of fish, huge trumpet fish (blue with green dots), crabs, sea snake, a stone fish sea urchins etc. Adolph saw a sea turtle, but it went really fast and I missed it!

So, we went back on Saturday morning (the 7th), and snorkeled for 1 hour and 45 minutes. We went before the snorkel tours arrived at 9:00. So, the water was calm and had not been disturbed by all the boat snorkelers! We saw a HUGE green Morey eel , lots of fish, and TWO SEA TURTLES. I was thrilled since I had never seen them before. We followed the first one for 15 minutes (we were swimming above her). The second one was smaller and swimming faster, so we followed her for 5 minutes. Unfortunately, the battery in our camera was dead! When we came out, a retired Navy Seal taking a walk with his wife told us that green Moray eels can be dangerous, especially since they are attracted to shiny jewellery... I was wearing a shiny watch, earrings, rings, ankle bracelet. Needless to say, I won't be wearing jewellery while I snorkel ever again!!

All together, we snorkeled six days. We saw a lot of different fish that we had never seen before. The coral, however is not as in good shape as in Turks & Caicos.

Best snorkeling we have had apart from Turks & Caicos which ranks higher in our mind. However, better than Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), Varadero (Cuba), Ocho Rios (Jamaica). The Mayan Riviera was pretty good, but we never went to Cozumel, so can't say how that would compare.

Restaurants

We like good food, nice ambiance, and restaurants that are not too big.
I had booked everything on-line before we left, so had no problem with reservations. However, we switched the Flying Fishbone (outdoors) with Le Dome (under the covered gallery) from December 26th to January 7th because of a rainy afternoon and evening.

Dec. 25: The French Steakhouse - Next door to the Bucuti, it was o.k., nothing to rave about.
Dec. 26: Le Dome - It was good, but we had shrimps with an Indian curry sauce, which we are not too found of. Good service. Nice atmosphere outside, we would go back.
Dec. 27: Chez Matilde - Way over-rated in our mind. My Dover sole was swimming in butter (for $60.00, I was expecting better), and service was rushed. We were seated in the green room where waiters had to walk by us continuously. That meal was $200.00, but we would not go back there.
Dec. 28: Papiamento - We were seated by the swimming pool (there were no floating candles in the pool, as previously mentioned). The food was good, but we had to tell them to slow down the service because our food was coming too quickly between each course. I had the mahi-mahi cooked on the stone, and it was delicious. Once again, it is a big restaurant. Food was good, we could go back there.
Dec. 29: Le Dome on the ocean - Even though, I booked that way ahead in October, you have to go pick up your tickets at a De Palm desk (the Divi one was the closest to us). They assign a table # once you pick up your voucher, not according to when you booked. Since we picked up our tickets the morning of the cruise, we were assigned table #16 at the front of the boat. I was unhappy at first because I wanted to be on one side of the catamaran, but realized later, that those tables were not better than the one we had. The food was good, but they anchor next to the road for dinner, which was kind of unexpected. Overall, it was a nice experience, especially the sunset and the ride back. I don't think it is something you want to do every time though.
Dec. 30: Marandi - Lovely small restaurant on the beach by the airport. The owner took lots of pictures of us and the sunset there. We had two appetizers each instead of a main course, and it was very good. We would go back there.
Dec. 31: New Year's Eve gala dinner at Las Ventanas, Tierra del Sol golf course - The food was buffet style and lots of seafood, which we both enjoyed (shrimps, lobster tails, caviar, smoked salmon etc.), and open bar all evening...Better be for $165.00/person!
However, it was a pretty quiet affair, the band did not even play the popular "Old Lang Sang song" at 12:00. The restaurant had a nice display of fireworks though! We went back to our hotel at about 1:00, and walked on the beach, it was a nice evening with many stars!
Jan. 1st: Dinner on the beach at the Bucuti - Wear sandals because you eat bare feet on the sandy beach!
This was great. The food was very good, we both had the veal for main course. The waiter took pictures, gave us great service. You have a choice of 18:00 or 20:00. We picked 20:00 because, there are still people on the beach at 18:00, and it is not dark yet. We prefer watching the sunset from our lounge chairs on the beach. We thought this meal was a steal for $75.00 for the two of us including a bottle of wine, compared to our usual $150.00, $170.00 range every other night with an average $45.00 for wine. We would do this again.
Jan. 2nd: Madame Janette - We had a table outside but were covered by a canopy... Thank goodness because we had a huge downpour right at desert time, and some people were looking for cover. The food was very good, except that the famous crab cakes are made with fake crab. It is a huge restaurant too. We asked them that they give us time between each course, and they did. While waiting for the rain to stop to get to our car, they offered everyone a glass of champagne.
Jan. 3rd: El Gaucho - Difficult to find when it is your first time. We had booked a table in the quiet front room. At first, we were seated in the huge room in the middle of the restaurant. It was so noisy in there, it was awful! Plus, they had put us right next to the aisle where everybody walks by you. So, we got up and went back to check with the lady looking after the tables. She said to wait at the bar, until a table became available. It took 20 minutes, and then we had a nice table in the front room (only tables for two there). Much quieter, it is almost like another restaurant! The service was excellent there. The wine specialist told us all about the Malbec wines, and the waiters were very attentive. Adolph had the plate with 4 different meats, and I had the shish kebob (served with a WHOLE onion, pepper and tomato), quite different! The food was very good. After we crossed the street to go to Garufa for after dinner drinks. Nice ambiance in there, even though it was quiet. We would go back, but you have to be seated in the QUIET FRONT ROOM, if you are a couple!
Jan. 4th: Kukoo Kunuku bus tour - We had a lot of fun on that tour, visiting 3 local bars and ending at Carlos N' Charlie. The food was not as bad as what I was expecting. It was plain rice with some chicken & beef, but eatable. We had a fun group of people on our bus, which probably helped make the experience enjoyable!
Jan. 5th: Chalet suisse, table #32 - Yes, we got that table, so we were very lucky. We had asked for it but they don't guarantee it. It made a big difference to us, since that restaurant is BIG again, and noisy. That table being back a little, makes it a quieter spot to be in. My sea bass was excellent, but Adolph had the rack of lamb which was o.k. It was served with gravy and mint jelly, but no mint sauce.
Jan. 6th: Dinner at Footprints on the beach of the Hyatt - Wear sandals because you eat bare feet on the sandy beach! This restaurant is brand new. They tried it out two weeks in December, closed it during the X-Mas break, and had just opened it for good the day before we went. There are 5 tables on the beach , and they grill your food at a BBQ at the entrance of the restaurant. It is a fixed menu with 3 choices. There were only two tables occupied when we went, and each table had its own waiter, so we had excellent service. I chose the tuna, and Adolph the shrimps, both were excellent. All main courses come with soup, salad, veggies and potatoes + dessert. It was very good, but the price was $69.00/ person + our wine. So, a lot more expensive than the dinner on the beach at the Bucuti. We got 20% off as an opening special, and two t-shirts that say Footprints.
Jan. 7th: Flying Fishbone - Great restaurant & location. We had table #34, next to the rock, it is a very good table to take pictures from. For your info, we had asked for table#27 that everybody talks about, but it is now a table for 4 on the second row. We had cocktails, mussels that we shared for appetizers, a great bottle of Chablis for our last night in Aruba. For main course, we tried the catch of the day. I ordered the Sale fish, and Adolph ordered the Barracuda. We shared. They were both good, the Sale fish was more meaty, and the Barracuda flakier. Overall, we preferred the Barracuda. We finished with decaf. Cappuccinos. Service was very good. We would definitely go back there!

I think, we tried most of the well-known restaurants during our stay. We enjoy the smaller restaurants more than the bigger ones, but that is our personal preference. Since we are a couple in their forties with no kids, we like going to restaurants where there are not tons of children, and tables with big family gathering who tend to be noisier. It all depends of what you are looking for.

Lunches: We had lunch at Iguana Joe, The Paddock, Bob's Pizza, and they were all fine, nothing special.