Antiqua is one of the islands where the beaches are famous. It is said that this island has a beach for every day of the year. According to the locals, the best of these beaches are Dickenson Bay, which is in the northwestern corner of the island and Half Moon Bay. The latter beach is a half mile long along the eastern coast and is covered in fine white sand.

Shoal Bay is an excellent beach on Antiqua. It is covered with silvery sand and is home to schools of iridescent fish darting among the coral reefs. This is one of the excellent locations in the Caribbean if you want to engage in snorkelling. Just a short distance away you will find Katouche Beach, but you have to take a trail from Old Ta to reach it. This is the best spot on the island for a picnic under the shade of the trees.
Palm Beach, on Aruba, is a superb strip of fine white sand. It has been voted one of the 12 best beaches in the world by magazines, such as Conde Nast. It is the prime location to choose if you want to take in some swimming, sailing or fishing.

The Gold Coast of Barbados contains some of the best beaches in the Caribbean. This location is the site of some of the most expensive resorts in the Caribbean. Some of the best beaches in this area include Paynes Bay, Brandon's beach, Paradise Beach and Brighton Beach, all of which are public beaches, Cane Garden Bay, on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, is a favourite with joggers on vacation. It stretches for 2 km and has white sand. If you're looking for a really long beach, don't overlook the 9km long Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. The beach is actually 5.5 miles long - not seven, in spite of its name. There is a wide array of water sports available at this beach, which is lined with condos and resorts. The water maintains a consistent temperature of 80°. There is another beach of the same name on Jamaica, but is a nudist beach, so it is not for you if you are conservative.

You will find many deals offering discounted prices on a resort which at the time may sound good, but remember you are getting what you pay for.

Check out all the details before you book. Look up the resort on the Web and check out any traveller reviews.

Find out what the food is like and the condition of the property and rooms.

Look for the star ratings on multiple websites as some may rate it lower then others.

Your best bet is to look for a four or five star resort and try and stay away from anything that has a lower rating. If not you could be in for a big disappointment upon check-in.

Make sure that the food at the resort has good ratings or you may find yourself living off potato chips and soda if the food is not up to quality standards.

Check out other resorts in the area that may be under construction or if the one you are looking at is undergoing any renovations. This could be a factor in why the price is so low.

Look up the traveller reviews and send an email anyone who had a recent visit, they can give you the whole scoop on what is good and bad about the resort.

At times the resort may be having a last minute sell-off due to cancellations or under bookings and it may be a deal of a lifetime. But it is best to exercise a little caution.

The island is so small that I think there is only one movie theater on the island and no shopping malls!!! Even though you will encounter many shopping areas especially in the main city be prepared to walk a lot outside to go to different stores. Wear a lot of sunblock!!!This is important because on this island it is sunny and hot all year round and it might only rain 3-5 times a year.

My favorite things to do on the island is diving and snorkeling because of it's beautiful crystal clear water and nature underwater.Riding jetski's and water skying are also a blast.The island has a abundance of water sports. The best time to visit Aruba is February because of the local festivities and a holiday known as carnival that is more known from Brazil.Don't expect to find anyone unhappy at this time.This is when their are a lot of parties and locals wearing colorful costumes and you will see dancing in the streets with beautiful parades.The locals also drink a lot of alcohol (it's kind of their happy island source)and expect to find a lot of exotic cocktails.If you can't make it to Aruba in February then December is also a good time to go.

The island imports special firework from china and has hours long parties and firework shows before and on New Year in December.The best thing to shop for on the island is for jewelry and perfumes because the prices are much more reasonable then in the U.S. Don't waste your money on clothes too much because in teh U.S you find more variety and better prices. If you love gambling their are a lot of casinos there and you can take advantage because most states in the U.S don't have a lot of casinos.Some world poker tour competitions were held in Aruba.The traffic is different then in the States so if you don't take a hotel shuttle or tour guide because you want to rent a car you better pick up some information about traffic signals.

Another thing that is good of the island is that English and many other languages are understood or spoken on the island because even though Aruba only has about 100,000 inhabitants the island claims 40 different nationalities that live peacefully with each other.Very few countries have such a international mix and get along with each other. That is definitely something I miss because here in the States their is a lot of racism and stereotyping about different races.

Their are a lot of things to do in Aruba that are enjoyable and relaxing but the main selling point is the people that live here together that bring their traditions,foods,and culture to the table that created a special blend on the island.

I've been fortunate enough to set foot on Aruba three times. The very first thing I noticed was that droves of pushy taxi drivers trying to part you from your tourist dollars were nowhere to be seen. Unlike destinations like Jamaica or Columbia, to name just a few, where tourists are seen as nothing but cash cows. Jamaica has all but destroyed much of its tourist industry, because many travelers, such as myself choose to avoid it and go elsewhere. Not so in Aruba. They treat all visitors with respect and welcome them to their island with courtesy.

ABOUT ARUBA:

Aruba is centrally located in the Southern Caribbean and is only about 15 miles from the coast of Venezuela. The population borders on 100,000 and is made up of very friendly, well educated people. They are famous for their hospitality and most are generally of a mixed ancestry. Amazingly, this unique destination claims at least 40 different nationalities who reside on the island. So if you cannot find someone who speaks your language, wait 5 minutes.

ECONOMY:

The islands economy for the most part revolved around the building of an oil refinery that later became a subsidiary of EXXON OiL. The facility closed in 1985, however reopened in 1991 under new management. In March of 2004 it changed hands again and was sold to the Valero Oil Corp.

TOURISM:

Of course now, tourism has taken center stage. It is a stunning island surrounded by powder white sand beaches and incredible blue-green water. And the locals in Aruba sure no how to treat people. In all my traveling, they rank as the most welcoming I have ever come across. Cruise ships dock on a daily basis and very reasonable package stays are also available at dozens of top caliber resorts.

ACTIVITIES:

I don't even know where to start. As soon as you cross the first street you will find state of the art casinos and some of the worlds finest shopping.

I remember my first visit there when I asked a local how to get to the nicest beach. He said, "just cross the street and get on the city bus that will come along and tell the driver you want the best beach." Sure enough for just $1, I got on the bus with the locals and 20 minutes later was on a stunning beach. On the way I saw numerous huge hotels with casinos alongside.

Every water sport you can imagine is available with scuba diving and snorkeling some of the best in the Caribbean. Just ask the locals the best locations for these two activities and there is a myriad of beaches in different locations around the island.

DINING:

You have your choice of either local Caribbean fare or French, Italian, Spanish, American and Indian cuisine. Eat in a gorgeous, romantic terrace under the stars or you can find numerous more intimate hideaways if you prefer. The predominant currency is American dollars as is the case in most of the Caribbean.

For a cruise stop-over or a week or two stay you won't go far wrong with Aruba. A truly amazing, beautiful and friendly island.