Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/15/10 Review Submitted: 02/15/10

This is the place to stay if you want to be away from the crowds and clamor of Oranjistad and the hotel/casino/timeshare districts at the northwest end of the island. Debbie and Steve's home is located directly across the street from an out-of-the way state beach called Mangel Halto, known locally as one of the finest snorkeling/scuba diving beaches on the island. The beach is a quiet tangle of white sand surrounded by mangroves. It was never crowded during our stay, so there was no trouble finding a vacant sun shelter. The lagoon itself is a million shades of blue and aquamarine, with stunning coral and sea life just a hundred yards offshore.The house itself is spacious and nicely equipped with just about everything you will need for cooking, beachgoing, and just relaxing, inside the clerestory-lit great room or out on the front porch. The three bedrooms, each with its own bath, easily accommodate a party of eight or nine without any sense of crowding. It is fully equipped with a digital TV (we watched the Super Bowl here), stereo system and fast wireless internet hookup. Four air conditioners kept each zone at just the right temperature, and an instantaneous gas-fired hot water system assured an endless supply of hot water for dish washing and showering. The yard is full of indigenous plants and animals, including several varieties of cactus, palm and other trees, and several resident iguanas, lizards and bananaquit birds. The security system and safe for valuables provided a sense of real security at all times.The central location of Spaans Lagoon, just three miles south of the airport, makes it easy to reach Oranjistad, the hotel district and the beaches at the southern tip of the island. We really liked Baby Beach for the calm, warm waters Ð great for kids -- and the superb snorkeling once you get past the breakwater. Arashi Beach at the northwest end of the island had the biggest expanse of sand we encountered.We have rented houses in other tropical places, and this one was easily as well equipped and amenable as the best of them. I heartily recommend it to anyone who prefers a quiet setting with few tourists to the raucous and bustling hotels and casinos of the northern corner of Aruba. For us it was the best of both worlds, as you can reach any part of the island in under 30 minutes.

 

Guest: Deane Lappin (Paoli, Pa.)
Date of Stay: 02/11/10 Review Submitted: 02/11/10

Despite the blizzard that greeted us upon our recent return from Aruba, our memories are keeping us (relatively) warm. This rental home has earned a rave review. Debbie and Steve clearly care about their home and guests and they have done everything possible to ensure a good experience. The house is spacious, clean, comfortable, well- maintained, and wonderfully equipped with all sorts of convenient and useful extras. The beach is just steps away and very user-friendly. After a couple of excursions to traffic-clogged Oranjestad, we were happy to escape the crowds and commercialism and remain close to home. We highly recommend the food and service at Amazing! and Old Man and the Sea in San Nicolas. Also suggest your drive along the rugged north coast and see the cave paintings in the National Park.

 

Guest: Michelle and Ted Mikuls (Omaha, Nebraska)
Date of Stay: 01/24/10 Review Submitted: 01/24/10

Wow! We just returned from a week at Getawayaruba. Three couples were very comfortable in the house. The neighborhood was safe and easy to get around. The front porch was perfect for morning coffee and sunset drinks/dinner. The house was so well equipped with everything needed for cooking and enjoying the beach. Even a cell phone and computer to contact home were available. We enjoyed the island jeep tour with ABC tours, the Jolly Pirate snorkel trip, baby beach, and the almost private beach across the street. We ate at the Flying Fishbone, Texas de Brazil, and Marina Pirata but then found Benchi's fish market and had the freshest fish right at home on the patio for a fraction of the price. We are already planning to return. After visiting Palm Beach and the high-rise area, we all said that Getawayaruba was so much nicer! If a relaxing, quiet, private beach vacation is what you are looking for, look no farther!

 

Guest: The Whelans (Howardstown, KY)
Date of Stay: 11/08/09 Review Submitted: 11/08/09

Couldn't have asked for anything better for our family vacation than this wonderful location. The house is fabulous, but the beach across the road is beyond words. The kids, who are 12 and 8, practically lived with snorkel gear on (graciously provided by Deb & Steve along with all kinds of other beach gear)! The calm, shallow beach waters were perfect for our 5 yr old to play. We drove by the Palm and Eagle beaches over in the high rise area, and while the beaches were beautiful, I would never trade them for the quiet, almost private, beach across the street. We almost always had the beach entirely to ourselves! It was truly a home away from home. It also provides a great view of the true Arubans and their way of life since it is out of the commercialized hotel/casino area. I would definitely stay in this exact place again and would recommend it to anyone.

 

Guest: Joan & Ron Marvel (Seaford, DE)
Date of Stay: 11/01/09 Review Submitted: 11/01/09

I researched different places before booking our rental in Aruba. This getawayaruba home far exceeded our expectations! The home is in an excellent location; quiet, beautiful beach and water just across the road, and the sunsets each night from the front patio are just fabulous! Debbie & Steve have furnished their home with everything anyone could ever want or need for the perfect vacation. We swam and snorkeled "out front" and also by having a rental car, we were able to snorkel beaches along the West coast as well. We wanted to eat the local flavor of Aruba, so our favorites were Marina Pirata, Maranda, Pincho's Grill & Bar, and Nos Cunucu. You can't go wrong renting this beautiful home! We definitely would go back.

 

Guest: Janine5 (Bel Air, Maryland)
Date of Stay: 06/17/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/09

How many different ways can you say "PARADISE"!!!!How many of us have looked at vacation brochures and websites and seen wonderful looking vacation spots; only to get there and wonder what camera took those pictures? Well I'm here to tell you that there is not one picture on this website that I have not personally seen through my own eyes. Every time I looked out the front window in the morning, slid open those patio doors to expose the whole front of the house, to the beautiful view, it took my breath away. A calm breeze was always present but I would never describe it as windy like the other end of the island can be.The place is very roomy and I never once felt like we were on top of each other. What a treat for everyone to have their own room and full bath. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset each and every night from our very own "Happy Hour" location, right on the front porch. The one exception was the one we enjoyed after a short walk to the end of the street for dinner at wonderful small restaurant right on the water. Every day was spent sitting, on what we thought, was our own private beach. We snorkeled, read, had a few cocktails and then repeated...Because I'm limited to "up to 3000 characters" I won't be able to tell you all that I experienced, but I do not hesitate to say it is impossible for you to be disappointed when you stay at this property. Make sure you arrange to have dinner at the "Flying Fishbone" and "The Driftwood".This is definitely is a do over and over and over again location. I can't wait to return.

 

Guest: Greg & Roxanne
Date of Stay: 03/09/09 Review Submitted: 03/09/09

WOW! What a place! There was not a bad beach or restaurant on the island. Baby Beach & Arashi were great for snorkeling(along with "right out front"). The Flying Fishbone, Marina Pirata, & B55 to name a few were our picks for eating. All were great. From the Rocky North Shore to the Beaches, it will be a place to come back to......

 

Guest: Jack & Deb
Date of Stay: 03/08/09 Review Submitted: 03/08/09

What a great place, both the house & the island. This was our 1st visit here & all agreed we would come back. B55 was a great "find" to eat. Great snorkeling right out the front door. We'll look forward to our next trip back.

Review Submitted: March 1, 2009 Date of Stay: March 2009
Everything is wonderful! Your place is lovely and the location is incredible. We spent the day touring the island and getting acquainted. Mali was very helpful and very sweet.

Thank you for all the great information, especially the three ring notebook. We have found it invaluable - and it's only Sunday.

Looking forward to a wonderful time. Thank you!!

 

Review Submitted: February 28, 2009 Date of Stay: February 2009
Had a great time in Aruba. A month is perfect. We enjoyed the view and the beautiful sunsets. The back of the island is a must to see. It is so different "wild" back there. Loved the caves, goats and wild donkeys.
Best places to eat!! Old Man and the Sea - ask for Rachel.
Mirandi - ask for Luke
DeliFrance and Pancake House

 

Valdres, Norway
Review Submitted: February 5, 2009 Date of Stay: February 2009
We stayed there for a week in the middle of October. Probably one of the best locations on the island with the ocean next door in a nice, quiet neighbourhood. The house was new, it had a lot of room and was overall comfortable and had everything needed. From the living room you have the nicest view to the ocean. The day after arriving on the island, the island was hit by the start of a hurricane and the infrastructure was shut down over most of the island. Luckily there were a couple of stores next door, we could get groceries and with the fully equipped kitchen we had no problem surviving until the roads dried up and the restaurants opened. Unfortunately the hurricane did some damage to the neighbourhood and kind of trashed the local beach and water a bit. The last day we were there the water had cleared up enough so we could enjoy the turquoise waters of Aruba.

 

Gilford, NH
Review Submitted: January 11, 2009 Date of Stay: January 2009
Last spring I was looking for a place for a family vacation for the Christmas Holidays. We had never been to Abuba. Having never seen the house we took a shot and rented it. I ended up looking like a genious to our party of seven. The house was clean, recently refurbished and have everything imaginable that you could need. We loved it. Countless house were spent on the front porch reading and relaxing while enjoying the spectacular view. We loved how the house opens up and lets the cooling breeze blow thru. Water access it right across the street for fantastic swimming and snorkeling. Our adult children took the bus down to the "action" several times. My wife and I were happy to just "chill".
As far as restaurants go, we ate at Mirana Pitata (we walked there) which was good, the Flying Fishbone which was also good but the BEST by far was the Old Man and the Sea which is right next to the Flying Fishbone. We ate dinner at Cuba's Cookin which was a tourist trap rip off. We were surprized about this as Cuba's Cookin was all over the Fudor's books and books about dining in Aruba. My kids made daily trips to the snack truck down the street which they enjoyed. All in all...excellent vacation.
Oh yeah...one more thing...we were there over New Years. The locals go crazy with fireworks. I never saw anything like it in my life. We drove to a high spot on New Years Eve and the whole island was lit up with fireworks for hours. We really enjoyed it.

 

Churchville, MD
Review Submitted: January 6, 2009 Date of Stay: January 2009
It was our first time to visit Aruba, except for a brief visit from a cruise ship. Our friends traveled to Aruba with us and we shared your beautiful home for a week. You have thought of every possible thing your guests could need and we didn't want for anything. The location of the home is wonderful and what a spectacular view from the front porch! It was so nice to be in a quiet private home and not in a hotel -- we could wake up and make our own breakfast and just sit on the porch to enjoy the wonderful warm temperatures -- it was cold and snowing at home when we were there!
We ate at La Granja and Iguana Joe's, which were our favorite places for lunch -- both were very reasonable also. For dinner, we ate at the Flying Bonefish and at Marina Pirata, which was just up the street from the house. Both were wonderful dinner experiences where we dined right by the water. We purchased fresh fish from Benchi, who was selling fresh seafood on the left side of the highway on the way to Savaneta, and it was wonderful! The casino, the butterfly farm, and Baby Beach were some of the places we visited. It was a trip of a lifetime and we certainly hope to go there again. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us.
Donald and Mildred Blackburn, Churchville, MD 1/09

 

Cockeysville, Md.
Review Submitted: November 1, 2008 Date of Stay: November 2008
The best and most relaxing vacation we have ever had. The villa was perfectly located for sight seeing, enjoying the beautiful sunsets from the front porch and snorkeling in the warm and calm lagoon right out the front door. The villa has all the comforts of home, close to the airport, national park, casinos, shopping and very good restaurants.
We enjoyed dinning at the Flying Fishbone, Maria Pirata, 5 blocks from the villa, the restaurant at Boca Prins in the national park and the Mooba Beach Bar and Restaurant on Palm Beach at the north end of the island. There is a small grocery store located 1 block from the villa or shop at the Price Smart across from the airport. The Price Smart is similar to Sam's Club.
In the mornings we explored the Aruba National Park, Butterfly Farm, California Lighthouse and Oranjestad, where the cruise ships dock and there are numerous jewelry stores and shops.
In the afternoons we would swim and snorkel right out the front door, relax on the front porch with our favorite beverage enjoying the warm breeze and view of the beautiful Caribbean Sea. The sunsets over the sea are truly spectacular. While sitting on the front porch,we were entertained by the pelicans diving for fish,iguanas, pege-pega lizards, cousin of the gecko, and the barika geel, a small yellow bellied bird.
I enjoyed shopping for souvenirs at the flea market, open Saturday and Sunday only. The market is located a little north of Oranjestad and has excellent prices. My husband liked the cigar shop at the wind mill near the Butterfly Farm.
Our rental car was not four wheel drive, but we were able to drive through the national park to the natural bridge, Boca Prins, and along the coast on the west side of the island. We were not able to reach the natural pool in our car. Guided tours , four wheel drive vehicles and horses are available for rent so you can reach all the wild areas of the park.
We entered the park in San Nicholas, toward Seroe Colorado to reach Boca Pins. We passed caves to explore, crashing waves on the rocky shore of the windward side of the island, goats and donkeys grazing in the park. The biggest surprise was finding the bar and restaurant at Boca Prins. Across from the restaurant there is a beach accessible by stairs to explore and watch the crashing waves.
Baby Beach is located at the south end of the island below San Nicolas.There are tennis courts open to the public and food is available at Baby beach,close to the tennis courts.

 

Jarrettsville Md
Review Submitted: September 29, 2008 Date of Stay: September 2008
This was my first time to Aruba, and what a great trip it was. My main purpose was for scuba diving. The diving was excellent as was the house. It was so nice to have a separate bath room for each bed room, made things very private for each person. The house was so spacious and it felt like home. EVERYTHING you need is there from beach towels and beach bags, to games and reading material. The home is more than equipt for anyone.

 

Jarrettsville, MD
Review Submitted: June 10, 2008 Date of Stay: June 2008
Thank you for sharing your piece of "Paradise" with my family. Your 3 bedroom villa has everything a dream vacation needs and more.We really appreciated the beach chairs and snorkeling gear, plus water shoes. Especially since the airline limits you to 1 bag check-in.We have memories that will last a lifetime!
Aruba has more to offer than I expected, this was my first trip to Aruba. There is the serenity of sitting on the front porch in the morning with a cup of coffee, while looking out at a breath taking view to gambling the night away downtown! We enjoyed both!
Truly there is something for everyone in Aruba. Our group ranged in age from
8-65 and we all had a BLAST! The beach directly across the street from the house has great snorkeling and beautiful teal waters that are a treat to the eyes. The local people are friendly and hospitable. If you are looking for a fishing trip, you can ask for HERBERT at the local store just a 2 minute walk from the house.We ventured out early 1 morning with Herbert to catch a few fish and share fishing stories. Having a rental car is convenient but one night we used a cab from downtown that only cost $20.00. Not a bad price to pay to not have to worry about driving late at night.
One place not to be missed just a few minutes from the house was De Palm Island. This is an "All Inclusive" day trip at the beach. Everything from food, drink, snorkeling gear, water park activities are included. During our visit we saw a group of Parrot Fish the largest I've ever seen. Don't forget the underwater camera we did but it's an excuse to go back! Another short drive is Baby Beach. If it's a day at the beach that you enjoy then Baby Beach is a must! This beach has calm waters that can rejuvenate and relax the stress right out of your life. We can't wait to get back to Baby Beach. We had an awesome dinner at Flying Fishbone.
Cooking at the house was enjoyable even doing laundry was a pleasure on this trip, the laundry room is conveniently located between the bedrooms and the great room. I also enjoyed walking around the neighborhood looking at trees I've only seen in Hawaii.The locals cut bunches of flowers for me to take back to the house.
I just can't say enough about this piece of Paradise!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU! for sharing it with us! Planning to get back as soon as possible.
Lorrie & family

 

BelAir, MD
Review Submitted: June 10, 2008 Date of Stay: June 2008
Our family of nine was delighted to have vacationed in your lovely island home.We found it very family friendly & comfortable, providing all the necessary items for sleeping, cooking, snorkeling and beach going.
The most wonderful thing about your home is the location. To be able to sit on the front porch and see the brilliant blue lagoon and the sun beyond was very peaceful and relaxing. Watching the sunset,then seeing the lights as they moved by was an added relaxation.It was a quiet location where everyone could pop in and out of the water as they wished.
Nice neighbors, friendly Arubans, great sight seeing, wonderful, gradual, sloping beaches, and quality restaurants are just a few of the pluses while enjoying your home.Thanks for sharing it with us!
Marge, Reg, Barry, Roberta, Sara, Ryan, Mark, Annette, & Elizabeth
Thank you for sharing your piece of "Paradise" with my family. Your 3 bedroom villa has everything a dream vacation needs and more.We really...

 

Havre De Grace, MD
Review Submitted: May 20, 2008 Date of Stay: May 2008
It was our third stay in Aruba and to us it was the best because of your place and location. We stayed previously in both the Hi-rise and the Lo-rise areas but they were no comparison to your villa. Every morning when we awoke and went outside on the front porch we were in awe of the scenery. The quiet lagoon.
The accommodations were very comfortable with large rooms and the 3 bathrooms. Very relaxing and far enough away from the stress of staying down-town.Great place to stay., Thanks for all the nice extras.

 

Whiteford, MD
Review Submitted: May 20, 2008 Date of Stay: May 2008
....This amazing place is truly a "getaway" from the hustle & bustle of Maryland life! The view from the front is breathtaking, calming & therapeutic... The spacious living room has been a great place for our family to share, reconnect & relax... The memories made here will be with us a lifetime....Alex finding coconuts & trying to break them, Alex & Amy doing handstands in the shallow water, snorkeling & seeing fish, eating dinners out w/BEAUTIFUL sunsets, shopping at native markets, THE BEACHES.... Thank you, Thank you for sharing all this with us! We feel so blessed. (Cindy)
I'd have to say that the snorkeling was one of my favorite memories. The variety of fish that I saw was incredible. I love the view of the ocean from what feels to be our own private beach. I feel like I'm dreaming & I hope that I don't wake up...(Amy)
What an amazing view and location. It's like having your own private beach. Waters are calm and fantastic snorkeling. The house is spacious and all the conveniences of home. The perfect getaway....(Scott)
...THE BEACHES AND SNORKELING ARE AMAZING...(Alex)
guest name: Cindy, Scott, Alex & Amy