International
The sun and the beaches will always be there, but the Aruba Tourism Board has recently released even more reasons why the ultimate Caribbean luxury vacation spot for 2010 is found in Aruba’s piece of paradise.
1. More direct flights: Sunseekers from the UK can now discover Aruba with direct flights from both London Gatwick and Manchester. Due to increasing consumer demand, Thomson Airways now operate weekly services to Aruba on Fridays (from Manchester) and Saturdays (from London Gatwick) until the end of October.
2. New Luxury Hotels: Accommodation in Aruba remains of the highest standards: Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach is the latest hotel to open on the island, while over the last few months, some of Aruba’s most prestigious properties have been unveiling one by one the final stages of extensive, multi-million pound renovations: the Aruba Marriott Resort Stellaris Casino fully renovated its rooms - the most spacious on the island - and added an exclusive upscale hotel-within-a-hotel concept; the Westin Resort Aruba is now enhanced with impressive new design, including the full upgrade of its guestrooms and the complete makeover of its hotel lobby by award-winning interior design firm Leo A Daly; while the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Casino launched four new luxury suites, from 1,150 to 2,500 square-foot, with floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping ocean views.
3. Celebrity Hotspot: Richard Gere is the latest celebrity to be spotted on the island, as the official host of the inaugural Aruba International Film Festival. A popular destination for the US market for decades, Aruba has seen a number of celebrities on its beaches, from Alicia Keys and Ben Affleck to Brooke Shields and Jamie Foxx. Timbaland got married in Aruba two years ago, while Tom Cruise, who used to have a house on the island, returned a few weeks ago for a private party at Renaissance Island.
4. Romantic Moonlit Walks: Aruba may be sun-kissed but it also has a darker side, which you can experience with a unique full moon walking tour through its Arikok National Park. The Moonlight Walks venture deep into Aruba’s desert-like cunucu (countryside) to discover curious shapes and shadows cast by the moonlit cacti and rock formations. Arikok National Park, which is completing a three-year infrastructure upgrade, makes up almost 20 per cent of the island’s total land mass.
5. Skydive and See Aruba: Skydiving is now available for the first time on the island! Soaring from 11,000 feet, jumps are made out of a Cessna plane by trained professionals, allowing you to take in all the beauty of the southern Caribbean. Tandem jumps are only available, while the equipment feature state-of-the-art three-stage fail safe devices so if all else fails a computer controlled system will deploy the chute!
7. New Archaeological Museum of Aruba: Part of the recently restored historic Ecury complex, the Archaeological Museum of Aruba reopened this year in its new home. A former family house, the building has been transformed to a state-of-the-art, 21st century museum that preserves Aruba’s Amerindian cultural heritage, covering 5,000 years of local history. Great care has been taken to preserve the beauty and historic character of the original buildings.
8. The First Aruba Wine Extravaganza: Enjoy rare vintages and top scoring wines guided by the winemakers themselves! Taking place for the first time this September, the Aruba Wine Extravaganza is bringing together about 50 different South American wineries through a series of wine tastings under the stars, special lunches and a sparkling wine reception, followed by an award presentation.
9. New Green Package for Eco-Lovers: Bucuti Beach Resort, one of the greenest resorts in the Caribbean, has now launched a new eco-friendly Experience Aruba Green Package, to help guests find out more about Aruba‚s environment, culture and history. The package includes a guided hike with a native park ranger through Arikok National Park, home to most of the island’s flora and fauna; a tour of the Aruba Aloe factory, to learn how Aruba’s oldest industry has been producing aloe for more than 100 years; and an authentic Aruban dinner at Pirates’ Nest restaurant.
10. 20 Years of Aruba Catamaran Regatta: Celebrating its 20th anniversary in November, the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta attracts top sailors from all over the world, who come back year after year to compete in this one of the best Catamaran events in the world. Even if you don’t sail, you can just relax on the beach and follow the regattas leisurely from your sun lounger or hop onto one of the spectator boats to take a closer look at the racers and share their excitement!
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Are you all set to walk down the aisle with the love of your life? What about celebrating the last weekend of your single-hood with a bunch of your gal-pals in the lap of luxury? 
