|
About
Aruba
The official language is Dutch, but
practically everybody speaks English.
The language of the street is
Papiamento, a local tongue that
combines various European, African,
and indigenous American languages.
Spanish is also an official language
and is widely spoken.
Currency -
The coin of the realm is the Aruba
florin (AFl), but U.S. dollars are
universally accepted.
Time- Aruba
is on Atlantic Standard time
year-round. For most of the year, the
island is 1 hour ahead of Eastern
Standard time (when it's noon in
Aruba, it's 11am in New York, 10am in
Chicago, and 8am in
Los
Angeles). When the
United States is on daylight saving
time, the time in New York and Aruba
is the same.
The water, which comes from the
world's second-largest desalination
plant, is pure and absolutely safe to
drink. Bottled water is widely
available
Drinking -
The legal age for both drinking and
gambling is 18.
Taxes & Service
Charges- The government of Aruba
charges a 6% room tax and a $36
airport departure tax (included in the
price of your ticket). Hotels and
restaurants often add service charges
of 10% to 12%.
Documents -
Bring your passport or original birth
certificate.
Banks-
Banks are open Monday to Friday from
8am to noon and 1:30 to 3:45pm.
Oranjestad and Noord, the town inland
from Palm Beach, have many branches.
You can find ATMs at the airport, in
Oranjestad, and at several hotels in
the Low-Rise and High-Rise areas.
Business Hours
- Stores are open from 8am to 6pm,
Monday through Saturday; some close
for lunch between noon and 2pm. Shops
in the malls and shopping centers have
slightly different hours, from 9:30am
to 6pm. When cruise ships are in port,
some stores in Oranjestad open on
Sunday and holidays. Office hours are
generally Monday through Friday from
9am to 5pm.
|
