PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

If you haven’t been to Aruba lately you might not recognize Oranjestad. The small city has been refreshed and rejuvenated with both locals and visitors in mind, and there are more innovative improvements to come.—Susan Campbell

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Aruba is creating the longest linear park in the Caribbean to provide a smooth paved trail ideal for walking, jogging, biking, and sightseeing. The trail begins at the airport and stretches along the sea to downtown Oranjestad with plenty of resting spots, refreshment stands, and dining options along the way. Catch a stellar sunset at Surfside Beach and try out the new public workout equipment or take a dip in the sea along the trail. The main park plaza has also become a popular outdoor venue for events like marathons, yoga, and cultural festivals.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Donaldford | Dreamstime.com

Located beside the downtown bus terminal, the new local market has grown to become a visitor favorite. With 40 buzzing stalls—all with permanent coverings to shield them from the elements—it’s an ideal spot to find locally made items and affordable Aruban souvenirs. The owners entice local creators to showcase their wares there, so you’ll find unique items like sand art, wood carvings, oil paintings, seashell jewelry, and all manner of cool handmade keepsakes. You’ll also find excellent local fare on site, including BBQ and fresh fruit shakes, and there’s free parking as well.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Beyond the Bon Bini Festival held every Tuesday showcasing local food, music, and dance at Fort Zoutman, Oranjestad is seeing all kinds of new events popping up throughout the year. There are many spinoffs, from the annual music festivals to arts and crafts fairs, and Queen Wilhelmina Park on the marina often has free entertainment like the new “Crazy Wednesdays,” where the Renaissance sponsors a new show every week. There are often live bands at the many dining spots and new events like “Eat Local Restaurant Week” and street food festivals are also bringing more life to downtown.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

The downtown grid is also punctuated with many new outdoor plazas. These were designed to be the lungs of the little city and ideal spots for resting, replete with fountains and benches. Enjoy people watching in busy Plaza Daniel Leo or enjoy Plaza Torismo’s wide-open spaces at Linear Park. There’s also a new Plaza at Parden Baai where the trolley begins, and at Plaza Nicky you can sample Aruba’s only locally roasted java at Coffee Break Aruba.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Aruba has a vibrant art scene, and now at Cas di Cultura you’ll find the island’s first permanent display of Aruban art sponsored by UNOCA. The new downtown Cosecha building is another permanent home where Aruban artists and crafters can display and sell their work. There are also many cool new outdoor sculptures scattered about downtown, including the “Blue Horse” series, a tribute to the island’s past importance as a horse-trading port. And visit Korteweg’s Facebook page to see when their outdoor pop-up art exhibits will magically transform an entire street into a cultural happening.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Now there’s a fun new way to explore the newly refreshed streets and attractions of Oranjestad, and better yet—it’s free. Aruba’s eco-friendly battery-powered trolleys loop the downtown region and offer hop-on/hop-off access from nine stops beginning at the cruise terminal. Two cars are double-decker for great views, and both have shaded seating options. The trolleys move slowly on dedicated tracks and all cars are wheelchair accessible. Aruba is the only island in the Caribbean with this cool mode of transportation.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Aruba has more than 200 fine-dining spots covering a vast range of cuisines, and many of them are located in Oranjestad.  The Renaissance Marketplace houses a variety of restaurants; new dining options there include Sea Salt for fresh fish and Sidebar for gourmet burgers and craft bourbon cocktails. And the new Wilhelmina Restaurant close by has been drawing crowds eager to try their avant-garde international menu. On Surfside Beach just down the linear park path, you’ll also find West Deck for great local fusion fare and Barefoot for romantic sunset dinners on the sea.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Oranjestad has always been a hotbed for retail therapy seekers looking for upscale jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, and Swiss watches or designer fashions at very good prices. But now the well-established family run businesses behind modern malls like the Renaissance are also benefitting from a new influx of foot and trolley traffic. Specialty stores are also moving into the new malls like Margarita Plaza, offering sportswear, baby items, footwear, and duty-free cosmetics and perfumes.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Aruba Tourism Authority

Oranjestad’s original “Main Street” was once Caya G. F Betico Croes, directly behind the Renaissance Marina hotel, but over time the neighborhood became badly neglected and business slowed down because visitors—especially cruise ship passengers—preferred to stick close to the marina’s L.G. Smith Blvd., where the souvenir market stalls are set up. But now, the old main street has rebounded thanks to the new trolley, and the newly completed palm tree-lined pedestrian-only portion of the street.

PLAN YOUR TRIP with Fodor’s Oranjestad Guide

PHOTO: Patrick Williams Photography

Undersea hotels represent one of the newest frontiers in hospitality. From Zanzibar to Sweden, beautiful underwater properties with one-of-a-kind views have been popping up around the globe, featuring some of the most unique rooms that travelers can book. Meanwhile, closer to home, many celebrated US aquariums offer sleepovers that aren’t just for kids anymore. Check out our picks for places that allow you to sleep under the sea (or at least pretend that’s where you are).

By Rachel B. Doyle

PHOTO: Genberg Art UW Ltd and photography credits: Jesper Anhede

WHERE: Pemba Island, Tanzania

Pemba, a verdant Indian Ocean island in the Zanzibar archipelago, has long been enticing divers with its pristine coral reefs and clear waters. Now the chic Manta Resort has taken the aquatic worship one step further, last month opening Africa’s first underwater hotel room. Submerged 13 feet underwater, the room has eight large, lit windows through which guests can gawk at a Technicolor parade of fish and cephalopods. A ladder leads to a sundeck and lounge.

Insider tip: Guests can have meals sent out to them by boat, such as grilled snapper with rosemary bread, followed by chocolate mousse and spiced pineapple.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Tanzania Guide

PHOTO: Courtesy of Jules Undersea Lodge

WHERE: Key Largo, FL

The granddaddy of underwater hotels, Jules’ Undersea Lodge–a former marine lab that opened as an inn in 1986—has an unusually high bar to entry. All guests desirous of spending the night need to know how to scuba dive. There’s no other way to enter this two-bedroom retro hideout, 30 feet below the surface in a mangrove-laden lagoon. The customary underwater dinner is pizza from Papa John’s, but guests can upgrade to local lobster or filet mignon.

Insider tip: Don’t want to commit to a whole night among the angelfish and barracudas? Jules’ also offers a three-hour lunchtime “mini-adventure” for $150 per person, pizza included.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Key Largo Guide

PHOTO: foco design

WHERE: Dubai, UAE

Where would they build the most ambitious luxury hotel under the waves? Dubai, of course. The Emirate that brought you a man-made island in the shape of a palm tree now hopes to unveil the Hydropolis Underwater Hotel, in a Hyde Park-sized complex 66 feet under the sea. Guests staying at one of the 220 suites will be greeted at the “land post” on Jumeriah beach and taken by submerged subway to the main part of the hotel. The developers say that they hope to welcome 3,500 guests a day, once they overcome “financial constrictions.”

Insider tip: This hotel also plans to offer a plastic surgery clinic, and recovering patients can stay out of sight under the sea.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Dubai Guide

PHOTO: Västerås stad

WHERE: Västerås, Sweden

The most rustic underwater hotel of the bunch, the tiny and adorable Utter Inn gently bobs in Sweden’s Lake Mälaren. The visible part of the hotel is designed like a typical Swedish home, with an A-frame roof, red sides and white gables. Down a 10-foot ladder there’s a cozy room with twin beds and panoramic windows to watch pike and perch swim by. With no electricity, the tranquility here is absolute.

Insider tip: Use the on-board inflatable canoe to visit an uninhabited nearby island. Many of Lake Mälaren’s islands were once Viking settlements.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Sweden Guide

 

PHOTO: Courtesy of Poseidon Undersea Resorts

WHERE: Fiji

Some 150,000 people have allegedly signed up to be notified once Poseidon Undersea Resort opens for business. The five-star underwater resort in Fiji was scheduled to launch in 2008, but a combination of the global recession and the difficulty of sub-aqua building have led to it still being incomplete. Ambitious projections show an underwater library, golf course, and tennis court, while the website promises future guests the use of a personal submarine.

Insider tip: If you really want to jump the queue, contact Poseidon about booking a wedding in the undersea chapel. Just don’t set a date yet.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Fiji Guide

PHOTO: Gian Marco Valente/Dreamstime.com

WHERE: Baltimore, MD

Although the U.S. only has one underwater hotel, America leads the pack when it comes to aquarium sleepovers. At the National Aquarium in Baltimore, home to over 17,000 animals, overnight visitors can choose between shark or dolphin-themed sleepovers. An underwater viewing area morphs into dramatic sleeping quarters, and guests can take nocturnal tours, watch dolphin shows, or see sharks being fed. At $115 per person including breakfast and dinner, this may be the best deal in Baltimore’s popular Inner Harbor area.

Insider tip: Discounts are available for groups of over 15 people.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Baltimore Guide

PHOTO: Patrick Williams Photography

WHERE: Atlanta, GA

Kudos to the Georgia Aquarium, the world’s second largest, for realizing adults might want to have aquarium sleepovers too. This aquarium, home to some 100,000 sea creatures, offers the 21+ crowd a package with live jazz, cocktails, and behind-the-scenes tours. Guests can then sleep in until 10 am on mattresses plopped in front of beluga whales or a giant Pacific octopus.

Insider tip: Wear comfortable shoes. This aquarium is enormous.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Atlanta Guide

PHOTO: Courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium

WHERE: Newport, OR

Overnight guests at the Oregon Coast Aquarium get to bed down in underwater walkways along with some 5,000 species. With its 360-degree views, this exhibit has an apt nickname: the shark tubes. The itinerary for kids includes a scavenger hunt through different marine habitats, and the package also comes with two meals for $60. The program for adults is less scripted (sadly, no scavenger hunt), but can include a tour of a nearby brewery.

Insider Tip: Bring warm clothes for sleeping–it can get chilly in the shark tubes.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Newport Guide

PHOTO: Courtesy of Ushaka Marine World

WHERE: Durban, South Africa

Slumber parties at this South African aquarium take place in a highly realistic replica of a wrecked 1940s steam ship outfitted with massive fish tanks. Overnight visitors to the cleverly designed uShaka Sea World can wander through four connected “shipwrecks,” where they’ll find 32 tanks boasting many species of rays, an array of incredibly poisonous reptiles, and one of the most diverse collections of sharks in the world.

Insider tip: Take your swimsuit. The uShaka complex has a nice stretch of sandy coastline.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Durban Guide

PHOTO: Courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific

WHERE: Long Beach, CA

Leave it to Southern Californians to figure out that aquariums and meditation are a perfect match. The adults-only package at the Aquarium of the Pacific involves a yoga session, fish feeding, and an informal lecture on marine life for $80. A pizza dinner and light breakfast are included, and alcohol is available (once you’re done demonstrating chakravakasana poses to sea otters.)

Insider tip: Download the aquarium’s free “Explorer” app before going.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Long Beach Guide