Planning & Arrival

Should I rent a car?

Yes! Please see our page for a few tips on car rentals in Aruba.

Although the beach is only 1 mile away, we would recommend that you rent a car in order to get the most from your vacation. There are 3 reasons for this:

1. You can enjoy everything that Aruba has to offer more easily. Drive up to the California lighthouse, check out different beaches, take a nice drive to the other end of the island, etc. There is plenty of free parking at the beaches.

2. The walk to the beach is safe and easy, but there aren't sidewalks for the entire walk.

3. Assuming that you plan on having at least some of your meals at Canaruba, it will be easier to get groceries if you have a car. You can easily walk to the closest grocery store, but you may prefer to go to one of the larger ones. Check out our "groceries" page.

Taxis are widely available on the island. There is no meter - rides are all done on a fixed rate basis. The rates can be found here.

Can I park my car at Canaruba?

Yes! We are on a cul-de-sac so it's "round" - 1 or 2 cars can park in front of the house.

If you feel more comfortable, one car will fit on the driveway inside the gate. 

Don't worry about not being inside the gate - Aruba is very safe and many people in the Boroncana neighbourhood park on the road in front of their home. (The gate is more of an inconvenience than anything! - but please keep it closed or the goats will have a feast on our mangos.)

We park our rental car outside of the gate. Even if we rent a jeep with the roof down.

Any suggestions on car rentals in Aruba?

More information about renting a car can be found at this page on our website.

How many people can sleep at Canaruba?

The 3 bedrooms will very comfortably sleep 6 people. We do have an air mattress that sleeps an additional 2 people for a total of 8. However - the only place it would fit though is in the main living area, so you may find this a bit in the way. If you wanted to run the air conditioner in the main living area at night for sleeping this would likely take your electricity usage over the allowance. We would need to come to an arrangement for a slightly higher rental rate as well. If your plan is for 8 people, let's talk.

Packing

Do I need to pack sheets or towels?

Nope! We took care of this for you! We will provide you with 2 beach towels per person and 2 sets of bath towels per person (bath towel, hand and face.) 

Bed linens are provided.

1 Beach Towel and a set of Bath Towels is provided for each guest. There is a washer & dryer if you wanted to freshen-up your linens mid-stay.

Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner?

We have you covered with wall-mounted dispensers in each shower.

What about beach chairs, games, music, etc?

No need! All here.

What type of clothes should I plan on packing?

Very light. It's hot. Pack a lot of sunscreen, a hat, maybe a SPF-sun shirt.

All you will need during the day is your bathing suit.

It's very comfortable at night. Shorts for men & women, or a light dress for women will be very comfortable.

Do you have a crib / playpen or high chair?

Our on-island property manager has some of these that you can rent directly from them. Note that they do not have sheets for these, so you may wish to bring your own sheets for the crib or playpen. There is an additional cost for this, and you would pay the property manager directly.

There is a limited availability of these though, so please let us know as soon as you make the booking if you would like to request this. The earlier we make the request the greater the chance of availability.

There is a child dining seat located in the closet - it's pretty old though!

During the Stay

What's the deal with the "Electricity Allowance"?

The reason why this is different in Aruba (and other Caribbean islands) is because the utilities are a lot more expensive than in North America (we're from Canada ourselves - thus the "Canaruba" name). Unfortunately for visitors, each property owner does seem to do something a little different - whether it's how the costs are handled, what utilities are included or not, and how much of an "allowance" is provided. We prefer to take a "no surprises" approach!

We provide a $100 per week ($15 per night) allowance for electricity usage. This will cover normal general household usage as well as running the air conditioner in the bedrooms from bedtime until you wake. The Allowance is based on $0.50 per KwH (expensive isn't it!?)

During the day, Aruba almost always has a pretty constant breeze to it, and from personal experience I can say that with the double-front doors open and with the windows open the house is comfortable during the day without running the air conditioners. (A dip in the pool will keep things very comfortable of course too!) 

General advice is that running the main room a/c (or run it in the bedrooms all day) would run over the allowance. We would estimate that the a/c in the main family room costs about $10 per hour (even with the doors and windows closed). It's crazy we know.

A few other related suggestions:

• we do ask that guests not use the timer function on the remote as this can cause some challenges for a variety of reasons)

• turning off the bedroom a/c when you wake up is good (you don't want to forget!) and then leaving the door closed will keep the room relatively cool for quite a while (the walls are cinder block concrete)

• When you check in, the property manager show you the meter reading off the unit out front, to the left of the trash bin - If you want to give yourself a bit of extra comfort on your usage, you can check the current meter reading to see how much you have used so far (use US$0.50 per kwh to convert the usage into $)

The key thing here is that it is really just in place to avoid excessive usage and unexpected costs for the home as well.

Note if you are comparing to other homes: We do not provide an allowance of monitor water or gas / propane usage as neither of these are likely be be excessive.

What can you tell me about the cleaning of Canaruba?

Canaruba will be cleaned after you depart so that our next guests can have the same great experience as you did. This was covered by the cleaning fee you paid in your booking. We would ask that you please do your best to keep it reasonably clean and reasonably cleaned up before you leave.

If you would like to get a mid-stay cleaning this will be an additional cost. This is best arranged in advance. Please let us know the day(s) you would like and we'll let the on-island property manager know so that she can schedule it. Since these mid-stay cleanings are not included in the rental, you can pay the on-island property manager directly for this at the time. Plan on approximately US$200 for the full cleaning, but if you would like more or less than the "normal" you can speak with her about this.

What about the pool cleaning & gardening?

During your stay you may encounter pool and/or yard maintenance.

The pool is cleaned twice per week. The gardener comes twice per month.

Our on-island property manager will do their best to give you advance warning, but if you would like them to come back another time please don’t hesitate to speak with them or discuss this with the on-island property manager.

Is the water safe to drink?

VERY!

FUN FACT: Aruba is home to some of the cleanest drinking water in the world. You don’t even need to filter! The tap water goes through a multi-step process and is run through limestone before it makes its way to you. Clean drinking water right out of the tap, everywhere. Now that is relaxation.

What if I have questions or need help with something?

The on-island property manager will provide you with her contact information on your arrival. Generally she is available during normal business hours. Outside of business hours, she is available for emergencies - but please, only true emergencies.

See our page for medical and emergency contacts here.

General Aruba

What is the currency in Aruba?

The Aruba Florin (fl or RWB) is pegged at $1.78 per US dollar. Generally you can pay in either currency, and if you receive change it will be in the currency that you pay in. Credit cards are widely accepted and the store will convert from Florin to USD for all credit card charges (sometimes they will use a very slightly different rate than 1.78). You will also find many bank machines around the island.

Do I need to worry about storms or hurricanes or damage from either of these?

One of the great things about Aruba is that it is so far south it is below the hurricane zone. So you can plan your vacation with ease a long time in advance!

What's the weather like?

31 Celsius. 88 Fahrenheit

Aruba has the most sunshine out of all the Caribbean islands. It is hot - probably 30 most days. Aruba does have a pretty constant strong wind - at first this was unexpected, but we quickly came to appreciate it. It keeps the days more comfortable. Just don't plan on reading the newspaper outdoors!
The evenings are warm and comfortable. Shorts and dresses are great - you may still be too hot in pants.

Is Aruba safe?

Very. Aruba is a small island (20 x 6 miles) and the population is only about 100,000. You will quickly see that it is a close community. Ourselves and our neighbours have not had any problems.

So why the fence and gate on the property? - to keep the goats out of the gardens!