The Occidental Grand Aruba is the new luxury, all-inclusive resort on the beautiful Palm Beach in Aruba.  They offer some of the finest accommodations on the island in all of their 348 deluxe rooms and suites and 50 Royal Club level rooms and suites.

 All of their rooms feature luxurious aspects such as marble floors, balcony or terrace with views, full bathrooms with shower and bathtub, satellite television, mini bar, air conditioning, in-room safe, telephone with data port, and clock radio.  Within the Royal Club rooms you will find nothing but top luxury.  All Royal Club rooms and suites feature pristine ocean views, hydro-massage bathtubs, CD and DVD players, exceptional room service (such as champagne and strawberries at breakfast and Godiva chocolates at turndown), personal concierge, exclusive check-in at the Royal Club level floor, business center with meeting rooms, internet access, private lounge, restaurant and other boutique VIP services.

 Nearly everything is included in the all-inclusive plan throughout the resort, such as tennis, snorkeling, scuba clinics, kayaking, sailing, and daily activities and amenities (such as chaise lounges, cabanas and towel services) at the pool or beach.  And the parents can take part in such activities without worrying, while their children take part in many activities at the supervised Kids Club.

 Other options available for a small fee, is a nearby 18-hole championship golf course, motorized water sports (such as water-ski, Jet Ski and parasailing), scuba diving trips and equipment rental, horseback riding, and private tennis lessons.  Also on the property is a logo shop, boutique, newspaper stand, car rental, babysitting, fax and telephone service, conference facilities, 24-hour medical service and laundry.

 Occidental Grand Aruba features four bars: Cocktail (featured in the lobby), Sound (located in the lounge and features nightly entertainment, music and shows), Splash (located next to the pool oasis), and Bikini (is perfect for a snack or a toast at sunset, with the best views from the beach).  And six restaurants: Palm (with an international buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner), L’Olio (serving exceptional Italian), El Olivido (serving up festive Mexican cuisine), Zen (where you’ll find a variety of Asian specialties, such as Tepenyaki, Sushi, and Tatame), Beach Club (with a menu featuring progressive Caribbean cookery), and an exclusive restaurant available just for Royal club guests.

 Aruba, with more than a dozen beaches, and an average temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, is a hot spot for vacationing, and a beautiful spot to visit.  Now you can go online to many different sites and see all that Aruba has to offer with a click of your mouse.

 On Aruba.com you can navigate through the island, through events and aspect of Aruba.  By clicking on “What to do,” you can look at the Events Calendar (which will tell you details on the Carnival events and more).  Also on “What to do” and “Culture” you can view the many museums and the capital city of Oranjestad.  On “Weather update,” you can see the latest forecast, and view a live webshot at Eagle Beach.  Under “Specialized Vacations” you will see suggestions on family vacations, and tropical wedding and honeymoon trips.  By clicking on “Aruban Made” you can wander through Aruba’s local beers, rums, hot sauce and gifts.  The site also offers information on shopping, cuisine, nightlife, spas, and more.

 On Meet Aruba.com you can steer your way through the Dive Map, which gives you details on divers where you can see manta rays, morays, angel fish, coral reefs, and wrecks of ships and airplanes.  You can also get detailed information on Islands Butterfly Farm, the Green Flash, Bubali Bird Ponds, ruins of two of Aruba’s gold mines, Arikok National Park (where you will find the highest point on Aruba, 616 feet), horseback riding, cruises, casinos and diving in Aruba.

 Other sites worth looking at are Aruba-guide.com, where you can see information on activities, especially scuba gear and wrecks and reefs, Aruba Tourism.com, which offers virtual tours of Aruba, and Geographia, where you can look at the culture, tradition, and natural beauty of Aruba.

No one likes layovers, that’s why we’ve compiled a list of islands you can reach nonstop from the mainland U.S. and Canada.

Antigua - has many white sand beaches and is a popular destination for boaters.  When in Antigua, stay at Siboney Beach Club; a homey, 12-suite inn on Dickenson Bay.

Aruba – 18 miles north of Venezuela, sits just outside the hurricane belt and usually has sunny skies all year-round.  When in Aruba, stay at Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort on Eagle Beach’s white sands.

Bahamas – just a 30-minute flight from the mainland U.S., with mellow beaches and beautiful water.  When in the Bahamas, stay at the Orange Hill Beach Inn, a 30-room inn located on a Nassau snorkeling beach.  You can also try the Paradise Harbour Club & Marina, which has a pool, a Jacuzzi, and free beach shuttles.

Barbados – When in Barbados stay at the Dover Beach Hotel, the rooms are only steps from Turtle Beach and the hotel is only a 15 minute drive from the airport and is within walking distance from St. Lawrence Gap.  Also you can stay at the Sea Breeze Beach Hotel, where all of the beachfront rooms have a balcony or patio.

Cayman Islands – the largest and most populated of the three Cayman Islands is Grand Cayman, where many a diver has fled to look at the Cayman Trench (an underwater canyon that plunges nearly 25,000 feet deep.  When here stay at the Turtle Nest Inn, with has 10 two-bedroom condos and seven one-bedroom apartments, and you can see the ocean from your bed.

Dominican Republic – a main entry point is Santo Domingo, the Republic’s capital, other popular points are La Romana, Punta Cana, Puerto Plata, and Santiago.  When there you can stay at the all-inclusive, adults-only, BlueBay Villas Doradas in Puerto Plata, where romance is easy to rekindle.  Or at Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach near La Romana, this all-inclusive hotel features 530 rooms, three pools, four restaurants and four bars.

Grenada – You can find a laid back atmosphere at Grenada, and can never fear it booming from tourism, as this island has a law stating that buildings cannot be taller than a coconut palm tree.  When here stay at the beachside Coral Cove Cottages located on five acres of hillside gardens.  Or at the La Sagesse, which is found on a secluded beach.

Jamiaca – the main entry points for U.S travelers are Kingston and Montego Bay.  Here you can stay at the all-inclusive Starfish Trelawny Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, which houses five pools, waterslides, a beach, water sports and activities.

Approximately one million tourists per year visit Aruba.  Just off the coast of Venezuela, this destination offers activities from their famed music tour in October to Jeep tours through the island.  Aruba is attractive to many travelers due to their beautiful weather (they have year-round warm-weather with an average temperature of 82 degrees), and is placed outside the path of most hurricanes.

 The island is known for their incredibly clean drinking water, which is due to the low rainfall and the large desalination plant that The World Health Organization has rated as being among the best in the world.  But if you don’t wish to drink only their fresh water, you can drink Aruba’s popular Balashi Beer.  The Balashi Brewery offers free tours Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. with reservations.

 Aruba offers many activities all year round.  You can simply lounge around on the island’s beautiful beaches, or snorkel and scuba dive off shore.  Many sunken wrecks, such as the 400-foot hulk of a German freighter, allow for fascinating diving experiences, and have earned Aruba the rating as the top wreck diving destination in the Caribbean, according to Rodale Scuba Diving magazine.  If you prefer to stay on land and enjoy in the island’s wild desert landscape, you can book an expedition in the back of a jeep with DePalm Tours.  The eight-hour package will include a half-day in the jeep past landmarks such as the Bushiribana gold mill ruins and the remnants of the Natural Bridge.