Aruba
In Aruba, fifteen miles off the coast of Venezuela, everything is so dushi. You'll hear the word repeated over and over and eventually stop snickering long enough to learn that it's a word in the Caribbean island's mother tongue, Papiamento -- a mix of Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch. Dushi, it turns out, means sweet, nice, dear. All words you'll want to associate with your honeymoon.
Some of Aruba's dushi finds include: the sleek Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino (pictured above; marriott.com/aruba), with its free-form swimming pool; Mandara Spa (request a facial with Nilda); and the Aruban Triangle, a trio of lobster tail, swordfish, and mahi mahi at Simply Fish, where you can play footsies in the sugar-white sand while you dine.
You don't have to leave the luxury hotel or its oh-so-comfortable lounge chairs and shady huts by the shimmering turquoise sea, but it would be a shame to miss the island's geographical contrasts and hospitable people.
Dushiness abounds in downtown Oranjestad, where there's a treasure trove of jewelry stores and high-end retailers such as Louis Vuitton and Carolina Herrera. Take in a little history at the newly reopened Archaeological Museum. Climb the Ayo Rock Formations at sunset. Down a bottle of Aruba's Balashi beer at local bar 080. Dine on seafood skewers at open-air Pinchos Grill & Bar, on a rustic pier. And bring your leftover apples from lunch to the Donkey Sanctuary, where you can feed Brad Pitt (the ass) and help save the island's original mode of transportation.
- Rooms start at $509 (high season). The Tradewinds Club Honeymoon Package, starting at $380, includes exclusive access to a private lounge and secluded beach area, complimentary couples massage at the Mandara Spa, open bar daily from 6 to 9 p.m., deluxe amenities, and ocean-view accommodations.
- Getting there: US Airways flies direct to Aruba daily.
— Erica Levi Zelinger
Photo: Aruba Marriott Resort
