Nightlife

Aruba never sleeps. But it does doze. After a long day on the beach, most tourists are ready to call it a night after dinner. For those with more energy, a couple of the island's 11 casinos stay open 24/7, and many dance clubs start rolling about midnight and keep going as long as there are customers. Other nighttime activities include Vegas-stile shows, current movies, local musical entertainment, and dinner/party cruises.

Pick up a free island publication to find out what's happening during the week. Most hotels and tourist spots have at least one of the local magazines: Aruba Nights, K-Pasa, or Aruba Experience. Also the English-language newspapers: Aruba today and The News. And don't ignore those colorful promotional pamphlets you'll see at your resort's activities desk. Many of them offer free drinks or discounts on admission.

Casino Notes

All gaming in the Aruba casinos is done with US currency. The slots use either US coins or tokens of the same value depending on the casino. Many machines will accept your paper US currency directly. There are nickel slots at all the casinos and some also have penney machines. Sports betting is available at many of the casinos.

Do not expect slots payouts like Nevada or New Jersey, the machines in Aruba are very tight!

Table minimums vary depending on the casino, the craps tables, for example are $5 at some casinos and $10 at others.

• EXCELSIOR CASINO J. E. Irausquin Blvd. 230, good for all-around action
• ROYAL CABANA (at La Cabana) The Caribbean's Largest Casino
• HYATT REGENCY Beautiful Las Vegas style casino
• ALHAMBRA Free standing casino and bazaar, open late, very unique
• CRYSTAL CASINO In the Sonesta Hotel Building, right in the heart of Oranjestad