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Friday 23 February 2018

Today Is Going To Be A Good Day

ORANJESTAD - Here’s why: Aruban cat eye snake (san- check out their website for
Aruba Today collected tanero) and endangered more information: www.
some things to do BEYOND rattle snake (cascabel) are philipsanimalgarden.com.
the beach. Yes, we know. just some of them, you can
Aruba, located 15 miles also admire these close in The Lighthouse
north of Venezuela in the the park’s Visitors’ Center. No, you would not think
warm waters of the south- For more information, visit of this as a hidden gem.
ern Caribbean, is home the website www.arubana- The California Lighthouse
to beautiful white-sand tionalpark.org is actually one of the most
beaches, 82-degree days, known highlights in Aruba
and thus ideal for the per- Philip’s Animal Garden and many repeated guests
fect beach day. But we To stay with the animals, most probably took the ride
are also blessed with some let’s hop to an amazing uphill already. But, there
of the warmest people in place. Something different is a significant change to
the world and our island is to do, an experience that this tower. Since Septem-
19.6 miles long and6 miles is to be enjoyed by peo- ber 2016 you can climb the
across, with a total area of ple of all ages. Welcome top. In 2015 StichtingMonu-
70 square miles. Bit more to Philip’s Animal Garden. mentenfonds started the
to discover than the white We are not talking about restoration of the Califor-
stretch on the coastline we a zoo here, this is actually nia Lighthouse. The project
say. Let’s mention some of a sanctuary for all types finished in September 2016
these hidden gems. of creatures, from horses and the Lighthouse is now
to peacocks, kangaroos open for visitors to enjoy
Nature Calls to turtles, monkeys, goats, the beautiful view from the
The Arikok National park is and many, many more dif- top.The construction of the
worth the ride. We love the ferent species. The place California Lighthouse start-
hikes that are guided by was founded in 2009 and ed in 1915. The name ‘Cali-
the park’s rangers whose it is the only organization fornia’ came from a vessel
job is to maintain trails and rescuing and rehabilitat- of the West India Company
protect natural resources. ing exotic animals in Aru- and Pacific Steamship Co.
The flora and fauna are ba, which has resulted in called ‘California’ that
beautiful and the histori- an amazing collection of shipwrecked in the area in
cal sites tell you about the these animals. They pro- 1891. Therefore they came
island’s indigenous roots. vide a suitable living envi- up with the idea of build-
The guided tours are even ronment for all the rescued ing a lighthouse that could
free of charge. If you are animals. Up until now the indicate the island’s east-
not up to walking, you can owner, Philip, has built this ern tip to ships with its light.
drive through the park, one shelter with his own efforts; www.arubalighthouse.com
way or another this park is building all the cages from will give you more informa-
a great place to spend an scratch, designing all struc- tion.
entire day. Cruising through tures and welding them
the landscape you end up with his own bare hands. His Kayak in the Mangroves
at some of the most stun- goal is to upgrade the facil- MangelHalto at Savaneta
ning beaches like Dos Pla- ities to a world-class animal is definitely a place not to
ya or Daimara Beach. In shelter with veterinary care miss out on. The beauti-
Total the park consists of and round-the-clock staffs. ful beach with the natu-
7907 acres protected na- With the input from the Aru- ral mangroves is simply a
ture with a richness of ani- ban community and visitors beauty, but if you are into
mals living in it. The Aruban they provide the best care a more active way to enjoy
whiptail lizard (cododo), for these animals. Please the nature: take a kayak.
While you are doing some
workout -as it might get a
little windy and rough-, you
will see the island from a
different perspective. You
can even make a stop to
do some snorkeling at the
reef. Its fun, it’s healthy and
for sure something else.
There are several compa-
nies that offer kayak tours,
we had good experience
with The Shack Kayak
Tours Aruba, find them on
Facebook.q