If you want to experience a proper Caribbean Vacation then you absolutely need to look into the Manchebo Beach Resort. Located on Eagle Beach, this beautiful resort is the perfect place to head for romantic getaways, family vacations or simply for a treat to you.

There are 72 rooms spread out over 2 floors in the Manchebo Beach Resort. This makes it one of the smallest in the area. You really do get to feel the tranquillity. There are four different room types for you to select from, but all of them are incredibly luxurious and a joy to stay in. All include a 32” TV, Wi-Fi, Telephone, Air Conditioning, a Daily Maid service and much more.

The beach at the Manchebo Beach Resort is absolutely gorgeous. Here you can spend your time under one of the 40 Cabanas, relaxing and taking in the beautiful views of the glistening water which stretches out for miles. Manchebo has dedicated staff on the beach to help you out. This includes a cocktail waitress who will deliver your ice cold drinks to you as you relax! Talk about luxury right?

If you are opting for the all-inclusive package at the Manchebo Beach Resort then you will be pleased to know that you have access to three different restaurants. All of these serving up a slightly different type of food. For example, you can taste some gorgeous French Food at the ‘French Steakhouse’. Sample some Mediterranean & Caribbean Food at ‘Ike’s Bistro’ or go a bit more casual and munch away at the Pega-Pega café on the beach. Those that opt for the all-inclusive package will have all of their drink deliveries on the beach catered for too!

If you are looking to relax a bit more then you will be pleased to know that the resort includes a spa….right on the beach. Here you can get lovely massages, do a bit of yoga, a facial, mask or even a complete body wrap. The choice is yours. Whatever you opt for though, you can be sure that you will be leaving the space full revitalized.

When you stay at Manchebo you will be just a few minutes away from Oranjestad, which is a gorgeous city, and of course the capital of Aruba. It is packed to the brim with all sorts of shopping and culinary delights. You will love it. You will be able to just walk here.

Honestly, there is so much to do at the Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa it is nigh on impossible to include everything in such a short space. If you are looking for a brilliant vacation which really does give you a taste of the Caribbean life then a stay at this resort should be top of your agenda. If you really want to ‘splurge’ then you will be pleased to know that Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa offers a number of different packages for those who have specific goals that they want to achieve when they come to the resort. It is worth checking those out too.

Visit Manchebo Beach Resort Website

If you absolutely love music then you need to head to Aruba during the time of their largest festival. Let me introduce you to the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival. Held in early October 2013, the festival is currently aiming to be bigger and better than it has ever been, and with the schedule they have already lined up I am inclined to agree with them.

The Jazz Festival was only established in 2007, but every year it has gone from strength to strength. It now has people flocking from all over the world to sample the brilliant acts that the festival always has to offer. This year for example you will be able to see a number of popular jazz musicians perform live including El Gran Combo, Willy Garcia and George Benson. These top acts are mixed up with a number of regional and local acts to give you a real broad spectrum when it comes to the music. There are three different stages at the Jazz Festival. They will all be in usage at the same time. This gives you a real choice when it comes to selecting whose beautiful sounds you wish to listen to.

Whilst the music is the main draw for people at the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival, it is not the only reason why people come here. Perhaps one of my favourite things about the festival is the amount of gorgeous food there is to sample. The food court does a pretty good job of collecting top chefs from around the world who will serve you up everything from Caribbean delights all the way through to a bit of Sushi. Trust me, when you visit the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival you will leave incredibly well fed!

In addition to this, an art expo is being planned for the event this year. Here you will be able to see some gorgeous regional and local art work. It really is shaping up to be something pretty amazing. Whilst details are pretty sketchy at the moment, we do know that it is going to provide you with a bit of a break from the music. It also will show to you just how talented the artists are on the island of Aruba.

If you absolutely love Jazz Music, or Music in general then do make plans to head to the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival this year. You will love it, and it will be an experience you will not forget any time soon. This year the festival will be held at the ‘Renaissance Festival Plaza’ on Friday October 4th and Saturday October 5th 2013. Both of these days have different acts on show, and the ticket price covers you for both of these days. If you get your tickets in early you will be able to enjoy the ‘Early Bird Special’ which is only $35 for the 3 days. This is a complete bargain when you realize what you are going to be getting for your money!

Aruba Grappling will have the largest Submission Grappling tournament in Aruba that will have both spectators and competitors from all over the world. The Grapplers levels are divided into two: beginners and advanced levels. Competitors will get to fight everyone who is in their category. Prizes will be given for those who come 1st, 2nd and 3rd for all the weight classes and also for the best team. The sponsors will also avail special prizes for all category winners.

For Beginners a white belt BJJ or less than 2 years experience in ground fighting.
For Advanced at least blue belt BJJ or over 2 years experience in ground fighting.

Our Grappling Tournament will use the rules of the IBJJF point system. Besides this, participants are allowed to use all chokes and locks but no slams are allowed. The referees who will be there know all the rules and they have had a couple of years experience being referees.

The Weight Classes are
Men
Beginners -71 kg Advanced -71 kg
Beginners -73 kg Advanced -73 kg
Beginners -79 kg Advanced -79 kg
Beginners -85 kg Advanced -85 kg
Beginners -91 kg Advanced -91 kg
Beginners +91 kg Advanced +91 kg

Women
The beginner category will have the -60kg category and the +60kg category only.
The women advanced category will also only have the -60kg category and the +60 kg category.

The event will take place on JULY 26th at Bushiri Karting Speedway. The address to the venue is #25 Location. The venue is on the dirt road that is behind the very famous Ling and Sons supermarket. Anybody from around there can show you the supermarket.

The Time Schedule for Aruba GT 2013 is as follows.
It is important that you arrive 30 minutes before the start of your category. This time will be used for weigh in and check up so as to ensure that everyone is qualified to get in to the competition.

The Beginner -67 kg category starts at 03.00 pm
The contestants will be the following.

Juaquin Cardona of Extreme Gym / Barak FG
Jefri Gonzalez of Extreme Gym / Barak FG
Santiago Bueno of Extreme Gym / Barak FG
Joshwin Fingal of Extreme Gym
Luis Luvet of Uptown BJJ
Raydal Wester of Team Agua Aruba
Jethro st Fleur of Golden Victory
Anderson montes of Golden Victory
Jean britus of Golden Victory

Advance -67 kg will start at 04:00pm
The contestants will be,

Sten Carlet - Renzo Gracie Holland/ Kame House
Darren Jansen - Team Agua Aruba
Reymond Maduro - Uptown BJJ
Gerald Kelly - Uptown BJJ

The Beginner -79 kg 04:30pm
The contestants are,

George Enser of Uptown BJJ
Yevgen Medvedyev of ETU
Paul Velasquez of ETU
Angelo De Freitas of Team Agua Aruba

The Advance -85 kg will start at 05:30pm
The contestants are,
Ceasar Geerman
Alex Perez - Extreme Gym
Gabriel v/d Biezen - Barak FG
Joshue Solognier - Barak FG
Juan - Gracie Barra Aruba
Jason Loopstok - Gracie Barra Aruba

The Beginner +91kg will start at 06:30pm
The contestants will be,

Melvin Winterdal - Uptown BJJ
NjoNjo - ETU
Jean Carlos Croes - ETU
Halroy Hudson - Extreme Gym / Barak FG

The Advance +91kg will start at 06:45pm
The contestants will be

Gregory Milliard - Extreme Gym / Barak FG
Gulliano Rasmijn - Uptown BJJ
Albert Franken - Team Agua Aruba
Guido Carlo - ATF Militia

One of the first attempts to get Aruba recognize as something known as 'status aparte' was in 1947. Negotiations were opened up in 1954 with the introduction of the Charter of the Kingdom. This provided the framework that Aruba needed to become a state aparte, sure, they never got what they wanted in the edge due to various collapses in the negotiations, but this shows just how long the citizens of Aruba have been searching for independence from the Netherlands.

In 1972, Aruba was brought up before a conference in Suriname by a politician from the island. The plan was to get a referendum put into place which would allow the inhabitants of Aruba to determine whether they wanted to be independent or not. The reason that this was put forward was because it was believed the inhabitants of Aruba should not be treated as 'second class nationality'.

In March 1977, a Referendum for Self Determination was brought up before the United Nations, with 82% of the people that took part in the referendum stating that they wanted independence. This lead to a number of studies on Aruba in preparation for independence. These studies went on until 1983 when Aruba was able to come to an agreement for independence, with the island being given increased amounts of independence over time. On the 1st January 1986, the island of Aruba was officially declared a country of the Kingdom of Netherlands over time. It was anticipated that full independence was to come about in 1996, but this never came to fruition with the schedule of independence withdrawn in 1995. It is unknown when or even if this will come into force, although don't anticipate this being in the near future.

As you can see, Aruba has a rather rich history, and this isn't even half of it. Next time you are holidaying in this beautiful location, think back to the slaves that inhabited this area, the battles that took place and the key part that it played in World War 2. This is something which is a real eye opener. Of course, you are going to be attracted to the area due to the beautiful beaches and gorgeous heat, but you would do well to remember the roots of the island!

**** Part 10, Final part ****