Areas to Avoid

Are there any areas of Aruba that travelers should be cautious about going to or through because of safety issues or crime? I know here in the States most cities have some sections that it would be better to avoid.

I would love to know this too. I remember seeing a case about a missing girl that is still not solved, wasn't it in Aruba?
Like it's been said, it is dangerous all over the place, you just have to be safe.

Yeah, I think that was in Aruba. But if you are cautious and don't go alone to places you should be OK. I'm not sure about places to avoid but I would ask the hotel when you get there. I'm sure they can tell you what you need to know.

The only time I ever even came close to having a problem in Aruba was one day when I was coming out of a little bar in Oranjestad. It was way off the beaten path and I had to walk through a very non-touristy area to get back to my car. There was a small group of guys and they were acting suspicious, kind of like they were preparing to approach us. My husband stared at them and everybody kind of squared off for minute, then they finally just walked away.

I can't say for sure what they were up to or even if they would have done anything, but I would say to try to stay in areas where you see other tourists.

That is generally what we try to do anyway just stay where there are other tourists around. We actually had an experience like Kat a few years ago when we went to New Orleans. We had to park a million miles away from our destination and the walk back was interesting to say the least. Now we take cabs!

It's not a good idea to stray too far from the beaten path. There truly is safety in numbers. I would try to stick to areas where I see other tourists hanging out. That way you can kind of have each other's back if something happens. I believe every country has their bad areas.