The last time I went on holiday, it wasn’t until around the halfway point of my 10-day trip that I remembered how to relax and stop thinking about my inbox/to-do list/Slack notifications piling up (and even then, work was still lurking at the back of my mind until the flight home).

Within 24 hours of being in Aruba, though, I wasn’t thinking about the office at all. The island is supremely chilled, sufficiently far away, full of delicious things and gloriously luxe, and I instantly slipped into the vibe.

If you’re only familiar with Aruba via the Beach Boys’ song Kokomo (I can’t tell you how much my boyfriend enjoyed hearing me sing ’Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take ya’ at least 35 times a day), then let me explain. It’s a small island close to the coast of Venezuela and a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so almost everyone speaks Dutch, English, Spanish and the local language, Papiamento. You can fly from Heathrow or City (with a short stopover in Amsterdam).

It has less rainfall than any Caribbean island (thankfully, Aruba produces its own drinking water, which they’re very proud of), and due to its position outside of the hurricane belt, you’re almost guaranteed to have constant sunshine and heat – and just the odd tropical shower.

We stayed at Bucuti and Tara – a gorgeous adults-only resort on Eagle Beach, which is the sort of place you’d be happy to never leave. It’s also a place that people return to frequently (my boyfriend got chatting to a man at the bar who was on his 49th visit. Wild, right?). 

I’ve been to many hotels in the past that claim to be ‘on the beach’, and what they mean is if you twist your neck at the right angle, you might catch a glimpse of the ocean before having to cross a busy main road to get anywhere near the beach. But at Bucuti and Tara, as soon as you step foot outside you’re walking in (hot – don’t forget your Birkenstocks) sand amid the palm trees.

One of my favourite things about the hotel – in addition to the excellent breakfast buffet, gigantic comfy bed, yoga classes in the sand, TV in the bathroom mirror and giant iguanas that wander around – was that every evening you can book your beach loungers for the next day – and there’s more than enough for every guest. So you can pick your ideal place to plonk yourself on the soft white sand to laze about and read Butter between dips in the turquoise blue sea or saltwater pool.

It was on that beach that we had one of the most special, feels-like-a-Disney-film moments of the holiday: we saw around 45 newborn sea turtles hatching and wriggling out of the sand and into the sea.

The hotel partners with Turtugaruba, the island’s sea turtle conservation organisation, to protect them. The resort has an impressive eco-focus in all that it does. It’s close to running at net zero, and it was the first hotel in the Caribbean to be carbon neutral. It also runs monthly beach clean-ups that guests can join in with, and in the gym, bikes and treadmills harness your kinetic energy and turn it into electricity, which made spinning in the morning far more bearable for this competitive person. 

While the hotel is undoubtedly lovely, you should venture out too. We had an incredible day canoeing and snorkelling in the mangroves and coral on the south side of the island. And you shouldn’t miss Arikok National Park (which you can explore by foot or four-wheel drive), which made me think I might take up geology thanks to the impressive caves, Arawak drawings, a bridge formed by waves and a natural pool you can swim in. 

I also recommend stepping off the tourist path and heading to San Nicolas. It’s grittier than the rest of the island, and where the workers from the (now closed) oil refinery lived.  We loved exploring the street art and bought some gorgeous pottery from Ceramics By Rani to bring home. I also highly recommend stocking up on papaya hot sauce, a local speciality that’s sold everywhere, to liven up scrambled eggs on toast back home. 

One of the best things about the island was the food, and we ate some memorable meals. Special mentions must go to pastries and fresh watermelon juice at local bakery Huchada, poke bowls and hibiscus kombucha at Eduardo’s, deliciously melting curry goat at Murano Cafe (with a side of glass blowing) and freshly caught fish on the pier over the sea at Zeerovers (go for lunch and go early – this place is popular). 

For a more high-end experience, Lima Bistro wouldn’t be out of place in Marleybone with its delicious tuna tiradito and short ribs. And our foodie highlight was the 12-course tasting menu at Infini – in particular the pork with spiny cucumber and plantain. 

I didn’t know what to expect from Aruba, but we had the best time – the perfect balance between napping under a parasol in the sun and adventuring and eating. So as I sit here in sleety London, heating cranked up to the max, with a resolution to ‘be more present and intentional’, the Aruba version of me is what I’m trying to hold onto. 

For more information on Aruba, please visit the Aruba Tourism Authority here. To book with KLM please visit - https://www.klm.com/. To book with Bucuti & Tara Resort visit - https://www.bucuti.com/. Prices start from £732 per night for a standard room and includes breakfast, taxes and fees and is based on two people sharing.

Images: Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort