During my recent trip to Aruba for my birthday, I went on a UTV adventure with Kini Kini Tours. We chose the morning tour option from 9am-1pm, but there’s also an afternoon option.

This my my first time ever driving a UTV, but it was so much fun! It isn’t much different than driving a regular car, so as long as you have a license to drive back home – you’ll be good! Be sure to bring eye covering and something to protect your face against the dust. They did provide goggles, masks and bottled water.

We were picked up right from our hotel lobby by our guide, Alex (who was amazing!) Then we go to the main tour office where you get in the UTV and your guide breaks down the tour itinerary and how to drive it. Then we were off!

We took the long route through the neighborhoods and saw some beautiful homes especially right along the water. Our first stop was the California Lighthouse.

The view from this point is amazing! You’re so high up and can see pretty much the whole island.

The drive itself on the UTV is very rough and you can expect to get dirty! I couldn’t imagine these roads are deiveable for a regular car, but the wind and fresh air feels so good! It’s really an adventure. So wear some clothes you wouldn’t mind getting covered in mud.

The next stop is the Alta Visto Chapel. The Chapel was built in 1952 on the site of the original and first Catholic Church in Aruba. There was also a man selling beautiful rosaries outside that would make for a nice gift or souvenir for the religious people in your life. It’s also surrounded by cactus, which prior to coming to Aruba, I had never seen in real life!

As we continued our off-roading, we saw some of the most gorgeous sights along the way.

The Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins hints at the relatively unknown history of Aruba’s gold rush.

The tour also gives you the option to take a dip in The Natural Pool. But by this time it had started raining, so I opted against the climb down to the pool, but the views were beautiful.

These guided tours are the best way to see parts of the island off the beaten path. If you ever visit Aruba, book with Kini Kini Tours. They’re a smaller tour company, so you’re more likely to get a personal experience. Ask for Alex if you can, he was out guide and he was great! He was so knowledgeable and funny. He gave us all the details of the places we visited and even after the tour was over, we chatted for quite a while and he gave us some great local recommendations on places we should eat and other things to do.

Thank you so much Kini Kini Tours for partnering with me on this adventure!