If I hadn’t made the promise of getting a “flamingo-selfie” to my two young children, this photo might not have happened.

I thought that flamingos were like any other wild animal in foreign countries. That they are just there, walking around freely, for everyone to see.  I was wrong. This tiny private island (Flamingo Island) is owned by The Renaissance and this is where the magic is at.

Here is my tip from one traveler to another. If you stay a night at The Renaissance (marina) in Aruba, your fee of about $100 per person is waived to go to Flamingo Island. When I travel I always leave open days with no lodging just in case I want to move around to another area. This worked out great for me. I booked two nights at the hotel and got my ride for free. The boat drives inside the hotel, conveniently right beside Starbucks, and loads its passengers.

The boat right is short and sweet and you are allowed to lounge around on Flamingo Island as long as you like. There is a little hut serving up tasty frozen drinks and local beer on the flamingo side of the island. If you’ve gotten your flamingo-selfie and want to relax, the other side of the island is bird free and even has a restaurant to enjoy.

Was it worth it? Absolutely!