f all you want to do on your vacation is to ensconce yourself at a deluxe resort, take in the sun, and never venture beyond the gates, then you will love Aruba. This small desert island (not deserted, but arid, with less than twenty-four inches of rain annually), where large hotels crowd the nicest beaches, pretty much guarantees sunny, breezy, hot days. Tourism is big business on Aruba, which attracts more than 350,000 visitors a year. Shopping and casinos are major recreational activities here. The island has more than 100 restaurants and 6,530 hotel rooms, and virtually all are located on the island's southern shore. Are you getting the picture?

Now, we've seen a lot of islands in the Caribbean. We have our personal favorites, and Aruba is not one of them. Granted, it does have a year-round temperature of 82° F. and constantly blowing trade winds, but it's not a pretty island. The resorts have some green landscaping inside their gates, but take a drive around the island and you'll find that it's a dust bowl with cactus and oddly bent trees called divi-divi trees. Actually, we've never seen so much cacti in our lives. If you drive or take a horseback ride over to the undeveloped windward side, where waves crash against the craggy coast, there are jungles of it. We like dense, lush tropical foliage, and Aruba just ain't got it.

Aruba is a major package-tour destination for Americans and Canadians who fancy big resorts, casinos, and duty-free shopping. It's like one huge cruise ship anchored fifteen miles off the coast of Venezuela - all that's missing is Kathie Lee. But as we said earlier, if what you want is to be pampered at a deluxe resort - say, the Marriott or the Hyatt - then you'll be quite content, and you'll sport a great tan by the end of the week.