Aruba’s Hidden Paradise by Susan Campbell Roy and Grace Maduro have long been known as “the plant people” on this island for their formidable contributions to its flora and foliage. And now they have added B&B hosts to their list of accomplishments.
Aruba is typically known for some of the best resorts in the Caribbean – from big splashy all-inclusives to more intimate boutique hotels. But few people realize that there is another accommodation option for a different type of holiday here: the bed & breakfast. A stay with a real Aruban family, a taste of life in a real Aruban home, and an insider’s view of the island are things few visitors ever experience. A B&B also offers an economical option for an extra day should your travel plans change. Let’s meet one couple that opens their hearts and home to visitors from all over the world. A growing concern
Aruban-born locals Roy and Grace opened their B&B just a few years ago, but they are best known on this island for their dedication to plants and gardening. Love of the land is an inherent trait to both of them. Grace’s grandfather grew aloe in San Nicolas, while Roy says he first became aware of nature at the age of four when he visited his mother’s native home of Saba, a lush, verdant tropical isle. Roy says, 68
“I always wanted to be a farmer, so I went to study tropical horticulture in Holland.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t find employment in his chosen field on Aruba but his dream of being a “son of the soil” never left him. Roy later met Grace and it was her belief in his dream that was the extra push he needed to finally start his own plant business. That business was called Fantastic Gardens and it was soon growing as quickly as Roy’s plants. E Photos by Luis Mejia
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