This year, Joyce Lonati is celebrating a very special birthday, she’s turning 90! To mark this wonderful occasion, she brought her three daughters and one son to the place she loves visiting every year: Aruba!
We met Joyce, together with her two daughters Jeanne and Karen, at their favorite hotel, Aruba Beach Club to find out why Joyce decided to celebrate this momentous milestone here on the island.
She told us she has been coming to Aruba every year – with the exception of the lockdown years – for the past 38th years. She is an honorary local, knowledgeable of Aruba’s best spots and has the most important tips for having a good time here. In the almost four decades she has been visiting, she has also been an ambassador for Aruba, spreading the word about the friendly people, great beaches, and the most breath-taking sunsets.
Joyce came this year with her three daughters – Karen, Jeanne and Jill, and her son Stephen for a special family trip to celebrate. Each of them comes from different places in the US, namely North Carolina, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It wasn’t the first time for any of them. As Karen and Jeanne told us, Joyce had already invited them to Aruba in the past, and the family has been coming to the island regularly. Among their favorite activities, they like lounging by the pool, visiting various restaurants and sometimes they enjoy catching a cruise together as well.
In the 38 years that Joyce has visited, she has seen some changes to the island. For example, she still remembers when the Aruba Airport was so small; you got off the plane directly on the tarmac. She also remembers when there used to be a lot more goats and donkeys roaming all around. Nowadays you can mostly find donkeys near the Red Anchor or at the Donkey Sanctuary, and goats are now mostly owned by a farmer or sometimes can be found wandering the Arikok National Park.
We asked Joyce why she keeps choosing Aruba every year. She says she loves the food – namely the fresh fish! – the friendly people, and all the nature-related activities like tours and going on boats like a sunset tour. She is also a big fan of the iguanas! Thank you Joyce and Lonati family for loving Aruba, and we hope to keep welcoming you back every year. Happy birthday Joyce!
