donkey sanctuary aruba

If you love animals...really any animal at all, you'll love the Donkey Sanctuary. The donkeys are friendly, curious and love and good scratch on the nose. Bring as many carrots and cut up apples as you can carry!! I went twice just so I could feed them and observe them more. The donkeys even licked my hands after the carrots were gone...no bites ever!! The attendants were very knowledgable and sweet...she even stayed late so I could run in one more time to feed them. It's a bit of a drive, but there are signs after the Pizza Hut so just go with it! There's a small gift shop and shade for the guests. I would work there if I could:))

The ladies that work there are soooo nice. They have food to feed the donkeys for a dollar. We brought apples and carrots from the store and they had a knife so we could cut the apples. The love they showed for this herd was very heart warming. The donkeys like to mingle so have fun!

We stopped at a grocery store prior to going to the sanctuary and purchased a bag of apples. When we first entered the main gate there were two donkeys (smart) that were hanging out for visitors. We started to feed those two donkeys then slowly others started to show up, one by one looking for a tasty treat. Fortunately the apples we had were rather large so we could hold onto them and let each donkey get a couple of bites in before handing over the core to them. I only wish I had purchased more apples and had a knife and had cut them into slices so that everyone could have had their fair share. We saw one guy who was missing his left eye (sweet guy to people, but a little ornery to the other donkeys), and another who was a limper (also a sweet guy). We didn't enter fully into the sanctuary (the second gate) but there were other donkeys that were on the grounds. The sanctuary doesn't charge a fee but rather asks for a donation, there is a locked box there so please take cash so that you can give them a donation as it's for a great cause.

Small sanctuary for 50 donkeys (on-site), ability to buy food and feed the donkeys which is good fun for the kids. Very small gift shop, some drinks in the small cafe. A very good cause which needs (and deserves) support

We always enjoy seeing the donkeys. We appreciate these people for rescuing these donkeys & giving them a good home & keeping them safe & good health.

We rented a car for a day and decided to visit the Donkey Sanctuary. Driving in Aruba can be confusing because there are very few street or highway signs. We got lost for awhile but people helped us find our way. As you enter the sanctuary the Donkeys walk right up to you. That was quite a surprise. We brought bags of carrots and we had to run up behind a fence so that they would not grab them. The sanctuary volunteers helped us cut up the carrots and showed us how to feed the donkeys. The donkeys were sweet and gentle. We enjoyed hearing about how the corporations and individuals volunteer time and money to care for these animals.Tip - Bring a few bags of carrots. There were very inexpensive at a local market.

This is a Donkey rescue for wild donkeys from the old mines. Not big but up close encounters with chow to hand feed. A rewarding visit.

As the name implies, they are a sanctuary for donkeys. They have over 50 donkeys, some being restored to health, in enclosed area that you can feed and pet. FREE attaction, can make a donation to help offset the cost of food and care. Nice place for kids to visit.

The visit was enlightening and interesting. Early settlers used donkeys for the gold mines. When industrialization came, the donkeys were set free to roam the island. A conservatory was formed to take care of those donkeys that were injured in road accidents or malnourished from periodic droughts. This farm had about 80 donkeys. there are another 50 donkeys at a number sanctuary. The guesstimate is that there are about another 100 roaming the island, mainly the southeastern side of the island.The volunteer explanations were clear and delightful. Call me jaundiced but after you have seen one donkey, you have seen them all. A thirty minute visit should suffice.Admission is free but donations for the conservatory are never turned down.

This place is a little off the beaten path so get directions. They save the wild donkeys and treat those that get injured by cars on the island. It is a nonprofit so they ask for a donation. (We donated and bought a cute T--shirt.) This is a few frills place, but you can buy feed to give to a jostling group of donkeys. This is a great place for an animal lover. I think it was worth the visit AND it gets you off the tourist loop to see the everyday Aruba. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour.

We just got back from Aruba and one of the standouts for our entire trip was the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary. It has about 100 donkeys, who all look well-taken care of, and the lady who runs it is so nice and even got us a taxi back. She and her team of volunteers obviously put in a ton of work in the place because the donkeys looked wonderful and the grounds were beautiful. We learned that many people used to have donkeys are their means of transportation, but when cars came along, the donkeys were abandoned and were basically wild in Aruba. And people treat them badly, hit them with cars, etc. So she set up a donkey sanctuary, where they can just be themselves and be safe. They are also quite friendly and while let you pet them, there was very little fear of humans in these cute, gentle animals. And of course, bring lots of apples and carrots, we brought a huge bag of apples that we cut up for them and fed them, it was soooo much fun! And they seemed very grateful :) Free to get in, but I left a donation and encourage you to do the same to support this great place. Awesome place (and all the taxis know where to find it), do not miss it if you are in Aruba!

i loved this spot! the volunteers were very informative and hearing the history of the donkeys on the island was pretty neat. it was fun to feed the donkeys and spend some time with them. the drive to the sanctuary is beautiful too.

Although this is a family that saved abandoned donkeys on the island, it's very blah. They really need donations so plan a visit to Balashi Beer factory or Charlie' Bar while your on that side of the island. Rosa's food truck is to die for. I couldn't find it hear to give it a review but if you can find it its a must.

Our family visited the donkey sanctuary and really enjoyed it. Prior to getting there, be sure to stop and buy apples and carrots. You can cut them up there and feed them to the donkeys...they love them. We arrived in the morning before the donkeys had been fed, so we got to feed them their hay and pellets for breakfast. We also helped with raking up poop from the night before to clean it up a bit before other visitors arrived. It was good to help out this wonderful rescue organization. The donkeys are well cared for, and that was very good to see! I would definitely recommend visiting the donkeys on your trip to aruba!

If you're into nature and helping animals, then you must visit the Donkey Sanctuary. The refuge is devoted to caring for the native donkeys that historically were a critical component of Aruba's commerce. The refuge is staffed by volunteers that are very eager to inform you about the donkeys, how they are cared for, and the historic relationship between the donkeys and Aruba's past. The donkeys are very tame and represent a great experience for kids, teens, and adults to experience interacting with them in a natural setting. The cost for the visit is a donation of your choosing. Oh, and you can bring your own carrots or apples to feed the donkeys or for a few dollars buy some pellets at the refuge.