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Scuba Forum / General / July 2006Just returned from Bonaire
Anyone interested, we just returned from two weeks in Bonaire. Fifth trip. We really enjoy the place and people. The diving was good, but not great this time. It's probably the time of year. We have always gone in the winter, this was the first summer trip. The vis was 30-60 ft. The water was about 80*. Saw a few turtles, lobster, green moray eels, spotted eel, stingray, snake eels, banded shrimp, arrow crab, and the usual parrot fish, angel fish, snapper, etc. Restaurants of note: Cactus Blue, owned by Corrine and Hagen, former managers of Buddy Dive is maybe the best on the island. They have fabulous sashimi tuna! Bistro de Paris, owned by Patrice is really excellent. Almost a tie with Cactus Blue. Some classic French food with no heavy sauces. Very fresh fish. His tuna was also great. Donna & Giorgio is good Italian, if a bit slow service. (after all it is the island) Lion's Den is a bit expensive. The Lost Penguin is really great for lunch. They make a fish sandwich with the day's catch that is generous in size, excellent in taste, and modest in cost. Renada, one of the owners, usually waits the tables. She is very charming and well informed of local culture. Medical issues: Always take mosquito deterrent. Immodium is a necessity, as you cannot buy it over the counter there. The water is clean, tastes good, and is safe to drink. Other: Bonaire is clean, safe, and everyone speaks English, some Spanish, and Dutch Great place to also take the kids if you want a family place. Easy to drive anyplace on the island. The Dollar is accepted everywhere. There are several grocery stores that carry items widely seen and used in US. Thanks for the info! My husband has been trying to convince me to go for a while now and we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the whole family to go on. We have a six and a one year old. Is there anything for the three of us non-divers to do there? Is it safe for him to do the shore diving alone? Is there a good hotel you would recommend? One last question: What's the best way to get there? We live in Atlanta GA and there we haven't found any really good flight options. We'll be there for one day in December via cruise ship. We're hoping to scope it out then. > Anyone interested, we just returned from two weeks in Bonaire. Fifth > trip. We really enjoy the place and people. The diving was good, but not [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > There are several grocery stores that carry items widely seen and used > in US. There is snorkeling, and most of the 'larger' (not really large by US standards) have some kids activities. There is beaching, most have a pool. The town is small, about 10,000 people, the whole island is about 13,500. There is a small bowling alley. There are lots of hiking trails and biking too. Some sights to see by driving around the island. Yes, it is safe to shore dive solo, however, there are always plenty of people to join in with. Everyone is very welcoming. The sites are well marked and most are pretty easy to enter/exit. I use a piece of highway warning plastic about 30' long taped to a fishing bobber and a weight to mark our entry exit point. We just swim out to about 35-40' and drop it, then back in BC pocket at the end of the dive. It's easier than trying to remember the blue fish. Most areas have little or no current. Generally, the north end of the island is prettier and the reef is a shorter swim than the south end. The south end can be a 15 minute swim to the reef, while the north is 2-3 minutes. The costs for most places are similar. The Plaza is the largest hotel on the island, and probably has the most activities, however, we have stayed at Buddy Dive, Captain Don's and BelMar. BelMar is the nicest of the three, but the smallest with less to do for the family. There are new condo/timeshares being built too, some to be ready late this year or early next. I am sure you will really enjoy it a lot. We met a couple there that have been a few times and brought their two boys this time. They are 6 and 8. Mrs was saying she brought them because she knew it was safe and thought it would be a great first 'foreign' experience for the kids. Getting there can be a bit of a challenge. I think you could go thru Miami. We are in Phoenix and used Continental from Phx to Houston to Bonaire. > Thanks for the info! My husband has been trying to convince me to go for > a while now and we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >> There are several grocery stores that carry items widely seen and used >> in US. Thanks a lot! Great input! > There is snorkeling, and most of the 'larger' (not really large by US > standards) have some kids activities. There is beaching, most have a [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] >>> There are several grocery stores that carry items widely seen and >>> used in US. >Thanks a lot! Great input! <snip stuff> Try Air Jamacia, they fly Atlanta to Montego Bay, and moe bay to Bonnaire. They had a service melt down two years ago but seem to have gotten their stuff in order I flew from Philly to Bonnaire with them in Feb, and had no problems. Plus they have very reasonable upgrades to first class. > Thanks for the info! My husband has been trying to convince me to go for a > while now and we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > question: What's the best way to get there? We live in Atlanta GA and there > we haven't found any really good flight options. We were there for a week last July. There isn't alot to do for non divers. Your best bet for a family with non divers is the Plaza http://www.plazaresortbonaire.com/ It is the high end on the island, but when we compared, it wasn't really more expensive than other places. There is a beach and swimming pool there, and it is close to town. Your husband should be ok shore diving by himself (not getting into the issue of _diving_ alone), but there is a problem there with petty theft. You can't leave anything at all in your truck, and you need to leave the doors unlocked and the windows open. They will even steal the gas cap or spare tire. It's best if someone can watch the truck while he dives. If he wants to dive at night, it's best to just dive from your hotel. I don't think personal safety is an issue, but there is more thieving at night. Most of the places are on the water and the reef runs all the way along the side of the island. When I was there in '97, we stayed at the Sand Dollar, and some in our group had unsecured valuables taken from their rooms. Use the little safes. To get there, you can try to use Continental's direct flight from Houston, but you'll probably end up going from Atlanta to Cuacao or Aruba and taking Bonaire Exel, or whatever they call it this week. We had a lot of trouble trying to book Bonaire Exel ourselves, and ended up using a travel agent who is familiar with them to buy those flights. We planned on spending one night on Aruba instead of trying to make a tight connection, and it proved to be the right thing to do. al Cool. Spending a night in Aruba doesn't sound bad! Thanks for the info! >> Thanks for the info! My husband has been trying to convince me to go for >> a [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > al >we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the whole family to go on. No. Bonaire is an arrid desert. > We have a six and a one year old. Lucky you. > Is there anything for the three of us non-divers to do there? No. Bonaire is an arrid desert. > Is it safe for him to do the shore diving alone? No. Diving is never safe. Shore diving is less so, and doing it alone in a strange place is not a good idea. > Is there a good hotel you would recommend? No. > One last > question: What's the best way to get there? We live in Atlanta GA and there > we haven't found any really good flight options. There is regular nonstop service to Bonaire from Amsterdam. The current route is via PR on AA using American Eagle small commuter turbo props. They are bumpy, loud and small. The service is not daily, so if your connection is late you get to spend *days* in PR. Dive resorts are no place for an infant, or a small child. Taking your children there would be a huge imposition on the other guests. Believe it or not, some people think infants should nurtured at home. There is hardly anything less appreciated or more feared than the aircraft seat next to an infant or small child, unless its the seats in front or behind. For every dottard that isn't offended, there are a hundred pairs of rolling eyes and silent prayers promising anything in hopes of not being afflicted with your smelly, screaming, snotty, puking mess, which is probably incubating eight kinds of contagion since that's what babies do, pretty much continuously, until they are 6 or 7, when they reduce to 2 or 3. It's such a treat to be in restaurant on the balcony overlooking the sunset and have the whole meal and mood slaughtered by a screaming child. Why is it that the handlers never want to reimburse me for ruining our evening? Then there's the inevitable thoughtless placement of a bassinet or baby carrier. On the bar. On the table. It's so very special. Lets not forget the baby's health. My best friends son is profoundly deaf, because he had to take him on a plane trip to show him off. The poor kid had an undetected blockage caused by minor illness and cabin pressure blew his ears out. He was abnormally cranky, but unable to talk. Even if he could, what would he say. "My ears hurt. Land the plane."? Of course arriving in a strange place on vacation the child went untreated since they had no way of knowing what had happened or even that the baby was seriously injured. In any case, how do you find a trustworthy pediatrician in a strange land where they treat croup with chicken blood? You wanted a baby. You got a baby. Infants are delicate. What are you thinking? Leave the baby with a friend, your sister/brother/mother. Maybe you can hire a house sitter/nanny. Failing that, maybe a kennel will take it. Bonaire is not for you. That's the price you pay, don't share the cost. Stay home. Love your child. Keep it safe. Drive to Disney. bullshark We have been to Bonaire 5 times. It is VERY safe. We have NEVER had anything stolen. We heard on one item stolen the week before we got there. Some guy left his t shirt on the hood of his truck...maybe it blew away! We shore dive and never have problems. There were plenty of families there when we went. Some folks we met were on their 4th trip. They brought their 2 sons, 6 and 8 and had plenty to do. They stayed at Buddy Dive, which is where we stayed. They raved about how wonderful it was. They swam, layed by the pool, hiked, read, bowled, and told us that it was the best. Yes, the Plaza probably has more for the kids because it is bigger. As for the diving. It is and can be safe if the diver is smart. Walking can be dangerous if done wrong. Bonaire is a very safe place to dive. Again, there are always plenty of people that you can join up with if you are traveling alone. >>we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the whole family to >>go on. [quoted text clipped - 77 lines] > > bullshark > We have been to Bonaire 5 times. It is VERY safe. We have NEVER had > anything stolen. We heard on one item stolen the week before we got [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > place to dive. Again, there are always plenty of people that you can join > up with if you are traveling alone. Pardon me for saying this, but you sound like a commercial advertisement. Your comments are inconsistent with a long history of comments by other divers. Bullshark, on the other hand, has a long history of very precise and accurate posts in this forum. Lee > Pardon me for saying this, but you sound like a commercial advertisement. > Your comments are inconsistent with a long history of comments by other > divers. > > Bullshark, on the other hand, has a long history of very precise and > accurate posts in this forum. a) You haven't been to Bonaire, have you? b) Other than mixed comments about petty theft on Bonaire, bullshark's rant is one of the only negative posts you can find about the "arrid" island. How precise and accurate can he be when he can't even spell arid? c) What's wrong with deserts? I just spent several days diving around the arid desert islands of Komodo National Park. Sure beats the rank, dank humidity of islands with climates similar to the mosquito-infested swampland you both call home. And the diving wasn't too bad either. d) Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to dive. Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to visit. I've never had anything stolen there. Buddy Dive is supposed to be a great resort. I'm planning on staying there this March, after choosing Bonaire for a second visit because I preferred the diving there over several other places I've dove in the past. Hope that doesn't sound too commercial. >> Pardon me for saying this, but you sound like a commercial advertisement. >> Your comments are inconsistent with a long history of comments by other [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >there over several other places I've dove in the past. Hope that doesn't >sound too commercial. Greg; Buddy dive is getting rather worn from use, you might check out Sand Dollar or Bel Mar. Sand Dollar has it's own dive shop, I believe Bel Mar uses Buddy dive. I haven't stayed there, but last Feb I heard Capt Don's is showing wear and tear also. > Buddy dive is getting rather worn from use, you might check > out Sand Dollar or Bel Mar. Sand Dollar has it's own dive shop, I > believe Bel Mar uses Buddy dive. I haven't stayed there, but last Feb > I heard Capt Don's is showing wear and tear also. When we were in Bonaire last year, the Sand Dollar was looking pretty shabby, and it just wasn't the same place it was before Lenny. I stayed there several times in the 90's. Plaza is definitely the nice place on the island. They seem to cater to a more European crowd, and we had some language difficulties with them, but they did try to please us. I didn't see much of his place, but I liked Bruce Bowker. I had a small problem with one of my regulators, and Bruce sold me the part I needed to put it right at a very reasonable price, even though I was staying and diving somewhere else. If I were to go back, I'd definitely give his place a look. > Greg; > Buddy dive is getting rather worn from use, you might check > out Sand Dollar or Bel Mar. Sand Dollar has it's own dive shop, I > believe Bel Mar uses Buddy dive. I haven't stayed there, but last Feb > I heard Capt Don's is showing wear and tear also. Capt. Don's was showing wear and tear back when I stayed there over the 2003-2004 New Year's. At the time, we spent our New Year's festivities largely at Buddy since they were much nicer. A little wear and tear doesn't bother me, and I don't care about luxuries on a primarily shore-diving trip. In fact, since I primarily do liveaboards, I regard a one-bedroom "apartment" that doesn't bob up and down as palatial accomodation for a dive trip. Plus, every report but yours calls Sand Dollar a POS. Maybe I'll live to regret it, but Buddy is where I'm headed in March. >> Greg; >> Buddy dive is getting rather worn from use, you might check [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >trip. Plus, every report but yours calls Sand Dollar a POS. Maybe I'll >live to regret it, but Buddy is where I'm headed in March. The Dive operation at Sand Dollar was a problem, the rooms were nicer than Buddy and they had screened in porchs. > a) You haven't been to Bonaire, have you? I don't know about Lee, but I've been there twice, most recently in March. It's a f.cking desert; mostly a Salt Desert. It's the most desolate dive destination I've ever been too. I get a kick out of reading the restaurant reports. It translates to "Hubby brought me here for vacation and thinks I'm gonna cook and do dishes". > b) Other than mixed comments about petty theft on Bonaire, bullshark's rant The comments about petty theft are not "mixed", they are uniform, and I didn't make them. Personally I suspect that Park rangers and Police are the chief perps. I've always planned on thievery, prepared for it by leaving nothing of value in the vehicle, and consequently I've never had anything stolen. Surprise! > How precise and accurate can he be when he can't even spell arid? More than twice as accurate as you, since 1) I've been there twice as much as you 2) I've been there this year. 3) I didn't resort to spelling and grammar to make points, *loser*. > c) What's wrong with deserts? Nothing as long as you're a lizard, or an a.s. > Sure beats the rank, dank humidity of islands with climates similar to the mosquito-infested swampland you both call home. And the diving wasn't too bad either. No it doesn't. It just seems that way when you're living the pampered care-free life of a super luxury liveaboard, and you don't have to live there. Having just spent a few days in Bali doesn't hurt either. > d) Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to dive. It all depends. I think the shore diving is deceptive. There are two principal dangers: 1) navigation - South dives in particular require excellent navigation skills. Its my opinion that this is why so many divers "prefer" the far less beautiful North sites. The danger here is surfacing, LOA, and having a long long surface swim. It's not a good idea to do this solo. 2) Entries - The bottom is hard, uneven , littered with large rocks and holes. Even in small waves, getting to water deep enough to be "safe" can be a challenge with all the gear on. Falling will produce only minor scrapes, sprains and an occasional break, with the unlucky ones planting body parts on the common urchins and scorpion fish that are found there. It's not a good idea to do this solo. If you haven't fallen down diving Bonaire, then I'd have to guess that you haven't done any shore diving there. That is the primary reason I think it unsafe to shore dive alone. 3) the slope-to-shelf contour so typical of Bonaire dive sites is an invitation to missed safety stops and unintended rapid ascents. Again I see this as more of a problem with the Mid-to-South dives, where it's compounded by divers bobbing to the surface trying to find out where they are, since they inevitably don't know. > Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to visit. It might be the safest place I've ever visited. I'd put it right up there with Volin, SD. >I've never had anything stolen there. Neither have I. I make it my mission to not have anything in the vehicle worth stealing. I follow the instructions provided at orientation, I follow the instructions printed on the dashboard of the rented vehicle. Far from being a myth, petty theft is an institution. > Buddy Dive is supposed to be a great resort. It is, but it's not for everyone. I would give them an "A+" if I gave such things, but I don't. "A+" is an ideal. They get an "A" though. Their dive masters let you dive as you like. Their boats are comfortable. Their Nitrox is abundant, inexpensive, and even available in ean36. Only the bedrooms are air conditioned. The house reef is a reasonably good dive. They are well situated for North or South diving. Their trucks are roomy, economical and recent vintage with all parts working. They have plenty of clean safe water. It's all RO, made on site. The biggest negative is that they don't know what coffee is. The Lions Den finding a restaurant for dinner unnecessary. I'll probably diver there again before you get there next March. It's not my favorite Caribbean destination, but Dec-Mar I don't know anywhere else that has warm water. bullshark > It's a f.cking desert; mostly a Salt Desert. It's the most desolate > dive destination I've ever been too. I get a kick out of reading the > restaurant reports. It translates to > "Hubby brought me here for vacation and thinks I'm gonna cook and do > dishes". Even Cozumel is just as desolate. For most divers, the action is underwater. Who cares what's going on topside as long as the compressor is working? > I've always planned on thievery, prepared for it by leaving nothing of > value in the vehicle, and consequently I've never had anything stolen. > Surprise! I'm sure there are places in South Florida where you wouldn't want to leave anything of value in the vehicle. Heck, there are places in South Florida where would wouldn't even want to get out of the vehicle. By comparison, Bonaire is far safer. How many tourists have been carjacked and killed in Bonaire in the past few years? What's the violent crime rate in South Florida versus Bonaire? Complaints about easily avoidable petty theft are simply petty. > More than twice as accurate as you, since > 3) I didn't resort to spelling and grammar to make points, *loser*. Just pointing out that perhaps you're not as accurate and precise as Lee's adoration would make it seem. Besides, indirectly pointing out spelling errors to dispute a claim of "precise and accurate" isn't nearly as low as resorting to a direct ad hominem attack to make points. > Nothing as long as you're a lizard, or an a.s. Two ad hominem attacks, though this one was a bit more subtle. And don't forget the flamingos. They love the place. >> Sure beats the rank, dank humidity of islands with climates similar to >> the mosquito-infested swampland you both call home. And the diving [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > care-free life of a super luxury liveaboard, and you don't have to live > there. Having just spent a few days in Bali doesn't hurt either. I live in a desert. It's not so bad. And I'd choose Bonaire over Bali to live too, even if the coffee sucks. The liveaboard was hardly "super luxury". Heck, they didn't even hand us towels after the dives, though they did fold and hang them on a line for us. And several nights they forgot to put chocolates on the pillows when turning down the beds, the lazy bastards. >> d) Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to dive. > That is the primary reason I think it unsafe to shore dive alone. There's plenty of [relatively] cheap boat diving available for those who think shore diving is too dangerous. > It might be the safest place I've ever visited. I'd put it right up > there with Volin, SD. Never been to Volin. How's the diving there? Truthfully, I didn't think Bonaire all that safe after two unprovoked attacks in the bars there (one with a barstool, the other with a broken beer bottle), and a sketchy ride back to the hotel with a few locals after I couldn't find a cab. >> Buddy Dive is supposed to be a great resort. > > It is, but it's not for everyone. I would give them an "A+" if I gave > such things, but I don't. "A+" is an ideal. They get an "A" though. See, even you have a few nice things to say about the place. That's the only point I was trying to make. Bonaire isn't too bad overall. > Their dive masters let you dive as you like. > Their boats are comfortable. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > They have plenty of clean safe water. It's all RO, made on site. > The biggest negative is that they don't know what coffee is. That was one nice thing about Bali. They do know how to make coffee and it's all homegrown. But it's hard to get around much there without constant exposure to chronic road traffic, stray dogs, burning piles of plastic trash, and over-aggressive vendors. The temples are a refuge from all this, which is why they build so many of them. > The Lions Den finding a restaurant for dinner unnecessary. Yep. Some pretty decent places in town too. > I'll probably diver there again before you get there next March. It's > not my favorite Caribbean destination, but Dec-Mar I don't know > anywhere else that has warm water. If 80 is warm enough for you, that's what it was reading in the Belize Atolls this March. > The temples are a refuge from all this, which is why they build so many of them. Did you respect customs? We want to see you in a temple. What dances did you see? bullshark >> The temples are a refuge from all this, which is why they build so many >> of them. > > Did you respect customs? We want to see you in a temple. I generally try to respect customs. We rented sashes for the one temple where we actually penetrated the inner courtyard. I tried not to hand people stuff with my left hand, but realized a couple times too late that I had screwed up. On the ride back from the boat to the hotel, I crossed my legs, then realized after noticing the dirty looks I was getting via the rear-view mirror that I was inadvertently pointing my foot at the driver. A big no-no. And I likewise inadvertently put my hands on my hips while waiting for customs to process us on arrival, a sign of rude impatience. Overall I probably comport myself better than most ugly Americans, though I almost threw a few of the wood-dragon-vending urchins off the dock at Komodo Island for crowding and tugging at us so aggressively. > What dances did you see? Just the barong. Due to Continental's unforgiveable delay on top of our 11-night liveaboard and the long travel time, we were left with only 1.5 days of land touring (and shopping) for our 17-day trip. In that time, we managed to see Tanah Lot, Kintamani, Ubud, and more, as well as feed lots of monkeys. I'd rather play with monkeys than watch a dance any day, though I do love the sound of the gamelan. > > a) You haven't been to Bonaire, have you? > > I don't know about Lee, but I've been there twice, most recently in > March. Greg's been there. Its been a few years since my last time there. I find that its just enough of a hassle to get there that combined with having to keep the "city radar" engaged while visiting doesn't position it as a particularly relaxing trip that makes it rank high on the vacation priority list. > It's a f.cking desert; mostly a Salt Desert. It's the most desolate > dive destination I've ever been too. Its really arid down south in the salt pans. Up north, there's enough cactus-types to pass for a semblence of green before you look more closely. > I get a kick out of reading the restaurant reports. It translates to > "Hubby brought me here for vacation and thinks I'm gonna cook and do > dishes". Bonaire's hardly unique in this regards, but the "unlimited shore diving" bug does tend to attract cheapskate divers who think that they can be happy living on Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwitches for a week. YMMV. > > b) Other than mixed comments about petty theft on Bonaire, bullshark's rant > > The comments about petty theft are not "mixed", they are uniform, and I > didn't make them... I've seen evidence of it on every trip we've gone there on. The last time I looked into it (a few months ago), there was a new police chief and comments that it might finally make a significant difference. However, the general trend over the past half decade seems to be that there's now more room break-in's these days. Since the "room safes" are rarely big enough for my UW camera gear, this causes a dilemma. > > d) Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to dive. > > It all depends. I think the shore diving is deceptive. There are two > principal dangers: > 1) navigation - South dives in particular require excellent navigation > skills. Particularly when there's any current running. There have been some instances of diver "disappearances" where they were last seen entering at Pink Beach, etc. > 2) Entries - The bottom is hard, uneven , littered with large rocks and > holes. And generally more exposed to wave action down south too. OTOH, there is a dive operator who's running boat dives out on the East side, which sounds interesting. > ... If you haven't fallen down diving Bonaire, then I'd have > to guess that you haven't done any shore diving there. Greg has previously complained about nasty surge pushing him into a Bonaire dock piling and its fire coral nailing him, so that would count as a "minor slip". His elbow was injured at City Cafe :-) If one restricts yourself to resorts with nice docks or ladders to simplify entry/exit, its not all that hard to minimize the fall risk into "minor" slips and stings which will generally be forgotten fairly quickly. But in doing so, you've restricted your selection of shore dive sites. > 3) the slope-to-shelf contour so typical of Bonaire dive sites is an > invitation to missed safety stops and unintended rapid ascents. Again I > see this as more of a problem with the Mid-to-South dives, where it's > compounded by divers bobbing to the surface trying to find out where > they are, since they inevitably don't know. Personally, I never really noticed much of any problem with that, but then again, I generally don't get terribly lost. Especially when doing a short afternoon solo dip sans camera to cool off...its the old "ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure" bit. > > Bonaire is a [relatively] safe place to visit. > > It might be the safest place I've ever visited. I'd put it right up > there with Volin, SD. Not the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD? > >I've never had anything stolen there. > > Neither have I. I make it my mission to not have anything in the > vehicle worth stealing. I follow the instructions provided at > orientation, I follow the instructions printed on the dashboard of the > rented vehicle. Far from being a myth, petty theft is an institution. http://www.huntzinger.com/dive/flamingocar11-00.jpg Supposedly, a new police chief who started earlier this year is starting to have an impact. Hope he doesn't get burned out. > > Buddy Dive is supposed to be a great resort. > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > not my favorite Caribbean destination, but Dec-Mar I don't know > anywhere else that has warm water. Each place has its pro's and con's. I've considered using Buddies, as well as Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn. Maybe in 2007 or 08 if there's meaningfully good news on the crime front. -hh > Greg's been there. Its been a few years since my last time there. I > find that its just enough of a hassle to get there that combined with > having to keep the "city radar" engaged while visiting doesn't position > it as a particularly relaxing trip that makes it rank high on the > vacation priority list. After my last trip, Bonaire sounds like a piece of cake. LAX to IAH on a 737, a long enough layover for dinner at Pappadeaux, then a 737 red-eye to BON, arriving Saturday morning in time to make the mandatory dive brief and get the plastic thingy. If Continental delays my leaving LAX for four hours (like they did enroute to Bali) then I'm terribly screwed (like I was enroute to Bali) because they don't do the trip again for another week. But four-hour delays leaving LAX are rare, and in a worst-case scenario I could probably get to Aruba or Curacao and take Exel. > Its really arid down south in the salt pans. Up north, there's enough > cactus-types to pass for a semblence of green before you look more > closely. I'm there for the blue. We don't like diving in green seas, so who needs green on land? I'll see that pretty green swath of trees from the plane as I land in Houston. And I arrive in Bonaire on St. Pat's Day, so there will probably be plenty of green that day and night. > Bonaire's hardly unique in this regards, but the "unlimited shore > diving" bug does tend to attract cheapskate divers who think that they > can be happy living on Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwitches for a week. > YMMV. The fridge can come in handy, though. Nothing like a cold beer before an early-morning solo house reef dive. > I've seen evidence of it on every trip we've gone there on. The last > time I looked into it (a few months ago), there was a new police chief > and comments that it might finally make a significant difference. > However, the general trend over the past half decade seems to be that > there's now more room break-in's these days. Since the "room safes" > are rarely big enough for my UW camera gear, this causes a dilemma. Why bring the camera? It's not like there's anything worth shooting in the Caribbean and cameras are a real PITA on shore dives. > Particularly when there's any current running. There have been some > instances of diver "disappearances" where they were last seen entering > at Pink Beach, etc. Two divers disappeared when I was there, never to be seen again. But I didn't realize that happened so often. They sent out helicopters and everything. > And generally more exposed to wave action down south too. OTOH, there > is a dive operator who's running boat dives out on the East side, which > sounds interesting. I met "wild side" Larry at the bar at City Cafe and he had convinced me after only 4 Amstels that I needed to dive the East. I then convinced five of our group to join me, which we planned for Jan. 2, but they flaked out and when I called Larry to cancel, he told me that he was already planning on canceling due to weather, though I'm not sure he was going to call and tell us. Maybe I'll give it another try in March. > Greg has previously complained about nasty surge pushing him into a > Bonaire dock piling and its fire coral nailing him, so that would count > as a "minor slip". His elbow was injured at City Cafe :-) Which counts as a "major slip". Elbow hurt for a year after. Fire coral scab went away within a month. > Each place has its pro's and con's. I've considered using Buddies, as > well as Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn. Maybe in 2007 or 08 if there's > meaningfully good news on the crime front. I'll see you there in March '07, and personally guarantee your freedom from petty theft as long as you don't leave anything in your rental vehicle and you leave your camera and all other valuables at home. > But four-hour delays leaving LAX are rare Yeah, today it was only a 90 minute delay for all the flights... There have been lots of pros and cons about Bonaire. Bottom line, it is not the same busy, party atmosphere as places like Cozumel, however, it is clean, safe, and the weather is very constant. We just came back from a two week June/July trip and the weather was very nice, 85* degrees in the day and not humid at all. The weather was slightly breezy in the late afternoon, evenings, so the few mosquitos around did not bite much (i am usually eaten alive by any mosquito within a 100 mile area). Buddy dive is a little older, however, the rooms are fine. In most hotels and resorts, only the bedrooms are air conditioned due to the cost. The trucks are now air conditioned. The only issue of concern is Buddy is they cater to a lot of large groups, so if you go by yourselves, it can be a little crowded. Fortunately, the large group of 40 that was there one of the weeks had their own large boat to use, so the rest of us were not cramped on the boats. The most ever on any boat dives were12 divers, usually 8. BelMar's rooms are much nicer, however, there is no on site boat diving. There are tanks available there, and always plenty of them. True it is a desert, however, we find that really nice. The cactus are beautiful. >> But four-hour delays leaving LAX are rare > > Yeah, today it was only a 90 minute delay for all the flights... > I > find that its just enough of a hassle to get there that combined with > having to keep the "city radar" engaged while visiting doesn't position > it as a particularly relaxing trip that makes it rank high on the > vacation priority list. But where else can you go and get Donkey Burgers with Gouda? > Its really arid down south in the salt pans. You know, I was looking at the Salt Pans pretty closely, and it looked to me like there was a lot of reclamation there. > Since the "room safes" > are rarely big enough for my UW camera gear, this causes a dilemma. That is one up for Buddy. The safes are not larger, but I thought everything in the room was very secure. There is a gated, guarded entrance. It goes past an open air front desk. About the only vehicles seen on the premises have Buddy Dive on the side so any interlopers really stand out. I wouldn't worry about camera gear in the room. > > 3) the slope-to-shelf contour so typical of Bonaire dive sites is an > > invitation to missed safety stops and unintended rapid ascents. > Personally, I never really noticed much of any problem with that, but > then again, I generally don't get terribly lost. We don't either, but down south we see heads bobbing on the surface all the time. Still, I think the contours lead the unwary into swimming too shallow, too fast. > Each place has its pro's and con's. I've considered using Buddies, as > well as Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn. Maybe in 2007 or 08 if there's > meaningfully good news on the crime front. As some one else pointed out, you can get overwhelmed by groups at Buddies. It's not a big deal, but it makes it hard to get a boat dive sometimes. OTOH their setup (trucks and drive through fills) takes the sting out. Andrea I and II are right next door. Gorgeous dives, unique terrain. I tend to favor the dives South of Lake though. We really like to go hang out on the outside and wait for sh.t to come by, or noodle in the deep sand between. bullshark What do you mean "there are always plenty of people that you can join up with"? Is it people you find at the dive sites? They don't mind you diving with them? It's good to hear about how safe it is. I would just rather he dive with someone. Thanks! > We have been to Bonaire 5 times. It is VERY safe. We have NEVER had > anything stolen. We heard on one item stolen the week before we got [quoted text clipped - 91 lines] >> >> bullshark When you check with the dive shops at any hotels, there are boats that go out. Many of the people shore dive after a first boat dive for the day. Every hotel has a dock where people just jump off and dive the reef. I have yet to see any diver say 'no you can't join our group on a dive. If you are sitting around the pool bar, everyone shares their story and meeting others. If someone asks to join us, we always welcome them. Just an aside, I am not in the travel industry. I am not in advertising. We are just recreational divers who have had great experiences in Bonaire. We have also been to Fiji, Cozumel, Belize, Grand Cayman, Bahamas, and Honduras so are not just awe struck by our very positive Bonaire travel. > What do you mean "there are always plenty of people that you can join up > with"? Is it people you find at the dive sites? They don't mind you [quoted text clipped - 98 lines] >>> >>> bullshark This sounds cool. I'd be a lot more comfortable if he could join someone. Thanks again! > When you check with the dive shops at any hotels, there are boats that go > out. Many of the people shore dive after a first boat dive for the day. [quoted text clipped - 110 lines] >>>> >>>> bullshark >This sounds cool. I'd be a lot more comfortable if he could join someone. <snip> My wife and I have been to Bonaire 5 times. We have stayed at Lion dive, Buddy dive and Sand Dollar. Get a rental pickup truck to facilitate shore diving. Do not lock the truck or close the windows it will get broken into. Talk to the dive shop at your hotel there will be people you can hook up with and dive I do it every time I go, my wife does not dive. If you have a non diver have them come along and they can make sure no one goes through your stuff, this will allow you to bring cameras etc and beer for after the dive. Crime is not an issue if you understand that up north in the one way road area there is an industry of liberating valuables from visiters, one woman I met and went on a couple shore dives with at ol Blue and here really cool multi function tool and her underware taken while we were diving. Cigarette lighters and camera seem to be their favorite targets. I guess the dark red thong was more like impulse shopping. And oh yes, I will be going back this comming winter. > Thanks for the info! My husband has been trying to convince me to go for a > while now and we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the > whole family to go on. No, Unless your children are old enough to Dive / Snorkle multiple times per day, consider staying with relatives for the Week.. a one year old and a six year old at a Dive location is really not a good plan. We have a six and a one year old. Is there anything > for the three of us non-divers to do there? Nothing.. Hellish travelling with a Six year old And a one year old.. Bonaire is a totally Foreign country..; (wihch could actually be said for the Maimi Airport too ! ) Is it safe for him to do the > shore diving alone? Absolutly Not.. Bonaire has Very challenging shore diving, each entrance over rocky shores / steep descents ; no accomodations at all. plus pilfering locals.. Steal your stuff wilst you dive; > We'll be there for one day in December via cruise ship. We're hoping to > scope it out then. You Might Try Sandals resort on Turks & Caicos; They have lots & lots of Kids there.. but One is still a bit young. MAYBE they have some sort of Baby Sitting ( ??) Good diving ( if it's not " Blown Out" ) No real town; one shopping mall inland Golf & Tennis for non-divers.. And a Conch farm.. Consider a trip to Relatives for a week ( Grand Parents around ?? ) >> Thanks for the info! My husband has been trying to convince me to go for a >> while now and we're trying to figure out if it'll be a good trip for the [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Consider a trip to Relatives for a week ( Grand Parents around ?? ) Pussy boy, just because you can't figure out how to entertain yourself, doesn't mean everyone else can't also. There is LAC bay , shallow water for wind surfing, snorkeling etc. But never mind, don't go, I like the empty beach and dive sites. |
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