Bonaire Bliss
bonairebliss.JPG
Our group was a collection of New Hampshire elite, Boston medical staff and Pittsburgh vagabonds. Various routes were taken to get to the island. My recommendation is to fly direct to the island. Half the group flew trough Aruba and we can assure you it is not for the faint of heart. There are a few small carriers that can get you to and from the other Netherlands Antilles if this is your choice. Beware come January 1st 2008 Bonaire becomes a part of the Netherlands. I don't know what this means but governments can complicate things.
We stayed at the Bel Mar Apartments (part of Buddy Dive); we opted for a semi all-inclusive with air, vehicle and lodging. We were on our own for food. This is a highly recommended establishment. Kevin and Karen had stayed with them in the past and it is an excellent spot to plan all of your diving from. The dive shop is more than adequate and the staff is friendly, fun and helpful. Bring bug spray and try to avoid the dusk and dawn.
The Diving: WOW it is like a dream. You can drive to just about anywhere on the leeward side of the island pull over don your gear and jump in. There are variations in the corral, fish and creatures at each location. If you are: "I love to dive I can't get enough of it diver" opt for the unlimited air / nitrox package and go with the nitrox.
I was not incredibly impressed with Klein Bonaire for the extra cost. Don't get me wrong the diving at Klein Bonaire was excellent however the extra cost is not indicative of better diving. This may say more about how good the diving is on Bonaire itself and accessible from your pickup. We did all shore diving except for the trip by boat to Klein Bonaire. You drive to a beach backup to the Caribbean lapping at the shore and walk in. How can boat diving beat this?? No one saying hurry up get out of the water in an hour. A word of caution; the corral at shore can be slippery and loose so inspect your entry-exit as you go in. The navigation is easy and every diver will grow in confidence after a week of Bonaire bliss.
If you are thinking about skipping Washington Slagbaai National Park don't--the diving there is tranquil and exceptional. There is a member of the Skink family--The Bonaire (Blue) Whiptail Lizard--they are everywhere. George became one with the whiptails--they shared their secret language. Myles tried a new form of international communication called whiptail toss. Look for the whiptails--they love to play and are very inquisitive.
On night diving: it was good but the best we found was the "Tug Boat" just south of Bari Reef Resort. There is a beach just south of Bari Reef Resort--the entry from the beach area is easy and the night dive was great. Travel along the reef south until you reach the lines extending from the reef you will see them in 40-60 feet and they will lead you to the Tug in 90'. We came upon the tug in the dark and explored it as if we were the first to find this wreck. As we came over the top a thick 8' moray revealed him and slowly swam away without much of concern with us. He slid under the boat--we found what had his attention a lovely lobster and he made short work of the stand the lobster made. With a snap of his mouth and an undulating torso the lobster was gone. We were of no concern as we took photos and felt the silkiness of his hide.
Rincon: Elsewhere on the island you have to visit The Rose Inn Restaurant in Rincon. They serve the best authentic food on the island. This is not your "Fridays". It is an experience like nothing you will get in the states. The choices of lunch offering is kabritu stoba (Goat Stew), galinja stoba (Chicken Stew), chicken or fish. The entry is served with rice, beans, funchi (got to try this), and / or fries. They also have iguana soup but none of us tried it. All the food was more than enough and excellent. The goat stew was a must try and we were told if your going to have goat you have to have it in Rincon. They were right--the town goat stew was good but Rose Inn was better.
We arrived for the second time late in the day they were closing up. You walk in past the grill on your left. The local brain trust is quietly sitting on the right watching time pass and reminiscing of times gone bye. The women here I think have all the answers because when they laugh you know they have a strong bond to each other and their laughter is genuine and deep. This place is a family affair and they adopt family quickly. We left feeling like family.
There were six of us and as the server came to us we were informed there was no fish prepared. We all sighed sadly. We had seen a whole fish the day before and started to comment about that. Our host said that the fish we saw yesterday was Grouper and all she had was a just caught Wahoo. So we asked if it were possible to make the fish if we waited. She replied in the affirmative and informed us that the fish is served steak style not fillet we understood and ordered six fish meals. Our server promptly went to the kitchen retrieved a knife and cut up six servings from the whole Wahoo that was there. I have had meals all around the world and this meal ranked among the best. The freshness, love and excellent company made for a great moment. It was incredible and appreciated. Our chef was our waiter bartender, host and entertainer. I will not soon forget the lunch I shared with my friends and my new family in Rincon.
The Rest: The island is mostly a collection of Dutch youth and American couples looking to escape life and live Bonaire Bliss. There is one word of caution--petty crime is part of the island like all places on this planet. Do not let the tranquility lull you into letting your guard down. Be safe. And if you see Racie the lovely immigration officer at Bonaire airport tell her Steven says hello and sorry I didn't make dinner--I had to go.
Marine Park fees: $25 diving fee allows diving at all sites, and $10 for all other users. There are no customs or immigration fees.
-- Steven Babin
Our group was a collection of New Hampshire elite, Boston medical staff and Pittsburgh vagabonds. Various routes were taken to get to the island. My recommendation is to fly direct to the island. Half the group flew trough Aruba and we can assure you it is not for the faint of heart. There are a few small carriers that can get you to and from the other Netherlands Antilles if this is your choice. Beware come January 1st 2008 Bonaire becomes a part of the Netherlands. I don't know what this means but governments can complicate things.
We stayed at the Bel Mar Apartments (part of Buddy Dive); we opted for a semi all-inclusive with air, vehicle and lodging. We were on our own for food. This is a highly recommended establishment. Kevin and Karen had stayed with them in the past and it is an excellent spot to plan all of your diving from. The dive shop is more than adequate and the staff is friendly, fun and helpful. Bring bug spray and try to avoid the dusk and dawn.
The Diving: WOW it is like a dream. You can drive to just about anywhere on the leeward side of the island pull over don your gear and jump in. There are variations in the corral, fish and creatures at each location. If you are: "I love to dive I can't get enough of it diver" opt for the unlimited air / nitrox package and go with the nitrox.
I was not incredibly impressed with Klein Bonaire for the extra cost. Don't get me wrong the diving at Klein Bonaire was excellent however the extra cost is not indicative of better diving. This may say more about how good the diving is on Bonaire itself and accessible from your pickup. We did all shore diving except for the trip by boat to Klein Bonaire. You drive to a beach backup to the Caribbean lapping at the shore and walk in. How can boat diving beat this?? No one saying hurry up get out of the water in an hour. A word of caution; the corral at shore can be slippery and loose so inspect your entry-exit as you go in. The navigation is easy and every diver will grow in confidence after a week of Bonaire bliss.
If you are thinking about skipping Washington Slagbaai National Park don't--the diving there is tranquil and exceptional. There is a member of the Skink family--The Bonaire (Blue) Whiptail Lizard--they are everywhere. George became one with the whiptails--they shared their secret language. Myles tried a new form of international communication called whiptail toss. Look for the whiptails--they love to play and are very inquisitive.
On night diving: it was good but the best we found was the "Tug Boat" just south of Bari Reef Resort. There is a beach just south of Bari Reef Resort--the entry from the beach area is easy and the night dive was great. Travel along the reef south until you reach the lines extending from the reef you will see them in 40-60 feet and they will lead you to the Tug in 90'. We came upon the tug in the dark and explored it as if we were the first to find this wreck. As we came over the top a thick 8' moray revealed him and slowly swam away without much of concern with us. He slid under the boat--we found what had his attention a lovely lobster and he made short work of the stand the lobster made. With a snap of his mouth and an undulating torso the lobster was gone. We were of no concern as we took photos and felt the silkiness of his hide.
Rincon: Elsewhere on the island you have to visit The Rose Inn Restaurant in Rincon. They serve the best authentic food on the island. This is not your "Fridays". It is an experience like nothing you will get in the states. The choices of lunch offering is kabritu stoba (Goat Stew), galinja stoba (Chicken Stew), chicken or fish. The entry is served with rice, beans, funchi (got to try this), and / or fries. They also have iguana soup but none of us tried it. All the food was more than enough and excellent. The goat stew was a must try and we were told if your going to have goat you have to have it in Rincon. They were right--the town goat stew was good but Rose Inn was better.
We arrived for the second time late in the day they were closing up. You walk in past the grill on your left. The local brain trust is quietly sitting on the right watching time pass and reminiscing of times gone bye. The women here I think have all the answers because when they laugh you know they have a strong bond to each other and their laughter is genuine and deep. This place is a family affair and they adopt family quickly. We left feeling like family.
There were six of us and as the server came to us we were informed there was no fish prepared. We all sighed sadly. We had seen a whole fish the day before and started to comment about that. Our host said that the fish we saw yesterday was Grouper and all she had was a just caught Wahoo. So we asked if it were possible to make the fish if we waited. She replied in the affirmative and informed us that the fish is served steak style not fillet we understood and ordered six fish meals. Our server promptly went to the kitchen retrieved a knife and cut up six servings from the whole Wahoo that was there. I have had meals all around the world and this meal ranked among the best. The freshness, love and excellent company made for a great moment. It was incredible and appreciated. Our chef was our waiter bartender, host and entertainer. I will not soon forget the lunch I shared with my friends and my new family in Rincon.
The Rest: The island is mostly a collection of Dutch youth and American couples looking to escape life and live Bonaire Bliss. There is one word of caution--petty crime is part of the island like all places on this planet. Do not let the tranquility lull you into letting your guard down. Be safe. And if you see Racie the lovely immigration officer at Bonaire airport tell her Steven says hello and sorry I didn't make dinner--I had to go.
Marine Park fees: $25 diving fee allows diving at all sites, and $10 for all other users. There are no customs or immigration fees.
-- Steven Babin
