By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #228) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:00 pm: |
First off, I love Bonaire, and have returned again and again, and will continue to do so. Same thing for Belize, Cayman and Cozumel.
|
By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6201) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:29 pm: |
Well to rephrase the question, Where have you gone more than once (other than Bonaire)?
|
By Grunt, 44 days and I'm there! (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #599) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:36 pm: |
I did Cozumel several times and left due to WAY too many cruise ships. My next trip to Bonaire will be number nine; we stay for three weeks at a time now. Fiji is on the horizon for a 25th anniversary, but after that I'll be back to Bonaire. I like the people and the reefs, but most of all I like diving my own schedule and not that of a boat.
|
By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #161) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:37 pm: |
Ive only seen a few other destinations but ... if it aint broke dont fix it . Bonaire would be a very tough act to follow . You wont find another island of such small size with so many quality shore dives . The topside on Bonaire is also hard to beat. My only regret , didnt find Bonaire twenty years ago.
|
By marge karalis (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #741) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:40 pm: |
Cozumel three times. We used to go there every other vacation to save money. It just got way too expensive for what you get. Not enough diving. Our next trip to Bonaire will be our third. We've found our piece of paradise. No need to search further. (BTW-We can't afford Fiji or Tahiti) So Bonaire is "IT" for us.
|
By T-Shirt Divers John and Sue (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #643) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:46 pm: |
Sue and I are lucky enough to take a couple of trips a year. We try to do a live-aboard trip and/or something new each year.
|
By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3266) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:53 pm: |
For me - other than Bonaire - my repeat destinations have been:
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #229) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 12:55 pm: |
Cecil, you lucky devil!! I've never been to the Keys! Gosh.....I wish I had been a scout in your troop!!
|
By Brian in sunny Bonaire (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3631) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 1:26 pm: |
We are on our tenth consecutive year to Bonaire and 15th visit.
|
By Steve Jorgensen (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #117) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 1:47 pm: |
Bonaire was my first diving experience (December '05), unfortunately later in life than I wanted (I was 56 then). Did my OW course at Buddy Dive, but stayed in a SunRental house with pool (which was way more than I needed to spend, but way cool, too!). My first dive site (other than Buddy's Reef for the OW course) was Something Special, and I was absolutely blown away. I knew that I had picked the right avocation!
|
By Alex* (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #512) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 2:18 pm: |
Danielle and I always return to the same Greek island, Chios. It's always great to get back there, feels a bit like home away from home, just like you said, Tad. Maybe we qualify as old farts now, but I don't care. Chios is a great place to go, it's the third largest Greek island with hardly any tourism, green and lush in the north, dry and rugged in the south, with lots of traditional Greek culture. The snorkeling is not very exiting, but interesting enough. I don't know about the diving, but there is enough of interest under water to have a diving school there, which is not very common on Greek islands.
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #230) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 2:23 pm: |
Steve, great MO, and Thank you!!
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #231) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 2:30 pm: |
Alex,
|
By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3267) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 2:45 pm: |
Same here Tad. We are currently going between very heavy diving vacations and very heavy sailing vacations so it's what is closest works. And yes, we dive when we sail but it's not like when we go on "real" dive trips where it's eat, sleep, dive. Our diving vacations are usually Bonaire and our sailing vacations are usually BVI's. Ahh for the day we live on our own sailboat... SLAP... OK I'm back now.
|
By I shoulda been a fish! (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #229) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:00 pm: |
Tad,
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #232) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:03 pm: |
Yo Mo,
|
By Steve Jorgensen (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #118) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:09 pm: |
Tad --
|
By Judy Workman (BonaireTalker - Post #87) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:13 pm: |
Tad,
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #233) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:14 pm: |
Okiediver,
|
By Steve Jorgensen (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #119) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:23 pm: |
OkieDiver --
|
By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3268) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:49 pm: |
Tad,
|
By Freddie (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #9840) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 3:52 pm: |
BVI's snorkle and resort dive 1996
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #234) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 4:21 pm: |
Steve,
|
By Steve Jorgensen (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #120) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 4:30 pm: |
Tad --
|
By Freddie (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #9841) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 4:35 pm: |
Hey Tad easy on the age thing. I DO have dirt older than me in the yard.. LOL I started diving when I was in my 40's so I am a relatively "new" diver with 12 yrs in the water and over 1000 dives.. I crewed on a dive boat for a few years and I give guided tours of a local dive site..
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #235) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 4:51 pm: |
Yo Mo,
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #236) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:02 pm: |
Freddie, My Dear...
|
By Gail T. (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2780) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:06 pm: |
From one old fart to another......
|
By Gail T. (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2781) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:12 pm: |
And let me add - my sweet baby girl lives in Maui, and when we visited her we didn't take our gear because we wanted the week to be all about her and showing us her favorite things to do....
|
By **PegiSue Slap** #4 in July!! (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3735) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:20 pm: |
Gail, when she finds the ONE, make sure he has a brother, for Kayla!!
|
By Pete Wedel (BonaireTalker - Post #35) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:20 pm: |
I've been to Bonaire 8 times and obviously love it. Also been to the other "famous" dive destinations in the Caribbean but keep returning to Bonaire because I love being able to dive on my own schedule with shore diving and Bonaire is No. 1 in the Caribbean in that area. We have been to Palau,Cocos,Layang-Layang,Thailand,etc. and the diving is definitely much more exciting and beautiful but it takes so long to get there and costs twice as much. However, if you want to spend the money and can take being on a plane for 24 hours I would highly recommend going to Palau if I had to suggest one "trip of a lifetime". You will see more in 20 minutes of your first dive than in a lifetime in the Caribbean. You'll see so many sharks that they will become as uneventful as seeing a pufferfish on Bonaire.
|
By Gail T. (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2782) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:26 pm: |
Off track - Hi Pegi Sue. Danielle is home for 2 weeks between jobs, and since she paints, too, I showed her your web site. She's wanting to get in with a local artist group on Maui, now that she'll have more standard hours....! And start selling some of her work!
|
By **PegiSue Slap** #4 in July!! (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3737) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 6:07 pm: |
I keep looking, at all of the places we dive (to stay on topic). I'll find one worthy of my approval!!
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #237) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 6:32 pm: |
Thanks, Peg Sue!!!!
|
By Jenni Stanfield (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 7:00 pm: |
My husband and I have made many trips to Cayman Brac. We like the laid back atmosphere! You will be told there are few shore diving areas there but we've only been on a boat once. The swims are long to the walls, but just take it slow on the surface, go down and come back underwater. The walls are awesome. The sand flats offer rays, jawfish and much more!
|
By Timmmy - Bonaire Bound in September (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5097) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 7:42 pm: |
Grand Cayman - 4
|
By I shoulda been a fish! (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #232) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 9:24 pm: |
Steve,
|
By Grunt, 44 days and I'm there! (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #600) on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 9:43 pm: |
Not sure what it takes to be an "old fart". I'm just now about to hit "middle" age of 62, exactly half of the 124 I have planned. Next year I plan to extend that to 126. YMMV
|
By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3271) on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 9:52 am: |
Gail - thanks for reminding me to add Bimini to the multiple trip list. I have a relatively small one time only list which were usually live-aboard trips.
|
By Will Brown (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 10:01 am: |
Well... Id add that as a 38 yr old "young" fart, my family has settled on returning to Bonaire over and over and ......
|
By Bud Gillan (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #289) on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 4:01 pm: |
Cecil,
|
By ******Tom****** (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #6538) on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 4:31 pm: |
Bimini is great as long as I don't have to go ashore there.
|
By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6212) on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 7:37 am: |
I'll keep an eye out for one Bud.
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #243) on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 9:40 am: |
Tom,
|
By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3277) on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 9:59 am: |
Tad,
|
By Tad Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #244) on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 10:23 am: |
YoMo,
|
By Yo MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3280) on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 3:19 pm: |
Tad - you have one back
|
By john mitchell (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 5:47 pm: |
Anyone on the board snorkeled Palau?
|
By Pete Wedel (BonaireTalker - Post #36) on Sunday, March 16, 2008 - 9:44 am: |
The best analogy I can think of about snorkeling in Palau would be like going to the highest rated 5 Star restaurant in the world and only having an appetizer for dinner. However, it would be the best appetizer you've ever had. If you stay at the Palau Pacific Resort the snorkeling off their beach is incredible. The tidal variation there is 6 - 8 ft. so part of the day the coral is touching the surface and the other part of the day it is several feet down. You will see more in 15 minutes than a lifetime of snorkeling in the Caribbean. Also - many of the rock island dive sites are fantastic for snorkeling as the wall starts in about 5 feet of water. You can cruise along the edge of the wall and look down for 1000's of feet into the dark blue. The Ngemelis wall would be the prime snorkel site for this. It was there I was snorkeling between dives and turned around to see a grey reef shark about 10 feet away giving me the once over (don't worry ,they're harmless) They also have a soft coral tunnel in just a few feet of water and giant clams in probably 15 ft. near that site. In other words - its fantastic!! I would go to Sam's Dive tours website and correspond with them about this subject - they can also arrange accomodations.
|
By Angie Ohlson (BonaireTalker - Post #90) on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 9:40 am: |
Pete you have mail -
|
By Rcourtney (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Monday, June 9, 2008 - 10:37 pm: |
I agree Bonaire is great & deserves to be repeated; however for a total relaxation & fabulous boat diving (only boat dives) I'd go back to Saba any day, over & over. Awesome marine life & SMALL laid back island. Total of 5 divers max on the boat our entire week; half of our dives it was me, my buddy & two divemasters! Talk about getting spoiled!
|
Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites