Bonaire Trip Report

Finally made time to type out our trip report so here it goes. We are nondivers, snorkel only. We started by reading everything we could about Bonaire, including Bonaire Talk and www.infobonaire.com With so many resorts and lodgings to pick from and on a budget we had it narrowed down to three places, Hamlet Oasis for north of town, Sun Rentals Sunoceanfront Apartments for in town and third Happy Holiday Homes for down south and we had to decide to use AA or AirJam. We decided to go with AA since we can leave right from Tulsa and because with AirJam. we would have had to use two days extra coming and going out of Atlanta, we decided to go with Avis US # 1-800-331-1084 for a rental truck with no a/c and decided to go with MADURO Travel Agency 1-800-327-6709 and got Heidi at ext. 231for 8 nts. at Hamlet Oasis which is north of town directly behind Captain Don’s, which is on the water. With air, transportation and lodging taken care of we went to Poseidon Adventures to get me new booties, snorkel fins, snorkel and underwater case to carry money, drivers license, keys, etc. They helped me pick everything out and they are going to Bonaire in December out of Tulsa. Next was shopping for snacks and any food items we can carry with us in our luggage, since food items in Bonaire are aprox. double the price in the US, we took beef jerky, bbq pork rinds, tropical trail mix, ramen noodles, lipton side dish broc. ched. rice, popcorn, cashews, salt & pepper, sugar, cereal, pop tarts, apples, bananas, paper towels and butt wipe, anything we could buy state side and light weight and once we remove these it gives me room in our luggage to bring back souvenirs.
Hamlet Oasis, this is a one bedroom apt.#10, they furnish towels and sheets, with a pool. The flight went smooth, take your own Walkman head set from home to hear the movies since they charge for head sets and they show two movies coming and going, we bought liquor in San Juan at the duty free. Our entire luggage made it with us and flights on time. AA doesn’t arrive until 8pm and the humidity hits you as soon as you step off the plane, had to ask where Avis was located at, the rental agency’s are outside the airport out in the parking lot seemed like we had to drag our luggage a block. Our truck was ready and waiting with free upgrade to a/c, which we were thankful for and used most of the time. Avis gave us a map and directions to Hamlet, instructions to lock doors and keep windows rolled up and use a bar to lock the steering wheel, to stop thieves from steeling the battery and motor. The truck has no power steering, next time we’ll definitely request it and practice parallel parking. The speedometer is in kilometers, which is no problem since the speed limit signs are in kilometers. Upon leaving the airport we stopped at Lisa Gas for soda, beer, wine coolers and milk. The wine coolers and beer caps don’t twist off so we used the truck door hinge. Gas is about $3.50 US per gal. We filled up twice, ouch! The circus was in town and came in handy as our landmark when we got lost the first day or two until we got familiar with the roads and area. Naturally we missed the turn directly in front of the Tourist Info. Center, looks like the road runs right up over the curb. Made it to Hamlet around 9pm and Dorothy was waiting for us to show us to our apartment and where to park our truck, some apartments have parking areas right next to the apartment others will have to park one or two apartments away. They also had two, two story apartments by the water. We had #10 next to the main highway and had to park next to #11 which had plenty of parking and next to the dive shop with a second entrance into Hamlet. Asked about theft problems and was told no such problems here, safe, fenced location.















The pool was nice and comes in handy to cool down as the living room is warm, a/c only in bedroom and we used the steps directly north of Capt. Don’s to get down to the water and snorkel south down to Capt. Don’s north pier and bring some cash as you’ll want to get a drink at the bar located by Capt. Don’s south pier. We used Capt. Don’s pier for our water taxi pickup to Klein Bonaire. Asked to go to no name beach but they were going to turtle beach so we went anyway. Would have liked to go back but didn’t get the time.




\image {klein water taxi}


Andrea 1 was one of my favorite places since it was the first place we snorkeled.


We went to Washington Slagbaai National Park twice, must have a truck to enter and a $10.00 US per person entrance fee. My favorite place of all was Wayaka II, our first park visit we took two frozen bottles of water and grilled cheese and lots of snacks. We stopped and looked at everything, fed the fish at Wayaka II and the iguanas all over the park, on pork rinds, crackers and trail mix, they didn’t turn down anything, as a matter of fact the iguanas were too friendly at times. Sometimes they bypassed the food on the ground and headed for the bag in my hand, even climbed my boot. The second trip we went straight to Wayaka II and stayed all day and fed the two friendly angelfish. I made an extra grilled cheese sandwich just for them and took plenty of tropical trail mix and wheat thin crackers.































We shopped at Warehouse Supermarket and Ray had to learn how to use the scale. Bring your own sacks.




We shopped at Cultimara Supermarket also, this was our main grocery store, it had real milk. Bring your own sacks.




We also shopped at the Bonaire Super Store. It’s similar to our Dollar Store. Coke here was half the price of Cultimara and they give you sacks. We went here to buy some cheap souvenirs and a wash cloth for Ray. Located east of traffic circle.



























The view from the road to the north was amazingly beautiful. This is Rays favorite location with all the different shades of blue.


We had a great time. Pam and Rays trip report.

Thanks Pam and Ray, that was just delightful. And although I've been to Bonaire many times, thanks for the reminder to bring your own sacks when grocery shopping at Cultimara in Bonaire.
I think my favorite picture is the framing of the water and sky at white slave huts. I also laughed at the shots of the 'pet' angel fish. They LIKED you!
Thanks again for your report!

Wow! Amazing photos, I love seeing the photos of the town. Thank-you for sharing!

Nice report and pictures Pam & Ray, you just re-activated my PBD!

Thank you ever so much, Pam, for sharing your stories and your wonderful photos with us. What a terrific collection of pics you have taken. Absolutely fabulous way to remember and relive your trip to Bonaire. It certainly does look like you and Ray hit most of the "must see and do" spots on the island while you were there.

When are you going to return??? Thanks again for your report and photos...I feel as though I had just visited Bonaire again after looking at your terrific pics! Ayo. Carole

PS That looked like a pretty good storm brewing in the background, too, in a few of the shots you posted. Were the rain clouds headed towards the Park? They tend to hover over the hills up in the Park a lot. cb

Thanks for the great trip report! I feel like I just had a wonderful snorkel!

Pam, GREAT pictures ! I'm almost in tears I miss Bonaire so much. That's not an exaggeration either... your pictures were just great and a reminder that I need to book a flight sooooooon. I loved the shots of you wading in the water with the french angels... they sure are friendly critters, huh?

Thank you for sharing and I'm glad you had such a great trip.

Pam,

I really enjoyed your report. Wow, those French Angels and trunkfish must have really liked grilled cheese!

Ray took most of the photos and we ended up with about 450 keepers on our digital camera. It's taken hours to sort thru and name all of them and I enjoyed every second of it. We posted something like 80 photos and may find time to post more now that we know how to do it. Sure glad to see my first octopus over at Klein Bonaire.

So many great memories! Can't wait to start planning our next trip. Thank you so much for sharing! Coach Izzy

Ahhhh!!!!! What wonderful photos!!!!!! Almost all of them brought back such wonderful memories. Wow, the slave huts are a different color now! They were yellow when we were there. I love your fish shots.

Where is the location with the big dramatic boulders? Looks like Virgin Gorda.

Was the pool at Harbour deep enough and big enough to do laps in?

Thanks so much for posting this beautiful visual treat!

Pam and Ray, great report, beautiful pictures.
Even though I have not been in Bonaire with your show of pictures - I understand why everyone loves Bonaire and keep going back and back.

Hopefully I will get a chance to go next year!!!

Thanks again

Great report and loved seeing the pictures, I have never been all through the park and felt like I was right there. Thanks for taking the time to post all your lovely pictures.

Mermaid,

I do believe that the white slave huts are closer to town and the yellow ones are closer to the lighthouse on the south side of the island.

Pam - if I didn't say it before I will say it now - GREAT report. I'm ready to go, go, go.

Mara

Pam & Ray,
Thanks for sharing your reoprt and photos... It sure makes me homesick for #10

We're glad you all enjoyed our trip report and pictures, it was sometimes aggrevating learning to downsize pictures, (50K really doesn't do a 1Meg pic justice but having dial up connection I understand the importance of it) naming them and saving them someplace where you could find them later. But your interest and comments made it all worthwhile.

I've seen several great pictures of the slave huts of this forum over the past 6 months or so, the view from the window thru the door showing the water, so I had to try my own version. Yes, the yellow huts are further south, we only made it that far 1 day and of course my camera batteries went dead there. From then on I carried an extra set in the glovebox.

We loved the angel fish and saw them in several places. They were so friendly, they spooked us the first time they came right up to our masks.



We did see a lot of the island, about the only part we missed was from the yellow slaves huts down and around to the Sorobon area. We did cross over to Sorobon from Kralendijk and then up to Lac Bay. We traveled North up to Karpata (our favorite drive), on to Rincon and into the Park and back to Kralendijk along the Montana road. Had to leave something for next time.

We didn't encounter any storms in the park, occassionally they would pop up off shore but would either pass by or disappear.

The pics with the big boulders that look like Virgin Gorda were in the Park at Boka Kokolishi. The pool at Hamlet Oasis was about 5'6" deep all the way across with wide cascading steps on one side and a sitting ledge on the other and about 20'x50.

Ray

I did it again