Trip Report April 27 – May 8, 2005 John and Donna’s Snorkel Trip
First let me say that the nearly obsessive monitoring of Bonaire Talk prior to our trip was invaluable as far as preparing for the trip and knowing what to expect.
Transportation
I think I might try American next time. We were put on Delta out of Atlanta to Puerto Rico and then American to Bonaire by Air Jamaica for our flight into Bonaire. Except for a long layover in Puerto Rico, it was a comfortable flight. Returning when we confirmed our flight with AJ we were ask to bring our luggage to the airport at 10 a.m. and then we could do whatever we wanted until 2 p.m. The flight left on time and went to Curacao before continuing on to Atlanta. We got in just in time to make the last boarding call for our flight to Atlanta, and we arrived a bit early in Atlanta The lack of cushioning in the flight seats and limited arm and leg room was very uncomfortable for a totally full flight. The food was not good at all. I prefer to just take my bag lunch like we did with Delta and American going to Bonaire.
We rented a truck with a backseat with air and power steering, but not 4 wheel drive from AB and we were quite happy with the seemingly new vehicle. It had a locking gas cap, which we liked. We bought the extra $8.00 a day insurance in addition to the $11.00 CDW. After all the horror stories on the board it seemed like a cheap investment for peace of mind. We had no problems in any of the places we parked. If nothing was in the truck we left the windows down and doors open in the day, but we always locked the car at night, even though there were security guards at the Sand Dollar property.
Lodging
We stayed in a studio unit at the Sand Dollar that was only steps away from the ladder into the water where there were an incredible number of fish right in the shallows. My husband does not like hot weather and is only mildly interested in snorkeling, so this trip was mainly for my benefit. But he was quite comfortable in the studio which was all air conditioned since it was only one room. It was well equipped and the bed was comfortable. He spent a lot of time reading and napping while I snorkeled right out in front on the Bari Reef.
The staff and restaurant owners were a bit discouraged that the restaurant was not open yet. They could serve breakfast, but not lunch and dinner. We were discouraged from using the pool, because it was so near the restaurant construction, plus there was no furniture, even thought the pool appeared to be finished. We were offered passes to Buddy Dive to use their pool if we liked, but with the sun decks right on the ocean and stairs right into the water, I didn’t feel a need for a pool.
The location was wonderful with the Chat and Browse and internet service right there. Also the grocery was handy, but nothing is priced on the shelf….just expect to pay for the convenience. Loves Ice Cream, yumm. was open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. If you have a frig with freezer, it is a lot cheaper to buy a carton rather than the $2.00 US single cones. The bank was right there and it was a quick ride to town. As I mentioned, there were security guards walking the property every night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. We took wise precautions and always kept the doors and windows locked when we were gone and at night. We never left anything out to dry on the patio. We had no problems at all anywhere on the island and felt quite secure. It is always wise to take precautions wherever you travel. There are bad people everywhere, unfortunately.
Snorkeling
There were only three fish I saw at other locations that I didn’t see in front of the Sand Dollar. We went snorkeling together at Andrea I and II. I loved the coral at Andrea II and at Andrea I I saw a 3 foot long electric blue eel with dots in the 5 inches of water right near the shore when I was coming in to land. It was there and gone so fast that I almost thought I had imagined the whole thing. I also so saw a family of squid here, Daddy, Mommy and Baby. They are so incredibly graceful in the water and I hovered above them for a long time. My husband liked the little beach and sun cabanas that he could lounge under after he was tired of snorkeling.
We also went to the Plaza Resort. There is a public parking lot right next to the beach area and we were told if we were just snorkeling and throwing a towel on the beach we could come in for free. If we wanted a chair it was $5.00. The best snorkeling is on the far end of the beach where the dock is located. It is a very easy entry down a set of stairs. Again, my husband liked to have a shady place to enjoy a drink while I satisfied my obsession with fish. I saw a huge French Angelfish here. It was as big as a dinner platter.
I did a drift snorkel from Eden Beach clear down to the Sand Dollar. John let me off there and I came up the ladder when I got to the far end of the Sand Dollar. The only other place we snorkeled was at Windsock…again because there is a bit of a beach and shade for my hubby. The current was pretty strong going south and we were at the far south end of the beach. I think it would be wise to get in the water at the picnic area in the north area of the site and then just drift all the way down the area. We didn’t go to Klein or the park. I seemed to be quite satisfied with the diversity and number of fish I saw and the experiences definitely satisfied my obsession that I had been nursing for months before the trip. I didn’t see an octopus, a ray or a starfish, but I saw a big barracuda in fairly shallow water. I saw snakes and moray eels, those fish that look like rocks and the one the swims on the bottom on it’s side and looks just like the rocks and sand. I saw just about every kind of colorful aquarium fish you can imagine. I was also struck by the different ages and sizes of the fish. I saw one little school of babies no bigger than the head of a pin, but with a little tail. You could only see them because they were in a school. I saw some other baby clusters a bit bigger and then on up from there. Off of the beach in front of the old Sunset Resort it was like a baby fish aquarium. I think the site might be called the Aquarium. There are lots of fish right up to the last three inches of water depth before you beach yourself.
We had a great time taking pictures with our cheap Kodak disposable underwater cameras, but they all turned out lousy. If you aren’t a photographer with good equipment, I would just buy the Watercolors Bonaire. It cost us 40 US dollar to get the two cameras developed and that was the same price as the book we bought after we saw how bad our photos were. Littman’s seemed to have the largest selection of souvenir type items that aren’t the run of the mill trinkets. Also, Chat and Browse has lots of good quality items to buy and everyone should go in and meet Michael. He seems to always be there and has the scoop on everything.
Other Activities
We drove around the south end of the island and saw the flamingos and slave huts and watched some windsurfing at Lac Bay. The first Saturday was a special holiday, so we went up to Rincon, which gives you a feel for what the interior of the island is like. It was their market day and extra large and festive because of the holiday and it being Rincon Day. It was great to get a glimpse of what the people and the life styles are like in that area. The smoothies booth has wonderful mango drinks. The barbequed meats on sticks are good too.
We went to the Donkey Sanctuary, which everyone should do! It is such a wonderful thing that they are doing there. After seeing some of the pitiful donkeys outside the sanctuary it was comforting to see what great care they get at their special home. They also have some big iguanas there and we got to see them have lunch. There is a place to picnic there, if you bring your lunch. There is also a tall lookout tour that gives you a mountain like view of all the flat desert land.
Food
We ate in for breakfast and picnicked for lunch and out at a restaurant every other night. We usually had such large servings that if we wanted appetizers and dessert, we took ½ of our entree home and complimented it with salads and vegetables the following day.
We shopped at Cultimara and the Warehouse…never could find the More for Less. We found the prices to be high compared to North Carolina, but we did find great Dutch cheese, Argentine hamburger, that was like chopped steak, and wonderful grapes from South America, as well as all kinds of great fruit juices. The bakery goods at Cultimara were always fresh., but get there in the morning for best selection. Depending on the delivery days, sometimes the store shelves were a bit bare…especially after the holiday at both the Warehouse and Cultimara. The Warehouse had a wider selection of some items like frozen food.
We splurged one night and went to Lobster night at Lion’s Den. We sat right on the water at a private table and the food was wonderful. But we are not accustomed to paying $100.00 US for two dinners. But it was a nice night out. We absolutely loved Pasa Bon Pizza. We ordered just the standard combination and it was some of the best pizza I have had in my life…even in Italy. The ingredients were in perfect proportions and the sauce was very zesty. You must go there and eat and not get take out. The ambiance is funky, but wonderful. Made me feel like I was in a movie set for a 1930’s Casa Blanca movie. City Café was just a touristy convenient breakfast and lunch spot in town. Den Leman next to the Sand Dollar has a beautiful setting and quite chic environment, but we found the food to be bland and uninspired. Our most favorite place was Wil’s Bar and Grill next to the theatre in town. It is like eating in a garden, but cool because of ceiling fans and the food and service are marvelous. These people definitely take pride in their recipes and cooking. If they have smoked Marlin, you must have that as an appetizer. The Key Lime Mousse with blackberry sauce is out of this world. We will have to save the Mona Lisa, Casa Blanca, Richard’s etc. for another time. We wanted to go to the Garden Café because of their interesting menu, but they always seemed to be closed.
Weather
It was in the high 80’s in the day and low 80’s at night. There was usually a breeze and it rained once in the night. Locals seemed to think the weather was warmer than usual, because they had a few days without breeze before we arrived. I think I saw one mosquito on the whole trip and never wore repellant or skin so soft, which I came armed with in abundance.
Best advice from bonairetalk before the trip
You must have a car if you want to see the island and go to lots of snorkel spots..
Freezing water bottles and taking them along with picnic supplies is a super idea.
No matter where you stay you can easily wear your gear out to snorkel in the truck and just come home and change before doing other things because the island is so small. Splash caddies are the best way to take ID, keys and money into the water with you.
Leave your passport and money in the hotel room safe.
You must get hard sole booties and open heeled fins. The coral beaches are hard and sharp, and these make the whole experience so much more enjoyable.
If you like to spend lots of time in the water snorkeling invest in a $40.00 lycra dive skin that you wear under wet suits. It is very protective for sun exposure and also sharp coral and any stinging things. They keep you warm too. Plus, if you don’t have a great swimsuit body, you don’t have to put yourself on display. I also got a lycra swim cap that protected my head from getting sun burned and I wore a bandana around my neck.
If you are not secure in the water definitely get a snorkeling vest. It has the added advantage of making you very visible to your buddy and others even deflated..
Don’t get a lot of money changed to guilders because nearly everyone will convert to dollars for you.
Take bags to shop for food. We forgot most times, but had a beach towel to carry stuff.
Be diligent with the sunscreen if you don’t want to burn. We saw a fair number of people who looked like fried lobsters.
Take as long of a vacation as you are able. You can never do everything in one short trip.
.
My tips:
If you aren’t going to eat out all the time and have a kitchen bring some of your favorite seasoning packages and instant food like oatmeal with you. They are light and don’t take up much room. If you use splenda or any other special item often, take that with you too.
Bring binoculars if you have them. I was sorry I forgot mine for the flamingos, which you usually see from a distance.
Wash out your lycra skin and bathing suit and booties in fresh water daily if you don’t want to smell like old sea weeds.
Buy your souvenirs for kids & grand children at the donkey sanctuary. They have cute things and you help support the donkeys.
Don’t try to spend all your coins before you get on the plane. There are collection boxes right at the security entrance for you to donate coins to support donkeys or children.
Confirm your flight with the local agents the day before your flight.
Take your own food for the plane if you come AJ
Chat and Browse is very reasonable place to get your emails and rent phones etc.
If you are not really into fish, snorkeling and/or diving and want a tropical setting I would not go to Bonaire. It is very barren with lots of cactus. The world to see is under the sea in Bonaire
As soon as you get home start saving your money for your next trip!
|
By Donna Farnsworth (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 3:16 pm: 
