By Mark Roberts (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 6:05 pm: |
Approx. 4 months ago I was very excited to take my 13 year old son on his first dive trip - and to go to Bonaire due to all the shallow diving which suits a Jr. diver perfectly. We have reservations at the Divi the first week in August. After reading the board I am seriously reconsidering other options. I have NEVER read a travel board with disaster after disaster listed so frequently. It seems that if you get there without a flight cancelled and do not get robbed it is a great trip. How in the heck can the an island that survives on tourist have so many problems that seemingly go unaddressed? I have never had shallow dives as a requirement in planning a dive trip but does any one have suggestions for an alternative dive spot suited for a Jr. diver?
|
By Marcus L. Barnes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #325) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 6:29 pm: |
Mark: I would advise against cancelling your trip. I can only relate my own expirience to you and this is it: I have been to Bonaire 5 times in the last 4 years and I am scheduled again for 17 September 2005. I have never been robbed on Bonaire. I have never been bumped off a flight nor have none of my flights ever been cancelled either enroute to Bonaire or enroute home from Bonaire. My luggage and dive gear has never been lost and has always arrived on the plane on which I arrived. The bad stories you read on Bonaire Talk constitute the miniority of expiriences; for every person that has encountered problems, there are many more who have not. The diving is WORLD CLASS at an affordable price; the food and the people are great. My advice: Give the Home of Diving Freedom a shot - you will never know until you try and I wager you won't regret it! Have great trip!!
|
By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #13807) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 6:43 pm: |
Mark, ditto to what Marcus said. People love to report the bad news, and not the good too often. 4 trips and all have gone smoothly. We took my stepkids this last time (16 and 19) it was their first dive vacation and they LOVED it! Use common sense when locking valuables in the safe, etc., like everyone suggests and you will be fine.
|
By Geoffrey (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #154) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 6:46 pm: |
Mark,
|
By Nathalie (BonaireTalker - Post #88) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 7:13 pm: |
People are more apt to report bad news than good. Maybe it's time to balance things a bit.
|
By Raymond Sauve (BonaireTalker - Post #17) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 8:14 pm: |
Mark,
|
By Kay Powers (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #898) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 8:22 pm: |
My daughter was certified on Bonaire at 10 which was 4 years ago. It's a great place for a jr diver. My first trip to Bonaire was in 96' and my next will be my 9th trip......you can't ever get enough. My daughter, now 14 is still always ready to go there. I love the divi and the dive shop there is wonderful......Don't change your plans.
|
By Jenna (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 8:45 pm: |
Ditto what everyone else has said. I began diving in Bonaire at age 12 - it's a wonderful place for beginner divers of any age. Your son will love it.
|
By Sue Goodman (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #172) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 9:28 pm: |
Mark,
|
By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #260) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 1:55 am: |
We have been 3 times to Bonaire and have not had any problems.Flew AJ 2 times and the first time with ALM (which is now defunct), No problems with the resorts we have stayed at. We love the shore diving and plan on going again, just don't have a date yet. Bonaire is very addictive.
|
By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5506) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 7:55 am: |
And I moved to Bonaire nearly 8 years ago because it was safer for my then infant and toddler (who are both now a lot bigger) than the U.S. (they were born in New Hampshire).
|
By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1918) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 8:56 am: |
Really, if we had Bonaire Talk in the days when ALM was our only carrier, no one would have booked a trip! With over 50,000 visitors each year, we are bound to have some problems True, we have been plagued with bad airlift and with the ease of using the internet, some bad PR. I am of the opinion that any crime, etc is unacceptable. As a businessman I support any effort to work againt it as well as prevention progtams. To cancel a trip would be a shame.
|
By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1450) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 9:13 am: |
I have been to Bonaire 10 times in five years. Five of those time were solo. My husband and I feel it is the only island that we have been to that we feel safe enough for me to travel alone! I can walk the streets freely with out a worry. Not only that, but he knows that I am in good hands when I get there with friends we have met on island. On my 2nd trip to Bonaire and my first trip solo, I fell and broke my knee back in September of 2001. I'll never forget that Janice Huckaby was at the hospital before I saw the doctor!!! In the one day left that I had before going home, I had more visitors and signatures on my cast than I would have had if I was at home. I don't even know how she knew I was there. Only thing I came up with was.... I was staying at the Divi at the time...doing guided snorkels with Renee and had met Janice through Renee who I purchased some of her art...I had also met Luis, the head of maintenence at Divi through Renee, and he must of known that I fell and alerted my new found friends!!! And that is what Bonaire is like!!!!
|
By Carlea B (BonaireTalker - Post #63) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 9:34 am: |
Travel Guard should give a commission to the Bonaire Talk moderators. I'm sure I'm not the only one who purchased a package from them yesterday morning after reading the previous thread. I'm knocking on my fake wood desk as I type this, but my previous trip to Bonaire went smoothly all around. And Bonaire is just the best place on earth. We're heading there in 12 days (!!!yay!!!). I feel better having travel insurance. And luggage locks. And a motion detector. And yes, it's worth it.
|
By David Bridenbaugh (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 9:43 am: |
Mark;
|
By Jake Richter - NetTech (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5507) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 10:08 am: |
Carlea - I wonder if Travel Guard has some sort of affiliate program - that could benefit the non-profit Bonaire Talk Community, Inc. organization which owns and operates BonaireTalk. Maybe some of the moderators can check that out?
|
By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2066) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 10:34 am: |
Affiliate member discounts?????
|
By Martin Heyn (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 10:39 am: |
We had many of the same concerns and found many of the issues blown out of proportion as often happens on the NET. Below is a link to our recent trip report and I can strongly recommend the BelMar for your situation.
|
By Carlea B (BonaireTalker - Post #64) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 11:16 am: |
Excellent idea.
|
By Jamie Barber (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #130) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 11:35 am: |
Mark,
|
By Debbie Babcock (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1677) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 1:08 pm: |
Mark,
|
By Geoffrey (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #155) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 3:51 pm: |
I think we should all pause and consider what some of the more histrionic and whiney posts do to the island everyone says they love. I can understand how Mark or someone else could come to such conclusions from the posts on this board.
|
By Cathy Smith (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 4:32 pm: |
Mark: We are scheduled for our first trip to Bonaire in September. I have read all of these reports too, but we prefer to determine for ourselves whether Bonaire is worth it or not. If I had listened to everyone, I never would have gone to Paris, Tahiti, or Jamaica. You know, rude people, high crime, etc. I never saw any of it and would go back to all three of those places in a heartbeat. And, my vacation time and dollars are very valuable to me! So go to Bonaire, dive, and decide for yourself if it was worth it.
|
By Kelly Cooper (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 6:29 pm: |
I agree with all the positive posts! Bonaire is a great place. This chat is sometimes just a place for people who have had a bad experience to vent.
|
By Wally and Eva (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #817) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 7:08 pm: |
We send our older teenagers by themselves for weeks at a time and are quite comfortable with that (Eva, my wife, has standard issue Mother Worry genes). BTW everybody, Joey is running around western Europe for ten weeks by himself.
|
By Bill Perkins (BonaireTalker - Post #56) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 7:35 pm: |
Mark: My wife got certified at Bonaire and I took two of my sons to Bonaire for their first open water dives. You'll love the Divi, Serge at the dive shop is great too. You'll have a wonderful vacation. I'm returning in December for 16 days with my wife and two of my sons.
|
By Tony Fister (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 1:12 pm: |
Mark, I just got back from the Divi June 5th with my 14y/o son after 7 days of great diving. Flew air Jamaica from Atlanta to Montego Bay and on to Bonaire Sunday to Sunday which will soon be discontinued. Divi is a great place to stay- my 4th time in 14 years. It's so close to town easy to walk and find places for you and you son to eat. Diving is perfect for a 14 y/o. My flights were ok- going home the plane was 1hour late arriving in Bonaire which made me worried about the connection in Jamaica going home. They held the connecting plane so we just walked off and onto the next gate down and were off in about 15minutes- our luggage made it with no problems. Enjoy your trip!! Bonaire is great!
|
By Tony Fister (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 1:17 pm: |
Mark- as for flights you may consider going into aruba and catching Bonaire excell over. I talked to several who did and they had no problems. I was worried by some notes here on this board so I did not do it but my impression is that they are flying and ontime. Since Air Jamaica will stop all service in late August this may be a option.
|
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