We are hoping to visit Sorobon either Feb. or Mar. of next year. Went to Eben Bay a few years ago, and that's been our only outside of USA experience. Have some questions concerning the kitchen facilities and buying of local groceries. Also any preferences on bungalows? Would love to visit with recent visitors. thanks......lisa

Lisa, you'll find that Sorobon has a very well-equipped kitchen with gas hob, fridge, utensils, cutlery, crockery, coffee maker, etc (in contrast, Eden Bay/Caliente Caribe basically only has a fridge). If you want a microwave, Sorobon can supply one. The resort has a free minibus shopping trip most days into town - you're dropped right outside the Cultimara supermarket and picked up there about an hour later.

It's worth noting that Sorobon's restaurant is very good, and you can even order food for takeaway if you want to eat in your chalet.

As for the bungalows, they're all nice, but my favourites are in the southern half of the resort, especially 15 to 20.

(Message edited by tiger79 on July 8, 2008)

Lisa, Peter has given you very accurate information. I will tell you that the most important thing to bring to Sorobon is mosquito repellent!! We've been coming down to Sorobon for several years and also prefer the south side of the resort - Chalets 25, 26, 27, 28,or 29. We were just there in April in #29. The addition of AC in the bedroom has been a great improvement and one that I have appreciated. The staff at Sorobon is really friendly and helpful. We didn't even rent a car this last trip since were were only there 9 days. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay.

Thanks for the info. We are hoping to stay 8 days and hope to enjoy the nude cruise. Do you recommend renting a vehicle, or are side trips organized thru the resort? We were debating between here and Orient Bay. Orient Bay sounded a bit crowded for us. Not sure I like the idea of anyone walking thru the resort, ect...

The Monday afternoon nude cruise on the Woodwind is a must! It's great fun, with some superb snorkelling. If you enjoy it, you might also consider the Thursday sunset nude cruise too.

As for side trips (and Bonaire lovers are going to shoot me down for this) my view is that there really isn't much to see, unless you're a diver. If you want to go into town to eat in the evenings, it would be cheaper to rent rather than take a cab. Otherwise, if you just want an occasional walk around town, go on the free shopping trip. I've only rented once in the last 4 trips to Sorobon.

We also liked the Woodwind, Deb was a terrific hostess, and watching her athletic diving to point out things 20+ feet down was a treat.

We think there are many things to do, and are not divers. We rented a car for three days (of nine) and spent one in the Park and the other two just wandering around.

Sorobon is very quiet. We liked lights out at 9:00, but a few others went into town (a reason some of them had a car). The staff was excellent at arranging off prop trips and giving suggestions.

Regarding a car I'd say that since it's your first time you should rent one and see the island, try some restaurants in town. We didn't rent a car in April to see if we would do it. I really missed having the option of leaving for town for dinner at my convenience but my DH didn't miss it at all. For future trips I'd rent a car for about 1/2 of our stay.

Sorobon is a really great place to just unplug from the world. (but they do have wifi which is great) If you're looking for a quiet restful spot you'll love it. I read 8 books during my 9 day stay and met some really wonderful people. (Like Dave and Kay who were there for part of our stay in April) For me it's the peace and quiet and the great people that you meet at Sorobon (guests and staff) and the friendly people in town as well.

Sorobon is much more quiet and private than Club O. For me it's a no brainer between the two. Sorobon wins hands down. Bonaire is a much friendlier island than St. Martin as well though not as pretty. What it lacks in beauty in the scenery department it more than makes up for in it's beautiful people.

You should know that Sorobon is a 'no frills' resort. It's very basic. I think of it as kind of camping without a tent but it has everything that you need with out the pampering that you might find at a more typical resort.

Ok, I just have to ask, with regard to nude anything in the water, what about jellyfish and the like?

pat, I have heard of dangly bits getting nibbled by fish...

I have always wondered the same thing, but was afraid to ask!

It is not easy, but they can indeed be trained to do that (giggle)

Trevor

I was at the Sorobon in October. All of the rooms are very close to the beach, but the cabins closest to the water provide the best views of the bay. They are also in high demand and usually booked in advance. I stayed in cabin #6 which was one of the more remote cabins, it was also next to cabins 7 & 8 which were being used by the staff and close to the main office. I had a good view of the courtyard but not of the bay. For this reason I will try to avoid rooms 5-10 in the future.

I had no problem with my accommodations. The appliances and furniture are a bit old but they were functional and clean. The resort does provide a shuttle service to town, but during my stay most guests had their own car rentals. I would definitely rent a car to visit the rest of the island. Just be sure you have a way to get back to the resort if you return your rental on a day before your departure date. The resort arranges an airport shuttle/taxi to pick you up on your arrival and drop you off when you depart the island.

The Woodwind cruises are the only real side trips that are arranged by the resort. If you want to scuba dive or go on a guided tour, the Sorobon staff can make recommendations and reservations for you, but the resort is otherwise not involved. Transportation & payments are your responsibility.

I have not visited Club Orient, but some of my fellow Sorobon guests did. If you're looking for a lively and rich social scene, C.O. may be more to your tastes. Also on St. Martin, all the beaches are open to the public, so you will also see textiles around Club Orient's oceanfront. Sorobon more on the sedate and serene side. During my stay the resort was half full, but it seemed much less than that, that's how quiet it was!

As for snorkeling in the bay, I saw no jellyfish but I did see lots of sea urchins. I accidentally got stabbed by a few in my heel and finger, fortunately my more "private" areas left the bay unscathed. Water shoes or reef walkers are highly recommended. During my stay I got a few mosquito bites; mosquitoes do not seem to have a heavy presence on the resort...the rest of Bonaire is another matter. Oh yeah, make sure you have enough sunscreen. I got a bad burn on my back that really put a damper on my vacation.

Thanks for all your help. I'm still a bit worried about the mosquitos...but if we can get there from where we live(just kidding) we are going to make reservations. Sounds like we need to make them soon. Do the southern bungalows have the best view and closest to the water? thanks again

Lisa, don't worry too much about mossies - we were there this March and didn't have a problem, but we did spray ourselves in the evening.

If you look at this page of the Sorobon website, you'll see the resort layout. The aerial photo is quite recent, so you should get an idea of sightlines from the chalets. And, yes, you do need to book soon - we're already booked for next April!

Thnaks all for the info. We are looking to either Feb. or March. Will let all know when we book. Also, I'm sure I'll have more questions........thanks again....lisa

Due to unforseen circumstances, we will be unable to go this vacation. I guess we'll have to stay closer to home. Thanks again to all for your info........hopefully we'll make it there someday.........