My wife and I are visiting Bonaire in March. We are looking for accommodations with more of a party atmosphere. I am a diver and my wife is a snorkeler.. We just want to meet a fun crowd..
Where are the most lively accommodations in Bonaire?

Sun Oceanfront Apartments are located on the edge of town in a perfect location for those wanting a nice quiet rest with ocean views yet a minutes walk to Karels, City Cafe and other town night spots.

Bonaire has lots of fun places to explore after work and at night. Bongos is the Fri. night spot, the younger crowd goes to Ewowo (sp?) for disco, there is a new club across from the movie theater, Rendezvous has a sports crowd, City Cafe and Karels have great music, Cocos has steelband and Mariachi...hmm..lots of options. Hilltop is a fun happy hour spot too! There is also a club out in Lagoeon with Meringue music. And of course the island has festivals ALL year long. Keep in mind, there are no Hedonism type properties here and the parties are not like those in lively San Juan. It's a different atmosphere and one that I along with many really enjoy.

John, you might like the Plaza Resort. We walked through there on our way to watch our daughter do her Bubblemaker class and noticed it was "lively" and had alot going on. They have a sandy beach area and there is a bar right there. Lots of folks sunning, swimming, smiling. Several restaurants to choose from. There appeared to be a mix of nationalities staying there. Have fun!

Good roundup from Ann but don't forget the Sunday shindig at Lac Bay. It's more of a locals kind of gathering with live music, excellent food and muchos beer. A great time every Sunday afternoon from like 3 (memory fades about start time)

John -

Don't want to throw a damper on your plans, but I feel compelled to share our own experience that Bonaire is not a "party" island.

I think the locations listed above are ones that are relatively lively, but on Bonaire that does not mean what it would on Aruba, Jamaica, St. Thomas, Cancun, etc.

For example, one of the very reasons we enjoy staying at the Plaza is that it is so quiet.

Because so many people go to Bonaire exclusively for the diving and snorkeling, I guess they have little energy for partying. Bonaire gets up early, spends the day soaking up Nature, and goes to bed pretty early.

I share this so that you won't be expecting something that will not materialize.

You're going to love Bonaire, tranquility, magnificent Nature and all. :-)

Charles Poteet
Dallas

oh pooh,

in addition to the opportunities listed by ann above, there is plenty of beer and lots of goats - you can party texas style if you desire

Don't forget the donkeys!

I think that we may have given the wrong impression.. No Hedonism for us.. that is a little too "lively".. As for the goats and donkeys.. Well, what can we say? We enjoy relaxation.. We just like nightlife as well. We have been to St. Lucia which we consider mild as well as Jamaica which is a little crazy. Our main purpose is to dive and snorkel. Thanks for some great ideas! We especially love any "local" nightlife.. We were mainly interested in finding out if we should stay near town or at a resort such as Captain Ron's outside of town.
Thanks!

Correction..
Captain Don's! Was thinking about that wayward captain!

Capt Don's can be considered one of the more "lively" resorts. They offers a great Manager's Party on Monday night with "numb" punch and appetizers, live music and dancing when the mood strikes you. Their Decompression Bar is usually a evening watering hole with various dining theme nights during the week.

If you intend to shore dive then a vehicle is a must and this same vehicle gives you easy access to the "Local" nightlife which consists mainly of walking along the downtown waterfront with frequent stops at Karl's Bar to listen to music.

John -

Given your elaboration of "lively" and your keen interest in diving and snorkeling, we can predict your Bonaire vacation will be a slam dunk.

I think you're learning that a lot of the "nightlife" centers around the dive resorts ("resorts" sounds like mega-center swarming with people...not what it means on Bonaire).

As far as being close to town (Kralendijk that is), if you stay anywhere on the central or south part of the island, you're probably no more than 10-15 minutes by car from town. Most places on the west dive coast (Cpt. Don's, Sand Dollar, Divi, the Plaza) are much closer.

Just in case you haven't found it, you might want to check out http://www.infobonaire.com for a wealth of information about the island.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

John...As mentioned above, make sure you visit Cai for the traditional Sunday bash. Good food, great people and you'll enjoy the music (local groups). The scenery is beautiful...the ocean on one side and Lac Bay on the other. It's a bit difficult to find, but you can ask around for directions. It's a popular place to spend a lively Sunday afternoon. My husband and I have made Sundays at Cai a tradition every year. Carol