Hi! My husband and I will be spending a week in Bonaire in June with another couple. We know almost nothing about the island (in fact, had never even heard of it until last year!), and could use some guidance.

We're thinking of staying at either Capt. Don's or Eden Beach. Eden Beach seems to have nicer 2 bedroom/2 bath units and a beach. Any thoughts?

Also, "shore diving" seems to be very popular on Bonaire. We're used to diving off of boats. Is the reef really that close to the shore? Is the diving/snorkeling better at Eden Beach or Capt. Don's?

Finally, what else is there to do on the island besides diving? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

hi wendy, welcome to bonaire talk. yes,the reef is that close. most dives can start within a five minute swim from shore. some, oil slick for example, require only climbing down a ladder or doing a giant stride off the platform. we have our own place on bonaire now but used to stay at carib inn so i can't really tell you whether eden beach or captain don's is a better place to stay. all i can guarantee is that you will love your visit.

Hi Wendy
We've atayed at Capt Don's and the Sand Dollar...both are good, as is Buddy dive (Capt Don's is the more expensive of the three)...if the beach is important, then Eden Beach/Bongos would be good for you....as for other things to do, birdwatching/naturalist trip with Jerry, windsurfing,fishing (deep sea and flats)hiking, biking, lazing, diving (sorry, couldn't help myself), snorkeling, sunbathing, day trips to Klein Bonaire, donkey sanctuary, Gibi's fine dining, or just plain curling up with a good book...did I miss anything?

Cam - Everything you mentioned sounds great (except maybe the donkey sanctuary!??). What exactly is Klein Bonaire, and how do you get there?

Hi Wendy,
The difference between diving off of Captain Don's and Eden Beach:

Captain Don's is a dock entry, giant stride off of the end, or a walk down the wooden steps into the water. (I hate that the cement ramp leading to the dive gear storage area can get quite slippery but there is also stair access.) The coral reef is close, relatively healthy, and the fish life diverse.

At Eden beach, there is a sandy shore entry near the dive shop end that is easy both day and night. The area directly in front of the resort has a lot of rubble from Hurricane Dennis. However, there is the reef cam at 60 feet with a wreck that is called Willie on BT talk. The rubble is not to be discounted -- on our last dive there, we watched a sea hare escape a sand dwelling anemone. There is a reef easily finned to just north of Eden beach that is delightful to dive.

Both are easy to navigate - Captain Don's has a cable that leads from the dock to the reef (I never did get around to diving to the 'end of the line' so I can't tell you how deep that is).
Eden Beach has the cable from the dock to the web cam, which leads you to the wreck at 70 feet or so.

I've stayed at Captain Dons, in a variety of rooms (the villas at Hamlet Oasis, the junior suites) but I've not stayed at Eden Beach (yet!).

I've eaten at both places -- you can see the construction of a larger restaurant space on the web cam at Bongo's.

What ever your choice, bring along a good attitude and you'll have a great vacation.

Mare

Oh, and in case Cam takes a while to respond, Klein Bonaire is a little uninhabited island off of Bonaire. Here is a satellite image of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire.

Arrrre you sayin I'm a litttttle slooowwww, Mare? I may act dumb, but I am stupid...er...

Wendy

Even I got caught petting donkeys at the sanctuary...they really are quite cute

Well of course...they are just the cutest! How couldn't you pet one?

Hi Wendy,

We'll be taking our 6th trip to Bonaire in March. We always stay at the Carib Inn so I can't speak to other accommodations. The shore diving really is awesome and easy. On the North end of the island you have to park a little further away from the water, but there is absolutely no swim. On the South end, you can back right up to the ocean, but have to swim perhaps 50 yards or so to the drop reef.

Bonaire has world class diving on the one side and world class wind surfing on the other. In between are some of the best restaurants I've ever visited. Between dives, we enjoy swimming, reading by the pool, sight seeing and eating out.

It's not an island that is likely to appeal to people who think Las Vegas and Disney Land are the two best vacation destinations in the U.S. However, it definitely has something going for it. The return visit rate is very high.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

Thanks for all of your comments! We spent a week on Ambergris Caye (Belize) last summer, so we're definitely not Las Vegas or Disneyland people. We're looking for something almost as laid back as Belize (you can't get any MORE laid back), with good diving/dining/drinking/sunning. Sounds like we hit the mark with Bonaire!

Any other comments specific to Eden Beach would be VERY helpful. I did a search on this message board and got a few hits. Lots more hits on Capt. Don's - seems to be more popular.

Again, thank you for all of your help

Wendy, I can speak for Eden Beach. It's a very nice compact resort with nice people and facilities. We enjoyed the convenience of a beach, dive spot and bar just steps from the front door. Here's a link to a trip report we did last August at Eden Beach.

wendy, you should go to the donkey sanctuary. there are a few hundred formerly-wild donkeys there. marina has rescued hurt donkeys as well as captured "problem" donkeys who tended to walk in the roads and given them a safe habitat. there is no entry fee but donations are gratefully accepted. take some sliced apples to feed them. also, it's a great place to get rid of your extra guilders before flying home

Cam

Blimey matey your ears have grown in that picture since we last saw you in September. Other than that I hope you both are well. We will be back for the spawning again in Sept this year.

Wendy
I recommend the Donkey Sanctuary we finally got there last month and it is well worth a visit - but take plenty of carrots or apples.

Pat, is the location of the donkey sanctuary well publicized? When we were there 2 years ago we saw a donkey at the side of the road, so we stopped to take his photo ...well he came right over to the car! Sure surprised us!! We didn't have any food for him so I don't think he was all that impressed with us ..but I did get a nice photo of him ;o)

Wendy, I'm not sure you could get more laid back than Bonaire. And yes, the donkeys are quite cute, I however, have a small problem with blue walls, but that's another story. If you like animals, visit the sanctuary. If you don't, drop some change in the box at the airport.

1. You will need hard soled booties with your fins, the coral rubble at the shore diving sites is very rough on the feet.

2. The departure tax is $20.00 per person, CASH, not travelers checks or credit cards are accepted. You can buy your departure tax at the airport during your stay (sometimes it saves time). YOu can buy it at the Kiosk at the airport.

3. Leave the vehicle doors unlocked and the windows down when you are in town, or diving. Do not leave ANYTHING you can't live without in the vehicle. Take an old pair of sunglasses, shorts, and flipflops.

4. Secure all of your valuables in the in room safe. Passports, cash, credit cards, etc. If they are on you and you are awake, fine, but at all other times secure it in the safe (just like you would in any other country you are visiting).

5. Get a little waterproof case and put the car keys, hotel key, and a bit of cash if you like and slip it in your BC pocket. I wear prescription sun glasses so I put them in soft fabric case that has a clip on it and put them in my BC pocket while diving as well.

Cyn -

Thanks for all of the great tips! What do you mean by "blue walls?"

There you go Cyndee. I did not say a word about your blue wall fixation. Wendy she has a problem that she can not see a blue wall so see likes to take trips sometime over them.LOL ;-D

Cheryl, yes, it's easy to find. If you are coming from the airport heading south, you will see the sign for the donkey sanctuary off to the left. It's not easy when it's rained a lot, the road gets flooded a bit. But DO please try to make it there to see the little guys and gals...

Hi Wendy, in regards to Eden beach, I stayed there last October on my first (but definitely not last ) visit to Bonaire. I loved it. Clean rooms, nice friendly staff, and best of all: Bongo's beach bar . Wannadive their onsite dive shop is awesome, too. I would not hesitate to stay there again. I hope that helps.

Have fun and dive safe!

cheryl, the donkey sanctuary is off the dirt road that is immediately south of the airport. there might be a sign for a construction company at the end of the road. the road parallels the runway. kelly, a very smart poster in her own right, has correctly stated that it can be a tough drive if it's rained a lot. i guess the entrance to the sanctuary is 1 or 2km down the road. it is worth the trip.

Thanks Kelly & Pat, we will include it as part of our nature / birding excursion of the island. Do they have apples & carrots that you can buy at the sanctuary to feel the donkeys, or should we visit Cultimara first?

LOL! I meant 'feeD' the donkeys :D

Cheryl you had it right the first time. In order to feel the donkeys, you have to feed the donkeys;-{)}

Cheryl, you need to bring the apples and carrots. Just stop by Cultimara or Warehouse (warehouse is cash only) and take them to the sanctuary. If you don't have time to cut them up before you go, Marina will let you cut them up there. They LOVE apples

Scroll down to the donkey pics for information on the BLUE WALL

I also have to admit that I will probably never live the blue wall incident down on either BT, nor at home. We watched the movie, the 40 Year Old Virgin the other night, and when he crashed on his bike, Dylon looked at me and said "that reminds me of you and the blue wall" and chuckled...LOL!

Cyn, that was a riot! I'm amazed that you didn't knock yourself out!! You know, if I hadn't read your post and those donkeys came after me for food, I probably would have started running too ...look out Blue Wall!! LOL!

Cheryl, my husband and 2 stepkids didn't run, and didn't feel crowded, so when they saw me running like a madwoman for the wall they coulnd't figure out what in the heck I was doing...then of course, "it" happened...I can still picture my husbands "what the hell" look on his face when he came walking up to me...

cynde, you should have waved....

Cam,
Did I say yooouuuu werrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre s l o w ??
Canadian, yes; slow, no.

Busy day here,
Cynde, thanks for the chuckles,
mare

We did Belieze also, opting for Turneffe Atol. The difference is that, at least on Turneffe, there was very little to do besides dive.

From the perspective of large critters and walls, the diving was better at Turneffe, but the top side was non-existant.

We've also done Grand Turk, which is another underdeveloped dive destination. Again, the top side wasn't adequate. Grand Turk had very few restaurants and the ones available served only adequate food with so-so service at premium prices. There was almost no shopping and few attractions. Again the diving was in some ways better than Bonaire, but there were far fewer dive sites.

Bonaire is an excellent combination of diving and good surface entertainment without scadzillions of people.

I predict you will enjoy your trip.

(Message edited by motorpsycho on January 12, 2006)

Wendy,
We have not stayed at Eden Beach. We DID tour it in 2002 when we arrived with a one night reservation for a two week trip and wanted to tour the different properties. We DID stay at Capt. Don's in 2002 and have returned each year since. This March we will arrive for a three week visit.

We stay in a two bedroom, two bath Oasis Cottage with wrap-around porch. We love it...it's our own little home away from home. The ONLY negative about the cottage is we do not have an ocean view (garden and pond) but we are only a few steps away from everything...dive shop, pool, restaurant, bar, etc. We highly recommend Capt. Don's.

Pat, thanks, now I need to clean the coffee off my monitor...

Hi Brian!! Hope things are well in Jolly Old England....it's a shame we couldn't see any coral spawn last Sept/Oct...bad luck...we did, however, luck out on the timing, as we arrived right after a hurricane and departed right before the big one that nailed the Mayan Riviera...when we were geeting on our flight to Calgary in Dallas, we watched a bunch of excited people getting on their flight to Cancun....they were the ones that got trapped in the storm...

Wendy -

Bon bini a Bonaire Talk!

One other thing you should be aware of on your first visit to Bonaire: take and use plenty of sun protection in and out of the water.

I realize you live in "sun country" (as do we), but because of the proximity of Bonaire to the Equator the sun is fierce. We have snorkeled in Hawaii and the "northern Caribbean," and the sun intensity in those locations is nothing compared to Bonaire. But if you are altered in advance, you'll take proper steps and be in good shape.

We look forward to your trip report!

Buen viaje!

Charles Poteet
Dallas

Wendy -

Here is a link to a site with great pics, descriptions and reviews of the shore-diving sites:

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/ABC/index.htm

Good luck!

***CAUTION LONG***** guess I’m just passionate about both places, sorry


Wendy, I did my first diving on AC and I'll be making my 5’Th trip to Bonaire in July so I might be able to give you a little comparison under water and topside.

Underwater

AC, Great diving, lots of big stuff, nurse sharks and large turtles on every dive. Sponges that I could fit into. Everything is a 2 tank boat dive with at least a 45 min ride. The boat will pick you up at 8:30 promptly island time  Follow the DM, everyone down and up in about 45 min. Your diving is on the same schedule as everyone else’s. Normal diving day 3 maybe 4 dives.

Bonaire, Great diving, tons of little stuff, French angles and trumpet fish on every dive. The closer you look the more small amazing things you see. Boat dives are usually one tank and completely optional except for diving Klein, unless you are one heck of a swimmer. Longest boat ride about 20 min if you stop to watch the dolphins on the way out. Normal dive is in the 60 – 100 min range. You get to dive your schedule, where you want, when you want. Example, sitting around playing some cards at around 11:00 p.m. (I don’t do the 8:00 boats) another diver in our group wanders over “hey, we’re going to go play with Charlie, go with? “ sez he, “sounds good” sez I. Gear up, in the water at 11:30 have the reef all to ourselves back in our room at about 1:00 a.m. Normal diving day 4 sometimes 5 dives a day.

Top Side

AC. Belekin beer! Sitting in a nice sea side bar watching the moonlight shimmer off the waves breaking on the reef……….Damn that one is hard to beat. Fido’s, Wet Willies, Pier Lounge’s chicken drop, BC’s, Crazy Canuk’s, then Jaguar’s or Big Daddy’s to end the night. Rent a golf cart and explore the island. Super lush and green. Try your hand at four wheeling in a golf cart across the hand ferry north of the cut all the way to Captain Morgan’s. Hang out on a super nice sandy beach for a while, then head back south and go to one of a handful of nice restaurants for dinner.

Bonaire. Amstel bright (if you’re done diving for the day) in a big deck chair at rum runners watching a great sunset……..pretty darn good, but its just not a Belekin. Bars and night life…….not so much, certainly nothing like Jaguars or Big Daddy’s. Hop in your surprisingly stout dive mobile and head out exploring. “How do I get to Spelunk light house?” sez I. “It’s that way “ sez he pointing in a general north easterly direction. “Which road do I take?” I ask. “ROAD, HAHAHAHA” he replies. In a very short time the pavement ends and off you go driving through the desert still not quite believing you’re seeing cactus after cactus. ‘Holy Cow, this really is a desert island.’ I think to myself as I take in the rugged beauty of the island. Driving along all the time thinking how cool this could be if only I had my jeep  . Head back home and have dinner at any one of dozens of GREAT restaurants and check the computer to see when I can go back in.

I dearly love both places and if I won the lottery I’d have a hard time trying to decide which island I’d live on and which one I’d just visit a lot. I don’t think I’d go wrong with either one.

WOW, now that’s a ramble….PBD is kicking in pretty hard now so I’m just going to curl up in a little ball in the corner cry myself to sleep and try to convince myself that June is just around the corner…..PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME THAT JUNE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

Have a GRAET one,
Grawz

There’s just no recapturing a Caribbean soul once it’s taken its first breath of salt air.

Doug... June's just around the corner You asked!

Great post! Awesome closing line! You've just made my PBD ratchet up a notch, thanks ;)

Doug . . .

Thank you so much for giving me the comparison of AC and Bonaire! It was very helpful, and now I'm looking forward to Bonaire even more than before!

Very nicely said, Doug. You have not helped my PBD and seasonal funk much. There is only one short term cure.

Cyn,

Question for you on locking the car/truck. We heard this on the 1st trip to bonaire, so we did. We've also talked to several that locked anyways. I've not personally known anyone to have a smash and grab, nor anything stolen from an unlocked car. Is this really a significant problem, or is this something left over from years ago and car rental places tired of replacing glass?

Paul, while there are no real statistics (at least that I have been made aware of), it does happen. Last October, the parking area above Oil Slick had a lot of glass on the ground, so it was obvious that someone had left the windows up and the doors locked. Netty, for example has a sticker in the car on the glove compartment stating to leave the windows down and no valuables in the vehicle. I've also rented from AB and Budget but don't remember if they had the stickers or not.

Jeannie (a BTer) had a bottle of sunscreen taken from her vehicle while parked in town (windows were down). So leaving the windows down is best, and nothing that you value inside...

So, the problem exists, but it's random and probably infrequent in comparison to the number of divers (I'm just estimating here based on reports on the board.) So, that being said, leave the windows down and nothing of value in the vehicle. I find it easy, and that's something for me if you saw the size of my purse and what I have in it (everything but the kitchen sink)...KISS - keep it simple when diving on Bonaire ;-)

Hi Paul and Cyn! Just jumping in to confirm what Cyn said. Yep...took my wonderful Cactus Juice sunblock. Very sad because we were using it like crazy. This was in early August, schools were out, so we were guessing it was just some kids trying to have some fun. No real harm done.

I just wanted to add that I remember reading a thread where a person said their dive books were stolen while out diving (I think it was in the south). Again, no "real" harm, but that would drive me nuts if it were me. I use that book to get me through the really bad PBD days. I put all of my notes in there and even though they are replaceable, they are very sentimental. I wish I could find the thread to point you to it. Maybe one of the more experienced BTers can find it.