I heard Sorobon has been sold. Just hope the new owners don't change the style of this superbly laid-back little treasure.

I was told it will maintain the same charm ..low rise nice...

Anyone know who bought the resort and are the staff staying on.

the deal is not signed yet...wait for news on www.bonairebliss.com please..

Greg, I heard it was the Jibe City people.

It is confirmed Sorobon has been sold and it no longer will be a naturist resort as of Dec 1st, 2010!! I am very sad. The reason why my husband and I have been staying at Sorobon for the past 6 years is that it was the most unique naturist resort in the world. Now we are bewildered and have no idea of where to go next. We are not interested in resorts that are large and we are true naturists from America. If anyone has any suggestions please post your recommendations.

Rivka, Hawksbill has a nude beach (Antigua)..was there a few times...it's lovely. I found this website for you to peruse.

http://www.turq.com/naturist.php#ant

It is fully confirmed. Sorobon will be transferred to a textile ressort by november 2010. The new owners are the same who have Jibe City. It is really said. The best naturist ressort in the world is disapearing!!

I'm by no means convinced that Sorobon will change to a textile resort. The place is busy, and has an incredibly high repeat occupancy, with people returning year after year. It just doesn't make economic sense to throw that away.

Above all, the standards of accommodation, catering and service are simply too low to justify the current very high room rates if it's a textile resort; we naturists will pay a premium because it's one of a very small number of Caribbean naturist resorts. So if they change it to a textile resort, they'd have to drop the prices significantly to attract the same number of guests.

So next year is the time to say goodbye to sorobon and bonaire :-(

Things are changing - not always for the better.

Bonaire loses its innocence and we will lose 'our' little paradise. With all the new buildings on the west-coast, the increase of the cruise-ships and the changes at sorobon bonaire will be just one island among many.

So next year is the time to say goodbye to sorobon and bonaire :-(

Makes you wonder why the new owners would change the status of Sorobon. Sorobon was a true delight to visit, there is no other place like it that we have found. I will miss Sorobon and also Bonaire, Sorobon was the only reason for us to come to the island of Bonaire, but once we discovered Sorobon we also discovered Bonaire itself. The island is so unique and special to us. Hopefully we can arrange one more visit to our little paradise, before it changes forever. I will also miss the staff and friends we have meet and also the ones that we will never get a chance to meet.

While they have not yet said it will no longer be naturist, they also are not saying it will be textile only. Unfortunately it appears that it may be so. I hope not, I hope that they get enough feedback from those of us who love Sorobon/Bonaire that they will not make the changes. We are going in April/May of 2010 - I just hope it won't be our last trip BUT if they make the changes, I'm afraid that it will be. Here's a link to the announcement.

http://www.sorobonbeachresort.com/p/20/732/new-owners-sorobon-beach-resort

Actually reading the notice from the new owners, it appears that the naturist part will disappear next December - to become an exclusive resort - whatever that means. Guess we'll have to enjoy our last trip there in April/May - bummer.

I don't have any opinion on this one, but I'm loving the specialized lingo....naturist vs textile? Do you guys have any other naturist slang you'd like to share with a collector of words?

nautrist=enjoys vacations without clothing
textile=naturist term for facilities which are not "clothing optional"

I feel like I have been set in a spin over the recent news, confirmed by e-mail today that Sorobon will be converting to textile as of the end of 2010. My wife and I have made 8 trips to bonaire over the past 9 years, five of which have been to Sorobon, and three to Belmar. We are avid divers, but prefer to stay at the naturist facility on the windward side. Each trip has brought us in contact with fascinating people from all over the globe, like minded naturists who prefer things simple and uncomplicated when they vacation. We have found a home at Sorobon, and in fact recently came back from a lovely week's stay in November.
I sincerely hope that the new owners will reconsider their decision to make the resort textile. I doubt that enough windsurfers will flock there to justify making the change, and the naturists will have lost a true paradise!!
I wish that the owner, Dolf, would have surveyed the guests before deciding to sell out to a couple of non-naturist entrepreneurs. Lac Bay does not need any more strain on its limited resources and ecosystem.
I am profoundly sad, and doubt that I will be able to go back for "one last trip" if the decision to go textile is not reconsidered!!!
I would suggest that lovers of Sorobon as it is should flood the new owners with e-mail expressing their extreme displeasure at this devastating decision.

We also are sad to see the change- although we have a condo on bonaire- we also deliberately would book several nights at the sorobon- just to enjoy the lovely beach sans bathing suit! (Really- there is nothing better than that!!) Now..well, we may actually take a dive vacation somewhere else this year and not come to bonaire twice. I find it hard to believe that they will find enough people who are naturists who will be willing to come back in 2011 to a textile resort- and enough textile customers who will be willing to stay at an "exclusive" resort so far away from a lot of the popular diving sites. Do windsurfing people spend a lot of money? As it was previously pointed out- the uniqueness of the resort as a naturist "jewel" justified the price- but if I have to wear a bathing suit on the beach then I can go elsewhere. Topless doesnt count.

we've never stayed at sorobon but i can sympathize with all of you. it sounds like a great place to stay and relax. and i agree that bonaire doesn't need another resort, exclusive or otherwise. i hope you can have some influence on the old and new owners.

It seems to me a bit strange. A lot of money to aquire such a resort, with a well situated clientele, with an occupancy ( I guess ) about 80-85%/year and then you put "delete" on your "customer-base" !!!! Not any current sorobon guest will return after 2010. Are this two guys real entrepreneurs or may be puppets of "nameless" investor, big money-big business ? Andy

The only thought I wanted to add was, the previous owner could have offered the sale to someone who embraced the naturist lifestyle. If I had the opportunity to buy Sorobon, I would have snatched it up in a heartbeat. I might have kept it clothing optional Sept. - Dec. As a windsurfer I would have turned it in to a windsurf resort. That's me and how I think but then again I am not a naturist.

Ann, I'm intrigued by this concept of turning it into a windsurfer resort. If you look at the windsurfer resorts in fashionable places like Cabarete in the DR, you'll find that luxurious room-only condos are typically renting at about half the rates Sorobon charges naturists for its far-from-luxurious cabins. Where's the benefit in ditching the naturist price premium?

Does anyone know what the selling price was?

We received the sad news of the sale of Sorobon during our 13th visit. Another couple had made 18 visits. So many repeaters.
We were introduced to the new owners, who said that nothing would change until Dec. 2010. Already 3 of the long time workers are being terminated as of Dec. 31, 2009 and the windsurfers who kept their distance before are now landing within 10 feet of the beach. Changes have already begun.

We were planning on going this season, but have decided against it.

We do not wish to put any money in the hands of the new owners. They are probably thinking they will make a killing this season from repeaters who want one last time.

We will however return to Bonaire. We are divers and if we need to be clothed would prefer to do it at a more dive friendly resort.

We will not be back to Sorobon, Good Bye

I agree that to make one final trip to Sorobon is to show support for the new owners, and I am afraid that the wonderful 5th trip that we had there in November will be our last. The new owners will be trying to encourage repeaters with offers of free breakfast and a few other perks, but I feel that I will not take advantage of them. Naturism on Lac Bay will be a thing of the past. I will surely miss those leisurely explorations of the reef "au naturel." I have not yet found a similar facility which offers such nice diving opportunities!
We also will return to Bonaire, but not with the same frequency, or with the same affection for the "good old days" at Sorobon.

RobbnSally - do you know who the 3 people are who are being terminated?

Three of the housekeepers are finished this year. Another has one more year and then she is finished also. We have made the decision not to return to Sorobon during the last 2010 year.

Sad, the housekeepers were some of the better staff members. We won't ever go back to Sorobon either.

It is always sad to see a place loved change hands and change. I have never stayed at Sorobon, I have my own place on island, however, I do find it quite disturbing that they are letting go of their housekeepers. If they are doing a good job presently, you still need housekeepers, so I do not like hearing that they are getting rid of them. If something works, why get rid of good help? With times the way they are financially, I know lots of places are cutting back, but on housekeeping? That is just wrong IMHO and very unfair to the good workers that are being let go. I hope the new owners find them new jobs somewhere. Getting good housekeepers is not easy, hope they don't cut their nosies off on that one.

I wonder how the housekeeping duties will be accomplished during 2010 with them down at least a couple of people.

I too have been to Sorobon 5 times with a trip in Jan 2010 (our 11th time to Bonaire) already booked. We had a couple with us for a week in Nov. 2009 on our last trip. They loved it so much that they wanted to do a 2 week trip next time. Unfortunately there won't be a next time. We are also divers and will stay at a diver friendly resort if we come back to Bonaire.

By the way, there was no mention of the sale of the resort when we were there in November. Must have been one heck of an offer to sell out so fast.

Maybe the new owners have relatives/friends they plan to use instead of the housekeepers they've fired? Be interesting to see how that works out; the housekeepers were a close-knit bunch and seemed to get on very well with each other.

Well now to be fair- perhaps the thing would be for the naturists to really book the place up this year and then if NEXT year doesnt look so busy then maybe things would remain naturist? I know that the owners in 2008 were having a bit of a hard time because the resort was not always fully booked- no matter which side you are on, the bottom line is what really matters and if naturists are not going to fill those rooms up maybe someone else will.

Peter, I had thought of that too. If that is the case, then I would only "hope" that the new owners secure jobs for the hard working housekeepers they are letting go.

Tami, Sorobon may not have been "always fully booked", but few resorts are. However, Sorobon enjoyed incredibly high levels of repeat occupancy, with very good levels of bookings most of the year. This is something resort managers dream of! On top of that, Sorobon charged very high prices for very average rooms and service; again, something managers only dream of. And the only reason - the sole defining reason - for Sorobon's success was that it was one of the few naturist resorts in the Caribbean.

As you say, "someone else" will fill those rooms, but certainly not with great repeat occupancy, and definitely not at anywhere near the level of pricing naturists have been paying.

Does anyone know if Dolf and Liesbeth sold the Sorobon knowing that it would change to a textile resort. After owning it for 17 years I thought they would be more careful to make sure it stayed naturist.

I too was there as the deal went down. I've done a lot of thinking about this and will offer my thoughts. To preface all this, I only met Dolf on this visit (my third).

1) Money talks. I heard rumors that there had been months of discussions. It's nice to try to find a new owner with similar ideas but in the end, it's the buyer with the most money who usually wins.

2) While this is just conjecture on my part, in watching this go down I can't help but wonder if there are "external forces" at play here. Bonaire is trying to get a reputation as a windsurfing location, complete with competitions. The problem, however, is that the competition location has to be shared with all those "weird naked people". When you add that to the ban on topless bathing on Bonaire (courtesy of STINAPA I've heard) one can only speculate it Dolf was "encouraged" to sell to the folks he did.

Like many others on this thread, I too believe that the change may not have been fully thought through. Peter makes some excellent points, and like RobbnSally, Sorobon makes no sense as an accomodation for divers UNLESS the divers are also naturists. I've sent a message to the new owners wishing them well but telling them that once the resort is no longer naturist that I will not be returning. No hard feelings; it's just "business".

A lot can change in 11 months but I'm not holding my breath.

I guess that I was hoping that money wouldn't be the driving force in the deal. I first came to Bonaire in 1989. Jibe City was just a little grass hut with a couple of boards out front as advertisement. My wife and I were with non-naturist friends, so she tried out wind surfing with our friends and I checked out Sorobon. I knew we would be back to dive and Sorobon has been our place to stay since. We never did wind surf again, but have been yearly repeaters since 2004.

That said, there has been many changes to Bonaire in the last 20 years. Some good, some bad. I suppose that all depends on your point of view. But from my point of view there have been more bad changes than good. I tolerated the bad because my friends and I loved to stay at the Sorobon even though we are all divers. Now that that the Sorobon has gone textile, I doubt that we will be coming back to Bonaire. We have a trip already payed for in Jan 2010, but no plans in the future to return.

Our foursome will be sure to relay that we will not be returning when we stay at the Sorobon in Jan 2010. If it had been later in the year and we had not already had plane tickets and a commitment to go, we would have canceled. I see no reason to give my money to the new owners. It makes more since to cancel any stays so that they know how valuable the naturist repeaters really are.

Unfortunately Bonaire is becoming just another typical Caribbean destination. Even the diving is in question with the arrival of so many cruise ships. Look at Cozumel, the Island is a big cruise ship destination with diving. I think the diving industry has survived because of big numbers. Cozumel is much cheaper to get to and there are alot of novice divers. It looks like Bonaire is dumping the divers for cruise ships and windsurfers. I guess that is where the money is.

The naturist have to go too. They don't have the numbers and besides, they typically are the weird people next to the wind surfing place. That just doesn't look good to all those windsurfers with all that money!

I've never understood why Bonaire has not used their natural potential.
Bonaire had this big chance to be a unique (ecological) island, and Sorobon (is)
was such a unique place (with potential).

Why do they want to convert their whole island - like so many others in the Caribbean -
into a big fun park with the nature as the playground?

If they believe that their future will be better, if tens of pod-people
surfing and walking through Lac Bay and walking on the reefs rather than a
few naked people enjoying the nature they must go this way. It's just a simple thing,
I will avoid this island in the future, because this is not my way any more.

$$$$$$

Jonathan wrote: While this is just conjecture on my part, in watching this go down I can't help but wonder if there are "external forces" at play here. Bonaire is trying to get a reputation as a windsurfing location, complete with competitions. The problem, however, is that the competition location has to be shared with all those "weird naked people". When you add that to the ban on topless bathing on Bonaire (courtesy of STINAPA I've heard) one can only speculate it Dolf was "encouraged" to sell to the folks he did.

I'm not sure this is the case. Bonaire already has the reputation as a world-class windsurfing venue. But, as far as I can see, windsurfing is a declining sport, with fewer new entrants every year as the cost of the increasingly high-tech equipment rises. On the other hand, kitesurfing is rapidly rising in popularity - but interestingly is prohibited in Lac Bay.

As for the "weird naked people", in my experience of Sorobon (about 11 weeks stay in total), even when the resort is full there's rarely been more than 30 or so on the beach, and few of those venture far into the water. I can't see that this would be off-putting to windsurfer visitors; if anything, probably the opposite!

I'm not one to use emoticons so my usage of "weird naked people" was with tongue firmly in cheek. All that aside, the whole episode still has many questions.

If you read Dolf's letter on the Sorobon site, you are left with the impression that life will continue on at Sorobon as it has in the past, that is, it will still be a naturist resort. This of course was shattered when the new owners published their letter, making official what many of us had heard unofficially. Perhaps the new owners were less than honest with Dolf during due diligence and only disclosed their real intentions when the ink was dry, The nagging question is why essentially "kill" a going business? Further, if their intent is to make the conversion, why not get it over and done with? From a purely business standpoint, I would have made the switch during low season so as to not minimize the impact to my high season. There also needs to be an aggressive marketing campaign since the existing travel agents used have no interest in a textile resort. Unless this is being done in areas that none of us look at, nothing has surfaced to date. If it were me, I'd be out there trumpeting the "new" Sorobon so as to not have an empty resort when the last naturist gets dressed . . .

As I said before, it will be an interesting 11 months.

Paul, you said very well ......
A few years ago there was a workshop organized by TCB and whaz you are saying was the opinion of a big majority !!! .... not even the TCB was interested .....

To those of you who have already booked for 2010 and therefore will be going to Sorobon: Please post a message about what you experience, what changes have developed, who is still employed there, etc. etc. We will be watching.

Nobody knows the price this two guys paid. But if you buy such resort, you certainly make a business plan. And this business plan make reference to the latest sales figures, or more !your optimism is boundless, then you need a good plan for your credit bank.
And if this business plan was made on "naturist-sales figures" the crash for Dirk-Jan is programmed.
So as I mentioned a few days before, this two guys are puppets, there is another interest behind this deal (cruise-ship harbor ?...)
How Peter wrote, here in Europe windsurfing-business has a downward trend(and massive)and windsurfing people do not, or can not spend much money. And even Dutch-People are suffering under the current crises.
( Please excuse my english !) Andy

If I might make a correction. The windsurf events I have participated in never were held near Sorobon Beach Resort. All of our events were held at the Marina. The presence of a naturist resort never impacted our events and I believe we were respectful to the guests of the resort. As far as bookings for windsurfers, my numbers are essentially the same but folks are choosing cheaper accommodations.

I wish Dolf success on his new ventures and the folks at Sorobon equal success. Again, I wish I had the op and the means to have bought it..what a great spot...

Thanks for the clarification. Since you're monitoring this thread, you can see that most of us are puzzled at the proposed change. Whether or not you agree with the concept of naturism, the issue here is what is the plan? Like Peter says, Sorobon commands the rates it does because of its naturist status. Take that away and it's just one more resort, and one that is overpriced for what it is. Whatever success Sorobon had was due largely to being a naturist resort.

As I've said before, I wish the new owners all the success in the world. The reality is that I doubt that any of the current clients will come after December 1, 2010 if the change to textile occurs.

My understanding is that the 'topless ban' on Bonaire is a general wish of the population, which has not reached the level of 'sophistication' of Europe, not STINAPA. The ban goes with the general discouragement of brief clothing on the street and in stores and restaurants.

Too bad that Sorobon will not be a naturist resort anymore. Lac-bay represented the ultimate naturist environment. Not too crowded as many other naturist resorts. The symbiosis between the windsurf side and the nudist side was excellent.
20 years ago the resort was sold for 3.176.461 euro's. Jibe city was bought by Dirk-Jan 4 years ago. The old owner of JC was Ernst a real windsurfer. Now a days business men want to earn their investment back within seconds regardless of people, surrounding and the future needs.

I am new here, but posted the following on the 'traveltalkonline' site, the link for which is below. there is an interesting discussion there on the Sorobon closing:

http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1084190&page=0&fpart=3&vc=1


The following information was passed to me a few days ago.

The attention of the new owners was drawn to a web site where the complaint was made that the Jibe City windsurfers who had kept their distance from Sorobon previously, are now landing within 10 feet of the Sorobon beach.

Other sites were pointed out to them about the move to turn Sorobon into a textile resort and the fact that many previous guests have said they will not be back at Sorobon once it goes textile.

A representative of the new owners of Sorobon wrote:

"Windsurfers have always been surfing in front of the resort. The more curious ones have been warned to stay away, and they do.

"That people do not want to return for the last year is a shame, this way they miss the opportunity to discuss the coming years with us. The people that are here right now are in constant dialogue with us to see how we can make the resort a fantastic place for everybody for a certain period of the year.

"We will improve service and housing in the coming years, so things will only get better."

Now, what does that say? It tells me that the cart has been placed before the horse.

This should have been discussed with the naturist community BEFORE completing the deal; not after.

Why should any naturist have to go to Sorobon (and pay to go and stay there) after the deed has been done in order to "discuss" with the new owners what should happen there in the "coming years"?

It is quite obvious from that statement that it was never the intention of the new owners to operate Sorobon as a naturist resort any more and they are looking for excuses now.

I am sure that after the 'discussion' with the naturists who are there – and with others who are yet to visit – that nothing will come out of it because they do not want anything to come out of it.

This is not the first time that Sorobon has changed hands; we were there in 1987 under Carl and Louise, the previous operators. However, this is the first time it has fallen into the hands of non-naturist people who, I believe still, "might have wanted to get their hands on the Sorobon property for a long time in order to enhance their windsurfing business next door and to have a place for windsurfers to stay.

They have absolutely no interest in naturism and I feel Dolf, the previous owner of Sorobon, should have seen through that in the interest of naturism and should not allow such a calamity to befall Sorobon.

There is also a discussion about Sorobon on the ClothesFree forum. See link below.

I hope that my posting of these links is OK and does not violate any rules. If i am in violation, please let me know early since I am new here and this is only my second post:

http://www.clothesfreeforum.com/showthread.php?t=16273

I'll give Dolf the benefit of the doubt here. I suspect he was not aware of their real intentions until the deal was consummated. In any event, you only sell something to someone with money and the new owners had the money.

With regard to the windsurfers, there was a report during my recent visit (early December) that one or two had actually landed on the Sorobon beach. While it has probably happened in the past, given the changes that we all knew about, this landing was looked at as a shade of things to come. There would be a bigger issue if a Sorobon guest were to walk onto the Jibe City beach, even with the common ownership!

I suspect this is all going nowhere. The owners have spoken in their letter on the Sorobon site which remains unchanged. None of us know who their "spokesman" is. Until such time that there is new information on the Sorobon site we all have to accept that Sorobon will cease to exist as we know it on December 1, 2010.

I suppose the wake will start in earnest in November . . .

Thanks for posting those links. I've been wondering how much the word has been spreading.

I imagine many of us will have received an email today from "Rian, Carla, Floris and Dirk-Jan" saying that they "hope to welcome you again to our beautiful resort".

My reply was "Hmmm... maybe not".

Peter:

Would you mind sharing that e-mail with us?

Sure, Clyde, it simply said...

"Season's Greetings

Happy New Year!!

Dear Sorobon Guests,

On behalf of all staff of Sorobon Beach Resort we wish you all the best for 2010.

In 2010 we will start creating a new fresh image. We hope to welcome you again to our beautiful resort.

Rian, Carla, Floris and Dirk-Jan"

Training at the hotel school in The Hague and there so called 'extensive background' just does not seem to be the best.

Why did they send only such a inexpressive email to there repeat guests?
Why they say nothing about what they really want, so that only speculation will continue?
IMHO: either they had only the money but no plan or they want to change everything and confront others with the realized facts.
Whatever, it is certainly a strange way of dealing with his guests.

wish you all the best for 2010 - with or without sorobon

Paul wrote "Training at the hotel school in The Hague and there so called 'extensive background' just does not seem to be the best.

Prior to them buying Jibe City about 2 years ago, Dirk-Jan's experience of the tourism business seems to have been running a car-hire desk.

For sure you can make profit with a windsurfshop and a windsurf hire desk. But we speak about 10,20,may be 30'000.-$ (a year )I stick to it: there must be investors staying on the sideline ! And maybe they have bad intentions for sorobon and lac bay. Andy

Allow me to reprint a part of one of my earlier posts in which a representative of the new owners of Sorobon was quoted as saying in response to their attention being drawn to what is being written on this and other sites (See links to the other sites in my earlier posts).

The response from Sorobon is below:

"Windsurfers have always been surfing in front of the resort. The more curious ones have been warned to stay away, and they do.

"That people do not want to return for the last year is a shame, this way they miss the opportunity to discuss the coming years with us. The people that are here right now are in constant dialogue with us to see how we can make the resort a fantastic place for everybody for a certain period of the year.

"We will improve service and housing in the coming years, so things will only get better."

My question after reading that was: "Now, what does that say?"

It tells me that the cart has been placed before the horse.

This should have been discussed with the naturist community BEFORE completing the deal; not after.

Why should any naturist have to go to Sorobon (and pay to go and stay there) after the deed has been done in order to "discuss" with the new owners what should happen there in the "coming years"?

It is quite obvious from that statement that it was never the intention of the new owners to operate Sorobon as a naturist resort any more and they are looking for excuses now.

I am sure that after the 'discussion' with the naturists who are there – and with others who are yet to visit – that nothing will come out of it because they do not want anything to come out of it.

Andy I think your guess is right. There must be someone else financing the take-over. Having done the hotel school in Holland doesn't make you a successful owner/employee of a car boot or windsurf shop. You will have to know the culture and the people. The new management are just puppets of a larger investor and that sounds bad.

It does seem odd that there was no communications with the guests of the Sorobon until after the sale. I believe as you do Andy and Vincent, that there is probably no good outcome to this sale. More than likely there is money somewhere that is backing the take over. Follow the money trail, if possible, and you'll probably not like the results.

I'll be heading off to Bonaire and the Sorobon next week. Hopefully it will be a pleasant trip with a good time at the familiar place. I'll keep a close eye on how jibe city and their windsurfers are behaving in front of the beach.

By the way, last time I was at the Sorobon the new walkway and deck was missing. Does anyone know what happened to it?

I believe the second jetty was removed because STINAPA complained that Sorobon didn't have proper permission for it, and that it was damaging to marine life. From what I've seen, the second jetty was an absolute haven for marine life - much more so than the original jetty.

Could it be that, somehow, STINAPA is behind all of this?

Yes, I noticed that there was much more marine life on the second jetty. Too bad they had to take it out.

Now to be fair- I think the second jetty (which I loved as well) did come close to some of the seagrass- which I noticed was ALSO roped off in front of the windsurfing sites- which has to be a real pain for the windsurfers.

Oh, really, Tami! I've never seen seagrass roped off at Sorobon, so I'd dispute your phrase "ALSO roped off". The roping off in front of the windsurfing sites isn't to protect the seagrass - the majority of Lac Bay is covered in seagrass. STINAPA doesn't seem perturbed by all the windsurfers falling off into the seagrass, or all the folks walking about the bay on the seagrass.

@peter,
From an article bonaire reporter januari 2009 page 3:

A t 7am on November 5th members from Progressive Environmental Solutions,Sea Turtle Conservation
Bonaire and STINAPA Bonaire began the placement of swim lines which outline the sea grass beds along the shoreline of Sorobon from Jibe City to the windsurfing competition area at the peninsula.
The swim lines are intended to serve as a visual reminder of the protected status of all sea grasses on Bonaire and as a physical barrier to prevent people from entering into the sea grass beds.

Read the complete story here:
http://bonairereporter.com/news/008pdfs/12-19-08.pdf

I've been to Sorobon 3 times and remember seeing lines which I considered swim lines in front of Jibe City and the other windsurfing operation on Lac Bai. There have never been (in my times there) any lines in the area in front of Sorobon but I think most guests were aware that they should not be in the sea grass.

Staying out of the sea grass is just a good idea. The black sea urchins have little chance of staying put just on sand, but they can get trapped in the sea grass just as they do in rock formations. I've never had the misfortune to step on one and I really don't want to start now!

Thanks for the Bonaire Reporter link - so the roping off in front of Jibe City is in fact to protect the seagrass. I can't help feeling that this is one of those STINAPA publicity stunts, though, as their website says that "Seagrass beds cover the open water area of the bay", and I know they'll never rope off the rest of the bay!

Paradise Lost,

It is inevitable that Paradise gets "discovered", and is lost. With the "loss of Sorobon" to those who enjoyed the freedom and relaxation, in the form we were created, it is time to hitch up the wagon and move on. Bonaire as a beautiful quiet retreat, from the world, is being lost to real estate development. The floating mass resorts called cruise ships have discovered this paradise and will further destroy it, as in every other destination they have 'invaded'. Good bye Bonaire and Sorobon, Good bye Paradise. We loved it while it lasted.

I was at Sorobon in Nov. and do not remember seeing any roped off areas. I did notice that the floating dock out in the bay was also missing.
Was that taken out at the same time as the jetty? That had been there as long as I remember. I'm surprised that they did require the removal the the original walkway and the privacy fence if they are so worried about the seagrass. It will probably be removed in December.

The floating platform out near the reef was blown away in storms, I believe. It was on the land immediately south of the resort, supposedly waiting to be repaired and put back in position.

Somehow I knew it would be Sorobon that finally caused me to become a Bonaire Talker!

I've only been to Bonaire and Sorobon once, back in Oct 2007. I loved the island and the treasure that is Sorobon. Since hearing about the sale, which at its best is a PR disaster, I've been trying to decide if once last trip to the resort would be a good idea or not. I appreciate all the information posted here & would really appreciate hearing from recent visitors about the ongoing changes. Thanks much.

Gabrielle:

Like you, we've been to Bonaire and Sorobon once only – in 1987 – but we loved it. Although we've always wanted to go back, we were not able to do so. However the plan was on for a return visit in April 2012; now this awful thing has happened.

We spent one night at the Flamingo Beach resort and it was great with a lovely atmosphere. We got a North and a South tour in and had only two days at Sorobon. They were the two most free days I,ve had in my life.

My wife, who I thought would have had difficulty in getting it all off did so in 30 seconds and had no problem with the naturist aspect.

We read in the autograph books at Sorobon of women taking almost a week before they felt brave enough to take the final piece off. Perhaps, it was the privacy that Sorobon offered that led to my wife taking the plunge so soon.

It would appear to me that Sorobon is (was?) one of a kind.

At the time we were there in 1987 we were 40 and 35 and there was a good mix of guests age-wise. everyone seemed so comfortable. We were the first people from Trinidad and Tobago there and we were very proud of it.

The very old-stagers to naturism will remember Nina Silver (now Dr Nenah Sylver) of the naturist magazine, 'The Event'. She was there at the time and did a story on Sorobon which 'The Event' published in late 1987.

It is all going to nothing now and it is a pity that the former owners were not able to sell the property to naturist-minded people.

Based on what has emerged so far, and the talk by the new owners about nothing being cast in stone and about discussing the future of Sorobon with them, I believe that is only 'talk' and that the have no interest in keeping Sorobon as Sorobon.

What a pity!

By the way, Gabrielle:

The feeling on some of the boards discussing this topic (see the links to those which I have given in previous posts above) seems to be that once one is committed to going, one should go ahead; otherwise one should stay away.

However, for people like you and me who have had soliltary experiences, I believe there is a pull that would make us want to go again before the close. In that case, I'd say, 'Go right ahead' and enjoy a good few days (or weeks) of something that might not pass your way again in that form.

If I could have afforded to go this year, I'd go for precisely that reason. I've spent 22 years yearning to go back to Sorobon and I feel I should not miss any opportunity to get bask there this year.

If you do go, do come back to this board and tell us all about it.

Also, if you should find somewhere that comes close to Sorobon, please tell us about it, too.

There is Orient Bay in St martin in the Dutch Caribbean, but it is not private like Sorobon. I like Sorobon because of the rule that one HAS to be nude on the beach. That brings us all down to the same thing and takes care of the potential gawkers.

Again, it was a beautiful experience which I'd like to repeat; and I think you should, too.

Clyde:

Thanks for your thoughts and remembrances on Sorobon. I have very mixed feeling about trying to go back this year. I agree with those posting who don't want to put money in the new owners pockets, yet I also want the opportunity to see the resort one more time before it transitions into the new owners "dream".

I will definitely let you know if I find something that has a feeling close to Sorobon, but I think it will be a difficult place to replicate.

I guess all we can do is wait and see who really has their hand on the tiller.

Need to correct a mistake. I meant to say that I am surprised that they did not require the removal of the original walkway and privacy fence for the sake of the seagrass. They will probably be removed in December.

Gabrielle, possibly the biggest "wake up" call the new owners could get would be the sudden realisation that people weren't visiting anymore. There'll almost certainly be a big loan involved in the purchase, and a drop in visitor numbers could make things tricky for repayments.

Hi Clyde Unless it is a typing error on the year of your only visit (1987) I don't think either the last owners or the new ones need to be too worried about someone who only visits once every 25 years. I think most hotels would like more frequent visitors than that.

Trevor:

I am wondering whether you have missed the point in my message to Gabrielle.

Peter, you are probably right. Now I just wonder who/what would end up owning Sorobon if the mortgage loan goes into default?

I repeat myself: There is no chance to pay this investment with 20 chalets,even if they are higher priced. There is money waiting in the background for a huge project in Lac Bay. Andy

I agree. This whole situation does not add up. You do need to consider this. The former owner, Dolf, added approximately 5-6 chalets when he originally purchased the property. He wanted to expand onto additional land that is part of the property but was stopped dead by STINAPA. To accept what you're saying would suggest that STINAPA is going to have a total reversal of their policy regarding Lac Bai. Remember that they were the first organization of its type in the Caribbean and they are a model for what other islands are attempting.

Money talks, but I don't think it will go this way. Incidentally, a bigger issue facing Bonaire is sewage. If you do a bit of research, you'll find reports of problems in how they currently handle sewage and its effect on the reefs. Essentially, they simply dispose of it inland (there is no treatment plant according to what I've seen) and there is now a fecal coliform problem on the reefs. Evidently reefs suffer from those bacteria as do humans. This would seem to suggest that large scale development in Lac Bai would not be a good thing.

Here's one for you. Lac Bai is the only real beach accessible quickly from Kralendijk. If there is a push to make Bonaire a bigger presence on the cruise ship circuit, there have to be shore activities. With the vast majority of cruise passengers being Americans (translation - prudes), I can see an effort to eliminate the nudist/naturist element from Lac Bai. $4-5 million could easily be pocket change for some of these outfits. If you doubt this, just look at the private beach Royal Caribbean has on Haiti.

Quote: The former owner, Dolf, added approximately 5-6 chalets when he originally purchased the property. He wanted to expand onto additional land that is part of the property but was stopped dead by STINAPA.

Is that the case? I'd heard that Dolf had permission to extent on to the land to the south, but that after 9/11 there was so much uncertainty about continued tourism that the plans were shelved.

My source on this is other guests who had been there more than I had. I could be wrong, but I find it consistent with their making him pull out the second jetty. If they weren't the impediment then that puts this (to me at least) in a vastly different perspective.

lac bay is a Ramsar site .. strict international rules apply which is most probably why STINAPA and the central government stopped the project ...and don't forget the entire project that was stopped as well...and leveled ...911 had very little influence .. it was the Ramsar Treaty not being respected .. according to Ramsar .. no development is possible without enforcement of these strict rules .. .. don't look for any BIG projects in the RAMSAR area .

Johnathan .. i work with the cruise ship industry as part of my job in tourism over more than 25 years .. i strongly disagree that the majority of cruisers are american .. they are more like the minority ..especially this season .. this applies to the ships that are calling here ..

About half to 2/3 of the fence between Jibe City and Sorobon is missing since November. Does anybody know what happened to it?

Who regulated the growth of Jibe City? It has grown tremendously in the last 10 to 15 years.

Stephen, you say 2/3 of the fence is missing? Does that mean that Sorobon is wide open to Jibe City???
This is alarming as we are scheduled to go to Sorobon next month for our second (and probably) last trip...
I saw from your post on 1/10 that you were headed back. Are you there now or just back? Can you tell us any more about the situation at Sorobon?
Many thanks!

I am at Sorobon until Jan 23. There is a large portion of the fence missing from the last time I was here in November. My estimate is in the range of 1/2 to 2/3 of the previous fence in the water is missing. It is not wide open to Jibe City, but it is very much more open than before. There are approximately 4 or 5 sections that continue into the water from the beach. Before it seem there was 8 to 10 sections that continued into the water. I'll walk out to the deck on the end of the jetty tomorrow and see what the view (and theirs of ours) is of Jibe City.

The wind surfers for the most part do not cross in front of the Sorobon. Although one did stop just a few feet from the jetty yesterday. No one was on the deck at that time.

I asked one of the workers here if anything has change since the sale. They said only that there is some renovation occuring in two cabins.

The atmosphere is very much as it was. It is about 75% filled according to the staff. Our stay has been very pleasant.

Stephen:

Have you met the new owners?

What is the feeling on the ground there (with the staff and the guests) about the closure?

A response from Sorobon since the news broke said that, by staying away, guests are not availing themselves of the opportunity to talk to the new owners about Sorobon's future. Do the new owners seem as though the want to talk about it?

We await your updates.

Thank-you Stephen! That is very encouraging. Look forward to hearing any further info/trip report that you are willing to share.

I think that the fact that this thread has been open for over 6 weeks indicates the high interest that we naturists have in keeping the Sorobon "au naturel." Stephen, please keep us posted on further developments!!
Sorobon management, PLEASE TAKE NOTE!!!

Keith It may have been open for a few weeks but if you look at it closely there have been only a few people contributing. Do you really think this is going to influence a business plan.

depends on if your glass is half full or half empty...

I think there are a lot of people reading this and not posting.

I agree that the posters represent a small group and that there are probably just as many silent viewers. Even though it's just over a month since the sail went through, I find it significant that the only official communication from the new owners is the letter on the Sorobon site. The comments attributed to an alleged "spokesman" really say very little.

While all of us are hoping that the new owners will have second thoughts on their decision, I don't think it's going to happen. If anything, I would not be at all surprised if we find out in several months that the timetable is being accelerated. If bookings drop off, I would be inclined to move forward with my "dream" rather than sit tight. I would watch for significant changes on the web site. At some point, there will have to be some indication of what this dream is. To be honest, I'm surprised it hasn't started already.

You are right. We have not posted for quite a while, but we keep reading and watching and hope that things will go back to as they were. We doubt that, but hope springs eternal - as they say.

I am not a very good typist, so bare with me and forgive my spelling.

I talked to one of the owners tonight. The other he said is in Toronto promoting the Sorobon.

I'll give the best news first and then as much of the rest of the news as I can remember.

He said that they will probably keep Sorobon Naturist for a quarter of a year. Most likely Sept., Oct., and Nov. The rest of the year will be textile.

Here's the rest. Good or bad depends on your view.

They are presently renovating 2 units. This is to see what all is involved, how well it goes, and if it looks the same finished as it does on paper. The idea is to open up the inside of the units. They plan to eliminate the walls on the inside and put up half walls so that you could sit up and look out over the bay or lay down and not see it.
He said the kitchens will be eleminated. All units will get new modern bathrooms and new beds. The idea he said is to make it like a hotel room.

All the units will be repainted outside also. They will be a variety of sand colors, each unit different. The roofs will be changed to palm thongs. The whole area is to be opened up for the view of the bay. There will be more outdoor showers added to the beach area. Maybe a total of 5 and they will have the look of driftwood.

A new resturant by unit #30 will be built on pileings to have a view of the bay. The present resturant will be eliminated. The entrance will be opened up and enlarged so it will look like a hotel.

He said that part of the fence was knocked down by the wind and surf. He left it that way because he said that most naturist don't mind being looked at and he like the open view. Also, more will probably come down in Dec.

He said he would discourage windsurfers from putting in in front of Sorobon and have them store their equipment at Jibe City. He puts in and comes out in front of Sorobon and stores his equipment by the owners quarters. But he's an owner.

I forgot to add. He said that Dolf had been trying to sell Sorobon for some time, but had not been advertising the fact because of being naturist (and wanting it to stay that way). He said Dolf had a potential buyer, but on the last day the buyer pulled out. He said Dolf then just decided to sell it and he and his partner were able to buy it at price they could afford.

Stephen:

There is something about the last part (about Dolf not advertising because of being naturist) that does not make sense to me.

After all, he could have advertised it within the international naturist community.

Also, by opening to naturists for three months, the new owners seem to be textiles running a naturist resort. Let's see how they will do that.

I do not hold out much hope for their success with Sorobon,

This is a response to Stephens last post. If the new owners are going to take down the wall in the chalets and make one big room, thus cutting their resort in half, doesn't seems to make since. Going from 30 rooms to 15 rooms is crazy. They will have to charge more than twice the rates now just to break even. Then throw in the expense of a new restaurant with half the people to support it, makes you wonder who they are marketing to. I would hate to cover the note on the resort with the potential of having so few people staying there. Also, going back this year for one last trip with all the construction going on would be awful. Guess we will be off to St. Martin. Greg Maloney

Stephen's post makes sense.

As far as textiles running a naturist resort, look at the Jamaican Superclubs, Caliente Caribe and some others. Choosing September through November also makes sense because that is supposedly the slowest time in the Caribbean (also hurricane season). I see that as a way to keep occupancy up in a slow time, though I would probably look to extending it into the summer as well and go for six months.

The room changes and moving the restaurant? That's the perogative of new owners, though I wonder if they have the permits yet for new building?? Renovations are one thing, new construction is an entirely different matter. Also, opening up the front to make it more like a hotel is probably not necessary, but if that's what they want to do, fine.

They undoubtedly want to have close accommodations for their windsurfers. I just wonder what the occupancy will be then (provided room rates remain what they are) as opposed to staying naturists. We may not have pockets, but we do seem to have the cash!

Here is a couple of notes to add.
My understanding of the chalets are that the wall between the units will remain. The walls in each unit will be torn out and only 1/2 high walls will be put in so that the bedrooom will be open to the rest of the chalet and afford you a view of the bay from bed. He did not clarify how the bathroom will be handled. As far as I understand, no kitchen, not even refrigerators. He doesn't like people bringing in their own beer and food. He would rather they bought it from the resturant.

Chalet #22 which is the double unit will be made back into 2 single units. I don't know what will happen to the house that has 3 units, but it sounded like he would only have single units eventually.

He says he has the permit for the resturant. He says he he is closing Sorobon for a few weeks in June and July and bringing in 30 Peruvian workers to do the major make over. He did not know when the resturant will start.

He chose Sept. Oct. Nov. as the naturist time because that is the low season for the windsurfers and a higher season for naturist. I got the feeling that was strickly a business decision, but atleast he has said that he will do that.

He also said that he will consider putting in an above ground pool and possibly dunk tanks for scuba gear.

I believe he is going to keep the room rates the same.

Hope this adds some clarification. I'll add more as I find out or remember.

Stephen - thank you for your postings. I think they seal my decision to stay away from Sorobon during it's "last year" as none of the changes sound appealing or even very smart from a business standpoint. Limiting people to only your restaurant, even for drinks, when your location is relatively remote is simply stupid.

As to the continued success of the resort, no matter its business plan, the best measure would be to look at Jibe City. How has it changed since Floris and Dirk-J took ownership? Is the clientele happy? returning? or moving to Windsurf Place?

If some nameless entity is planning to develop the entire beach front, then the owners of Windsurf Place should be next on their shopping list. So that would be the place to keep an eye on.

Florida is chucky-jam-full of large resorts and developments that were piece-mealed together, one parcel at a time over several years. Developers are consummate planners and the successful ones plan on the long term. It is sad that Dolf ended up selling his beautiful place to people who have little to no respect for what he accomplished.

Ok, done rambling, need more coffee...

The more Stephen reveals about the 2010 plans for Sorobon is the more I feel sick.

Why not be naturist from September to end-March, which would make more sense to me?

What is clear is that, whatever they do with Sorobon, the windsurfing aspect will predominate.

They also seem to want to be using the naturists to fill their rooms in the slow period. I think that naturists should not encourage that and should stay away, especially during that time.

A lot of the people who've been regular repeat visitors at Sorobon will certainly stay away if the kitchens are removed from the chalets! In my experience, the majority of regulars prefer to self-cater. However, putting the restaurant by chalet #30 should (with the prevailing wind) ensure that most of the resort is subjected to wafts of cooking smells, which might just tempt people to eat there.

And, as for taking the fridges out, words fail me...

My misunderstanding about the walls between each unit coming down. Glad to hear that each chalet will still have two units. But taking down the interior wall and making it a half wall dosen't appeal to me either. The nice thing about the separate bedroom for me was that, I get up early and my wife sleeps just a little later. I could get up and make coffee and not disturb her. Plus the AC in the bedrooms made for some good sleeping. Also, I don't think taking out the kitchens will be a good choice either. During our visits doing breakfast and lunch was a nice option to have in the room. After being on the beach you don't want to clean up to go to a restaurant for lunch. At night everyone seemed to always meet for happy hour and most would stay for dinner. Sugarbirds is more than adequate for the resort. Maybe a small beach bar would be fine and a couple of extra outside showers would be a plus also. But the bottom line is that it want be the same resort that we all have come to love and enjoy even if they choose to keep it a naturist resort in the fall. Greg

I think that some answers would be to look at the windsurf camera when the cruise ships are in. The windsurf place is packed- no one is at Jibe City. Guess who is going to offer up their beach?
I dont know about the proposed room changes.... WHERE are all the textile loving people going to change if the rooms are so open- its one thing to be above the ground level- quite another to be where everyone can look in. As a female I do NOT enjoy changing in the bathroom. And to have to pull the curtains is a bore. And I agree- not to have a refrigerator is a pain. Cooler sales will soar! (I do know what the owners mean about food in the rooms, we had mice the last time we were at the Sorobon- but people will always have food. The kitchen I thought was the nicest part- even though we rarely used it.)
As to avoiding the Sorobon during "Naturist season"- wouldnt it be better to pack the resort during that time so that the owners would see that it might be more profitable to expand clothing-optional months? (or to make the beach clothing optional....its the beach that makes the experience....)

The concept for the rooms is indeed a bit odd for a textile resort. I wonder if Floris and Dirk-Jan have fully thought that one out?

In an email to me today, Floris confirmed the closing in June. The resort will reopen on July 2. I have a booking for later in the month so I had contacted the front desk when I saw Stephen's post. It will be interesting to see the changes.

We have been reading this board for several years and have never posted. We have been frequent visitors to Sorobon for the past 4 years. We can be counted as someone who is reading but not posting. We were planning our next trip in May when we received the e-mail about the new owners, and have been following closely any news about the resort. We are still torn to return or not but are leaning not to.

I have left sunny Bonaire for snow in the Midwest USA. The stay at Sorobon was pleasent. I would like to add a few thoughts and observations.

Everyone at Sorobon was friendly and the service remained as good as it was before.

I'll miss the Sugarbird resturant. Building a new resturant that will be open to the public will not be the same experience.

The beach at Sorobon was groomed in the morning, but it was tricky walking at times due to the amount of what appeared as shells and broken shells and/or pieces of plastic in the sand. I was on the beach in the late afternoon because I was diving all day. It may have just accumulated during the day.

The most popular part of the beach at that time of day was the part farthest from Jibe City. I don't know if it was like that earlier in the day.

While at the beach as mentioned before by me, I saw Floris put in and come out of the bay with his windsurf board there at Sorobon.
I saw on another day 4 girls in bikini's wade over from Jibe city and lay out on the floating platform for about 15 mins then head back towards Jibe City and was joined by 5 more girls. They spent a considerable amount of time at the steps on the end of the walkway before heading back to Jibe City. During the time that they were in the water many of the windsurfers would go by them and turn around infront of the floating platform.
I only saw this happen one day, but seeing the windsurfers well inside of the floating platform was surprising.

Hope more comments will be made as people visit Sorobon to see if this is just a one time thing or are we seeing a trend.

I believe this is the beginning of a disturbing trend. After all, we are being told that Sorobon will remain naturist until the end of November; yet, the guests of the owners' nearby textile facility are finding themselves onto Sorobon's.

Weren't they told to stay away; or, is it a question of, 'That property is ours, too, so you are free to go over there (clothed or not)'?

oh boy- was an opportunity missed to go up an introduce yourself and invite those girls to take their clothes off and join the ranks of the naturists!! At the very least they wouldnt have come back!! and you never know- they may have really wanted to be naturists! I noticed the other day there was a topless faction going on at the pool at Buddy Dive. Maybe we are going about it all wrong- we need to be recruiting everyone we can(especially the locals) so that Sorobon remains free!!(of bathing suits at least)

Tami:

Was that "topless faction" at Buddy Dive a group of locals?

I see it this way. The owner of Sorobon did not want to run the business anymore, for whatever reason. Someone else said, Gee, I'd like to buy that place, and did. They chose not to have it remain as a naturist resort, therefore they made it their own.
WHAT IS THE BIG ISSUE?????????????

BIG ISSUE????? The loss of a place that tended to capture the heart of most of its visitors, an acute disappointment in the new owners rush to change it much more quickly than they had said they were, and utter disgust with the greed that one has to hold close to their heart by revamping the place to make sure their guests, who pay a premium price, have to dole out yet more cash to eat only the food you provide.

Beyond those? That nagging sense of foreboding that the entire beachfront will become over run, less well maintained, and eventually will end up being nothing special to anyone - yet another fast food restaurant replacing a favored neighborhood haunt.

I think that the Sorobon was not making out financially, and the owners decided that they did not want to do this anymore. Lets face it. If it were doing very well financially, it would have stayed as is. Plain and simple.

I agree. Based on the limited correspondence that came out of Sorobon in 2008-09 it was obvious that the financial situation wasn't good - and the new owners paid the price, so it is theirs to do with as they please. However, for those of us that loved the place, the changes are not a cause for celebration. And, to be honest, for those of us that have run businesses of our own, whether in the hospitality sector or not, the changes underway are head scratchers.

Lisa, I'm not sure, but I suspect you may not have ever stayed at Sorobon. If not, you may not be aware of just how expensive the place is. I can't see any way that the previous owner "was not making out financially". On the contrary, I'd suggest the resort was hugely profitable. Remember that the room-only rate for a 1-bed chalet is currently $295, plus tourist tax. Remember that there's just 1 double bed, no pool, no radio, no TV, no phone. Remember that the aircon is on a timer, and only works when they want it to. Remember that bar staff and wait staff, although charming, are in very short supply. Remember that there's a 5% service charge, plus 5% tax, on all restaurant and bar bills. So a small bottle of beer is around $4, and a bottle of house wine is around $22. Remember that, despite all this, repeat occupancy is very high. Frankly, you'd have to have a hole in your head not to be able to make money out of Sorobon as a naturist resort.

Peter, with all due respect, businesses that are making out well financially stay in business. Its human nature to bail out when the money is not as forthcoming.

I heard from guests who knew the former owner well that he sold because he was advised to slow down. The former owner was a naturist and put his farewell letter on the Sorobon site (now removed by the new owners) indicating that he would return in the future as a guest. You could be right, but I saw the gentleman and I don't believe he was bailing.

What many of us don't understand are the new plans. If you go up this thread to one of Stephen's longer posts you'll read about plans to replace interior walls with half walls so that the occupants will be able to see Lac Bai from anywhere in the chalet. I don't know whether or not you're a naturist, but does this kind of change (which actually reduces privacy) make any sense especially when you're changing your format to one where people wear clothes and thus will want a private area in which to change? Additionally, while I can't argue about removing the kitchens from the chalets. the owners' rationale for removing the refrigerators (we don't want you buying your own beer/wine; buy it from our bar) is just not going to fly today. It's a rare resort that does NOT have in-room refrigerators. Third, check out the rates on the Sorobon site. The rate of $295 per night in high season is very real. You can stay at a much nicer hotel on the island for less money and have more amenities. Once it's not naturist, that will become a real issue. Right now, Sorobon has little competition on Bonaire. Once it's no longer naturist, why pay so much and be so far out of town??

In the final analysis, the new owners will do what they want and we'll all go our separate ways. It's just that many of the plans, naturist or not, make little sense. And yes, many of us here are business people - that's why we're so confused.

I'm still waiting to see if there is an announcement on the Sorobon website that it will remain naturist part of the year. (Sep. Oct. Nov.) I would think Floris and Dirk-Jan would want all the former and future naturist guest to know that they have been listening and are modifing plans.

I think there is more story to the selling of Sorobon than is being told.

Has anyone been in touch with Dolf since the sale?

I just got scared. I'm going on May 15th-22nd and I just found this website.....

b'bye good ole days at Sorobon....

read this link and I think the writing is already on the wall......sad

http://www.tourismbonaire.com/activities/windsurfing/sorobon_beach/

I'm not sure what point you are making by referencing toe tourismbonaire website. From that same website:
http://www.tourismbonaire.com/vacation_planner/accommodations/accommodation/accommodation/sorobon_beach_resort/

Look at this review on TripAdviser posted by someone who was at Sorobon in January. the person would not recommend Sorobon to a friend.

Even a previous poster who had serious issues with the staff at Sorobon wrote that he/she would recommend the hotel.

This person who is seeing the changes is not prepared to make a positive recommendation.

I keep saying that the die is cast at Sorobon and, regardless of how the new owners dress it up, they are not prepared to continue with naturism there, but are more interested in expanding Jibe City and to hell with the naturists. They are certainly not in the plans.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147267-d150862-r54124937-Sorobon_Beach_Resort-Bonaire.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

The link above is cause for concern.

Clyde A.

I agree with Jonathan Bolton. As businessman I don't see any sense in the new owners plans. Sorobon is a place you need an owner who like this kind of business, somebody who works to finance a good living, a freak, loving the island, the guests, the staff and the naturist idea and only on second place to make big money. Any other ways, forget it.
PS: the biggest surf operator in Switzerland ( I freely admit, a small market, but anyway...) cut out Jibe City from their program !!
Andy

People it is OVER!

The new management has a vision/dream of what "Their" Sorobon should be, there will be NO need for Naturists unless they fail and need us to fall back on.

Get over it, spend your money some place else!

Do not support these people by making one last trip! Or helping them make money in the "Off Season"

What you know and love is gone!

Move On!

If you think the staff has any chance of staying on past the change you are crazy, they are only still there, because the new owners want YOUR money. After the change you will see a more youthful hippster staff.

Eye candy for windsurfers!

I guess I have officially decided to "move on," as you suggest, but it is hard to leave behind something that you have come to love, a place so unique and special...

Ah, well--I will miss the trade winds and the sunrises.

My wife and I will not be making "one last trip."

I think Robert you may be right. When I was there in Jan. the raking of the beach was no longer done by the staff that I had seen there all the previous years. The beach was being raked by who I took as Floris's son.... teenage, boogy shorts, and mostly standing around. I walked from the jetty, across the beach to the end of the boardwalk and back. He managed to rake one small pile of tide floatsome in all that time.