We have been staying for a couple of weeks a year in Bonaire for the last ten years, mostly for a week or more at Sorobon, renting a car and enjoying the restaurants. We enjoy the quiet lazy uncomplicated lifestyle at Sorobon, but it seems we feel we really should make other choices. We can afford to pay but we feel as though the price structure overall in Bonaire is now approaching price gouging. So we will opt for Dominican Republic, Brazil, or wherever this year.
Bonaire isnt the island we used to visit and Sorobon isnt the same either. Like a lot of things and places on the island that used to be, all good things must come to end one day.

You're right, it's too expensive, everybody stay away.

Seb.....ur telling tails again.
Elliot, I've traveled through a good deal of the Caribbean and Central America and I'm sorry you feel that was about Bonaire's pricing. To my way of thinking you get what you pay for and Bonaire, IMHO, is worth every penny. Especially when you consider food, lodging, diving, transportation and the whole array of vacation costs against the "Bonaire Enjoyability Quotient (Joe's first made up thing of the Year...the BEQ). I guess what i'm trying to say is that I feel like the Bonaire experience is well worth it for what you get. I've done DR and felt like the diving purely sucked and really didn't feel all that safe away from our Condo (I am an adventurous traveler and DO NOT like to just go laze on the beach and dive, would prefer to see some of where we're at). I've not been to Brazil, but one hears a lot of stories (true or not, I don't know) of generally rampant street crime etc. Probably any vacation location one could indentify has it's issues, but, to me, Bonaire is one of the best values around relative to what you get.

Just my thoughts and I regret that you don't agree

Joe

I agree with Seb!

In Rio (Brazil) after 10:00 PM drivers can treat a red light like a stop sign. They made this change because they do not want cars sitting still at night due to the high crime rate. This should give you an idea about the crime in Rio.

It sounds like you're not a diver Elliot, and that would certainly have an impact on how you view the costs. For divers, paying $100 a week for unlimited diving, it makes things look like a pretty good deal. . .

Darryl

Hell I've been to Rio many times, Newark New Jersey is worse.
The damndest thing about the internet is the ever present debating team available, who all for some strange reason believe they know! and wish to offer just the right words to convince someone they are RIGHT and your wrong. Cant anyone have an opinion and have that opinion recognized as thats the way they see it??!. If you locked the worlds brightest Christian, Jew and muslim cleric in a room together for the next 10 years the day they walk out, they would exit that room with the same believes they went in with "all contrary to the others".

Look guys, hell Im glad you all love Bonaire, you just keep those old Bonaire cash registers ringing, hell the more of you there the fewer of you where Ill be.

Don't be so bitter Elliot . . .

Isn't one of the great things about the net that so many people can express their opions? Heck, isn't that what his board is about? You just have to be smart enough to realize that just because someone posts something on the net doesn't make it true.

Where in the Carribbean do you think is a lot cheaper than Bonaire (for divers at least)? The Caymans make Bonaire look cheap. The diving in the DR is terrible compared to Bonaire - even on the south coast. Cuba is cheaper, and has great diving, but is not available to Americans. Cozumel, T&C, Virgins, all are more expensive.

Anyway, for a non-diver the above may not apply, but for most of use on this board, who are divers, Bonaire makes sense.

Darryl

Obviously Elliot

There's only one opinion that you care about...your own.... I'm glad you have one, I'm glad your taking it elsewhere. I do kind of wonder why you chose to air your opinion in Bonaire Talks, but I'm sure you have a reason. Doesn't look like your making very many converts in here.

Enjoy your vacation....elsewhere

Joe

So are you just looking for people to agree with you Elliot? This is a discussion board, so when you make statements that others disagree with they will probably chime in with their opinions. That's called discussion. I don't agree with you, but I really don't care what you believe. I'm happy for you to not go to Bonaire, and anyone else who doesn't go is OK by me too. More room for me. If you're not looking for a discussion, don't make unsubstantiated claims that others have hard evidence to prove untrue.

Sounds like you are sure you are right and everyone else is wrong.

As for the three clerics, that is shallow speculation. How on earth would you know what would happen? Are you Kreskin?

Hi Elliot,
You're not the first person I've met, who stayed at Sorobon, who complained about the price & quality of meals. We stay closer to Kralendjk and find that the Resturants there, are comparable to those at home, on a cost per quality basis. Did you leave the Sorobon area to try places like the Mona Lisa, or the Old Inn?
Did you do a search of the "Trip Reports" and "Dining in Bonaire" posts on this board?? Do you have a friend named Mimi??? Point being, maybe you were gouged, but there is no reason for that to happen if, you do your homework.

Bob

When I post a message, I do it knowing there will probably be a response good or bad. Don't want to hear it - don't post a message.

Elliot, I'm on Bonaire for five weeks, my sixth trip. We stay at Bonaire Town Homes, which is great, VERY reasonable, accommodation, eat out one meal a day --- and have a great, budget vacation.

I spend part of the time alone, and feel perfectly safe going places by myself.

You can eat very reasonably on Bonaire, and I don't think there's anything to beat the overall package the island offers -- my husband doesn't dive, I do, and we're both happy here. I'm sad you made a decision not to return without appearing to actually check out alternatives, but it's my hope you enjoy whereever you end up. We're still sold on the island, and I'm thinking I may be back later in the year, instead of waiting for next winter.

Seb, I agree...Bonaire is too expensive so everyone just stay home The food is actually cheaper than it is here in Southern California, which we find splendid And I can't say that I've had a bad meal anyplace on the island...but I'm still searching

Bob [grin]

Cynde, I actually had a real bad meal...

I must admit, it was the time I didn't pay enough attention while cooking and burned the meat... LOL

I think Bonaire is a great place and if you're not going every night to the expensive restaurants, you can have a low budget trip. When you're at home you don't go out for dinner to the most expensive places (at least, we are not), so why would we do that when on holliday??

Did I hear "Mimi"???? LOL!! It wasn't me, Seb....I swear! LOL. Carole

Ah so, the mist clears, it's that elephant thing again, Elliot's just been feeling one part and missed the rest of the elephant.
Since I've never been to Sorobon to eat or anything, I can't comment on their pricing. But it sounds like Elliot has only been to Sorobon, that is where his comments should be directed, rather that Bonaire in general.
That said, I always thought nudist colonies would charge a bit more to cover their extra costs, but I've only been to one nudist resort, in Cape May NJ. The place was spotless, hardly even any tree litter in the sand, I am sure it took a lot of work to keep it so nice and naked friendly.

So Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim clerics walk into a bar together, the bartender says:



"What is this, a joke?"


(Message edited by seb on January 2, 2004)

i must add my agreement with seb and cynde...bonaire is outrageously expensive, unsafe, and unfriendly...please stay away. and elliot, regarding your comparing rio and newark---i would rather vacation on bonaire than newark. but you're entitled to your opinion....but please keep in mind what they say about opinions.

At this rate there will only be about three of us going to Bonaire.....hmmmmm....I think I LIKE that way of thinking! LOL. (couldn't resist...sorry guys.) Carole

PS is the reference to the "New" Newark? Or the "old" Newark??? Hmmmmmm.

I think that it goes without saying things are just more expensive now then they were 10 years ago or even 1 year ago. I remember our 1st trip to Bonaire back in 1990. $550 for 2 including airfare- stayed at the now closed Sunset Beach. I do beleive that anywhere you go in the Caribbean, costs have risen. 8 years or so ago... Turks & Caicos was very reasonable. The Domincan 2 or 3 years ago was dirt cheap, and Mexico.....Costs have risen.... Until we purchased a home in Bonaire.. we always went to different places... and mostly we looked at what gave us the most for our $$.
If staying at Sorobon has sky rocketed so much... then it is time to check out other naturalist resorts. Then and only then will you be able to comapare the costs vs the ammenities & the beauty of the island of where ever you go. But I do not think that it is fair for you to blame the island for price gouging.

Having made my first trip to Bonaire this Dec., had been to Aruba in March, and Puerto Rico multiple times in past two years (daughter and family were living there), I don't think Bonaire struck me as expensive at all. We did a package through Expedia, RT airfare for each of us from Chicago to Bonaire (stop in Montego Bay)and a Sat to Sat stay at Divi was $880 a piece. We got a room with a small kitchenette, so we generally out ate for dinner each night - except the night we stayed at Divi after snorkeling all day, were too tired to go out, so we drank beer and ate our chocolate supply! LOL! And, neither one of us is a diver, just snorkeling, we'd both go back. We WILL GO BACK!

Nice deal! Carole

Hey, You should be like me, the ultimate "cheap" Canadian. I wait for seat sales, use airmiles, take my own gear, cook my own food and don't eat out- Oh! maybe the Tues out with BTers, tip the minimum and diving at 100/week is SOOOOO cheap. Let me know if I missed anything! We were in Cabo San Lucas in October and paid 75.00 for a 2 tank dive/each - only did one! plus we HAD to tip the boat captain and divemaster. Bonaire, see you in February!! YeeeeeHaaaaa! EH!

Lorraine, who did you dive with? Where did you stay? Both times we've been there we dove with Amigos Del Mar...and NOTHING in Cabo is cheap! Not even the tequilla! It was more expensive down there than it was at our local market!

agree with Lorraine...in Bonaire you have many options that are not available on other islands..the shore diving packages make it affordable to dive vs. paying for boats..shopping at the markets and finding local resturants..patronizing the higher priced establishments when we can afford it, makes for a vacation we can return to...

I've also been to quite a few Caribbean islands, Turks & Caicos, Grand Cayman, Cancun, and just finished up my 3rd trip to Bon in 18 mos...and they all cost a good deal depending on how you want to go. Some like to cook their own meals and some like to eat out a lot. I eat out a lot even here in Los Angeles so I'm not going to cook on vacation!

And the price of going to the Caribbean from LA is always more for us left coasters than it is for right coasters.

Look, traveling always costs a lot of money...I really can't believe you are so upset about what you spent on Bon, Elliot! I have found more beautiful islands and places to go with much more spectacular beaches, but Bon has a special magic about it that you obviously can't see. It's the friends we make here that we go to dinner with every night and hang out with during the day that makes this place amazing.

Maybe you need to be a bit more friendly and not kvetch so much and you'll have a better time! Why do I think you'll complain about anywhere you go....??

Even naked people can carry a lot of baggage.

Cynde, Thanks for asking about Cabo. I'm an expert on Cabo (being the cheap Canadian that I am!) I'll e-mail you direct with some tips. Our best friends have been to Cabo and hated it and will never go back but I LOVE Cabo and I LOVE Bonaire. They both offer something so different to each other. I prefer Bonaire though because of the slower pace of life so I have to save up longer to get there as we live in the "armpit of the world" when it comes to traveling anywhere.

Lorraine, we've been there twice, like I said, and we won't be going back. It was expensive, and the street and beach vendors, and time share vendors were ruthless...I finally had Michael teach me how to say "I don't speak English" in German so that when they approached us, I just spit that out and they looked at us funny and left us alone! Growing up on the American Mexican border, we've been to Mexico and Baja numerous times, and I have to say that we probably won't ever go back to Cabo because it is so crowded and annoying! Amigos Del Mar is a good dive operation though! Kevin the manager is a hoot!

La Paz is much more like Bonaire in feel, even though it is a fair sized town. Baja Expeditions operates liveaboards and day boats from there. They had have ads in Scuba Diving and Skin Diving.

OK, I've watched the rather bizarre meanderings of this conversation and I have a couple of questions for the deities and well posted among us:

1. Who the heck is Mimi? (hopefully a deity can deign to answer that one)

2. Seb, your comment about naked people carrying lots of luggage.....I'm getting a rather frightening mental picture here of naked people standing in line at the TSA checkpoint, explaining to the intellectual giant screening passengers that,as naked people "WE DON'T WEAR SHOES!!!!"

Aside to that I'd agree with Linnea about La Paz or you could try the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez. We summer dive from San Carlos, Sonora which is, somewhat like La Paz, more of a place that you can dive than the resort crazy cabowabodumbodoo atmosphere of Cabo, as well as being most cheaper than Cabo and most warmer than lovely S. California water.

I learn so much from BT.....it makes my life full

or is it the cheese

Joe
The Macomotivator

CheezyJoe...a post without a count-down to days left??? You're slipping boy!

I'll let someone else answer the mimi thing...let's just say that she wasn't (isn't?) nice and was asked to "leave" (take a hike?)

And are you saying our S CA water is cold? Hey, it's a balmy 55F right now, come on over!

Polyrealistcanna

Joe,

I am not a deity, but I can tell you this, the person whose name Bob mentioned very seldom had anything positive to say about any resort, dive operation, etc. on the island. At the end of her postings it was bordering on slander.

Type Mimi in the keyword search and you will see this to be true.

All I know about Mimi is that when I first started "lurking" on BT I was shocked at her antagonistic postings and it kept me from jumping right in on the chats! :-)

Cynde - I grew up in PVE and Orange County and YES the Pacific is COLD. (But not as cold as the Colorado River is right across the street from me! HA!)

Linda, 55F is our limit on diving in the cold. We don't have dry suits, and I can last about 20 minutes in 55F degree water, then I'm ready to get out!

Have you seen the new TV show "The OC?" Cracks me up! I grew up in San Diego, and one of my best friends mom lived in PVE! That was long before all the famous people moved in...hee hee...

Oh, no.....not Mimi!!! LOL! I'll let someone else cover this one.....I got too personally involved (not by choice, either) with Mimi and her antics.....Oh, Mimi....are you lurking out there somewhere?? Carole

Still on the Left Coast?

Why you folk try to summon her is beyond me. If I had my way, you wouldn't be able to type her name here.

With the guilder being attached to the USD and the euro gaining more than 40% on the dollar in the last 18 months Bonaire is one hell of a deal for the Europeans. I am suprised the the tourist boom isn't much larger with almost every major currency in the world gaining significantly on the USD. I only wish I was a European to take advantage of this...

Cynde

I dove San Diego a year ago this past Sept and, well, let me just give you my impression of balmy southern California.....by the time I passed through the second thermal (maybe 50 ft) a certain part of my most manly anatomy had detached and traveled directly to my forehead...Not at all a pretty pictures. The upside to the trip was the buff young manly marines in the brand new DUI drysuits hanging off the side of the dive boat "chumming". The colors and the sea life were phenomenal, but until i can afford a dry suit and a personal valet to help this old boy in and out of it....Nopers to Southern Cali diving for me.

Oh yeah............that's 8 days till takeoff

el cheesodacious one
joe

Did a search and read some of the comments from the "unspoken "m" person". WOW.....I didn't know that my second grade teacher was still around.

Grasshopper has learned something today.....now he must rest.

Still 8 days Cynde

out of cheese names
Joe

Cynde, Sorry about your Cabo experience but I totally understand as most people I have spoken to have had the same experience. My Mom and Dad stopped there on a cruise and she couldn't stop telling me how much she hated it. We on the other hand stop and talk to these timeshare floggers and have fun with it. I decided to go shopping for shoes one day in the back streets and my husband stayed at the pool. When I told my Mom, she flipped a lid. Cabo(or any Mexico)diving is expensive because of the boat thing. That's what is so AWESOME about Bonaire. No Boats! At home I dive in a drysuit from a Zodiac in 50 degree water so Bonaire is freedom. What's not to love!

Lorraine, the diving was good, and the accommodations the second time were great (free). The first trip down we went for the Skin Diver magazine dive fiesta, and I won first prize...one week in Cabo at the Plaza Bonita Rose time share. Five star, it was fabulous. We rented jet skis, I went parasailing, diving both times...but the hassles of the vendors was just too annoying. There are other places in Mexico and Baja where we've gone that are much more low key (La Paz for one) that we would rather go to

Although, having drinks at "The Office" and sinking your toes in the sand is probably one of the best things about it (that and dinner at The Trailer Park)! Our boat neighbor owns a condo down there and they go all the time

this has been a somewhat amusing thread!

I guess when ever anything negative is said about Bonaire we all just have to jump on defence :-) Me too, I am still a Bonaire lover, and I just found a great package deal and plan to be back in May!

I think any reference to M... should be as "the M word" ! ha! Glad her postings are just in our past now.

Denise - I too have been reading and chuckling over this thread. It is nice to know that everyone can post their opinion and that there are different opinions out there!!!
I am on the side of the Bonaire lovers myself and plan on returning sometime this year (it is cheaper than my other favorite spot in the Caribbean, St John) - just have not figured out when!!!
I was not around when M showed up - but am happy that she no longer comes around - I love the harmony in this group - don't need someone to spoil it for all of us!!!

Mary, go in July when Kelly and I will be there You can dive with us...in purple hats and thongs...the reef will never be the same

Cynde - July would be the best month for me - Baseball ends at the end of June and it is before school starts. Need to bring my family this time.
When are you guys going - it would be a blast!!!! Maybe we can talk Rusty into going at the same time!?!?!

I just had a good chuckle thinking of this thread too...good place for everyone to post all the places they don't like, and why they like Bonaire the best...LOL!

Mary, Kelly and I will be there from July 10 (she's actually arriving sometime the first week in July, and I arrive on the 10th)...then Michael is joining us on the 17th, and we fly back the 25th. I'm not exactly sure when (or if) Kelly will leave I have 3 weeks vacation this year, so I'm using 2 to hang on Bonaire! Michael only has 1, but there was NO WAY he was going to let me go again the entire time without him...LOL!

Ummmmm Lobster at the "Trailer Park". Best I've ever had!!!

Linda, you can say that again!

I'm there the 10th - 17th. We'll have to do a Gibi's nite for sure.

We used to go down to Cabo for the Bisbee Fishing Tournament. Loved our accommodations - can't remember the name but was a cottage type unit built into the sand on three sides. The window side made it so you could watch the sun come up from bed...wonderful. Also loved "The Office" but not the cruise ships every morning and the crowds that they brought into town. Nor the hurry up attitude. Cabo just is not my style....I love the peaceful, friendly attitude of Bonaire. And to return to the subject of this thread...it's less expensive than most of our previous destinations. Other than airfare (which we find extreme $$$ from Colorado) Bonaire is much more reasonable than Cabo, etc. :-)

Linda...ditto on the airfare! I started checking rates yesterday for our July trip...topping at over $900 per person right now...OUCH! But it's worth every penny!

We finally settled on $724 for our April trip but it was $1000+ when we first started checking. We booked direct with AA. It does mean an overnight in Miami on the way down but a quick 19 hours on the return! :-)
Orbitz just emailed me with some "Specials". Eagle/Vail (30 miles from us) to Las Vegas - only $401!!! And that's if we book this week.

We paid $800 plus the first time, and this last July I held out and waited till the last minute and got one for $741...Once they drop to the low $800's is when I'll start seriously looking

That is a great deal out of Eagle/Vail! My grandmother was born and raised in Eagle

Linda

Just a bit of unexplained weirdness in the world. I live in Bisbee Arizona and no one has ever been able to tell me for certain if the Bisbee Fishing Tournament in Cabo has anything to do with Bisbee AZ....we're way far from any kind of water.

Just another cheesy oddity

chez joe

OK Joe, Thats it!!!!! You need to put a photo of yourself in your profile!! I am tired of looking at that blasted Ray!!! We need to know who to look for at the street cam next week!!! And don't think that if you put a picture of Velveta that it will smooth the way!! we want to know who you are before you show up at the cam!!! LOL

Freddie, I HEAR that he kind of looks like Willie Nelson (at least the hair part anyway)....but I do think that a pic is in order for a positive ID...oh, and Chez Joe, go check out the cc thread for today...I'm doing the countdown for you...just in case you forget

Joe, you're missing the countdown in your posts! Without a new profile pic you'll just have to have/do something "cheesey" on the cams. Umm use your imagination.

Bisbee's Black & Blue Fishing Tournament is out of Newport Beach, CA named after Wayne Bisbee, has prize money in the 7 figures and is largely catch and release of Marlin.

Cynde,...grandmother from Eagle...and my son is in Mission Viejo, brother in Laguna, parents in North Tustin and when I visit my 80+ yr. old parents they insist on taking their RV down to Doheny State Park for the day. Small world, huh?! And to think that a group of reef enthusiasts, enjoying the same destination, communicate from all over the world on BT! :-)

Sorry kids, I can't post my photo because of the velveeta witness protection program. I've petitioned Ashcroft for permission but he's way to busy protecting us from ourselves to waste time responding to a good ole amurkan constituent.

Tonight was most important roast for outgoing most important guy and i'm unable to count beyond 1 so we'll have to wait until tomorrow for countdown. All I know is that a week from today i'll be nursing personal fullness after a bodacious meal at "it rains fishes"

You figger it out.

Velvis

That'll be my birthday dinner! :-) Do they serve macaroni at It Rains Fishes?

I'll be in Mesquite, NV trying to figure out my own countdown to Bonaire.

Linda, I bet your hotel in Cabo was the Hacienda Beach Resort from your description - nice place. Was is right by the entrance to the marina? You are right about the cruise ship people and we were there once when the Bisbee was on. Yiks!!!there was a lot of people. On our last trip to Cabo (Oct 03) we pretented one day that we were with one of the cruise ships and followed these people around for a couple of hours - life is an adventure and that was a funny one! I'll never do a cruise for fear I will turn out like them. In Bonaire on our last trip we watched a big ship unload rice all day and all night and wonderered where the trucks were taking it. We got up a 3:00am and followed one - now we know! Oh, by the was, we thought the rice might have come from China - no it came from Texas! I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Back to the original subject of this thread if you will.

I am honestly sorry that Elliott's experiences over the past 10 years have left him with his feelings regarding Bonaire. I truly hope he finds what he is looking for.

There are other destinations which are less expensive. But, none which offer me as much of what I am looking for when I am on vacation.

The many reasons I, as do many others enjoy Bonaire and feel it is worth not only the expense but time required to get there are pretty well summed up if you visit:

http://www.infobonaire.com/otheractivities.html

Again Elliott I hope you find what you are looking for, at a price which you feel is fair.

Tom, you're right, sorry got derailed. Bonaire is certainly not for everyone but if Elliot had been going there for ten years, there must have been something he liked. Over the course of ten years, prices were certainly expected to increase as they will over the next ten years - EVERYWHERE. I live further away than most of the BT'ers, so for me to get anywhere, costs me more.
SO, if I REALLY want to go somewhere, I save longer. The cost is secondary. At this point in my live, Bonaire is perfect. Ten years from now, that might not be the case. So it must be time for Elliot find something new. Great, I too hope you find it.

Just one last observation. Elliot is has been going to Bonaire for ten years but is a "New Bonaire Talker" with 5 posts. If he's planning on not coming back why bother to log on now!

I think Elliot is long gone. I'd like to hear a concrete example of the price gouging.

To address Lorraine's question, was this a bit of instigation, just to 'stir the pot'???

perhaps Elliot is "M who cannot be spoken of"'s brother???

I think everyone here is being way to hard on him. He raised a legitimate issue, and while most of us don't aggree here, you could certainly find lots of other people who would aggree with him. Its just unlikely that these people are going to be a member of this board. This board almost exclusively contains Bonaire lovers who at the first sign of anyone saying anything bad about Bonaire jump up and defend it.

The comments related to Mimi and stirring the pot were completely uncalled for IMO, and all I think that's happened is that he's now been driven off of the board - and how can you blame him? If I was new to board and recieved this type of response I don't know if I would stick around either.

Darryl

Darryl, I agree he has gotten beat up a bit. It has bothered me this past week. Again he has travelled to Bonaire much longer than many of us. So his opinion is based on his experiences/expectations and is valid to him.

I am one who should have shortened my post so it only said what I wished for Elliott, the hope that he finds what he is looking for. As such I should not have included the reasons why I return. I did jump up and defend Bonaire, or maybe I was defending my reasons for returning as often as I can. That was rude of me and I apologize.

I do not believe the number of post a person makes matter.

Well Darryl, I am so sorry that you feel that way..but as you state
Quote"Isn't one of the great things about the net that so many people can express their opions? Heck, isn't that what his board is about? You just have to be smart enough to realize that just because someone posts something on the net doesn't make it true. "end Quote
We all have the right to express an opinion and my opinion is that perhaps this man after having gone to Bonaire for 10 years has alledgedly found that Bonaire is now overpriced, is indeed stirring the pot, to quote Glen, not unlike the enfamous "M" . But that of course is MHO

Freddie,
I don't think Elliot posted this with the intent to stir the pot, as Mimi used to. I just think that some of the responses went farther than merely expressing an opinion, and instead attached him personally, which IMO is not alright.

Anyway, I'll be in Bonaire in 2 days so everything will be fine

Darryl

I respect YHO and I hope you have a wonderful trip.. Let us know in your trip report, that you are required to write as a BTer{LOL}, if you think it is expensive!!!

Oh, I think inquiring minds just want to know, I'm sorry if the guy felt beat up, but opinions are usually formed from some facts. Elliot never presented any. An opinion without some basis in fact is just a feeling. Elliot really didn't enter into a dialogue, he just made some assertions and then got cranky when people disagreed. We don't know if he has been anywhere besides Bonaire for the last ten years. If he said "we've taken the same basic trip for the past ten years and the total we spend has more than doubled" well, that would be supportive fact. But price gouging is not a nice term by any means, it is in fact character assassination of the worst sort. He flamed the island and Sorobon and then whined when others disagreed. Everybody cares about different things in a resort or lodging, one man's perfect place is another's hell on earth.

"It was great, they had live music and dancing!"

"Oh, I hate that! I like a nice, quiet bar."

Ok way to serious.

5 days and a wakeup



this might be what i look like

Cheesinator Joe

or it might not

What is expensive to me....may not be expensive to you and vice versa. Elliot, if you're out there, I respect your opinion.

Seb - a concrete example of price gouging is beer. The protectionism policy makes Polar sell for 3 - 4 NAF where you can buy 12 for that price less than 100 miles away.

No, my intention was NOT to stir the pot and I am not at all offended that you thought I was. It was just a curious observation - food for thought, so to speak. This topic certainly did open a colourful dialog. I look at vacations as an opportunity to meet new people and the experiences I have. It should NEVER be about the money. If I can afford it, I don't go! and I don't complain about it. Money is not the root to all evil, the LOVE OF MONEY is, so if you love you money so much, keep is in your pocket. THEN, keep adding more until your pants fall down and you end up mooning someone, then maybe you won't take this money thing too serious!

Lorraine, I was referring to Eliot's original post, not yours, as 'possible instigation'. Could have phrased it more clearly. Heck, I knew what I meant. :–)

No problemo! I was actually flattered, never been called an instigator before.

and besides being too expensive, they allowed homes to be built in one of the most scenic areas on the island and closed the damn road.

Elliot, I'm not going to encourage you to stick with Bonaire. Divers coming back over and over again make up a large part of the islands business. If the trend continues, the island may grow into something less desirable.

May I suggest Belize, Honduras, the Bahamas and Cozumel as potentially less expensive dive destinations.

Enjoy.

As I suggested before...