MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PLANNING A TRIP FOR MAY. WE'VE BEEN TO ARUBA TWICE. AND WOULD ANY INFO ON BONAIRE. ESPECIALLY INTESTED IN GOOD, INEXPENSIVE LODGING .. HOW IS THE DIVI FLAMINGO?>
ALSO ANY CRIME EXPERIENCED ? IF SO, WHAT ,, WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR. WE CAN'T DIVE, (THERES A CHANCE MY EARDRUM WOULD RUPTURE SO WE LOVE SNORKELING .. IS THE SNORKELING GOOD? WHAT ARE THE GOOD RESTAURANTS? ANY INFO WE WOULD APPRECIATE. THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLY

Hi Eileen,

I moved this question from the WebCams topic to here, since this is a better section of BonaireTalk to ask this sort of question.

A couple of answers for you:

- Inexpensive lodging - see http://www.InfoBonaire.com and the Accommodations (Budget) listings; http://www.BonaireLodging.com, and http://www.BonaireStays.com;
- Divi reviews and commentary - look at the Trip Reports and Accommodations sections of BonaireTalk (here).
- Crime - if it happens, tends to be petty theft from unattended vehicles at remote sites - if you leave your car unlocked and don't leave anything valuable in the car (cameras, jewelry, wallets, etc.), you should be fine.
- Snorkeling is a major Bonaire attraction. To see the opinions of recent snorkelers, check out the Trip Reports section (especially the most recent post by Darlene Ellis)
- Restaurants - lots of good ones in my opinion. See the Dining section here on BonaireTalk for recent reviews, and you'll find links and listings at http://www.BonaireDining.com and http://www.BonaireRestaurants.com.

Finally, in contrast to Aruba, Bonaire is much quieter (less traffic, less tourists, no stop lights), better for snorkeling, but also does not have anything like the beaches in Aruba (which is why the snorkeling's better - less sediment in the water). Wind's a bit less, but topology is similar - desert-like appearance with scrub and cactus, and not so many Divi Trees.

Hope that helps!

Jake

Hi, Eileen,
We're off to Bonaire next week for our fifth trip, and I'd very much recommend Bonaire TownHomes for very good, clean, comfortable and inexpensive lodging. Check out their website at http://www.bonairetownhomes.com. The owners are lovely and can be reached by email at: info@bonairetownhomes.com. They'll be happy to answer any questions.

Email me if you'd like more details and I'll send you a copy of something I wrote in answer to another request.

We were only snorkelers until I got certified on Bonaire in August, and the snorkeling is what kept us coming back. The island, its people, its restaurants, its waters are all great. We really like the laid back feeling everywhere -- no crowds, pushy vendors, etc.

Hi Eileen,

I noticed that you have not received many comments. You may want to try the Keyword Search at the bottom of the page. I've found answers to all the questions that you have asked.