Hi Everyone,
In November it will be my first time going to Bonaire !
I'll be staying at the Caribbean Club, tell me what not to do & what to do , please !

Welcome to BT, Marianne. Caribbean Club looks like a very nice place and I know the people there are very nice. You will want to rent a truck for your time on Bonaire.

For the standard advice, bring money, humor and patience. Spend the money, share the humor and practice the patience.

Welcome aboard, Marianne!! You're going to love the Bonaire experience. Your dive shop will go over all the diving "rules" for diving there. Treat the reefs and animal life like the national treasures they are and you will have a WONDERFUL time.
If you use batteries for cameras or dive lights, please bring the dead batteries home to the states when you are done. The island is small and disposal is an issue.

Have a great time, take lots of pictures, and post them here.

Linda**

Hi Marianne,
You didn't indicate whether you snorkel or dive or
none of the above. If you have time, you can gather a lot of info by searching the BT forums.
If that doesn't answer your questions, folks here are wonderful about helping. If you dive or snorkel, a must have is the book Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy by Susan Porter.
It is available on island or on line - www.bsdme.info.

Marianne, Welcome to Bonaire Talk


I've moved your thread to Everything Else, as you have a lot of questions.

Skip is correct, peruse through the BT topic areas, diving, snorkeling, dining, getting around bonaire, etc. If you have specific questions, you will get wonderful answers from Bonaire lovers.

Have a great trip!

Cynde

(Message edited by modcynde on May 20, 2008)

Hi Marianne and welcome to BT. What to do - have a great time and treat Bonaire as the treasure it is. What to do - bring home as many recyclables as possible. What to do - if you have room and desire bring things for the kids at Hopnner House and the animals at the shelter. What to do - really relax and don't schedule yourself to death.

What not to do - grab the coral, fish, sponges or other reef creatures. What not to do - over pack. What not to do - bring all of your worries and troubles with you as there is no room on the island for them and they'll be there when you get back.

The most important thing to do - Have a GREAT trip.

Hi ,
I'm going there to dive!
I took the advise and order the book on Bonaire shore diving.
I can't wait to get there it looks like a very beautiful place to go.

Marianne, you should enjoy the Caribbean Club, although not on the water, it is very relaxing and you are about 1 block away from Oil Slick, a very nice dive site. You shouldn't have to worry about renting a truck as it will be included with your dive package as will breakfast. Also, staying at Caribbean, gives you access to all of the resorts owned by Buddy's, including the drive though fills.I have stayed several times and enjoy the resort.Several of us will be there in July and then back again in the first 2 weeks of November. hope to get a chance to dive with the group!

What is the hopnner house? And what should we bring for the kids there?

Susan - you can send a note to Michael Gaynor - he's frequently on the board and ask him. He always knows what the kids need or if he doesn't he can certainly find out quickly.

Susan, how nice of you to think of the kids at the Hoppner home. Here is a recent list of needs:
Hoppner Needs

Michael at Chat n' Browse also has an envelope for donations for cakes for the kids for their birthdays (if he's still doing it).