BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Everything Else Bonaire: Visiting some Leeuward Islands
Bonaire Talk: Everything Else Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999 - 2004: Archives - 2002-12-02 to 2003-04-29: Visiting some Leeuward Islands
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #103) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 12:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

As I promised in the "Experience with visiting the Leeuward and Virgin Islands"-thread some weeks ago, here are the results of that trip.

Due to circumstances, I couldn't do the whole trip, but just three islands, I will keep the rest in mind for the future.
Thanks, to all the people that gave us tips.

I will put some photographs inbetween, and tell some prices. These prices will be in US$ or Euro's, including taxes; trips for one way, one person (unless otherwise stated), hotelrooms for two persons, one night.
Please don't be angry if I have mistakes in these prices

We flew from Bonaire to St. Maarten, and had to make a stop-over on Curacao, of about 5 hours. Normally you go on Curacao through Transit, and have to wait near the gates. It is just like a freezer there, and there is nothing to do. So we went out the building and to the restaurants on the first floor of the departure building, relatively good food, and normal temperatures. Take your time back to the gates safe, check-in takes time nowadays with the Bolita-smugglers and terrorists. We had the flights with DCA, Was really nothing wrong with it. Bonaire-St.Maarten US$ 375, two-way.
Then we arrived at St. Maarten

StMaarten 1

Transport on St.Maarten is easy, there are several "lines" of private small busses, cheap, often, just give a yell when you want out, and just stop the 8 - 10 person vehicles on the road, they are recognisable on a shield with the direction they go to under the front-window.
As on all airports you will be cheated by taxi-drivers, don't take a taxi, allthough they will say that there are no busses, just go out, to the right of the building, that is where the busses pass by, and stop one, saves several tenths of dollars.
We went to the Front street of Philipsburg, a nice, and busy town on the dutch side of St. Maarten. St. Maarten is, according to Bonairian standards terrible busy, but I liked the atmosphere, and you can buy everything there, "taxfree". Good quality clothes, good design, electronics, and don't forget, booze...

StMaarten 2
The Court House, in the Front Street

St Maarten 3
The same remarkable building, by night

Our first hotel was the "Horizon"-hotel in the Front Street, for US$ 106,-- . Good, but nothing special, just a concrete block, looking at the sea, with an own kitchenette. The price was OK for the quality, but we wanted to go cheaper.

StMaarten 4
This is the "Escargot"-restaurant

This restaurant has on Friday-evenings a lively cabaret, done by travestites, we couldn't get in anymore, but from the outside it looked great. Don't miss it, I would say. (Frontstreet #96)

We just saw a small part of St. Maarten, we liked it, and will go back in the future.

StMaarten 5
The St. Gerards Roman Catholic Church

StMaarten 6
Just a small house, somewhere on the Front Street or Back Street

We moved to another hotel, the Guesthouse "Gordon's Inn", in the Back street, or the C.A. Cannegieter Street, I don't remember, It was very cheap, reasonable quality, only the beds..... You were supposed to sleep on blankets, that were on plastic sheets, to keep the beds clean, terrible, every movement was a lot of noise, and your corporal humidity could not escape. US$ 55,--. Don't go there!

StMaarten 7
This is the Vineyard House, near Bobby's Marina, It is 130 years old, survived several hurricanes, and is a good example of the houses from that time.

From Philipsburg, we went to Simpson Bay, again by the small busses. In Simpson Bay there was not much remarkable to see, I would say, we got the name of a very good Indian restaurant, called "Anand", unfortunately we havn't been able to eat there. Be aware, in Philipsburg there is also a restaurant with the same name, we have been eating there, and it was not good. The one in Simpson Bay should be marvellous.

From Simpson Bay we took a "watertaxi" from the Pelican Marina to Marigot, on the french part of the island (St. Martin), It was a cheap and fast connection. US$ 25,--

StMaarten 8
The watertaxi, going partly over the open sea...

And from Marigot, which we didn't visit, we went with the Ferryboat to Anguilla,

StMartin 9
The ferryboat to Anguilla, fitted with very old airline-chairs.

This fast connection (1 and 1/4 hour) was good and costed something like US$24,--

And then, it was the time to visit Anguilla, that will be one of the next posts here.

I am busy with making a private website, where these pictures will be visible, with even more pictures. Watch my profile, to see when I am far enough to send it on the net.

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2081) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 4:51 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank you so much for taking the time to piece your report and photos together, Harrie. Looks like it was a wonderful trip. I am anxiously awaiting your Anguilla trip report and photos, too...close friend of mine just love going there and are trying to get us to visit, too. Joe and I simply cannot "sacrifice" the time on Bonaire to get to Anguilla, tho! Thanks again. CArole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jill Ganderton (BonaireTalker - Post #95) on Sunday, February 23, 2003 - 5:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello Harrie!
Thanks from me too, for putting together your report. Isn't that ferry to Anguilla a hoot with the old airline seats!! It's the most comfortable one we've been on though, some of the ferries are smaller and the chairs less padded!
I too am looking forward to what you thought of Anguilla. Before we became divers we spent many weeks on Anguilla, enjoying those gorgeous beaches and the lovely turquoise water. But diving on Bonaire is tough to beat!
Jill

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kelly Lott (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #261) on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 1:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

great information Harrie! Keep it coming. Has anyone ever been to Antigua? I am going in four weeks and would love some input from people I trust...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Yana girl (BonaireTalker - Post #69) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 11:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mr Harrie,
Thanks,I really enjoyed reading your trip report and seeing first hand some pictures of Saint Maarten. We have been following the St. Maarten trip bids on skyauction and are getting the feel as to what will be a fair price/deal to head on over to St Maarten.
The humble BonaireTalker,
Yana

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #115) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 4:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yana, the trip to St.Maarten from Bonaire is possible from DCA, and American Eagle, Both make a stop-over, DCA in Curacao, and American Eagle in I don't remember . As I think the airport of Curacao is terrible, we tried to fly American Eagle/A.A., but this appeared much more expensive, so it became DCA,and after we found out in Curacao to get out of the freezer, it was at least acceptable. The stop-over on American Eagle was shorter, i remembered.
Specially for you, the allowance, to call me Harrie, again...

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #116) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 5:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Part 2 of the trip to the Leeuward Islands

Yes, the airplane-seats in the ferryboat were great, the trip was really good, and fast, although there was a radio-station very loud on the speakers, where some priest or so continouisly was telling us that we had to spend lots of money (to him), to reach the heaven. I'm sorry, I forgot the bank-account...

Anguilla

What to tell about Anguilla? Here on B.T. there were lots of enthousiastic stories about Anguilla, well, when we left, we were not so enthousiastic anymore. Anguilla looks quite equal to Bonaire, same vegetation, same environment, but even much more quiet then Bonaire, just two small supermarkets, with less choice then here, really no nice shopping area's, as we have them at least a little bit in Bonaire. I really think that, when you are used to Bonaire, Anguilla is less interesting. The main point for Anguilla are the beaches, they are really great, although diving, and even snorkeling was not a great pleasure because of the sandy beaches.
We arrived at the Blowing Point Harbour, and again we were quarreling with the taxi-drivers, about the price for the trip to The Valley, (the main "town"). There were no busses, and the drivers tried to cheat us, by asking the double price, when complaining that we thought it was too much, they send us to the Tourist Office at the Harbour, where the unfriendly woman told us the price was OK.We had to pay at her desk, and the we saw what happened, she gave half of the money to the taxidriver, and the other half disappeared in her own bag. I became mad, asked my money back, and decided to walk with our bags, (To the Valley it would have been 15 km.!) When walking there stopped a small kind of bus, and the busdriver wanted to bring us to our guesthouse for about 35% of the taxicosts. He had us seen arguing, and wanted to help us. There are no buslines on Anguilla, and what that little bus was doing there, I didn't understand. But we didn't have to walk, we were lucky, because it started to rain.
Later we saw in one of the free booklets about Anguilla a list with taxicosts, and my feeling appeared right, we were asked to pay the double price! Oh, I hate taxidrivers on airports, all over the world, and now also on harbours...

We slept in a very nice place, in the Valley, it was Lloyds Guest House, an absolute recommendable place, nice people, clean and cheap. US$84,- per night, 2 persons, including good breakfast. It is at the end of the Valley, seen from the harbour, on the Old Court House Road, near to the Crocus Bay, (5 minutes walk), On the beach, there is a nice and good restaurant, with good quality food, good service and good prices, there is just one restaurant on the beach, so can't miss.
On the way to that restaurant we saw this:
Anguilla 6
Anguilla is famous about their small self-built ships, this was one, the "Daily Bread".

I told about the beaches, really nice, but I didn't want to spend a picture on it, besides, we had tremendous lots of rain there.

Some pictures of really nice little houses on Anguilla, are worth of showing, for me these houses were the most interesting things.

Anguilla 7
A beuitiful little wildly colored house on the Coronation Avenue in the Village

Anguilla 8
Another old house in the Valley.

Anguilla 9
Just another of those houses, the best kept house in the Valley, home of a very popular teacher, nowadays a tour site.

Anguilla 1
The really nice Roman Catholic Church on the Carter Rey Boulevard, in the Valley, bieutifully made with all those stones. (Don't look at the backside....)

Anguilla 11
This remarkable tree near to the church, was worth a picture.

We made a foot-trip to the Sandy Ground Bay, (15 km), but you walk mostly along the road, and have to jump-away when cars or especially trucks pass by. There must be several nice walking roads on Anguilla, but from our guesthouse we couldn't find them.
At the Edgar Wallace Rey Drive, we saw this cute little house:
Anguilla 10
It was a utility building in an Old Factory complex, later a soda bottling shop, and nowadays is a paint shop in there. First we could not recognise it from a picture in one of the free books, but it was completely different colored as on the picture, You could of course expect that with a paint shop.

When walking to the Sandy Ground beach, we had two times terrible rains, without any possibility to stay dry, we got wet till the last thread on our clothes, In that field, Anguilla looks like Holland.
We have been lunching at the first restaurant when you get to the beach of Sandy Ground, was expensive, small portions, and low quality, so just go there when you cannot reach other restaurants on the island anymore.

Anguilla13
Just another of those fabulous little houses.

On Sunday-afternoon we went to a bar on the Upper Shoal Bay (north-East part of the island)
There was live Reggae-music, and lots of fun. You should do this, nice atmosphere, good reggae music everybody was dancing. You can, if you want to, get really high there from the smoke of all the joints, some dancing people are as stoned as.. (I don't know the word) but no-one was bothering us, it was great, really. You see there the influences of Jamaica nearby, I wish we had bars like that on Bonaire... You have to go there by taxi, from The Valley, or the other side of Anguilla, take a look in the free booklets for the price you should pay, and dance your *ss off. GREAT. There are several bars on the beach, walk first around, some have live music, some a disco, and chose which one is the best. You can also eat there (local food and chips), but kitchen closes at about 7pm. Music stops at about 9pm.

Although Anguilla was not our piece of cake, we had several nice things experienced on this Island. We've spend about US$70,-- for about 6 drives in a taxi, rather expensive, but there is no other way as walk, or car-rental.

Time to go to the next island, we could get a good connection to St. Barth(elomy), a really french place in the caribbean.
We went there by the company "Winair". They brought us directly to St. Barth in a very small plane (10 seats)for US$ 194,-- (2persons, one way).

Anguilla 14
The plane to St. Barth.

Next time I will tell something about St. Bath, on this same thread.

I don't know how to write beutiful and also some other words, and I would like to have the text without mistakes!!

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ida Christie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #805) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 6:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks again Harrie, I'm injoying your reports.
Was there no where to stay near the bars, etc.?

There is a spell checker but I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Maybe someone will let us know?

Bye,
Ida

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Yana girl (BonaireTalker - Post #71) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 6:56 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Harrie,
Thanks for sharing your stories on traveling to Anguilla. Maybe I'll get to meet you when I come back to Bonaire in June.
Yana

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #117) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 7:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Ida, it was fun to do, the report I mean, and also this is a start for my own web-site, with all kind of pictures, let's say a try-out. I'm getting handy'er everytime.

Yes, there were hotels and resorts, nearly almost every beach, but we wanted just to be in a town, we have the sea in our backyard, here on Bonaire, that's why. And also, the bars are only busy on sundays, and then you are remote from everything during the weekdays.

I use the spelling-checker, but it only says it is wrong, but doesn't give suggestions, so you have to change, and make a preview again, and see of it gets better, I think I've tried more then 10 previews, but I really couldn't imagine how it should look, waiting for my dictionary to come from Holland..

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Freddie Hughes (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3647) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 7:46 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Harrie you are doing a fine job on the trip report..Love reading about little out of the way places..
In reference to your spelling, I think you are doing rather well.. However why not try to do the text in "Microsoft word" the spell checker there will give you options for the spelling... and then cut and paste and insert your pictures onto BT??

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #3946) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 9:00 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Harrie,

The WinAir plane was a Twin Otter - DCA is buying some of those for the Bonaire/Curacao run now...

Nice trip report!

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By sharon k schoenthaler (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 9:59 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the great reports, it is wonderful to read about warm islands with 10 inches of snow outside.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #118) on Wednesday, February 26, 2003 - 11:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yana (girl): Great idea, be welcome, but please give a sign (see my profile for mailadress) in advance. I live next to Jake and Linda.

Freddie, That was a good idea, preparing in Windows and copy & paste, so simple, so effective. One problem is that my "Word"-program is layed out in dutch, including the spelling-checker. I must figer out how to do this, but I will find out, with the help of my friends (?)

Jake, Is DCA going to compete with DiviDivi on that flights?

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #3949) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 12:04 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

If DCA operates with their same level of customer service, timeliness, and attitude, it will be no contest. Divi Divi will continue to come out on top. DCA's looking to replace use of the Dash-8s - they are not fuel efficient for these short hops, as I understand it.

Jake

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #120) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 5:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The trip to the Leeward Islands, part 3

As I told in the Anguilla-part, we took the Winair plane (it was the small Twin Otter) from Anguilla to
St. Barth(elemy)

The flight was good, although the plane took off half-an-hour too early, so be there in time. We paid US$ 194,-- for the plane, for two persons, one way.
The arrival on the airport was very early, so we had the time to look for a hotel. Some people had warned us, that it could be difficult in the high season, and it was indeed. From the airport (St. Jean) I have tried to phone all the hotels and resorts, until the battery of my mobile phone died, with none result. The only thing we could get was a kind of pent-house for € 7000,--, when I asked if that was the sales-price, the men on the other side said in nice French, “no, that is the price for one week, breakfast not included.” BTW, this was relatively cheap. I heard of apartments for US$ 32.000,-- a week. If you really have to deal with these prices, it would be cheaper to fly in the morning to St. Barth, and go back in the evening, eventually several days. So we decided to rent a car, and drive through the island to find a room. It was a real 4WD, that was cheaper than the normal cars, a Suzuki Samurai, quite a nice car, but they had forgotten to install springs and shock-absorbers, I think. (US$ 110,--, including tax and insurance for two days.)
A TIP: you see a lot of SMART-cars driving there, Smart is a watch-company that developed together with Mercedes a very small two-person, trendy car, it looks quite weird, but on the small roads, it could have been a good alternative. For rent too, although a lot more expensive. If I had seen that possibility in advance, I would have rented the Smart, just to try the car. BTW, driving a car there is really something for experienced drivers; the roads are small, busy, steep and windy. We have been in several traffic-jams.

St.Barth 1
It is a poor vegetation on parts of the Island, but here we saw grass again, in Bonaire only seen in gardens with a drip-system.

First we went to Gustavia, the main village, where we tried really each hotel, all fully booked, then back again to St. Jean, where we actually found a cheapy, where there was one room available, due to cancellation, for US$ 175,--, per night. After a long discussion, we got the room for € 150,-- (incl. breakfast). It was the hotel “Tropical” in the mountains near St. Jean. 20 apartments, build in a rectangular, with a nice lush garden in the middle, no views. Nice and clean.

So this way we discovered that St. Barth is rather expensive. It took us nearly 5 hours to find a hotel… St. Barth is expensive, for sure. It is called “Monaco in the Caribbean”. That could be true. You see many shops with expensive French clothes (DIOR, a.s.o.) If you have a credit card, it is good shopping, there. It is a beautiful island indeed, volcanic, and compared to Bonaire much greener.

St.Barth 7
The lush green vegetation on St. Barth

St. Barth has also some nice beaches:
St.Barth 4

Wealthy Frenchmen have build there castle-like houses on the hill slopes, they really spoil the views.
St.Barth 2

You hardly ever see dark people there; it is a complete “white” island.
St.Barth was many years ago Swedish, and the Swedish government sold St.Barth to the French. You can still see and feel the Swedish influences, such as the name of the most important place there: “Gustavia”, after some Swedish King, (Gustave X). Also many street names have Swedish influences.
I liked St. Barth very much, there is a lot to see, and do, there are a lot more trees and ferns, and you can do good shopping and eating there. When you go from the hotel (Tropical) to the shore, quite a steep slope, you find there restaurants, and shops, the restaurant where we have been eating, (I’m sorry, I lost my note-paper with the name on it), was good and not expensive, it was in the middle of a kind of a small parking lot, and the dining area was round. I can recommend that absolutely, no high standards, but just good.

Here are two pictures of the nice sea, or perhaps nice pictures of the sea, or even nice pictures of the nice sea:
St.Barth 3 St.Barth 5

After two days, I had unfortunately to leave the island, and go back to Bonaire. But I will go back to the Leeward Islands and the Virgin Islands in the future. I just think, I will not go back to Anguilla, anymore. There are so many other islands in the Caribbean, to be explored.

Thanks for reading my story, and I hope you can use my tips for yourself in the future.

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harrie Cox (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #121) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 5:32 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Freddie, it worked, composing in Word, select, copy and paste. Now my beautiful is correct, and also the €-sign could get imported...
I just installed some days ago Word 2000 for XP, the changing of language for the spell-checker is much easier now.

Thanks for the tip.

Harrie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2107) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 6:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Terrific reports and photos, Harrie...feels as if we were right there with you! Thanks for taking the time to lay it all out so nicely. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Yana girl (BonaireTalker - Post #74) on Friday, February 28, 2003 - 7:11 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Harrie,
Thanks for the Trip Report and great pictures. I hope to tour the Leeward Islands someday in person. Right now your report will have to be enough.
Yana

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration