Headed to Bonaire 11/25 - Top 5

[1_T_Submariner]

Bari ---> Cliff "Drift" dive.
Oil slick
Hilma hooker (spend time on reef too)
1000 steps turtles in the Shallows!!!!
Salt Pier
Klein!

Pizza Bon Pizza
Karels
Chinese North by the water plant
Cactus blue food truck
Divers den

 

[Kharon]

I was just there 10/28 - 11/5. Storms (before I got there) dropped visibility to about 25 feet. It's especially bad between reefs in the double reef section. Top 2 dives for this trip were Red Beryl and Cliff (night dive with the tarpon buzz bombing me). Cooked for myself but would recommend Between 2 Buns from previous trips.

 

[gypsyjim]

I was just there 10/28 - 11/5. Storms (before I got there) dropped visibility to about 25 feet. It's especially bad between reefs in the double reef section. Top 2 dives for this trip were Red Beryl and Cliff (night dive with the tarpon buzz bombing me). Cooked for myself but would recommend Between 2 Buns from previous trips.

We were also there last week. Viz was bad, to great, depending. The days we did Salt Pier and Red Slave it sucked, but it was often great at Buddy's, Oil Slick and Karpata.

I also vote for Bobbejan's, plus we like the Rib Factory, and really enjoy Plazita Linens.
We were disappointed this year when we are at Mona Lisa, but usually we cooked and ate in, visiting the markets several times during our week.

 

[Doctorfish]

As far as restaurants, IMO, Bonaire is not a fine dining destination, so we just go to the local hangouts rather than paying inflated prices for average food.
Our current favorites include Bobbejans, Mi Banana, Plazita Limon and Rumba in town. Between Two Buns is good for breakfast or lunch. There is an excellent Gelato place in town on the main street. I forget the name.

Hard to beat Salt Pier day or night or Bari Reef. We have also had some excellent dives at 1000 Steps, Karpata and Something Special on the West. Agree that you should try to get in some East side diving as well either shore based with a guide or by boat.

 

[Kharon]

We were also there last week. Viz was bad, to great, depending. The days we did Salt Pier and Red Slave it sucked, but it was often great at Buddy's, Oil Slick and Karpata.

I also vote for Bobbejan's, plus we like the Rib Factory, and really enjoy Plazita Linens.
We were disappointed this year when we are at Mona Lisa, but usually we cooked and ate in, visiting the markets several times during our week.

Yeah. Some of the sites were OK - I wouldn't consider any of the sites I dove great (vis-wise). Best were Red Beryl and Tolo. Everything was clear most sites when looking down 5-10 feet off bottom, but when looking horizontally you could barely make out shadows of fish as big as tarpon 20-25 feet away on every dive I did.

Didn't do Buddys or Oil Slick and only snorkeled Karpata (I'm 71 and I'm not hauling dive gear up and down those steps any more than I am at 1000 Steps - LOL)

 

[gypsyjim]

Funny how we often got extremely different takes on the viz over the same week.
At 45'-65' at Karpata we could see @ 100'.
At Red Slave I had less than 10' of viz, and no more than 25' on some of the Salt Pier.
The next day, friends who dived the pier had much much better viz, so...

I am with you on 1000 step. With my bad leg, and age that site no longer is an option, but Karpata remains doable, so far.

 

[arew+4]

Cuttlefish, no kidding?

Ok, ok,
I googled it, they were caribean reef squid. They look exactly the same I'm not sure what the actual difference is. If they were six feet tall in a dark alley I'm sure you couldn't positively ID one either

But just for the sake of argument, two African swallows gripping one by it's tentacles....

 

[tarponchik]

Ok, ok,
I googled it, they were caribean reef squid. They look exactly the same I'm not sure what the actual difference is. If they were six feet tall in a dark alley I'm sure you couldn't positively ID one either

Well, to make it simple, there are no cuttlefish in the Caribbean-Bahamas area.

 

[Trailboss123]

Dive Sites (west side only):
* 1,000 Steps
* Karpata
* Oil Slick Leap
* Pink Beach
* White Slave
* Tolo
* Weber's Joy
* Candyland

Restaurants:
* Between 2 Buns (Breakfast and lunch)
* Cactus Blue and Kite City food trucks (lunch)
* Cuba Companie
* Italy in the World
* Carpaccio
* Sebastian's
* Breezes N' Bites at Den Laman Condominiums

 

[raftingtigger]

There in early Aug 2017.

Favorite sites: Oil Slick, Karpeta, Tolo, Klein Bonaire sites

Didn't really like Salt Pier (did it day and night) or Hilma Hooker (but I'm not into wrecks)

Got to do Cactus Blue at Donkey Beach and get the Lionfish wrap or burger.