Bonaire on a whim in two weeks

[rjchandler]

and witches hut and red beryl and ..... give us enough time and we'll list every site on the island.

there is an old fieherman's maxim "don't leave fish to find fish". sometimes, instead of racing off to the next site it is better just to go back in where you just came out. it fools all those fish that were hiding from you the first time.

 

[rjchandler]

coffee in retaurants tends to be the strong starbucks-like coffee. you can get milder Colombian at the grocery store if your looking to make it in your room.

 

[kiteboarder]

Food is great all over the island. I believe Casablanca has a new owner and has regressed, in my opinion. Wil's tropical grill has great fresh seafood, quaint atmosphere, and wonderful owners. Bobbejeans for barbecue is good for massive quantity. Jibe city barbecue on Wed is fun and different, always a great atmosphere. Pizza at the restaurant at Capt Don's Habitat is the best on the island. I am sure others will disagree, but I think Salsa in the middle of town has great food. City to hang out and drink a beer.
Concerning diving, I only dove a handful of days. But, the kiteboarding is great on the south end of the island! When I go back, I plan on trying to dive the widward side of the island, apparently more pelagics. If you are looking for a boat dive, that might be a good option. Have fun, JM

 

[Bob]

We decided with two days planning to make reservations in Bonaire Sept 8-16th. Now the real planning/investigation begins. We're a 40's couple, somewhat new divers (60-75 dives) like to dive, dinner/drinks, explore a little and like meeting new people. I will probably want to dive a little more than Elise so if there are other people in the same boat, would love to meet.

Please bear with me while I ask a few questions;

1. Any other SB's on the island at that time.
2. I'm tracking down a couple of shore diving guides that I'll absorb in the next two weeks. We have a drive/dive package and I wanted to know of a few "not to be missed sites" and wondered is there a "not to be missed" boat dive.
3. Is there a list of local restaurants, although we have have a kitchen we like to find the little out of the way, non-touristy places to eat.
4. Are there some tips for things to bring, we have a pretty good packing list but our last 3 trips have been to Cozumel. Are there suggestions unique to Bonaire.
5. Do they have small tanks on the island? I'm guessing Elise would prefer not to lug around an 80 if she doesn't need it, smaller tank would be great for her.

Any and all other info will be greatly appreciated........Thanks, Mike

Bonaire is known for it's good food. Nearly any place on Bonaire serves good food. I second all the recommendations already given. As for dive sites, you must dive Karpata, Ole Blue, 1000 Steps, Oil Slick Leap, Angel City and North Belnam. Last year my buddy and I found 4 frogfish on one dive at North Belnam. If you're diving Klein Bonaire, ask to dive The Forest, huge formations of cascading coral. It's my favorite dive on Klein. For more information on what to do/what not to do on Bonaire, check out www.bonairetalk.com Everything you need to know is there. It's a great resource on Bonaire. Have a great trip. Soon, you'll know the feeling that most of us have after leaving Bonaire. Post Bonaire Depression. almtree: Bob

 

[ronbeau]

We're staying at the Golden Reef Inn............thanks for all of the answers so far.

If you are getting your tanks through Golden Reef Inn then you are going through Wanna Dive Bonaire.

That being the case they have both AL 63s and AL 80s. Both size are available with Nitrox.

Wanna Dive give you the capability to check to see if you have a full fill right where you pick up the tanks, I would suggest doing so. That way you can ensure that you have full fill. Mist of the time they were around 3000 PSI but not always.

If you are diving Nitrox you will be picking up your tanks at the Wanna Dive Eden Beach location (*** opposite to picking them up at Golden Reef Inn (air only). The Eden Beach location is a very short ride from the Golden Reef Inn.

You can drop the Nitrox tanks off at Golden Reef Inn but you cannot pick up new fills there. I did not find this to be an inconvenience whatsoever. In fact, it allowed me to make sure I had good fills every time.

As far as items to bring I would recommend SPF 45 or SPF 50 sunscreen if you have fair skin.

I also strongly recommend the book Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy.

http://www.infobonaire.com/bsdme/

If you don't get a chance to get it before you leave they sell it at the Wanna Dive Eden Beach location where you will be picking up your Nitrox tanks.

 

[reefdiva]

Re: coffee on the island. Small cups and strong -- much like getting an espresso -- and often served with a small cookie. I happen to love strong, rich coffee so it works for me! Don't expect the "endless refills" like in the States. Cappucino at Wil's and Bistro de Paris is excellent. If you want a quick cup to go try Last Bite Bakery. I usually bring a pound of my favorite coffee and an old travel mug. That way I can take my coffee with me on the way to an early morning dive. I also was glad to have it while standing in line to check in at Continental when leaving Bonaire! By the time we had to go through security I was done and did not have to stand in line for coffee like everyone else once in the departure area!

 

[spectrum]

Before our trip in April I asked here and browsed old threads as well at Talk Bonaire and compiled these list regarding food and sites. There were some clear "must-do". The good news is that the research and our experience were that it's hard to go wrong regardless.

Pete

 

[herman]

I've seen some of your posts and can tell your addicted to Bonaire. Maybe you can answer a few more basics for me......How is the coffee on the island, more important to me than it should be but..........are there any other handy items to bring beyond the cheap sunglasses, flipflops, things you can stand to lose.. etc. And goat stew sound too good to pass up, although after a day of diving there are few foods that don't taste great. Again, thanks for the input.

Yep, guilty as charged, you will soon need to join our PBD support group.

Like others have said, the coffee tends to be very strong and in small cups. If your particular about your coffee, taking some from home or dropping by the local grocery would be a good idea,. There are coffee makers in the GRI rooms.

The island has pretty much any thing you need although some times you have to hunt for it or it’s a bit more expensive. Some items you may want to add : hat, camera and light batteries, bug spray

Some random tips;

Meals on island are to be enjoyed, forget eating in 30 minutes, 2 hrs is more the norm. Food is cooked to order so it takes more time but on the up side special request are rarely a problem. Placing your check on your table before YOU ask for it is considered rude, kind of like saying “you have eaten now get the %$@# out“. To get your check, make eye contact with your wait staff and make a “writing on hand” gesture, your check will come soon.

Many prices are in guilders (aka Nfl). The exchange rate is roughly $0.56/USD. I use 2 x 1 as a rough guide. That 15 Nfl burger is around $8.50 USD …..and the burgers on Bonaire are really good.

There is a small strip mall about 1 ½ miles from GRI on the main street in front of Sand Dollar Resort. There is an ATM there where you can get cash, USD or Guilders, Lovers Ice Cream, a small store and “Chat and Browse” a place for computer needs (email, photo down loads act) and Michael is a great source of island info

There are 2 major groceries on the island, Cultimara (downtown) and the Warehouse (near the airport). You can find most anything you need in the way of food and other supplies between the 2. IMO the Warehouse has a better selection but Cultimara has better bread, meat and produce.

Drink LOTS of water. Between diving and the heat you will dehydrate, more than you think. The tap water is safe to drink. We buy a 1L bottle apiece when we arrive and refill it the rest of the week. Filling it ½ way, placing it in the freezer on it’s side then filling it the rest of the way before heading out keeps it cool for a good while.

Save an empty 2 or 3 L soda bottle, fill it with water and place on the hood of the truck before going diving. It nice and warm after the dive and makes a great head and face wash…a extra cap with holes in it is a plus.

There is a $32pp exit tax you must pay BEFORE getting in your airport check in, if you don’t, it’s out of line, pay the tax and back to the end of the line. You pay it in a stand in the center of the airport lobby area (open air).

Hard sole booties are a must, the shore is iron stone and coral rubble, bare feet or thin booties just don’t cut it……your feet will be however.

Don’t leave anything in your truck of value, leave it in the room or take it diving. I have had no problems over the years but better safe than sorry. If you wear glasses, take an old pair, put them in a hard shelled glass case and into your BC pocket…rinse with the water above. They are made to handle sweat, saltwater is not much different.

Hope that helps, PM me if you have specific questions, always happy to help.

 

[chauncy19]

If you want Local food two other places to try are:
Luigi's (DIVI DIVI Bar & Rest.) he had been downtown, now closer to where you're staying.
Lize's Surinamese food --cooks out of her house on weekends, very close to where you are staying on Kaya Cherokee. Have been to these and El Fagoen Latina (columbian food), Mi Banana(columbian food), Maiky Snack ,and Antriol Catering.
Also there is place just past El Fagoen Latina ( off of side street on right as heading toward lac bay)that does chicken and ribs on saturday morning. Also Rincon has a place i believe called the Rose that also has excellent local food. These places are all wonderful to my taste and will be back to all of them. Luigi though is a wonderful person and cook and highly recommend finding his place. But if you truely have an interest in different types of food none of these places will disappoint.
I'd have to look at a map to get street names but i'd think you can get directions from the place you're staying or search bonaire talk.
bob

 

[snepdiver]

Cactus Blue is a very good restaurant, they had their first anniversary last February.

The best place to eat on the island, imo. I agree, All dive sites to the north are great. Some of the southern sites have substantial current and are further from shore. Still good sites though.