Bonaire or Belize?

[hil71]

Personally i love Belize - i'd say go for it - there is no shore diving - but you buddy up when on a boat anyway as there are always people in San Pedro with a non diving buddy. It's a great place to hang out in my opinion (have been 3 times in 1 year). Split your time and head south maybe to the placencia peninsula or over to Cayo for a jungle jaunt! Have a great time -

 

[czdiver]

I think the diving is better in Bonaire than Belize. It's also a much more pleasant place to wander around and do other things. Belize just didn't feel that safe to me......or clean. Bonaire is just so laid back and pristeen. Also, even though it is primarily a diving location, there are other things to do. We went horse back riding. We rented atv's and went 4-wheeling all over the island. There's lots of dirt roads, so that's a blast. We also tried our hand at wind surfing. You can also go kayaking through the mangroves, getting close up with the flamingos. I also saw catamaran rentals. There are some nice restaurants and a couple of decent night clubs, too. And, of course, there's always shopping.

 

[vladimir]

I think the diving is better in Bonaire than Belize.

Have you been to Turneffe Island, Lighthouse Reef, or Half Moon Caye? In my opinion, these sites on the atolls offer better diving than Bonaire.

 

[Damselfish]

I have only dove the atolls in Belize but always hear the same, that this is much better than diving off Ambergris. IMO most dives on Lighthouse or Half Moon blow away almost anything on Bonaire. At the very least they're different types of diving that are hard to compare.

There's lots of things to do in Belize too - caves, ruins, jungle tours, river rafting, kayaking, etc. Some people dive for a week then do one of the jungle-eco-spa-lodge places for a few days. Yes, Belize City is kind of a dump (though it seems to have improved in the few years since I was there last) but that's not really where you want to stay anyway.

 

[Dive Bunny]

I have only dove the atolls in Belize but always hear the same, that this is much better than diving off Ambergris. IMO most dives on Lighthouse or Half Moon blow away almost anything on Bonaire. At the very least they're different types of diving that are hard to compare.

There's lots of things to do in Belize too - caves, ruins, jungle tours, river rafting, kayaking, etc. Some people dive for a week then do one of the jungle-eco-spa-lodge places for a few days. Yes, Belize City is kind of a dump (though it seems to have improved in the few years since I was there last) but that's not really where you want to stay anyway.

We stayed in Ambergris this past Oct, and also did the Blue Hole and the Atolls. The atolls are definitely better than diving off Ambergris. The visibility was so much better and the sea life too. On Ambergris we didn't see much life compared to the size of the reef so we were a little disappointed in that. To dive the atolls when you stay at Ambergris you have a long boat trip / day trip every time and not to mention the extra expense. There are plenty of things to do in Belize for non- divers, but again it requires a day trip to the mainland and they are quite pricey. I was most disappointed that they didn't clean up the beaches in Belize. Trash was everywhere in the water and washed up on shore. Even in front of the hotels and resorts. I asked a local bartender why they didn't clean it up and said politely that it was kind of bad for tourism and he simply said "if you don't like it, don't come". We had fun, but I don't think it is on my list to go there again. There are many other places I would rather go.

 

[vladimir]

If you like land-based diving, you can spend a week at the Turneffe Island Lodge. You'll have great diving, 5 minute boat rides, no trash, and a warm welcome from everybody on the island. If you prefer a liveaboard, the Aggressor offers a similarly warm welcome, great diving, no boat rides (really one long boat ride, but it feels like none), and no trash. I realize both these options are quite pricey, but viewed in terms of satisfaction and per dive cost, they start to look cheaper. There are other places I'd rather go also, but very few of them are in the Caribbean, and none of them are a direct flight from Newark.

 

[AllanHarr]

First off, what were you thinking marrying a woman who doesn't dive??

Bonaire beats belize anytime. I was just at Bonaire in late November. However, I have to be frank. I was not greatly impressed with Bonaire. True - it has absolutely fantastic corals.... but the fish life leaves a bit to be desired. And oh yes, it has NO decent restaurants or nightlife. As a matter of fact, they damn near roll the sidewalks up at about 10:00. Yes, you can find some stuff to do, but it is nothing like most other resort islands.

READ CAREFULLY HUSBAND: Hellishly boring place if you don't dive.

We stayed at Plaza Resort and had a great time. The incidentals are not cheap there though. Great little dive operation attached to it. They have relatively small boats, so no worries about huge scuba crowds. They get around the island well. Overall, one of your best hotel / diving operator choices there.

I understand that Bonaire has a diving mystique, but do you have to consider only those two places?? Shark dive in the Bahamas? How about Coz in an upgraded resort like Fiesta Americana?

Or better yet, hang in Jamaica at Club Hedonism... now that's a way to offset your wife not being a diver!!!!!

 

[boulderjohn]

I started this thread in January, and I almost forgot about it recently. For those of you who are at all interested, here is what has happened since then as well as answer to other questions.

First of all, my wife is an avid snorkeler who has a long history of burst eardrums, so she will never be a diver. She is not big on night life, and much prefers out of the way places. She handled pretty much all of our travel arrangements, which are as follows:

Starting June 26, we will spend 6 days in Aruba, taking care of any night life we may need, which will not be much.

We then jump over to Bonaire for more than a week.

Not done, we spend the next four days on Curacao.

The ABC's in order--how great is that?

 

[vladimir]

Sounds good to me. When you return, I will be interested in a comparison of the diving in Bonaire and Curacao. Have a great trip.

 

[pilot fish]

Going to Belize in a few weeks and will be staying on Ambergris. Don't know anything about the diving off Ambergris, other than what I read on these boards. It doesn't sound like great diving off Ambergris? The accounts of rubbish is very offputting. Sounds like the Dominican Republic. I've heard that Turneffe and Lighthouse are great places to dive?

Bonaire is very good diving but if you don't dive I see absolutely no reason to go there.