BONAIRE: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (Trip Report, May 16 - 23)

[Hintermann]

RJP;7439524 Where'd that wildly inaccurate expectation come from?

To some extent reading about the place from UK based agent sites, travel forums, other divers met on trips etc. When people talked about how great the diving was in Bonaire, I naturally assumed that they were talking about the marine life. I knew it was a shore diving specialist place but I did not realise that it was the type of diving rather than the marine life that was the main attraction. I guess that I did not look too closely at the small print.

So why on Earth did you go to Bonaire?

Part of the answer is in the above comment. Also, human tendency being what it is, I was curious about a dive destination that was obviously popular and wanted to check it out myself. When I planned my trip to Socorro, I realised that I could add Bonaire for the second week and did.

 

[mmmbelows]

Trucks... I think people are freaking out way too much about the theft thing, we leave lunch in a soft cooler all the time in the truck and it never got stolen (nobody wants your lunch).

You didn't notice that somebody licked all your sandwiches and peed in your drink bottles?

 

[oldschoolto]

WOW... I guess you are not a fan of Bonaire... I really have a hard time understanding your troubles on your trip...

The wife and I stay at a friends house that is not on the water ( No house reef ) ... We only do 2 or 3 dives a day because that's all we want to do.. We get up at 9-9:30 have a bacon and egg or hot oatmeal breakfast and pick where we feel like diving... Takes all of 5 minutes to get to the hilma hooker ( My favorite ) or 1 Hour to Karpata ... We use dive friends and it takes all of a few minutes to swap out the 4 empty tanks for new ones, If I'm headed North I grab 6 tanks... Dive and snack and enjoy the diving and driving and the donkeys.... We hit the supermarket every 2 or 3 days and buy chicken and steaks and vegetables for dinners ( LOVE to BBQ ) I rinse the gear and wife gets vegetables started... Relax after a great home cooked meal and a night of adult fun... Some nights we sneak out for a night dive

We do this for 13 days ... We have been there twice... We have plane tickets in hand for October and have house saved for two weeks march of 2016.. Bonaire is about doing your own thing... That's what I love... Sorry you didn't love it...

Jim...

PS... Crime is far less on Bonaire than any US city by far... See how long a prescription bottle is safe in a car in the walmart parking lot..

 

[drmwc]

Out of interest, if you've got a few cylinders in your truck, what do you do with the spares when you are on a dive? Are they not at risk of being stolen, or do you take them with you on the dive?

 

[Kharon]

To some extent reading about the place from UK based agent sites, travel forums, other divers met on trips etc. When people talked about how great the diving was in Bonaire, I naturally assumed that they were talking about the marine life. I knew it was a shore diving specialist place but I did not realise that it was the type of diving rather than the marine life that was the main attraction. I guess that I did not look too closely at the small print.

Maybe you had your eyes closed during your dives. I have never had a single dive on Bonaire where I didn't see tons of fish, eels, turtles, and coral (both hard and soft). What are you calling "marine life"?

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

WOW... I guess you are not a fan of Bonaire... I really have a hard time understanding your troubles on your trip...

The wife and I stay at a friends house that is not on the water ( No house reef ) ... We only do 2 or 3 dives a day because that's all we want to do.. We get up at 9-9:30 have a bacon and egg or hot oatmeal breakfast and pick where we feel like diving... Takes all of 5 minutes to get to the hilma hooker ( My favorite ) or 1 Hour to Karpata ... We use dive friends and it takes all of a few minutes to swap out the 4 empty tanks for new ones, If I'm headed North I grab 6 tanks... Dive and snack and enjoy the diving and driving and the donkeys.... We hit the supermarket every 2 or 3 days and buy chicken and steaks and vegetables for dinners ( LOVE to BBQ ) I rinse the gear and wife gets vegetables started... Relax after a great home cooked meal and a night of adult fun... Some nights we sneak out for a night dive

We do this for 13 days ... We have been there twice... We have plane tickets in hand for October and have house saved for two weeks march of 2016.. Bonaire is about doing your own thing... That's what I love... Sorry you didn't love it...

Jim...

PS... Crime is far less on Bonaire than any US city by far... See how long a prescription bottle is safe in a car in the walmart parking lot..

I am not a fan of Bonaire but I do not hate it either. This is why I stated specifically that I will be doing a second trip there sometime. In my reviews, I try to do justice to all angles to give a complete picture.

I disagree that crime is higher in US. Depends where in USA you are from but I have not had anything stolen from me since 2006. In Bonaire we were hit with crime of the second day. It is petty crime and you can convince yourself to take it in a stride but anyone planning a first time vacation somewhere needs to be aware of this factor.

 

[Hintermann]

Maybe you had your eyes closed during your dives. I have never had a single dive on Bonaire where I didn't see tons of fish, eels, turtles, and coral (both hard and soft). What are you calling "marine life"?

I think this is getting silly and repetitive. I do not want to get into long drawn out arguments about who likes what etc. The short version is that I had heard that diving was great in Bonaire, went there when I got the opportunity, found the diving good enough for one visit but did not feel any yearning to return. That is my personal opinion and those who feel otherwise are welcome to theirs.

 

[Lorenzoid]

We had 24/24 access to tanks (nitrox) and it was fine like that. . . .

If that means 24 hours a day, 24 days a week, then you really DID get good service!

 

[oldschoolto]

Out of interest, if you've got a few cylinders in your truck, what do you do with the spares when you are on a dive? Are they not at risk of being stolen, or do you take them with you on the dive?

Tanks are fine as are towels and water bottles... crackers and bananas are also safe... I don't leave money, cell phone or prescription bottles in the truck.. I have a small waterproof case from wally world that I keep money, car keys and driver's license... Keep the save a dive stuff in BC pocket... Never had a problem as there is really nothing for them to take... I guess they could steal and sell my cheap flip-flops and old T-shirt....

Jim...

 

[Manneca]

The major issue I have with Bonaire is that none of the recent dive operators have trained or used Bonaireans in the dive industry. When I dive in the Philippines, Indonesia or Malaysia almost all the dive guides I've encountered have been citizens of that country. Diving is the biggest industry on Bonaire and the largest employer (OK, I'm guessing here) and yet very very few citizens of Bonaire are employed in that industry. And we wonder why the petty theft rate is so high.

I hope lots of people read OP's post and stop going to Bonaire. I hope that diving and cruise ship tourism bring sufficient employment to Bonaireans.