Trip Report Bonaire Trip Report - V.I.P. Divers/Aqua Viva Suites

[drrich2]

Food Trucks​

There are 4 clustered along a fairly short stretch of the southern sites. All are cash only and can make you a single or double cheese burger. Here they are, in order, distinguished by what you can get with that burger.

1. Stoked Food Truck – A red double-decker bus. They have potato wedges.
2. Kite City Food Truck – They include plain chips with the burger.
   
3. Cactus Blue Food Truck – At the Corporal Meiss dive site, just south from Windsock. They offer packaged branded chips (I had Doritos – and it wasn’t the smallest size personal bag, either). They emphasize offering lion fish, but that a lion fish burger or wrap isn’t likely to serve as a full meal.
4. King Kong Food Truck – At Bachelor’s Beach. They have fries!

I never met a food truck I didn’t like. A double cheese burger and chips or fries tended to run around $18 - $20 or so, cash (I had my own drinks).

On Beaches​

Historically I considered beach goers out of luck with Bonaire; there’s a little beach to either side of the pier at Sand Dollar (better) and Den Lamen (rockier), a small one at the Bachelor’s Beach dive site (you have to go down a natural rocky ‘ladder’ to reach it), and a few others. But standing at Stoked Food Truck, I saw this:

That doesn’t look bad! I see underwater masses I’d want to check for fire coral if I were bringing a little kid, but still, that’s a usable beach. Bachelor’s Beach (below) is a dive site and beach all in one (plus there’s a food truck!).

Crime​

My cheap little insulated cooler with freezable cold packs used to take a few canned sodas with me, that had a tube of sunscreen in a side pocket, went missing after a dive at Weber’s Joy up north. Parking was roadside and small, with a lot of shrubbery around, so an easy target. The Jeff Davis site looks similar, and there was finely broken glass (which is why we leave doors unlocked and windows down). Settle in your mind that you can let it go before you take such things, and if your number comes up…let it go.

 

[drrich2]

New Equipment Experiences​

Trekking Pole – After watching the video by @USC8791, I ordered a pair of Foxelli Trekking Poles (not the brand he uses) off Amazon. Worked pretty well! It can’t support a lot of weight; I can collapse it partway by leaning on it, but it’s easy to re-extend. For solo diving I needed a way to stow it, so I collapsed it and put a small zip tie around the top (just below brown handle) and bottom (just above first clamp), each binding a QWORK stainless steel swivel eye bolt snap hook. Then I used the hooks to attach to my top left BCD D-ring and crotch strap D-ring, which stowed it nicely. The rubber storage cap came off the end at some point; that leaves a little metal piece that poked my thigh at times back finning during surface swim outs.

But how would Bonaire’s marine park regulatory agency, STINAPA, react to a trekking pole? From the 2018 thread Old guy’s diving cane for entry/exit, where DIY and collapsible canes were discussed, @tursiops noted the written rules didn’t expressly prohibit them but (from reports from various sources) it appeared musk sticks, pointers and walking sticks were prohibited. Then Tursiops posted 4-16-18:

---

Canes are OK, according to STINAPA:
==================================

On 4/13/18, 13:36, XXX wrote:
From: XXX

Message Body:
Are folding canes OK to help with shore entries and exits? They would be
stowed away during the dive.

On April 16, 2018 10:17:15 AM EDT, STINAPA Bonaire <info@stinapa.org> wrote:

Yes that¹s ok, just don¹t use them on the dive please, thanks!

Anouschka van de Ven
Communications Coordinator
STINAPA Bonaire
Barcadera z/n
Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
T: +599 - 717 8444
mail:communications@stinapa.org
www.stinapa.org
www.facebook.com/bonaire.stinapa

---

Do all STINAPA officers know this? Are those who don’t open to ‘re-education’ by divers? Is a collapsible trekking pole regarding as form of folding cane? As much as I like reporting useful info. on ScubaBoard, I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with any STINAPA officers and ‘find out the hard way.’ I suggest those taking trekking poles make (and laminate) a print out of that e-mail Tursiops shared, above, and have it in your rental truck to show in case you run across a STINAPA officer who didn’t get the memo.

Storm Fin Keeper with Mask Holder – Finally got around to using it for my fins; it’s got a strap I run through the fin straps, then use the plastic buckle for connect/disconnect. Very nice for not dropping my fins during falls, and keeping my hands freer. A big help when it’s time to stow or deploy my trekking pole.

DRYFOB – At $50 and no included lanyard I was initially a bit put off, but the thought of flooding a rental truck key fob and being stuck at a remote site, then having to pay for a replacement fob, weighed on me. The Joto Universal Waterproof Pouch the worked fine on my 2019 trip flooded on this one; thankfully I’d already caved in to paranoia and had the fob in one of these. So it’s already paid for itself! It’s not roomy enough for much else, so I used my other Joto pouch the rest of the proof (for room and safe key, driver’s license and cash for food trucks) – with no problems.

Dive Rite Thigh Pocket – I connected it to my lowest BCD D-ring instead of my waist strap, and that worked well. I stow an SMB and spare mask in this. The largest size Apeks tech shorts are quite snug on me, but with this, I don’t need them.

 

[drrich2]

Sites That Changed My Mind​

The Lake had an obvious entry/exit by a building, easy entry, and the option to circle the big sandy ‘lake’ and get about an hour’s dive. Liked it. Hadn’t paid much attention to Pink Beach (photo below), but @uncfnp and @Soloist did their ‘shake out’ dive there, so I gave it a try later. Nice reef!

Punt Vierkant and Salt City entry/exits were rough. In the past, I thought Angel City and Alice in Wonderland reefs were quite good, but this trip neither impressed and the Hilma Hooker site reef looked better (regardless of the wreck).

More impressed with Karpata after looking at the Reef Smart Bonaire guide’s section on it, since having a mental image from their graphic depiction helped me better understand what I was seeing – like massive steep, almost vertical pillars descending to the deep.

One day I passed on the The Cliff because it looked like the parking lot was full. Some spots are reserved, but beyond that it can get busy.

Grocery Stores​

Van den Tweel is the modern, upscale looking one. You need a quarter to get a cart released from the others, and you get it back when you return the cart. When buying 12-can fridge packs of Coke Zero, the cashier gave me a red sticker to put on each box. None of that was needful at Warehouse Bonaire – where a staffer handed me a cart.

Grocery shopping in Bonaire is a lesson in what it’s like to shop illiterate (unless you know Dutch). North of town past the Sand Dollar/Buddy Dive/Captain Don’s/Hamlett Oasis row is Zung Kong Supermarket.

Restaurants​

Pasa Bon Pizza – I had 1 large pepperoni pizza takeout for $22.75. Plenty big, but not tasty. I liked these in 2019; don’t know why this one was ‘meh.’

Janna Sports Bar & Grill – up the block between Tops Supermarket and Pasa Bon Pizza. The big $14 shrimp burritos were pretty good (wasn’t impressed with the fries), and they were open whenever I passed by. Went twice for takeout.

Jasmin Garden – kung pow (chicken or shrimp; can’t remember which I had) was okay but not hot and spicy like I associate with ‘kung pow.’ The fries didn’t impress.

Rumba Café – had chicken fried rice (they put a fried egg on it, too) and fries. BIG portions, more than even I could eat all of. A lot of fries. Decent taste. For Bonaire, downright cheap - $16.50 (to go; no drink).

I liked the burgers at the 4 food trucks – Stoked, Kite City, Cactus Blue and King Kong. King Kong food truck’s fries were pretty good.

To stay cheap, I didn’t do sit down restaurants with ‘catch of the day’ orders, etc…

 

[drrich2]

Missed Opportunities​

I’m a chubby middle-aged lazy homebody who tends to prefer thinking about things to doing them, not all that adventurous, so there were a number of things I did not do on this trip that others might.

• Drive through Washington-Slagbaai Park and dive some in-park shore sites, relying on the Reef Smart Bonaire guide to tell me which were easy enough to try.
• Do some 5 dive days. I didn’t want to get back in my setup after getting cleaned up, or hang out in it waiting for dark. 4 Dives/day turned out to be plenty.
• Do some night dives. While the lack of a house reef and that big tug boat parked perpendicular at Windsock’s fueling pier discouraged me, I could’ve done The Lake or Aquarius, or a few other easy entry/exit sites.
• Hire Bas Tol with BasDiving.com and hit Cai again, or do a guided dive at Playa Chikitu, something like that.
• Do the topside tours – cave tours, a half-day to drive through Washington-Slagbaai park photographing beautiful scenery, try wind surfing at Lac Bay, kite boarding at Atlantis, etc…
  
  Don't forget lyrca socks (or similar) to prevent chafing on multi-day multi-dive trips. I picked up a pair at V.I.P. Diving (they don't have to be plain black)...my big toe nails had holes in both by trip's end, but that's not too surprising.
  

 

[drrich2]

Budget​

1. Package deal offered by the Aqua Viva Suites owner with 14-night stay at Aqua Viva Suites (I asked for their cheapest room class; I was told it was Unit #6 though the door and key set said ‘8’), automatic rental truck with CDW insurance and 13-day unlimited shore diving package with V.I.P. Divers - $2,285.00.
2. Round trip Economy airfare on American Airlines from Nashville Airport connecting through Miami to Flamingo International Airport in Bonaire - $566.36. On the return, I paid $24.76 for ‘Priority Status’ to help insure overhead space for carry on (there was plenty) and get on quicker (helped a little). 2 Checked bags, $70 each way, so $140 round trip. Total airfare-related costs: $731.12. Warning: thanks to @tursiops on Airline Prices to Bonaire - ouch, I learned Wed. – Wed. airfare itineraries were often much cheaper vs. Sat. – Sat. itineraries; I saved around $722 this way!
3. COVID-19 Testing Costs – insurance covered my Rapid Antigen test in the U.S. to fly to Bonaire; I used BonBida for Rapid Antigen testing to return, for $67.60.
4. Gas for truck via credit card at Bonaco: $73.40 + 40 = $113.40.
5. Grocery store bills via credit card in Bonaire (includes a bit for souvenirs): $205.15. Note: I ate a lot of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, cookies and some candy/candy bars.
6. Food truck costs (cash): $132.75.
7. Eating out in Bonaire Restaurants: $17.95 Jasmin Garden + $17 & $28 Janna Sports Bar + $22.75 Pasa Bon Pizza + $16.50 Rumba Café + $14.90 Panino’s + 9 Gio’s Gelateria = $126.10.
8. Airport food: $6 at Tecnobar PL (Bonaire airport) + $16.33 (Manchu Wok) + $3.41 (Coke Zero) = $25.74.
9. I saved roughly $200 in airport parking fees by my wife dropping off and picking me up.
10. I saved by not purchasing travel insurance covering potential COVID-19-related quarantine, treatment and cancellation (e.g.: had I tested positive the day before the trip). This is a gamble; pay attention to your package provider’s policy on COVID-19-related cancellations. I do have DAN insurance, but that’s not specific to this trip so I didn’t include in cost. I also didn’t include a $16.95 for tube of Stream2Sea sunscreen at V.I.P. Diving or the cost of my stolen cooler.

Total Base Cost: $3,686.86 (if I ran the math right and didn't omit much). Consider gas to/from airport for wife to drop off/pick me up, so let’s call it roughly $3,700. That wouldn't be bad for a 7 or 8-day solo dive trip to mainstream Caribbean destinations (traveling from Nashville airport), with dive counts around 22 – 30. I had a 14-day stay with 48 dives, despite taking that last dive day off (could’ve easily had 2 in the morning) and doing no night dives.

I think this was $35 at Jewel of Bonaire's gift shop. ​

Note on Non-monetary Costs: It also meant being away from my wife, our high-maintenance kid (below, at the circus) and pets for 2-weeks. Something to think about.

Sites I hit in order from north to south (once each unless otherwise noted).​

1. Karpata.
2. Tolo.
3. 1,000 Steps.
4. Weber’s Joy.
5. Jeff Davis.
6. Oil Slick Leap x 2.
7. Andrea II x 2.
8. Andrea I.
9. The Cliff.
10. Bari Reef.
11. Front Porch.
12. Something Special.
13. Sebastian’s Reef.
14. Windsock.
15. Corporal Meiss.
16. Bachelor’s Beach x 5 (partly due to the food truck with fries).
17. Punt Vierkant.
18. The Lake x 2.
19. Hilma Hooker x 2.
20. Angel City.
21. Alice in Wonderland x 2.
22. Aquarius x 2.
23. Larry’s Lair.
24. Jeannie’s Glory.
25. Salt Pier x 4.
26. Salt City.
27. Invisibles.
28. Tori’s Reef.
29. Pink Beach.
30. White Slave.
31. Margate Bay.
32. Red Beryl.
33. Vista Blue.
34. Sweet Dreams.
35. Red Slave.

The End​

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Awesome report (as usual)... I like #'s a lot and yours never disappoint!

I'm assuming that these prices are all USD? Everything seems fairly cheap except for the food out? I've never been to Bonaire but $16 for a burger sounds high. I'm assuming that everything is shipped in and that would raise the price.

Is there "local food" that's less expensive? I would assume that when on an island paradise that the local food would be seafood and less expensive? I know in the Dominican Republic it was like $2usd for a fish sandwich.

 

[drrich2]

I'm assuming that these prices are all USD? Everything seems fairly cheap except for the food out? I've never been to Bonaire but $16 for a burger sounds high. I'm assuming that everything is shipped in and that would raise the price.

Strongly enough, the U.S. dollar is the official currency of Bonaire (unlike Curacao; when I first started going to Bonaire years ago, that wasn't the case). Yes, all in U.S. dollars.

Bonaire has an interesting mix of cost factors. Airfare is often awful. If you're going Sat. - Sat. historically, $900 - $1,200+ round trip out of Nashville, TN, was all too common. Getting under $600 (minus checked baggage costs) made me feel like I was stealing it!

Housing and a basic shore dive package with nitrox tend to be cheap. Plus I feel no need to tip when all I'm doing are unguided shore dives, a significant savings vs. a live-aboard. The rental truck is a cost, and automatics can be substantially more (though I don't think mine had a big upcharge this time).

Keep in mind I often ordered double cheeseburgers, and if there's a spicy burger option, chose that. My cost reflected the roughly $4.50 to $5 cost of the extra beef patty.

Here's a link to Kite City Food Truck's menu, taken off Trip Advisor. Looks like a 100% beef burger served with chips is $11.00. I don't see the price for the extra patty, but ask and they'll let you know.

From Stoked Food Truck's Facebook page, a Feb. photo:

If your eyes are really good, I think that double decker burger is $15. Add a bag of chips. But the Stoked burger is $10.

Cactus Blue Food Truck has a website with a menu easy to see. A classic cheeseburger is $11, the spicy burger is $12, and an extra patty is $4.50.

I had the spicy burger with an extra patty ($16.50) + a big of Doritos (personal size, but not the tiny bag) for $2, so there's the $18.50.

If I ate a big lunch out of a food truck, I might eat less at dinner that evening.

If you eat out at sit down restaurants, if they're like what I experienced in the past, be mindful soft drink refills may not be free (and it might come out way before the food).

If you'd like to get a sense of what dinner at a sit down restaurant that's nice but not high end/unusually expensive might cost, take a look at the menu at Eddy's Restaurant, over by Sand Dollar Condo.s.

I imagine there are some budget local food options, but I don't have a good breakdown of the options. Sea food is often kind of pricy. Other than lion fish, I don't know what's caught nearby.

If you really want to low ball your costs, you can get a room with a full kitchen, and prepare your own meals. But that room will be more expensive, so deduct that upcharge from your savings. A PB&J sandwich with some chocolate chip cookies or Doritos, or (if you're feeling health conscious) a can of fruit cocktail or peach halves, is pretty good.

 

[stuartv]

Awesome report (as usual)... I like #'s a lot and yours never disappoint!

I'm assuming that these prices are all USD? Everything seems fairly cheap except for the food out? I've never been to Bonaire but $16 for a burger sounds high. I'm assuming that everything is shipped in and that would raise the price.

Is there "local food" that's less expensive? I would assume that when on an island paradise that the local food would be seafood and less expensive? I know in the Dominican Republic it was like $2usd for a fish sandwich.

Because of the Marine Park and Reserve, maybe they heavily restrict fishing, so a fish sandwich actually is more expensive than you'd expect?

 

[USC8791]

Great report Dr. Rich!

 

[Soloist]

The “real” drrich in action! Nice having an opportunity to dive with you.