Bonaire

[KeithG]

What else is there to do besides diving?
I like to travel and get to know other cultures as well (eating their food, dance, shop...) I did a little research it does seem a little secluded..lol

Also has anyone tried flying to Venezuela or island hop over to Curaçao while there?

- shopping? only yes if you like tourist trap cruise ship imported crap. so NO!
- food? YES! everything from very high end tasting menus matched with wine (At Sea), 1 wine bar (Barrel Room), authentic high end Italian (Capriccio) down to tourist burgers, food truck and local sandwich and BbQ places. YUM. Foodie delight.
- dance? nope... is anything open late? There is the new beach bar thing by sand dollar?

The island is capable of providing a complete day of wandering about via a rental car. 1 day and you will see it all.

Bonaire is best observed underwater...

 

[diversteve]

There is the new beach bar thing by sand dollar?

Coco Beach.

 

[diverrex]

Surprised that not yet mentioned is a drive down south to see the slave huts, salt fields and lighthouse. An interesting part of Bonaire's history with scenic views and prime photo ops.

Though I will say we are making our fifth trip to Bonaire in December and I do wish there was a little more to do topside.

 

[DustyC]

Surprised that not yet mentioned is a drive down south to see the slave huts, salt fields and lighthouse. An interesting part of Bonaire's history with scenic views and prime photo ops.

Though I will say we are making our fifth trip to Bonaire in December and I do wish there was a little more to do topside.

The slave huts were the single most boring thing I've ever seen as a tourist, anywhere. I'm not a fan of replicas/extreme restorations.

 

[Kharon]

Wow. I respectfully disagree with several aspects of your reply.

Reading through the OP's post history she appears to be OW certified with at least 17 dives, has an interest in AOW certification, is exploring options for quality dive gear, has already done a few shore dives, and all of her favorite sports involve being in the water. She also comes across as intelligent, enthusiastic, and self-confident. This sounds exactly like how my wife and I were when we made out first trip to Bonaire many years ago (except for maybe the intelligence part. LOL.) Bonaire is the perfect predictably awesome warm water location properly trained self-confident new divers to continue gaining new experience.

As an OW instructor my goal has always been to prepare my students to dive unsupervised at the completion of their OW training if they desire to do so. As an OW diver I learned this previously from my instructor. The majority of my students left my OW course with the knowledge, confidence, and experience to dive independently and unsupervised in conditions similar to their training environment. IMHO anything less reflects negatively on my abilities as an instructor. Granted, some people aren't ever well-suited for unsupervised diving but I don't see anything in the OP's posts that reflects this. In fact I see exactly the opposite.

I'm not sure what you mean about "the dive, dive, dive ethos of Bonaire". If that's your thing you can certainly do it, but there's no pressure to do so. We've enjoyed hundreds of shore dives on Bonaire and we typically only dive a couple of times a day, sometimes less, and some days not at all. The whole point of her post was to identify alternative activities to diving.

Finally, your myopic statements that "you can also get your culture fix" at some other unnamed destination and that Bonaire is "slim on culture" reflects how little you apparently understand about Bonairean culture. My suggestion would be for you to step back from your "dive, dive, dive ethos", look around a little bit, and engage the local population and culture with a little more interest and sincerity. They're great people.

+1 with the caveat that Bonaire is not a great place for someone with buoyancy issues or for someone who is not situationally aware. (Note: not saying that the OP falls into this catagory). The reason I say this is that it is way too easy to become mesmerized by the fish, coral, sponges, etc. on the slope and suddenly find yourself way, way deeper than you thought or planned. That can be dangerous.

Also, though there is usually not much, if any current, there have been times I found myself a whole lot farther than expected and had to fight current on the way back. Because the conditions are usually so benign it's easy to forget to check to see if there is any current, and which way it's going. THe good thing is that, unlike some places, you can exit almost anywhere at most dive sites and the most it's going to cost you is a long hike back to the truck with the heavy equipment. So not very dangerous.

 

[redacted]

Surprised that not yet mentioned is a drive down south to see the slave huts, salt fields and lighthouse. An interesting part of Bonaire's history with scenic views and prime photo ops.

Though I will say we are making our fifth trip to Bonaire in December and I do wish there was a little more to do topside.

That is like going to the chocolate factory and looking for candy canes. Dive, dive, dive....

 

[Kharon]

The slave huts were the single most boring thing I've ever seen as a tourist, anywhere. I'm not a fan of replicas/extreme restorations.

I though the slave huts were interesting. Going inside and getting an idea how they were all packed in there, getting a feel for the living/sleeping conditions made me realize how bad they had it and how good i have it. Until you experience the claustrophobic inside of a slave hut you have no idea.

 

[wwguy]

The slave huts were the single most boring thing I've ever seen as a tourist, anywhere. I'm not a fan of replicas/extreme restorations.

They aren't replicas. They're originals, built by hand by slaves in 1850. They were used as temporary mid-week living quarters for slaves that lived in Rincon on the weekends and walked to the salt pans to work during the week. Periodic roof repairs and fresh paint are not extreme restorations.

That is like going to the chocolate factory and looking for candy canes. Dive, dive, dive....

Based on the initial inquiry I think it appears that the OP isn't interested in consuming chocolate or candy all day every day of her vacation. To me she appears to be more interested in discovering how the chocolate factory works and learning about Oompa Loompa history and culture.

I think I need to take a time out from this thread for a while. My opinion on the topic appears to be in the minority, at least in this forum anyway, and I'm not interested in further tilting at windmills.

 

[boat sju]

I'm not a fan of replicas/extreme restorations.

I didn't know they were replicas or extreme restorations. Besides, no one suggested you take an hour long guided tour of the things.

 

[boat sju]

I don't need to be judged, thank-you very much.

Then don't post stupid things on the internet.