First Time Plans

[Nettles]

Go. Go now. If you could, go 30 years ago. As good as it still is, Bonaire, unlike fine wine, has not improved with age (except the food choices and unbelievably, the roads). I am grateful I got to see it pre Lenny, when the only cruise ship was the Scientologists but if the creek don't rise we'll be there again come March, on a near giveaway flight with Jet Blue, enjoying what I believe to be one of the last shreds of the Carribean I remember from the previous century.

Be prepared however. Once you experience "total diving freedom" you'll be jaded towards the typical travel dive experience for life. And despite the impression you might get from the nattering nabobs of negativity, the diving is top notch.

It's not going to get better in your lifetime, I don't think. And the future is a funny thing, but nobody's laughing.

So go.

 

[wateraddiction]

If you're lucky enough to be in NYC, you can fly Jet Blue NS for a great rate. Otherwise, you'll likely connect in Miami on American Air. If we're flying when snow or storms can delay our flight to MIA, we fly in the evening before and spend the night at an airport hotel for around $100 so we are sure not to miss our connection. During the off season, AA only flies to Bonaire twice a week so missing the flight means losing 3 days of vacation.

Dive Friends does certification at Delfins which has a very nice pool area and DF is one of the largest shops on the island. We're staying at a 3 bd condo at Sand Dollar and getting our 10 and 11 yos certified at Buddy's. Buddy's has convenient logistics with Dive/Stay/Drive packages but you can also book everything separately and get a larger, nicer oceanfront condo for the same price or less. Both Buddy's and Dive Friends have great reps for working with children, and our kids had a good Bubblemaker experience with VIP in Bonaire.

Staying somewhere with a great house reef will allow you to easily go diving right off your pier day or night -- places like Den Laman, Sand Dollar, Buddy's all have tanks on the pier for you. I also considered Divi, Delfins, and Harbour Village (I think Delfins and HV were too expensive for us and Divi's house reef didn't seem as appealing as Sand Dollar/Den Laman/Buddy's).