Impressions from 1st Bonaire visit

[Boat Chick]

Oh well.. I guess that doesn't surprise me. I remember walking around Shanghai in 1999 and noticing the KFC's, McDonald's & Haagen Dazs outlets next to the alleys with the local traders.
Some companies are more aggressive at establishing footholds everywhere.
Can you get the beer in a drive through :11:

I know the owner of the KFC on Bonaire...Ruth. It's funny because American's complain about fast food chains in other countries. The majority of the clientelle of KFC on Bonaire...are Antilleans. It's cheap food that they can afford and a place they can go and "hang out". The employees are Antillean. Mostly single mothers or young girls who need a break, and need a job. Very few tourists go to the KFC on Bonaire. I do, because when I'm shopping on my no dive day, it's easy to get a hot fresh chicken wrap and a beer, and take it 10 steps to the water and eat while watching the beautiful sea.

There is also a Whattabuger. They closed it, but reopened it last year. With so many restaurants closed from lunch to dinner (2pm to 5pm roughly)...and if you are between dives and need a quick snack, KFC, Whattabuger, and Julio's are the places I know I can actually get good decent food between dives.

6 trips so far, numbers 7 planned

 

[H2Andy]

The majority of the clientelle of KFC on Bonaire...are Antilleans. It's cheap food that they can afford and a place they can go and "hang out".

i noticed the same thing. looked like a popular local hangout

i figured, it's new and unique (there's only one in the whole island)

 

[Boat Chick]

i noticed the same thing. looked like a popular local hangout

i figured, it's new and unique (there's only one in the whole island)

They just had their 12 year anniversary last year. How Ruth works with those girls that work there, and the things she does for them is truly heart warming

 

[Tom Smedley]

Don't forget Subway. The American Sandwich Shop was great but they closed.

Go the European route and just go to the little bakery on the corner near the movie theater. They will slice a still warm from the oven roll and put some margarine, your choice of cold cut, and a slice of fresh Gouda on there for you. You can also pick up a cold beer there too. Then take the short stroll to the waterfront and eat your lunch while watching the water.

 

[Wijbrandus]

Ippy, I can feel your pain. If your room isn't clean and well maintained, it is a major downer on your trip. You can only spend so much time underwater, and you will spend more time in your room than you will diving (even if it's just sleeping).

 

[RLarsen]

This site exists to provide opinions. So I value descriptive trip reports. Don't we all prefer a room that's clean, a meal that's satisfying, a place that is safe ?
I welcome varied opinions. No need to get defensive.
Rex

 

[scubaaaronh]

Some people are just not into looking for the little life, they like to see the big stuff. I find it really special to find a sea horse hiding in a stand of coral or a small fish defending its little hole it calls home, at the base of a piece of coral, as i take a pic and move on. Big life is easy to spot and not like the challenge of finding the smaller colorfull fish. As far as amount of fish it was amazing the amount of fish everywhere. It is known that bonaire doesn't have much of the larger life, go to the bahamas if that is what you want. been there done that. I love bonaire the way it is and hope it doesn't change. I cant wait for the next four months to go by. As far as resorts we heard all kinds of horro stories about Plaza, We stayed there thought it was a very nice place and didn't think it was dirty and full of bugs like so many people complained about. It was clean and well kept. Pre bonaire depression is the worst. As far as food i agree with herman on this, we have the same thing here. I never walked out of a place there saying that was a good appitizer now wheres taco bell for the meal. All the food we ate there was very good. But guys quit telling everyone it is so great or the dive sites might get crowded and we really dont want that. I love having a site to myself and my wife. As far as turtles we saw plenty at the southern sites, and even swam along side one for several minutes while it turned and posed for its pic to be taken several times before getting bored with us and swam away. Liz i am sure i can find a way to make you pay on your bet. See ya in, wow time has gone fast, four months and a week.

 

[livingstone]

We stayed at the Sand Dollar and while we found our unit very spacious (2 bedrooms, 2 ½ bath), frankly, it was a pit. The unit clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly for months – disgusting bathrooms, bugs everywhere, dirty floors, etc.

:huh: This is definitely not the description of the two Sand Dollar condos we stayed at during our last two visits (April 2005 and April 2006). Ours were clean, cleaned daily, and well maintained. We're going back to Sand Dollar this April.

Dan

 

[alashas]

Thanks, ippy01 for your candid remarks, and thanks for everyone's replies. I'm cutting and pasting away (dive sites and restaurants) for our first trip to BON in April!

Cheers, alashas
http://honeymoon2.smugmug.com/

 

[95yj]

If you want to eat good food in any of the lesser Antilles, the very last place you want to go to is an American chain restaurant. The little local places have great food. The cost for a dinner can be less than nafl 20 (about $11) and unless you eat like I used to when I was a kid, it's more food than you can finish. Unfortunately, you have to find these local places, but if you ask the locals at the hotels, they can point you in the right direction. The local food is creolle which for the most part is stewed chicken, beef and the like. There's also a lot of Surinam and Columbian restaurants which have good food. If you were looking for KFC, a better choice would be to find a shop that has rotisserie chicken. The local pinda (peanut) sause is great and the chicken is better than anything the colonel could make.

Sorry to hear about the rooms not being clean, that shouldn't happen. However, if you ever lived in the southern US, you'l understand about bugs though. They don't have winters to kill them all and they pretty much flourish anywhere there is water. You can do your best to keep them out, but sometimes it's a losing battle. It's even worse in the Caribbean or Central America. If you let the staff know that there's too many in your room, they will usually attempt to do something about it.