Bonaire Trip Report introduction

January 31-Feb 8 2015

Bonaire. If you're not big into scuba diving, I'll bet you have never heard of it.

Part of the Netherlands Antilles in the Southern Caribbean only 45 miles off the coast of Venezuela, Bonaire is the ultimate place for divers and snorkelers alike. It's fairly easy to get to from Europe, just hop on a KLM flight from Amsterdam!

It's fairly easy to get to from North America with direct flights from Newark, Atlanta, Houston and Miami and lots of options with connections via Curaçao.

Languages spoken on the island include Papiamentu, Dutch, English and Spanish.

Walking downtown you also hear German and French and Italian and Russian. There is even a Chinese population here. It is the world compressed into 112 square miles.

Why do divers love it? There is a protected fringing reef surrounding the island and its little satellite island Klein Bonaire. The land is flat. Getting to a dive site is as simple as pulling over to the side of the road and entering the water. You don't need a boat here. You don't even really need a car! (Although I do recommend getting one to visit the more remote areas.)

The Dutch people are efficient businessmen and friendly to their customers but not as customer-service oriented when compared to the Americans. I always find it necessary to ask for what I need or want. It's rare to find someone who tries hard to sell you something. That is a plus for a lot of people.

Accommodations run from high-end private villas to hotels to furnished studio apartments. There are a few places that offer all-inclusive packages. Most offer dive & drive packages which include car and unlimited diving / tank refills.

It's hot here. The sun will burn you in minutes so you can't go out in a teeny bikini with no sunscreen. I always wear a wetsuit, not for cold water protection but mostly to keep the burning away.

Although it's hot, it is rarely humid. There is a constant wind which makes for superb kite-surfing and sailing conditions. The wind makes being indoors bearable too. I find that air conditioning is only needed if there is no ceiling fan or adequate window ventilation.

So I'm here for the seventh time. My seventh week. Next trip I can say that I've lived on the island for two months and one day, I hope to say that I live here.

Fish stories to come!