This is an odd name for a column, but this is what my travel-companion called it — a whirlwind tour of what’s new in Bonaire, in less than three days.
First things first: Four years have passed since I last visited, Bonaire. And I was amazed at how well developed its tourism product has become. I was also astounded how untouched and unspoiled its nature remained, not a pier, not a palapa, not a beach vendor in sight, no motorized watersports, no fast food restaurants, little modern construction, just buckets of color paint, splashed on every tired-looking wall, sprucing it up. Definitely worth the $75 per person tourist tax, collected on line. And there is an added $40 charge that covers all water activities in the Bonaire National Marine Park.
Apparently, they are putting the money to good use.
Interestingly enough, every beach and public space includes a nicely finished concrete niche with four different wheelie bins inside, yellow, for glass, orange, for plastic, green, for food waste and blue for paper and cardboard. Imagine, they separate waste and recycle.
Bonaire realized early on in the 70s, that nature protection is THE key, and the island deserves compliments for how well its natural beauty held up against rampant development.
So people come to Bonaire for its natural beauty, to snorkel and scuba, and to dine outstandingly. Since the arrival of Dutch culinaria, Bonaire has been recognized as a Culinary Capital by the World Food Travel Association. They have come a long way. I remember when Zeezicht was the only dine-out option.
Bonaire features many dozens of private villas and homes along Belnem, south of the airport, many of them boutique vacation rentals, in different sizes and styles, with immediate access to blue water, and only a handful of large developments, and dive resorts, mostly north of Kralendijk, consequently its vacation experience feels more customized to our wants and needs, more intimate and less fake-plastic. It seems to me that one can spend more time in a bathing suit and flipflops in Bonaire, feel more sand under toes, and waste almost no time in lobbies, elevators, on carpets, or in lines.
Getting there is tough, and that is why only 10% of visitors to Bonaire come from the former Dutch Antilles and the islands. Aruba represents just 2.07% of total visitors, while it is a super fantastic vacation destination for us. Probably because the road to happiness calls for determination.
We suffered the indignation of buying two coffees that tasted like dishwater from Segafredo, at the Aruba Airport for Awg 24.60, while waiting for our flight. I never sent a coffee back. This time I did.
The plane ride to Curacao in the tiny Divi Air grasshoppers, in blue vinyl child-seats and no air conditioning, tests passengers’ resolve. Then waiting on the tarmac in Curacao in the overheated cabin, for at least 20 minutes until other passengers get off and get on, is quite a challenge, not to mention, you pay top dollar for this shoddy experience.
But once you land in Bonaire, it is all forgotten.
We stayed at the Grand Windsock, a villa resort with 72 individual cute homes — they all offer plunge pools and gardens, ours hosted a flock of loud, green Bonairian parrots. Our villa had three high-ceiling airconditioned bedrooms. The master bedroom offered a full bathroom, while the two other bedrooms were only graced with a doorless, thus airconditioned, shower, no toilet. The hot toilet could be reached across the hall. We hardly used the unairconditioned living room for obvious reasons, it was hot. I credit all design quirks to the Dutch architect’s passion for innovation, somewhat misdirected. If you travel with kids, though, think about Grand Windsock!
You may take a dip across the street at The Beach, a bar-restaurant sand box with lounges, and a wooden staircase leading into a clear blue, shallow ocean.
Have a beer, relax.
We visited Bamboo Boutique Resort, Bonaire’s answer to the Boardwalk Boutique Hotel, if you’re in love and romantic, go there.
The Delpfins Beach Resort boasts the Brass Boer starred chef restaurants. They are on my bucket list especially Senang, with an Asian accent. The resort employs a black and white cat to snooze on its lobby tour desk, she seemed content and pretty purrrfect.
We had the best ice-coffee and seasonal Glazed Pumpkin Loaf at Number 10 on the main street, simply spectacular and their toilet had a door and was airconditioned.
It Rains Fishes still offers the breathtaking views of Klein Bonaire, over lunch and dinner.
Karel’s bar on the waterfront is doubling its capacity and building another deck. I did not stop to ask why, but I imagine they will create some new sunset experience on it.
I crashed a function of the Bonaire Tourism Corporation on Monday at 5pm, a networking session designed to bring all Bonaire tourism partners, together, at Van der Valk Plaza Beach & Dive Resort. They have been remodeling for a very long time, and it is a mystery why they won’t just pour more money into the project to finish it, because when done they would have added a spa, a casino, a fitness center, a wedding venue with great views and meetings rooms, to their already quite substantial beach and lagoon-view resort.
We visited the salt pans, they are still there, the slave huts, still there, and the Donkey Sanctuary, still there, all worth visiting. The dry landscape at the Donkey Sanctuary is eerie — the dead mangroves in the dry salina, tell the story of climate change, and drought.
Lunch at the food truck Kite City, on Te Amo Beach, was delicious. If you are into smoothies, try Smooth Operator, in town, on Kaya Gilberto F. Croes. Sounds familiar, right?
Diving? I would go back to Captain Don’s Habitat, conceived by Captain Don Stewart, a conservation pioneer, in 1976, and renovated many times since. It still has an old-Bonarian vibe, which I appreciate. And the green-eyed Bonariano at the front desk, Aaron, gave us a lovely, tireless tour, he really likes his job, and enjoys sharing his island with visitors.
We had the best dining experience at Ocean Oasis Beach Club, Sunday night at the weekly fish market, where you shop for your dinner, send it to be lightly grilled and served to you, at your beach side table.
One last comment about SERVICE. It’s nonchalant at best. Casual, friendly-enough but basically indifferent. Servers humor their guests and indulge them, but are not really fired up to please and delight them.
We visited the Captain’s Table, on the main street, a new high level establishment and their service is a good example of that – nonchalant at best.
And this is probably why Bonaire only received 26% of its visitors from the USA while 35% are Dutch, who stay an average of 12 days! Maybe its smart to keep it this way.
In 2019 Bonaire showed 1,749 rooms, in 2022, that number grew to 2,897 and they are about to add another 358 to their room inventory.
Forget about Disney, go to Bonaire.
