By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #94) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 2:19 pm: |
Just thought i would add this. Some people may not like this but here go's.
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By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #440) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 3:33 pm: |
No offence taken here , as a matter of fact you have pretty much nailed it.
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By a retired Grunt (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #927) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 4:15 pm: |
An honest opinion is never offensive. I may not agree but I'll not be offended.
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #585) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 4:35 pm: |
Rose.
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By Eric M. (BonaireTalker - Post #66) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 5:01 pm: |
You know, that is something I didn't even realize about Bonaire. Not one single time was I approached by a pan-handler or shoe shine kid or some other type of beggar. I give my fair share to charity and don't mind the occasional hand-out seeker, but in a lot of places it is really over the top annoying.
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By Trevor Hibdige, Lac Bay Villa (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #161) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 5:38 pm: |
In the summer we turn off the water heater as the water pipe to the house lays across the top of the coral chippings and we get unintentional solar heating to hot hot temperatures for the first couple of minutes LOL
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2687) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 6:08 pm: |
Rose..I can't imagine why anyone could possibly be offended by your post.
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By Trevor Naylor (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #125) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 3:59 am: |
Rose - I am also English but live in Spain. You mention the cost of the KLM flight. Just out of interest I fly to London and then book the KLM flight from there, via Amsterdam to Bonaire as the return flight from London - Bonaire is less than the Amsterdam - Bonaire return. Crazy but that is the case. My trip last October was that route and the one in March is booked the same.
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By Trevor Hibdige, Lac Bay Villa (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #163) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 5:34 am: |
The pricing of KLM seems to have gone berserk. We travel twice a year from the UK (London - Amsterdam - Bonaire) and have just booked our July trip. Last year we paid 900 Euros and this year ? 1200 Euros. And less flights.
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By Trevor Naylor (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #126) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 5:57 am: |
My daughter travelled LHR - Bonaire in November and paid something less than £800. In March she is paying less than £900. For me to go from Malaga to Bonaire is crazy money if I go with KLM all the way. To go Malaga - Amsterdam with Transavia is cheaper but still not as good as BA to London then KLM from there.
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By Martin de Weger (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5006) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 6:07 am: |
What I do when travelling from AMS to BON is flying AMS-CUR on KLM (much cheaper as the direct flight from AMS to BON) and take the CUR-BON with Divi. I safe a lot of € this way. Just a thought...
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By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #95) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 6:42 am: |
Our air fare tickets were £750 pp LHR - AM- BON and booked last August.( then accomodation,food,diving,car costs to go on top of that) We can go to the Red Sea at the Hilton for less than £600 each and that includes all food and drink, but not diving costs and you get no freedom of diving. Just a comparison in cost.
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By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #96) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 6:53 am: |
I have to say that being hassled from the streets in Egypt isnt a problem for us. We have been so many times IF we go into town we just totally Ignore them. We go for the diving rather than anything else. I actually like the Eqyptians in the area we visit (never done Cairo!!!) Bonaire is completely different but if you want to dive and get good diving Egypt is a good contender.
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By *Tink* (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1685) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 11:41 am: |
Martin, you pay? lol (JK)
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By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #97) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 11:54 am: |
Hi yeah its takes us about 20 hours or so door to door (but so worth it). We always do the red eye cos thats the cheapest and we both work shifts so used to strange hours.
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By Trevor Hibdige, Lac Bay Villa (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #164) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 1:16 pm: |
I had real trouble with the shower taps in the summer. I could not decide which was hot and which was cold. I left one running for several minutes and it was still hot so I tried the other one and left it running for several minutes and it was hotter. (WRONG. It was the cold one hehehe) I ended up swapping the tap heads so that red and blue were on the correct pipes ! The cold water was in fact hotter than the heated water for a while.........
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By bob fraser (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #138) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 1:22 pm: |
Rose,
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By Ann Phelan - www.bonairecaribbean.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4060) on Friday, January 8, 2010 - 6:46 pm: |
There is Arkefly and Martinaire as cheaper options AMS to BON or CUR and then buying cheap LHR/LGW to AMS? I think the KLM that stops in SXM/Sint Maarten is also cheaper than the non stop to BON?
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By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #98) on Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 6:14 am: |
Hi Bob,
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By Martin de Weger (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5007) on Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 6:28 am: |
Think, nowadays, yes... :'(
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By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #99) on Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 6:33 am: |
Gosh all this talk......sitting here surrounded by snow makes me long for Bonaire even more!
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By Trevor Hibdige, Lac Bay Villa (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #165) on Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 7:18 am: |
We have the luxury of a huge modern kitchen and it is possible to shop "local" for meat (carniceria Latina)(sp ?) and for veg (La Portuguesa) and Warehouse etc for the rest and we managed to feed a house full (6 persons) over the Christmas period for UKL 10.00 per head per day including rather a lot of rum and beer so it pays to shop and cook if possible. And for that amount it was steak, goat, mahi mahi, tuna, rainbow runner, tilapia, meat sausages, chicken etc rather than burgers and pasta. (oh and of course large quantities of garlic !)
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By Rose Hall (BonaireTalker - Post #100) on Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 7:24 am: |
Thats pretty good. We do our own lunch and then eat out in the evening.....after all we are on holiday tho if there was a large group it wouldnt be so bad cooking in the evening but if theres only two of you cant be a***d.
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By Michael (BonaireTalker - Post #51) on Sunday, January 10, 2010 - 8:25 am: |
Try eating at Mi Banana, Fogon Latino, Rose Inn, one of the many chinese restaurants, one of the many snacks, Bobbejans. They serve diner for prices starting as low as 7 USD.......who said Bonaire is expensive on dining out?
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By Rose Hall (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #101) on Sunday, January 10, 2010 - 9:50 am: |
Mi Banana was very good both in food and value when we were there.
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By Skip C (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #180) on Sunday, January 10, 2010 - 11:18 am: |
Rose
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By Kristie Kilcullen (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 1:46 am: |
Need honest feedback. My husband and I are torn between Roatan or Bonaire this year. We have done Roatan several times and think it is near perfection. Coming from the West Coast, so hear getting to Bonaire isn't fun. We are not into the tourist thing- want to dive until we can't see straight. Would like to hear from folks who have done both so can compare
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By Rose Hall (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #102) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 3:39 am: |
Hi Kristie,
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2700) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 6:40 am: |
Kristie.Welcome to BT..We've done both; Roatan once & Bonaire many many many times. Bonaire wins, hands down!
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By Rose Hall (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #103) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 11:27 am: |
Kristie,
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By bob fraser (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #139) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 11:40 am: |
Not a real expert on Roatan was also there once but it does seem like a third world country. Bonaire does not. Certainly the Caribbean but english widely spoken and poverty not widespread.Bonaire for me just doesn't seem that different (like the Netherlands sort of), Roatan definitely is a foreign culture. Not sure this is a good example but Roatan is a Malaria risk, Bonaire not. Maybe that speaks to something else but it keeps me from going back. I am an active blood donor so its a factor for me. You can dive all you want in either place. Bonaire is truly a divers paradise, just not the only one.
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By Eric M. (BonaireTalker - Post #78) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 3:02 pm: |
If you go to www.scubaboard.com and poke around for a post called Bonaire vs. Roatan, I posted it a couple weeks ago for a friend trying to make the same decision. I've never been to Roatan so hard to give my honest opinion but my dive shop has been both places many times and while they like certain things about Roatan, recommends Bonaire hands down.
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By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #443) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 3:16 pm: |
I did two weeks at Fantasy Island on Roatan in 2000. Have not been back and probably never will return . The shore dive from the resort was ok . If you wanted a good reef it was a boat ride . No large fish what so ever .
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By Ray and Pam (BonaireTalker - Post #85) on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 10:57 pm: |
You can't lose either way, do Bonaire in Oct and Roatan in June.
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By Kristie Kilcullen (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 12:44 am: |
Thank you all for the comments about Roatan vs Bonaire. Good stuff! Seems like we can't lose either way. Think we will try Bonaire and hit CoCo View next year. For those of you who haven't done CoCo View in Roatan- you need to do it. Its pure heaven!
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By bob fraser (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #140) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 11:35 am: |
Kristie,
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By terry grainger (BonaireTalker - Post #14) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 7:41 pm: |
About the only 2 plusses Roatan has is some big fish and its cheaper. Otherwise Bonaire is hands down winner.
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By Yo "way too dang busy" MO (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5753) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 7:56 pm: |
Been to Roatan 3 times, once for over 3 weeks (I only returned home because I ran out of money and there were no ATM's on the island)and would still pick Bonaire hands down. The ease of shore diving and diving till you can't see straight - got it. Plus, unlike Roatan, I haven't seen anyone walking around with what appeared to be AK47's either. Plus if you want to walk around Bonaire there are some wonderful main drags. The only walking around I was particularly comfortable doing while in Roatan was on the West End where they have the dirt road along the beach front/water front area. But someone did try to follow me back to my hotel after a night dive so that kind of creeped me out. Anywho - Bon vs. Roatan - Bonaire has won out 13 times so far.
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By Vince DePietro-www.bonairebeachcondo.com (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2713) on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 7:25 am: |
quote [Its pure heaven!]
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By Tarmour46 (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #135) on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 2:55 pm: |
Rose, I agree with your report. We have traveled to Bonaire the last 8 years in a row and have experienced many things on this beautiful island. If you want a real treat, stay at Eden Beach and dive with Wanna Dive. I'm only a tourist and want everyone to know that Eden Beach & Wanna Dive are by far our #1 choice.
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By Nicnac (BonaireTalker - Post #39) on Friday, January 15, 2010 - 6:32 pm: |
It's true that it is much cheaper to dive Egypt from the UK... but doing so reminded me exactly why I prefer to pay over the odds and fly to Bonaire.
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By Rose Hall (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #104) on Saturday, January 16, 2010 - 11:41 am: |
Couldnt agree more!!!!! We stay in Egypt where we can shore dive whenever we want by ourselves. Lots of different brightly coloured coral. No other people, no waiting for boats. OK its the same area but theres something different every dive. Straight in off the pontoon, very easy. A nice alternative. Theres no way on gods earth I would go on one of those boats to queue up whilst diving to look at wrecks!!!
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