Just returned from our 4th Christmas trip on the island. Dec 18 through Jan 1. As with every trip, there were things that stay the same and lots of new things...

Travel - we traveled to Bonaire on the Continental route via Houston and really had zero issues this year. It would be nice to have more leg room on those planes and the cost of the tickets is HUGE at that time of year....but oh, well...the mojitos that they sell on board help soften the blow! Rented from Total as usual. Nothing but good things to say about them. Driving around the island was interesting this year with the odd lake and hidden potholes, but nothing that a little less speed doesn't fix.

Weather - yep, wettest visit so far, but amazing to see the impact on the greenery. We did manage to find lots of sun, though. The best trick is to hit a beach just after a storm rolls through and chases away the people. Then, the sun comes out and all is good! Just as a final farewell, it was pouring rain on departure morning....But who really cares when back home temperatures were hitting -25C. We'll take some rain and 28-30C any time. One downside of the rain was the impact on visibility in the waters south of Kralendijk.

Accommodations - we park ourselves at the parent's house, so can't complain about anything. However, we were very surprised by all of the for sale signs on properties throughout the island. Also, sad (in a way) to see several construction projects that have obviously come to a halt. Our selfish side sees a plus in a slower pace of development on an island that is already straining to keep up with growth.

Water sports - we're snorkelers (wife has ear issues that prevent us from using our diving certification). The reefs seemed to be in good shape. Saw our first lionfish...unfortunately. Two of them within 100m of each other in the shallows of Kite beach (this was on a no wind day). Visibility was tough on some days and we found some of our favorite spots on the south end of the island to be tough for entry/exit due to good sized swells in the second week of our stay. Spots north of Kralendijk were much better. Always love Donkey beach for a quick dip. One thing we noticed this year - way too many boats/jet skis/water skiers encroaching on the light blue. Some of the best snorkeling is on the edge of the drop off, but you have to stay very attentive to sounds in the water for your own safety. Read about a serious accident between a snorkeler and a boat at Bachelor earlier in 2010....not good news for anyone. I do have to say that all of the boaters utilizing the dive moorings were very good. Safety is always a joint proposition, but please - if you have to show off on your jet ski or ski boat for your friends on the beach, please stay well away from the light blue. We can still see you another 100m out! We also did a night snorkel off the Divi pier one night. Rene got us hooked on this night snorkel stuff. Visibility was not great, however and surf was heavier than usual, so tough to spot the usual lobster, etc. along the shoreline. Thanks to Divi for allowing use of the pier.

Eats - this is always a contentious area, so I'll keep it brief. We tried some new places this time. Unbelievable - very good. Mona Lisa - outstanding. No wonder they've been around for a long time. We also hit some of our usuals. CB - Hagen continues to do an amazing job with his food. New Years dinner was awesome and very reasonably priced for what was plated. Bistro de Paris - two great dinners. One was easily the best of the entire stay. Thanks Patrice! Wils for Xmas dinner - disappointed. Think they were short staffed. Have to also say that the BBQ dinners at home were always a treat too! The quality of the meat (courtesy of Warehouse) and its reasonable cost always amazes me for a "remote" island. The variety and quality of the fresh produce at Cash & Carry was great this year.

Misc - The "vibe" is always the best part of these trips. Never fails to impress us on every trip. We always seem to run into folks who just can't seem to slip into island time, but that's their loss. Treat everyone respectfully and try your hand at some basic Papiamentu and the response is amazing. New Years eve was great, but it seemed that the fireworks were just a bit less than years past. Economy?? Still a great way to ring in the year at Rum Runners, champagne in hand, Moogie providing the tunes and a great crowd. Kudos to the Carib Inn dive shop staff. Always a pleasure to deal with, great pricing, good selection. Whoever runs the Del Sol shop in town - your staff deserve a raise! Great customer service.

I think that about covers it.....sorry for the novel. We're trying to get back for a "mid season" trip at the end of April - hopefully a bit drier!

Bon Ana everyone.

Thanks for the report, it's well done, and glad you all had a good time.
Warm water and warmer sun is terrific.
Sorry to hear about jet skis, IMHO they ought to have a bounty on them if anywhere near divers/snorkers.

Great report & thanks for posting your experiences.
As far as jet skiers go, my gut response is who needs them! But, at the very least they should be way out in the deep blue water.

Thanks for posting. Makes it harder to wait for Feb. and our time on Bonaire.
Why on earth are any jet skis allowed at all on Bonaire? I mean, it's all about people IN the water. I'm thinking they are an unwise concession to the cruise boat people.

Was there actually a problem with jet skis during your trip? Ive only seen two in ten years on Bonaire and one of them is on a trailer across from Carib Inn.

just to clarify .. there is no commercial lease of jet skis allowed ..it is against the law .. what you saw were the "grandfathered" jet ski's privately owned when the law was passed - it was the holidays and since a great number of bonairian youth are educated off island ,, they were all home and on the water .. also for your information jet ski's are not available to cruisers as well as someother watersport activities... we have enuf problems with the atv rentals...

Hi everyone - just to clarify - boats were the primary culprits. There were a few of those grandfathered jetskis around Donkey, but not as close to shore. My fault for a generalization.

yes there were a lot of boats but it was holiday time and the people here had the opportunity to be on the water. over the holidays there were 2 serious boating accidents caused by rented boats by careless operation and lack of respect for the BMP regulations .. non of the boats involved were in use by locals...

Pietri, thanks for clarifying about the jet skis. I'm pleased and relieved to hear they are not available for rental.

Great report Thanks for Sharing!