The same way I heard so much about Curacao, I also started to hear more and more about Bonaire. They said it had a better atmosphere, prettier diving spots and way more nature than Curacao. All these things really made me wanting to go. My roommates loved the idea and there we went!
With the boat from Caribbean Experience we sailed across the sea. It was early in the morning, so we saw a lovely sunrise and a couple hours later a pod of dolphins shortly joined us. The sea was rough, but I managed to reach Bonaire without getting seasick. It took us 4,5 hours to get there, so I must say that I was happy to set foot on land again at that point.
After dropping our bags at the prettier hotel I've ever seen, the Marriott Hotel in Bonaire, we ate lunch at Chibi Chibi restaurant. For a really good price we ate a delicious lunch and we were more than ready to explore the rest of the island! The first thing we did was a dive, for which we had already made a reservation. We went to the 'Zoutpier' with a private instructor from Div'Ocean. The Zoutpier is the place where water gets transported over the road, to keep the saltflats full. The special thing about this diving spot was the combination between industry and nature. Huge pillars from the salt installation were standing in the water and underwater life had taken over these surfaces. Many corals can be seen here, together with many species of fish and sea turtles.
That night we ate at The Islander, a restaurant situated above the water. Though my portobello burger was not perfect, it did have a lovely ambiance and the rest of the food and drinks were very tasteful. As a dessert we ate ice cream at Luciano's. Whenever I am in a different country I love to try as many different restaurants as possible. The ice cream at Luciano's was absolutely divine. You could definitely taste the fact that it was handmade. To end the night we drank a beer at The Brewery. It is the only place where they solemnly sell specialty beers on Bonaire. It really made me think of Holland.
Our stay at the Marriott Hotel was absolutely perfect for me. They have multiple houses which have 4 rooms each. These houses are brightly coloured and form a cute little street together. At the end of the lane you have the restaurant, the pool and the jacuzzi. Early in the morning, when I was all by myself, I swam in the pool, watching the sunrise. After that I enjoyed the very delicious American breakfast. This blog is not at all sponsored, but I genuinely liked my stay here.
The rest of the morning we hired a scooter, to see the rest of the island. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to see the Northern part such as the Goto Lake, but we managed to cruise besides the salt flats and the slave huts. Nature in Bonaire is gorgeous, in comparison to Curacao, and It was a pity that we had to leave so soon again. If I am going to return to the Caribbean, there is a good chance it is going to be to Bonaire!