What is there to do topside in Bonaire?

[ScubaCollin]

Hey guys, Im heading to Bonaire this summer, but Im bringing someone who doesnt dive, Will it be boring for them? Is there anything to do topside? Or is it only diving?

 

[H2Andy]

it's mostly diving

here are my and my wife's favorite things to do:

1. car tour of the southern road and go to saltworks, then keep
going to Lac Bay and try some windsurfing. you can see flamingos here.

2. car tour to center of the island and look around Rincon, then
keep going east and hit the coast and look at the indian inscriptions.
you might see some parrots.

3. car tour to the north and check out Washington-Slagbaai National
Park... takes at lest half a day to do right. parrots and flamingoes are
around.

and here's a link of things to do while there:

http://www.infobonaire.com/otheractivities.html

 

[ScubaCollin]

Hmmm....might want to just go to cozumel than.....I dont want to leave them on shore doing nothing.

 

[m7scuba]

I posed the same question to my LDS and they said that Coz is better for the non-diver as well.

 

[H2Andy]

ah yes, but nothing beats Bonaire for shore diving.

usually, you fill your pickup truck with tanks in the morning, go diving to your
heart's content, right off the shore, tons of sites to choose from, then drop
the tanks off...

start again in the morning

and so on

 

[diveIIcaribbean]

Why not go to the Caymans? There is plenty for non divers to do and the diving is fantastic.

 

[H2Andy]

i'm not sure the Caymans have quite yet recovered from the hit they took from
Ivan... though yes, pre-hurricane, they were a wonderful place to go, if on
the really pricey side

 

[dvrliz1]

There is a lot for the top sider to do if they don't dive! For starters, the obvious, snorkeling, shopping, casino, walking, hiking. reading! Then not so obvious. Guided tours, Guided tours of cave inscriptions, air conditioned guided tours of the island, para sailing, afternoon lunch cruise on one of the many beautiful sail boats, (the windwood, mushi, mushi, the "Junk". The many day spas on the island (yes, there are at minimum 3 full service day spas!). Aqua Space, a type of glass bottom boat experience with wine and cheese, How about a scooter or a mountain bike? Hit the museums of Bonaire (2 of them) or check out the local art galleries. Oh, what about Mangrove Kayaking or a guided water tour through the mangroves, Jan Huckaby of JanArt offers painting lessons, check out the Donkey Sanctuary, or visit with the children of Maria Hoppner Foundation, have lunch at Chez Nous, where potential famous chefs will serve and cook for you, Try the Marche (market) in Rincon on a Saturday morning, shop local goods and eat local foods (the best around). Try horseback riding, guided and actually "swim" with the horses. Lay back on a white sandy beach, enjoy a glass of wine or a mimosa and watch the windsurfers, heck take an hour lesson...so nothing to do topside on Bonaire HUH?????

 

[RICHinNC]

Then too there is Barbados. LOTS to do above the water both night and day. And, lots of good deals this time of year.

 

[Damselfish]

Here's a different take on this. People frequently say one place has more stuff to do than some other place. But really, most Carribean islands don't have a huge _variety_ of stuff to do. Busier islands like GC may have more choices in the same _category_ because there's more people there but for many things that doesn't make that much difference. For example they all have some assortment of boat tours and water activities. There's probably more choices on GC because there's more people but you're not going to do all of them. Whether there's 100 or 10 choices you might do a couple at most. Almost everyplace has some local museums and other land attractions or activities to check out, but they're different from place to place so it's a matter of what types of things you like to do rather than how many there are. One thing you're interested in doing is more useful than 10 you're not. I'd say the exception is shopping and having a variety of restaurants, maybe nightlife if that stuff is what's important to you - then volume makes more of a difference. Of course, you've got the option of lounging with a book anyplace.

So I think a lot comes down to whether you prefer a quiet place, or a busier place with more civilization and the feeling of a lot going on. And what specific types of things you like to do and which island has those things, rather than which island has more. Cayman is a busier place that gives you the perception of more stuff to do, but I'm not sure there is really that much more to do in Cayman than Bonaire, it's just different.