Thanks so much for the reply LvSun. Now I really don't know what to do!
Our family has only gone to GC one time. I didn't mean to give the impression that we have been there many times. I wish! (my husband has been there 2x) We were there the winter after Ivan (Feb. 2005) We stayed at the Mahogany Point Condo's on the Northside. We loved where we stayed. The snorkeling out our door was the best we saw on the whole island! You are so lucky to be going back in a month! Have a great trip!
I'll have to do some more research on Bonaire. (which to me is half the fun!) There is so much to like about GC but the idea of trying someplace new that seems to have much of what we like is very compelling. Right now a big thing for us would be the long travel day. That's something I'd like to avoid.
Thank you again for your great trip report and your reply. I really want to see those flaminoes! (and my husband would love the tropical birds and of course, the snorkeling) Hmmm...it's great to have such a wonderful choice to make! P.S. Did you happen to see the Sandollar Condo's on Bonaire? Do they have a beach? I'm going to the Plaza's website right now to check it out.

Friends stayed at the Sand Dollar and liked it so while there we went to check it out. There is a tiny sandy area (not really what I would call a beach) that disappears at high tide.

lvsun, do you have directions from the pier to the resort? What is the procedure to get onto the beach? can we walk to the Plaza from the pier? is the snorkeling right off the beach?
if you could please leave details, we would like to spend as much time snorkeling and beaching as we can from 10 till 2.
thanks for all the work you do for this board and fellow travelers.
caymansreef

Snorkeling from the beach:
Snorkeling from the beach at the Plaza will absolutely spoil you for snorkeling at other places. As I said earlier, there are 3 good entry points. The best is past the little bar on the beach. You will see a "wall" of stone/coral along the beach. Then at the end of it, there is a "wall" of coral in the water just a few feet from the edge of the beach. Between the 2 walls is a good passage into the water (note: the water is just to your ankels and the rock under the water is worn smooth). Take just a few steps, put on your snorkel and fins and start snorkeling. (The bottom drops off pretty quick because you are at the reef). From that entry, snorkel toward the pier (the pier by the Plaza's Tipsy Seagull restaurant). There is a ladder on the pier so you can exit/enter the water there. There is also a lot of snorkeling past the pier. You can also snorkel between the wall which sticks out in the water (where you will first enter the beach) and the entry I suggested. But the snorkeling near the wall wasn't great. The rest is spectacular.

Directions from pier to Plaza:
I assume you mean the pier in the harbor at Kralendijk. Best thing to do is ask someone for directions when you get there -- they surely have better directions than I. However, here is my best explanation: If you are on the pier facing the land, go to your right and just follow the road along the water. At one point the road will jut inland, just keep following it. You will pass the Divi Resort.

The road will then make a sharp curve to the Left. Do NOT follow the curve but go straight (there's a parking lot or something there) and you will come to the public beach entrance for the Plaza. There is a sign there. (If you would follow the road to the left, it takes you to the main entrance of the Plaza).

Take a look at the map (to see the map, you have to scroll down the page on the following website) at http://www.infobonaire.com/hotels.html or http://www.plazaresortbonaire.com/locate.htm (while on this site you may also want to check out the map of the resort).

Walk vs cab: Plaza Resort website says it is 2 miles from Kralendijk but I can't image that it would take more than 15-20 minutes to walk. The Divi Resort website says the Divi is a 5-10 minute walk south of town. The Plaza is about a 5 minute walk from the Divi. Hmm, getting there via taxi may be a hassle - check out http://www.infobonaire.com/travel.html.It says taxi's are stationed at the airport. Note: The airport is about 5 minutes from the Plaza so calling for a taxi to go back should be quick.

Procedure: I don't really know what the procedure is - we were staying there and found out the beach is open to the public (for a fee) by talking to people who were "day pass" people.
There will be Plaza employees either at the gate or after you enter the gate, you go down a little walkway then come to a restaurant on your left, the pool in front of you, and the beach to the right. There is a small activity building there on the beach side. If no one has stopped you, check in at the activity hut.

Note: Don't know if you read this earlier in this thread but if not... People we talked to said they paid $100 for their ship's tour to the Plaza beach. It included a ride to it, entry to the beach, and lunch. They said the price they paid was a ripoff because other people on their cruise walked over to the Plaza and just paid the $5 or $10 per person to get onto the beach.

Oh gosh, thank you. I never travel anywhere or plan trips without buying a Fodors book and getting info from this site. I am glad to help others and appreciate all the help I get.

PS. You HAVE to be a Cayman lover (your name). We are heading back to Cayman next month. Can't wait!!! We like to stay in the Sea Lodges near Cayman Kai and snorkel between there and Rum Point.

I thought the Divi was better located than the Plaza Resort which it is right by the airport.

The Divi has a small sandy beach plus great snorkeling next to it.
You can walk to the restaurants by the seafront from the Divi.

Just went by the Divi so can't comment on it - it looked nice. The Divi looked more compact than the Plaza - the Plaza is spread out which make it really nice.

The Plaza has a pretty big beach.

When reseraching, I hesitated booking at the Plaza because of the closeness of the airport but the beach area won me over. Glad it did.

The airport offers NO problem to the enjoyment of the Plaza. There was no annoying sounds or anything. Plus, there are not very many planes coming in and out. Laying on the beach, we just occassionally noticed planes coming in -- we noticed them because we saw them -- not because of the noise or anything. We never did see any planes leaving - they must take off in the opposite direction.

Well, we are back. Special thanks to lvsun. Our day at Bonair was wonderful. Curt found the snorkeling at Plaza hotel to be world class. Even though there was a ship in port, the beach was not that crowded.
our trip was wonderful. a new island every day for us to explore. On Grenada we hiked to 7 sisters waterfall. The hike was deep into the rain forest. We swam in the cool water, and played in the wake of the falls. Beautiful. The hike was a little muddy, but sturdy, surrounded by thick foliage. Awesome. Grenada is a little rough around the edges. Devastated by a hurricane a couple years ago, there are a lot of shacks, and very poor people.
on st kitts we got lucky and found Anthony Henry. We found him right off the pier, ready to take us on a tour of the island. Anthony was friendly, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. We left things in his cab while we went swimming. A wonderful guide, who was warm, and awesome. Here is his cab number - f9737. you can reach him on these phone numbers. 869 465 3379, 869 465 3804. We personally recommend Anthony.
We had a great trip thanks to all fellow travelers who contribute to these boards.
Jen
Jen

Glad you enjoyed the snorkeling at the Plaza - it IS world class. Thanks for the heads up on the other islands. Sounds like you had a blast.

I am so glad to read this post. We love Bonaire, its nice to see others have had the same experience. We have stayed at the Plaza twice and Sand Dollar condos when we had the kids with us. Its always nice to have multiple bedrooms and a kitchen with a group. The facilities and the snorkeling/ diving at the Plaza are better. We love the group of Tarpons that hang out in front...always a surprise. The grocery store is very good if you rent a condo, great assortment of everything vs even the Bahamas. If you dive, rent a truck with locking storage, and there are many different shore dives (over 50 I think). So much better to be free of groups on boats! We also loved driving through the national park and the birds and animal sightings. Snorkeling is way better than anywhere else we've been. Absolutely a trip to take. Jamaica Air has really good connections. We are there mid-day, with time to get groceries, etc.

LvSun & OBXBarb -
We are considering staying at the Plaza Resort in Nov with a Scuba group. Had iffy accomodations with this group in Roatan last year; Things like sheets not staying on the bed, poor quality towels (thin and stained), limited hot water. It was not all iffy - nice resort, good food and clean rooms. We're not the 4-star type but like a reasonable level of quality. Saw your comment on "somewhat worn", could you elaborate? In Roatan felt like I should have brought at least a bottom sheet for the bed so we didn't end up on a bare matteress.

Also, noticed several people spoke about renting a truck for shore diving outside of the resort - would you recoimmend or is there enough access at the resort?