Harbour Village?/Bonaire/
May 5th, 2005 | 05:15 AM
#1
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Harbour Village?/Bonaire/
Hi Fodorites!
Looking for any and all input from those that have stayed at Harbour Village, or at least visited the resort. Considering the week before Easter 06, with 2 teens. I would welcome any positives or negatives! If anyone can compare the beach at this resort with Caymans East end or Rum Point beaches, that would be very helpful too! Thank you all!! Carol
Looking for any and all input from those that have stayed at Harbour Village, or at least visited the resort. Considering the week before Easter 06, with 2 teens. I would welcome any positives or negatives! If anyone can compare the beach at this resort with Caymans East end or Rum Point beaches, that would be very helpful too! Thank you all!! Carol
May 5th, 2005 | 07:47 AM
#2
Joined: Sep 2003
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Carol
There is a Bonaire specific board called Bonaire Talk ( http://www.bonairetalk.com/cgi-local....cgi?pg=topics ) with a separate accommodation section. You may also try posting there or searching the archives.
There is a Bonaire specific board called Bonaire Talk ( http://www.bonairetalk.com/cgi-local....cgi?pg=topics ) with a separate accommodation section. You may also try posting there or searching the archives.
May 5th, 2005 | 08:20 AM
#3
Joined: Jun 2004
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We were at harbour village abt 10-15 years ago. Wanted the most "upscale" resort on Bonaire and were told HV was it. At this point, I can't remember quite why, but we weren't satisfied. We moved to the Plaza and liked it better. i think one of the big things was that there wasn't any snorkeling at HV and that's our main thing. In fact, we didn't particularly like bonaire for snorkeling at all. much prefer St John and even Cayman (we stay at Discovery Point, near the cemetery). Good luck!
May 5th, 2005 | 09:22 AM
#4
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Thanks Roberto, have been reading on that link as well.
poss, thanks for the input. We were in Cayman 9 years ago, and are returning with the teens this July. Cayman will probably end up being the April 06 choice with them for several reasons.
poss, thanks for the input. We were in Cayman 9 years ago, and are returning with the teens this July. Cayman will probably end up being the April 06 choice with them for several reasons.
May 6th, 2005 | 02:52 PM
#5
Joined: Jul 2004
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Carol,
Excellent advice to pose your questions on Bonairetalk.com, you will get some great advice there.
I've never stayed at Harbour Village. I've always rented self catering accomodation, which is excellent on Bonaire. If you want some good resources for villas/apt rentals, look at:
http://www.sunrentals.an/
http://www.sunbelt.an
To compare the beach in Caymans, you can't compare, Bonaire really doesn't have "beaches", not sandy ones. They are, the few that they are, grainy sand at best, usually rocks. It is not a beach destination, purely a TOP diving/snorkeling destination, and amongst the best in the world. One would not go there to lay on the beach.
I don't understand Poss' post on not any snorkelling, perhaps meant right out in front of the resort? That might have been so, but the island boasts some 30+ excellent sites to snorkel and they are absolutely fantastic, I found Karpata, for one, spectacular. You need to rent a car to get around to all the sites to really get the most out of diving and/or snorkelling. Almost all with shore access, though I can't say easy access in all areas, at times you'll need to wade through rocks, scamper down cliffs, etc. Its not a novice dive/snorkel place to go, although excellent, but you need to have some sense of water access on your own, its very independent and adventerous type diving/snorkeling, but easy at the same time. Difficult to describe.
We found excellent food on Bonaire and quite a laid back atmosphere, wonderful island, great people.
Enjoy your trip and happy travels.
Excellent advice to pose your questions on Bonairetalk.com, you will get some great advice there.
I've never stayed at Harbour Village. I've always rented self catering accomodation, which is excellent on Bonaire. If you want some good resources for villas/apt rentals, look at:
http://www.sunrentals.an/
http://www.sunbelt.an
To compare the beach in Caymans, you can't compare, Bonaire really doesn't have "beaches", not sandy ones. They are, the few that they are, grainy sand at best, usually rocks. It is not a beach destination, purely a TOP diving/snorkeling destination, and amongst the best in the world. One would not go there to lay on the beach.
I don't understand Poss' post on not any snorkelling, perhaps meant right out in front of the resort? That might have been so, but the island boasts some 30+ excellent sites to snorkel and they are absolutely fantastic, I found Karpata, for one, spectacular. You need to rent a car to get around to all the sites to really get the most out of diving and/or snorkelling. Almost all with shore access, though I can't say easy access in all areas, at times you'll need to wade through rocks, scamper down cliffs, etc. Its not a novice dive/snorkel place to go, although excellent, but you need to have some sense of water access on your own, its very independent and adventerous type diving/snorkeling, but easy at the same time. Difficult to describe.
We found excellent food on Bonaire and quite a laid back atmosphere, wonderful island, great people.
Enjoy your trip and happy travels.
May 6th, 2005 | 05:50 PM
#6
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 230
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Thanks Traveler 863 for you input, very helpful! I realize it is not a beach destination,but the beach at HV is supposed to be decent as it is man made. But never-the-less, as of now I do think I am going to rule it out for this particular trip. Thanks for all the help, all.
May 6th, 2005 | 09:16 PM
#7
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 932
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beachluver,
Trust me trust me on this, I don't care what any brochures say about "man-made" or whatever you want to call it.....the beaches are "CRAP" for laying on in Bonaire and you WILL NOT find a resort that has made that less an issue. It is a grainy, rocky sand spit island with excellent diving/snorkeling. Its pretty much you and the iguanas. You will be deeply disappointed if you go to Bonaire for beaches, that just isn't in the tides......diving/snorkeling, EXECELLENT. The people, food EXCELLENT.
Trust me trust me on this, I don't care what any brochures say about "man-made" or whatever you want to call it.....the beaches are "CRAP" for laying on in Bonaire and you WILL NOT find a resort that has made that less an issue. It is a grainy, rocky sand spit island with excellent diving/snorkeling. Its pretty much you and the iguanas. You will be deeply disappointed if you go to Bonaire for beaches, that just isn't in the tides......diving/snorkeling, EXECELLENT. The people, food EXCELLENT.
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May 7th, 2005 | 07:53 PM
#8
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Traveler863
LOL, What an amusing way to describe Bonaire beaches! Me and the iguanas
It really does help to have straight up info--although the quality of the beaches was important, it was many factors that have lead me to rule it out for this trip. But since the sand qualilty of any destination is very important to me, Bonaire may end up being so far down on my list that we may never end up going here. Any way, thank you so very much, Carol
LOL, What an amusing way to describe Bonaire beaches! Me and the iguanas
It really does help to have straight up info--although the quality of the beaches was important, it was many factors that have lead me to rule it out for this trip. But since the sand qualilty of any destination is very important to me, Bonaire may end up being so far down on my list that we may never end up going here. Any way, thank you so very much, Carol
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