Help- I'm choosing between Bonaire and BVI's
Oct 22nd, 2000, 02:02 PM
#2
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If you are an avid scuba diver, Bonaire is a good choice. However, if you don't dive, forget it - few beaches and little to do. I am a diver, but prefer other locations to Bonaire because I also want beaches, food choices, activities. BVI would be a better choice, in my opinion. Many great choices for accommodations, activities.
Never stayed on Tortola, but Virgin Gorda has two places I would recommend:
1st choice is Bitter End Yacht Club, second choice is Little Dix Bay. Recommend sailing through the Virgin Islands, with stops for snorkeling, etc.
Also some fairly good diving if you are so interested.
Never stayed on Tortola, but Virgin Gorda has two places I would recommend:
1st choice is Bitter End Yacht Club, second choice is Little Dix Bay. Recommend sailing through the Virgin Islands, with stops for snorkeling, etc.
Also some fairly good diving if you are so interested.
Oct 22nd, 2000, 03:49 PM
#3
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Hi Lucy,
My wife and I have never been to Bonaire, but we've been to numerous other islands in the Caribbean and around the world. Our favorite place is the Virgin Islands. I especially love the BVI. I agree with everything that bobcat said except I would rank Little Dix Bay as my first choice for a resort on Virgin Gorda. But of course different people have different opinions about things. There are also some excellent villas on Virgin Gorda which can be rented thru Virgin Gorda Villa Rentals whose website is http://www.virgingordabvi.com.
There is no 5-star or even 4-star place to stay on Tortola. Our favorite place to stay there is the Villas of Fort Recovery Estate whose website is http://www.fortrecovery.com. An overall helpful BVI site is http://bviwelcome.com. A site for a good map of the BVI is http://www.bviguide.com/maps.html. You may gain some insight into the BVI by reading about our visit there this past June in our trip report which is posted at http://virginislandsnow.homestead.co...0vacation.html.
Regards,
Ray
My wife and I have never been to Bonaire, but we've been to numerous other islands in the Caribbean and around the world. Our favorite place is the Virgin Islands. I especially love the BVI. I agree with everything that bobcat said except I would rank Little Dix Bay as my first choice for a resort on Virgin Gorda. But of course different people have different opinions about things. There are also some excellent villas on Virgin Gorda which can be rented thru Virgin Gorda Villa Rentals whose website is http://www.virgingordabvi.com.
There is no 5-star or even 4-star place to stay on Tortola. Our favorite place to stay there is the Villas of Fort Recovery Estate whose website is http://www.fortrecovery.com. An overall helpful BVI site is http://bviwelcome.com. A site for a good map of the BVI is http://www.bviguide.com/maps.html. You may gain some insight into the BVI by reading about our visit there this past June in our trip report which is posted at http://virginislandsnow.homestead.co...0vacation.html.
Regards,
Ray
Oct 23rd, 2000, 06:57 AM
#4
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I disagree with bobcat...we spent two fantastic weeks on Bonaire and we don't scuba. We do however snorkel and it was out of this world. The beaches aren't as nice as in the BVI, they tend to be comprised of rough coral as opposed to he silky soft powdery sand on some of the other beaches in the Caribbean.
The island is totally different from the BVI also. It's more desert like and has a few hills but isn't mountainous like some of the BVI. There are more cacti than lush tropical trees.
Again unlike bobcat, we found a lot of good places to eat on Bonaire.
We stayed at the Plaza.(Most of the Plaza food WAS crummy. LOL) If you would like a copy of the trip report, email me.
As far as places to stay in the BVI, I personally don't care for Tortola, we have been there only twice, but that was enough. We stayed at Long Bay and it was nice. Unfortunately we have never actually stayed on Virgin Gorda, but were always on a boat. We really liked it and would like to stay there if we could find a place that didn't cost an arm and a leg and our first born child. We did sail to a lot of the smaller islands and snorkeled and it was good, but not as good as Bonaire.
The island is totally different from the BVI also. It's more desert like and has a few hills but isn't mountainous like some of the BVI. There are more cacti than lush tropical trees.
Again unlike bobcat, we found a lot of good places to eat on Bonaire.
We stayed at the Plaza.(Most of the Plaza food WAS crummy. LOL) If you would like a copy of the trip report, email me.
As far as places to stay in the BVI, I personally don't care for Tortola, we have been there only twice, but that was enough. We stayed at Long Bay and it was nice. Unfortunately we have never actually stayed on Virgin Gorda, but were always on a boat. We really liked it and would like to stay there if we could find a place that didn't cost an arm and a leg and our first born child. We did sail to a lot of the smaller islands and snorkeled and it was good, but not as good as Bonaire.
Oct 23rd, 2000, 07:23 AM
#5
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We also just returned from Bonaire and found the snorkeling extremely disappointing. We knew before we went that a lot of the shallow coral had been destroyed last November and it was true - rubble everywhere. Klein Bonaire was o.k. Perhaps we were expecting too much. We tried about ten other places and found the same amount of damage. However, according to divers it is still a great place.
Oct 24th, 2000, 09:10 AM
#7
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Cheri - we also heard that the fish life was better than ever and it was that which made us decide to go. I am sorry to say that we were very disappointed but I am chalking it up to the fact that we have done a lot of snorkeling in the South Pacific. I think after our different excursions to the Carribean we will only be going to the S.P. for snorkeling. Just our opinion tho'.
Oct 24th, 2000, 11:45 AM
#8
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When we were there and it has only been less than 2 years,the fish life was the best we have ever seen.
I wouldn't discount the entire Caribbean when it comes to snorkeling. We have traveled it extensively and found very few spots where it was less than adequate and that was Anguilla, Maragrita and somewhere off the coast of Freeport where they took us in a boat and there was nothing there! It's much simpler to list the places that didn't live up to your expectations than to list the good spots, because there are many many good places.
I wouldn't discount the entire Caribbean when it comes to snorkeling. We have traveled it extensively and found very few spots where it was less than adequate and that was Anguilla, Maragrita and somewhere off the coast of Freeport where they took us in a boat and there was nothing there! It's much simpler to list the places that didn't live up to your expectations than to list the good spots, because there are many many good places.
Oct 31st, 2000, 02:00 PM
#9
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As one person said, Bonaire is a desert and I found it really, really, dull to look at. Also hotter than hell. Also expensive to get to. If I went back it would be only to dive... in spite of, not because of, the island.
I've been to the BVI a bunch of times. I've stayed on both Virgin Gorda and Tortola. VG has the better beaches if a beach means long, sinuous beaches with nicely breaking waves and decent swimming. VG has, imo, one really good resort which is Biras Creek. It is very unique and totally unlike its main competition, Little Dix Bay which looks like every other resort in the world. Biras steps out of the mold having not one, but three bays, better food, total isolation and much more.
But I'd rather go to Tortola for all its little tiny secluded bays at the bottom of mountainous roads and the opportunity to be alone. I've been to most all the resorts now to visit if not to stay and my choice by a country mile is Frenchman's Cay. You get a small villa, fully equipped, a car, a very good restaurant, and from both the restaurant and your villa you have the best view in the BVI. Many islands visible from your own verandah sitting about 50 feet above sea level. Totally unobstructed. Very friendly and personal management. You see and talk to the owners every day and every day they ask you how things are and do their utmost to make you happy. The beach is manmade but you wouldn't know it unless someone tells you, and they have a breakwater to ensure calm water as their location is to windward.
Feel free to write if you have questions on any of this.
I've been to the BVI a bunch of times. I've stayed on both Virgin Gorda and Tortola. VG has the better beaches if a beach means long, sinuous beaches with nicely breaking waves and decent swimming. VG has, imo, one really good resort which is Biras Creek. It is very unique and totally unlike its main competition, Little Dix Bay which looks like every other resort in the world. Biras steps out of the mold having not one, but three bays, better food, total isolation and much more.
But I'd rather go to Tortola for all its little tiny secluded bays at the bottom of mountainous roads and the opportunity to be alone. I've been to most all the resorts now to visit if not to stay and my choice by a country mile is Frenchman's Cay. You get a small villa, fully equipped, a car, a very good restaurant, and from both the restaurant and your villa you have the best view in the BVI. Many islands visible from your own verandah sitting about 50 feet above sea level. Totally unobstructed. Very friendly and personal management. You see and talk to the owners every day and every day they ask you how things are and do their utmost to make you happy. The beach is manmade but you wouldn't know it unless someone tells you, and they have a breakwater to ensure calm water as their location is to windward.
Feel free to write if you have questions on any of this.
Nov 10th, 2000, 10:19 PM
#11
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Go to Bonaire...best diving spot in the world. Bonaire is a large island with just about 15,000 inhabitants so you will feel relax on bonaire. If I were you I would combine Bonaire with something more excited such as Aruba or Curacao which are nearby. In contrast to the others on this board I found the nature on the ABC islands to be unique and beautiful its arid but its intresting nature..is more exotic wild yet mysterious (rock formation trees formation) and that is what I like..., its different than the rest of the Caribbean and that makes them unique.
If you are seeking green and you will like to be amongst your fellow Americans choose BVI, if you are interested in supurb diving different nature and a mix crowd of visitors mainly Europeans than go to Bonaire..
If you are seeking green and you will like to be amongst your fellow Americans choose BVI, if you are interested in supurb diving different nature and a mix crowd of visitors mainly Europeans than go to Bonaire..
Nov 11th, 2000, 03:55 PM
#12
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Lucy -- I wonder what you have decided from the postings. You did not indicate your interests and one wonders why you are torn between BVI and Bonaire as they are very different in many ways. It is these differences that generate the followers for both areas. Also, it is not fair to compare either of these places with the Pacific isles as again they are very different in many ways. So it all depends on what you are seeking and the size of your budget for the entire trip.
Nov 11th, 2000, 09:43 PM
#13
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Well, It's Lucy again, I posted the original message. I planned this vacation quite late so when I called to get plane tickets the prices had sky rocketed. I eventually decided to go to Half Moon in Jamaica, I read an article about it in the NY Times. It sounds top notch. Any info on it would be appreciated!
