Press in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
Think pink and "birds of a feather flocking together." Thats what its all about on Bonaire, island home of thousands of pink flamingoes. They mate and nest annually in shallow lagoons at both ends of the island, particularly in Great Salt Lake on the southern side. Dont settle just for clouds of longnecked pink birds. Bird fans can also expect to spot hundreds of green parrots, parakeets, warbirds, herons, terns, pelicans and other tropical frequent flyers.
Should you tire of watching the skies, go down to the sea in diving and windsurfing attire. Bonaire is said to have the best windsurfing sites in the area.
Bonaire is the perfect venue for reef diving. The island is completely surrounded by the unique Bonaire Marine Park. There is also a 1,500acre offshore cay called Kleine (Little) Bonaire. You will find, within park waters, about 80 public moorings for boats and 86 marked dive sites, most of them with ginclear waters, the better to see amazing coral gardens and tropical fish of every colour.
About half of Bonaire visitors go for the water sports. The others hike and sightsee in the huge WashingtonSlagbaai National Park or go swimming, biking, shopping or just relax. Because of a dearth of tourists, Bonaire beaches tend to be the least exploited and developed in the Caribbean. Just south of the airport is Donkey Beach. Donkeys and wild goats were introduced to the island more than 300 years ago. You can still see them wandering about and nibbling at cactus fruits and tree leaves.
The most famous of the islands sands is called Pink Beach. The sand turns pinkish as a result of water interacting with saltpans on the island. Salt remains a main industry, with huge mounds of salt to be seen at the southern tip of the island.
The island capital is a clean, neat, small town called Kralendijk, Dutch for coral dyke. When the Dutch took Bonaire from Spain in 1636, they set up a salt industry to take advantage of the fine harbour at Kralendijk. Bonaireans called their main town Playa, Spanish for beach. On its two streets, you will find restaurants, bars, shops and government buildings. Fort Oranje, built in the 18th century, never saw any action. However, its four cannon balls remain ready for use, just in case.
Laidback, easydoesit Bonaire has excellent roads from end to end, an airport named Flamingo, and good, affordable hotel accommodations. A "guided snorkelling" programme is available so that you can rent snorkelling equipment, see snorkelling demonstrations and receive instructions in this popular sport. Other options include bicycling, and big game fishing for wahoo, marlin, swordfish, tuna, and smaller fish such as bonefish. Boat trips and charters are available. A Chinese junk is famous for its night and "moon" trips, with Thai dinners aboard ship as an added attraction. Just south of Flamingo Airport is a kunuku, Papamiento word for country or farm. Here, you can go horseback riding, use a swimming pool and golf driving range, visit a small aviary, and entertain the youngsters with a kids playground, complete with pony rides.
Bonaire offers several fine stores, boutiques and a minimall for shopping. For food shopping, the largest supermarket on the island is called Cultimara. In the area of entertainment, there are occasional folklore performances and a small selection of nightclubs, bars and discos. Bonaire has two casinos, one at the Divi Flamingo Resort and the other at Plaza Resort. The island capital also sports a twoscreen cinema.
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Topics in Press
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All about Bonaire
Think pink and "birds of a feather flocking together." Thats what its all about on Bonaire, island home of thousands of pink flamingoes. They mate and nest annually in shallow lagoons at both ends...[more]
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Bonaire announces 2008 International Year of The Reef events
Kralendijk, Bonaire (February 20, 2008) - Government officials from Bonaire joined coral reef experts and managers from the United States, Mexico and France to officially inaugurate the International...[more]
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Bonaire announces dive into summer 2008 program
Kralendijk, Bonaire (April 7, 2008) - Tourism Corporation Bonaire toether with event sponsors Scuba Diving magazine, Continental Airlines, Coral Reef Alliance, EarthEcho International and STINAPA...[more]
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Bonaire has pristine coral reef environment
Kralendijk, Bonaire (February 7, 2008) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratio (NOA) has designated Bonaire as having "arguably the most pristine coral reef environment in the Caribbean."Bonaires...[more]
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Bonaire jazz festival set for May 2008
Kralendijk, Bonaire (April 8, 2008) - Escape to the Caribbean this Spring and pair your love for Jazz with your ext Bonaire getaway, because the Bonaire Jazz Foundation in cooperation with its event...[more]
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Bonaire receives Islands Magazine 2008 Sustainable tourism award
Kralendijk, Bonaire (April 30, 2008) - Bonaire today announces that it is the recipient of the prestigious Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award. The Island...[more]
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Bonaire vacation briefs
Kralendijk, Bonaire (January 9, 2008) - The Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire offers something for everyone - families, divers, adventurers and sun seekers. Here is some of the latest news from Bonaire.See...[more]
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Dive Friends Bonaire opens fourth location in Bonaire
Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles (March 15, 2008) - Dive Friends Bonaire is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, Dive Inn Bonaire officially became the fourth location of...[more]
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Dive Vacations in Bonaire for grandparents
Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles (May 16, 2008) - Grandparents these days are right there in the mainstream of life and are often very active compared to our own grandparents. In current...[more]
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Scuba Dive Magazine readers rate Bonaire top dive destination
Kralendijk, Bonaire (December 18, 2007) - Continuing its reign as one of the worlds top dive destinations, Bonaire was for the sixth year in a row rated the Top Dive Destination Overall Caribbean/Atlantic...[more]
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