-hh wrote:
> (possible repost; google problems)
>
> Mike wrote:
>> -hh wrote:
>>> Ann "n...@..." wrote:
>>>> Can you tell me what island has no crime?
>>> Little Cayman. Cayman Brac. Bequia is close...
>
>
>> Sorry, but I don't think that is a fair comparison...
>
> I agree that its not "fair". But Ann's declaration was effectively
> that that no such places exist anymore for the tourist to make any
> product differentiation upon, but all three of the places I mentioned
> do have scuba-oriented tourism, and Cayman Brac even has limited 737
> Jet service for those willing to work their schedules to avoid tiny
> puddle-jumpers.
>
>> Little Cayman nd
>> Cayman Brac are so small and "lightly populated" that no one dares
>> commit any crimes because everyone on the island would immediately > know who had done it.
>
> Agree, and that explains part of the "why", although at roughly 6,000
> residents, Bequia is half the population of Bonaire...most of their
> crime problems are locals from St Vincent who "commute" over on the
> local ferry.
>
>
>> Among islands of similar size/population I think
>> Bonaire is pretty typical.
>
> It very well may be, which suggests that if a customer values a low-
> crime environment, they can consider travelling "one more flight" to
> find a small out-island someplace...the claim to not even bother to
> look because such places no longer exist is simply wrong.
>
>> Yes, the petty crimes may be more visible
>> because of the 'environment'. Many of the shore dive locations are
>> somewhat isolated and vehicles with valuables are tempting targets.
>
> I'd agree, if the crime was limited to just the cars on the beach.
> Unfortunately, the bad guys have gotten more aggressive the last few
> years (about the same time that digital cameras came along) and are
> conducting more break-ins. The inevitable excuse is that the victim
> left a window or door unlocked, but many (if not most) of the tourist-
> oriented hotels have security guard services and many of these break-
> ins are now occurring during the overnight, so the burglers are
> sneaking into *occupied* rooms.
>
>
>> I suspect that if
>> you parked vehicles in relatively isolated beaches in the US, the
>> break-in rate would be considerably worse than in Bonaire.
>
> The only reason why there's few "break ins" is because on Bonaire, no
> one dares secure their vehicle...the "search" rate of unattended
> parked vehicles at a shore dive site is probably close to 100%.
>
>
>> I'm not an (active) diver, but as I remember, while many (most??) of the
>> dive sites are accessible from the shore, there are many that are also
>> (or only) accessible by boat and many of these would be excellent sites
>> for beginners or those learning. (I agree about "1000 Steps" though, I
>> cannot imagine hauling tanks and gear down, much less up, those
>> steps.)
>
> Personally, I find it less physically demanding to dive from a boat
> than to do a shore dive. In the original post, it wasn't clear to me
> what the ages were of those that were interested in learning how to
> scuba dive - - what might be acceptable to a 20-something is not
> necessarily what someone in their 50's may tolerate.
>
>
>> And
>> as was mentioned, there are reasonable activities for other family
>> members... like windsurfing for the younger members (Bonaire has to be
>> about the best place to learn windsurfing in the world), sea kayaking
>> for young and old and snorkeling.
>
> IIRC, the premier windsurfing is over at Lac Bay, which is a modestly
> long drive from where most of the hotels & scuba diving is at. As
> such, transportation logistics will be a consideration...
>
>
>> If the OP was planning the trip for a different time of year, I might
>> suggest some other places (Turks & Cacios, Bahamas, etc.), but for the
>> Christmas holidays I think you want to be in the southern islands and of
>> those, Bonaire is one of the better choices...
>
> I was also thinking of T&C or Bahamas, as there should be reasonable
> direct flight access, but you're right in that the water temperatures
> in winter can get relatively "chilly", where everything's relative:
>
> http://www.smallhope.com/JPEG/WaterTemp_432.jpg
>
> While a wetsuit will be needed for diving, for the bathers, they'll
> find it to be warmer than Ocean City MD for all but a few weeks of the
> year :-)
>
>
> -hh
>
Just two additional "follow-up" comments.....
Yes, the windsurfing is at Lac bay (Sorobon Beach) and it is about 7 - 8
miles east of town. But, I would generally recommend that anyone
visiting Bonaire should get a rental vehicle anyway. Unless you stay at
an 'in town' resort that also has diving packages (and many of them do)
,you're going to want a vehicle. I do agree that it may be more of an
issue for a group of 7, but I suspect that they would be going in
multiple directions and would need at least one vehicle. Some of the
other islands might not require the use of a rental car as much as
Bonaire. (Thinking of Aruba, for example, where a car is not needed,
but which has very limited diving facilities/opportunities, in my opinion.)
Also, regarding the winter weather and water temperature... I have to
admit a weakness there... My wife and I grew up in Florida so we
prefer WARM water... Someone from more northern climates might not be
so sensitive.. But some of the more northern Caribbean islands
(Caymans, Jamaica, etc) still get a surprising amount of windy and
somewhat nasty weather in the middle of winter. They can be very nice
in December, or they can be somewhat nasty (but still better than "back
home").
Mike
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