Which tour to take

[sjde]

We'll be in Bonaire for a day on a cruise and I'm trying to decide on an excursion. One takes us to the Salt Flats, slave huts , lighthouse , mangroves and then 2 hrs at Sorobon Beach. Four hours total.

The other does the Salt Flats, slave huts and Ocean Oasis beach club. It's actually an hour longer. Either way, we'll have time to wander the town on our own.

Thanks for any input!

[skatelady]

We rented a golf cart from Bonaire Cruisers and spent the day driving and stopping where we wanted.  Had planned to spend a few hours ar the beach but an oil spill elsewhere had washed up on the beaches and we were advised not to swim.  It was really easy and it's not a big island so no worries about missing the ship,

[Katefromupstate]

On 5/25/2024 at 10:21 PM, sjde said:

We'll be in Bonaire for a day on a cruise and I'm trying to decide on an excursion. One takes us to the Salt Flats, slave huts , lighthouse , mangroves and then 2 hrs at Sorobon Beach. Four hours total.

The other does the Salt Flats, slave huts and Ocean Oasis beach club. It's actually an hour longer. Either way, we'll have time to wander the town on our own.

Thanks for any input!

Hi,

Both excursions will follow the same southern route, which will pass salt flats, huts, lighthouse and the mangrove area, so the only difference is the amount of time and which beach area you like best.   You can check out Ocean Oasis Beach Club and Lac Bay online.  A common mislabeling is that many people and tours call the entire Lac Bay Area “Sorobon” because there is a resort called Sorobon there.   However, Sorobon resort does not allow cruise ship passengers or excursions to utilize their resort.  There are a number of restaurants and Sebastian’s Beach on the same strip, facing Lac Bay. You will be going to one of those.   They’re all fine, it’s the same bay.

 

Lac Bay is very shallow, calm and sandy.   It’s like a giant natural swimming pool, with no waves.  You need to walk out a long way to even get to waist deep water so it’s great for kids or people who just want to hang out in the water, not so much for someone who wants to swim.   You can see windsurfers here and they do a good job staying away from waders and swimmers. 
 

If you want to really swim, not just float around, you may prefer Ocean Oasis.  This is on the coast, not a protected bay, so it will have waves and get deeper as you go out.  The entry is rocky, so bring water shoes. Not great for kids.
 

You can’t go wrong with either, so I would just look up Lac Bay and Ocean Oasis and see what appeals. 
 

Hope you have a great cruise!
Kate

 

 

[sjde]

Thanks Kate! We won’t be swimming but I’m a huge photography buff so picturesque spots are a draw for me ( if that might make a difference in what we choose). 
 

[Katefromupstate]

Hi Sue,

For photography, I’d go to Lac Bay.  Beautiful scenery, turquoise water, and colorful windsurfers sailing back and forth in the distance.  
 

all the best,

Kate