Bonaire Vacations Blog by Harbour Village

Getting to paradise is never easy, but taking a Bonaire vacation just got easier.
Continental Airlines announced the addition of a new flight effective February 12, 2010 until April 2, 2010 from its Newark hub.    A direct flight from Newark to Bonaire will be added on Saturdays and will make an escape to Bonaire more within reach.  Continental also added an additional direct flight from Houston to Bonaire on Sundays effective March 7, 2010 until March 29, 2010.

To help those traveling from the West, Delta Airlines announced, effective February 13 through August 14, 2010, it will upgrade the 757 currently operated on the Bonaire route to a 767 with 262 seats, providing extra capacity each week.   Booking a Bonaire beach villa at the island’s premier resort, Harbour Village Beach Club will make your trip to paradise worthwhile.
Harbour Village is the island’s only member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and offers luxurious Bonaire vacation villas with top notch service.

Harbour Village Beach Club is pleased to announce a new member to their culinary team. Chef Juan Pablo Islas comes to Harbour Village with years of culinary experience and he is already impressing our guests and visitors with his new flavors and inventive gourmet cuisine.

Chef Islas graduated from Le Cordon Bleu obtaining Le Grand Dimplome de Cuisine in 2001. He has honed his talents in kitchens all over the world, including Le Cordon Bleu’s restaurant ‘Signatures’ on board the RSCC Mariner, French Bistro JLX in Sag Harbour, NY, and most recently as Executive Chef at Sivory Punta Cana.

Harbour Village guests will enjoy the seaside dining experience as they indulge in Chef Islas’ complex and imaginative gourmet cuisine that features fresh local ingredients and utilizes a combination of classic and modern cooking techniques.

Chef Islas is running La Balandra and Kasa Coral restaurants on both the kitchen and food and beverage/service sides. His vast experience will bring the culinary experience to the next level.

Guests at the resort and those visiting the island should experience the unique dining setting at La Balandra and the unforgettable candlelit dinner on the beach.

At Harbour Village we like to reward our guests for sharing their thoughts and feelings about their stays with us. After a guest stays at the resort, we email a guest comment card asking that they fill out a short survey on their stay. It’s our way of ensuring we continue to meet our guests’ needs. As a way of saying thanks for taking the time to let us know how we did, we enter that guest into our quarterly sweepstakes.

And what does the lucky winner receive? The prize is an amazing seven night stay in a beachfront one bedroom suite at the Harbour Village Beach Club! Our latest lucky winners are Kate and John Freeman from West Redding, CT. Kate and John are thrilled that they get another opportunity to experience Harbour Village Beach Club’s amazing atmosphere, top notch service and first class amenities. And we look forward to seeing Kate and John again!

Remember, if you want to be a lucky winner just like the Freemans all it takes is a few minutes of your time. So email your comment cards and who knows, you might be our next guest to enjoy a free Harbour Village Beach Club stay!

Anyone planning a trip to the island of Bonaire this fall will be pleased to learn about the new weekly non-stop flights recently announced by Delta and Insel Airlines.

Delta, the world’s largest airline has added another weekly non-stop flight from Atlanta to Bonaire, starting October 2, 2009. This flight is in addition to the flight from New York’s JFK Airport to/from Bonaire. The new flight is planned for departure from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport at 4:00pm arriving into Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport at 8:05pm on Friday evenings. The return flight departs Bonaire on Saturday mornings at 9:00am, arriving in Atlanta at 12:25pm, allowing plenty of time for onward connections.

In addition, starting July 4th, Insel Air will commence a new weekly nonstop flight from Miami, Florida to Bonaire. This flight is planned to operate weekly on Saturdays throughout the year. Insel Air flight #71 908 will depart Miami at 4:25pm arriving into Bonaire at 7:35pm. The return flight #71 907 will depart Bonaire at 11:55 a.m. arriving into Miami at 3:05pm. Insel Air will use either an MD 82 or MD 83 aircraft configured with 152 economy seats.

Located off the northeast coast of South America, the island of Bonaire enjoys ideal weather and warm waters. Bonaire lies outside of the hurricane belt, so vacationers can book a worry free vacation without having to think about devastating storms ruining their trip. This new flight means that even more vacationers can enjoy the hidden jewel of an island and the top notch accommodations provided by Harbour Village Beach Club.

If you are interested in visiting Bonaire and would like more information about the flight, please visit the Delta Airlines website, the Insel Air website, or contact one of our friendly customer service agents. Remember that first time guests get a $250 resort credit when you stay seven nights or longer in any accommodation! We would be pleased to help you plan the trip of your dreams.

Bonaire has always led the way when it comes to environmental protection of the waters surrounding the island. Now it is showcasing its green roots by striving to become the first Caribbean island powered by 100% sustainable energy.

The island government is moving forward with plans to become the first Caribbean island to be fully powered by sustainable energy. Phase one is a wind farm to be completed in 2009 with full conversion planned for 2012.

The project developers have completed the installation of a pilot 330kw wind turbine, whose current energy production is exceeding initial expectations. Now, additional 990kw wind turbines are being installed on the north coast of the island, where wind and surf conditions are ideal.

It is projected that by the end of 2009, wind turbines will produce about 44% of the island’s energy, with the remaining produced by the planned 14MW biodiesel generators. These generators use fuel derived from algae, which will enable the island to shift to 100% sustainable energy supply in the next five years.

Those of us that live and work on the island are excited by this initiative. Bonaire is positioning itself as a leader in green tourism and by having a completely sustainable energy supply; our island will be the perfect destination for an eco enthusiast. Not to mention that we offer top ranked scuba diving, over 150 species of birds including our famous flamingos, windsurfing and an ecological preserve. Why not visit and discover for yourself our amazing diving and snorkeling and the progress on our 100% sustainable energy supply. We hope to see you soon!

Harbour Village Beach Club is committed to providing excellent service throughout all aspects of our beautiful facility. Frank Gonzalez, Managing Director of Harbour Village Beach Club recently announced the addition of a new member of the team. Michael Arevalo has joined the Club as the Manager of Food and Beverage Operations.

Michael brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge with him to this important position. Arevalo recently served as General Manager of the Hotel and Restaurant Association in Lima, Peru. Prior to that position, he was the General Manager for Hotels Las Americas, a small chain of six luxury hotels in Peru. Another position on his impressive resume was as Director of Operations for Tavern on the Green, Assistant Manager of the Rainbow Room and Gallaghers’ Steak House all in New York City. Michael graduated from the School of Hospitality Management at Florida International University in Miami.

We are excited to have such an experienced and talented manager join our team. We look forward to continually improving our food and beverage service and invite you to enjoy a stay at our resort and meet Michael and his team! Hope to see you soon!

If you are a diver, then you may have already read the latest issue of Scuba Diving Magazine (Jan/Feb) that covers the 2009 Reader’s Choice Awards.  For the seventh consecutive year, Bonaire comes out on top and scoops the majority of top honors and continues its domination as the world’s top dive destination.

In fact, Bonaire received number one ratings in top dive destination, top marine life, top marine environment, top macro life, top underwater photography, top value, top shore diving, top snorkeling, and top beginner diving.

Year after year, the readers of Scuba Diving Magazine give Bonaire top ratings.  Subscribers and web visitors selected the awards by rating their dive experiences on a five-point scale.

If you’d like to see for yourself just why Bonaire is so highly rated, why not book one of our affordable dive package vacations. Harbour Village offers luxurious amenities in a private retreat setting and unsurpassed personal service.   Here at Harbour Village we will do everything in our power to ensure you experience a once in a lifetime vacation.  Contact us today to find out more!

While some people might think a snow-capped village is their ideal Christmas scene, others prefer warm temperatures, gorgeous seascapes, first class accommodations and loads of activities for their perfect holiday. The Harbour Village Beach Club loves the holidays and offers a variety of special events to herald in the season. If you are lucky enough to be one of our guests this holiday season, here is just a taste of what you can look forward to! Don’t forget to reserve all your activities in advance of arrival to ensure your space!

• Christmas Dinner – Join us at La Balandra with live music and sumptuous food to celebrate this special day.
• New Year’s Eve – Also celebrated in La Balandra we’re featuring a deluxe New Year’s Eve Buffet with life music and a champagne celebration to ring in 2009!
• Romantic New Year’s Eve – For those of you who prefer a more romantic way to celebrate New Year’s Eve, we offer torch lit dinners on the beach. Available by reservation only and seating is limited. A truly intimate and loving way to enjoy the last night of 2008.
• Boat Trips – Of course, scuba diving will still be in full swing during the holidays. Boat trips from the dive shop dock with Captain Tio. Your trip can include waterskiing, wake boarding and fishing. Don’t forget to order a delicious picnic lunch from La Balandra to enjoy during your trip!
• Spa Treatments – Enjoy relaxation and pampering in our world class spa. Featuring a variety of spa treatments, it is the perfect way to create a new you for the New Year!
• Harbour Kids Club – Our Kids Club will be in full swing during the holidays featuring fish ID, arts, crafts, Bonaire Marine Park education, SASY, snorkeling, Klein Bonaire trips and much more.
• Night on the Town – We’re also featuring evening shuttles to Kralendijk at 6:30pm with a return shuttle at 9:30pm. A great way to enjoy all the fun and frivolity of our capital city!

If you haven’t already booked your trip to Harbour Village Beach Club for the holiday season, don’t despair. We are pleased to report that we do have a few more beachfront suites available in December. But don’t wait – call and book today!

We really look forward to seeing you at Harbour Village and helping to create your most memorable vacation yet!

Pretty much everyone knows how great the diving conditions are surrounding the island of Bonaire.  It truly is a diver’s paradise and people from across the country come to experience the magical underwater world.  But, Bonaire isn’t just about diving and snorkeling!  In fact, Bonaire is one of the top windsurfing locales worldwide!

It’s true, located on the windward side of the island known as Sorobon, lies Bonaire’s Lac Bay and it is reported to offer near perfect conditions for windsurfers – no matter what their level!  On any given day, you can peer out to the shallow waters of the bay and see the beautiful windsurfing sails enjoying the winds.

Two great windsurfing locales in Bonaire are The Place and Jibe City.  They are both laid back and relaxed windsurf centers located on the East coast of the island.  Great for divers of all levels, they are ideal spots for beginners and families trying out the sport. Lac Bay features a safe beach with shallow, warm waters.  The constant onshore trade winds and the warm temperatures make it a coveted windsurfing destination.  Who knows, you just might spy some of the world’s best freestylers practicing their moves!

Windsurfing conditions are so ideal in Bonaire that the island hosts the World Junior Championships every August.

If you are interested in improving your windsurfing skills, Bonaire is a great place to be. We hope to see you soon enjoying one of the finest windsurfing destinations in the world!

Spared by the wrath of Hurricane Omar, Harbour Village Beach Club suffered no major damage during this weeks storm that left so many others on the island not so lucky.

The Club took preventative measures before and after the storm, which led to a swift clean-up effort. Thanks to the dedication and positive attitude of all the staff, who were determined to make the effect on our guest’s stays as minimal as possible, La Balandra Restaurant was open and operational Wednesday night and Great Adventures Bonaire, our on-site dive and water sports operator, also resumed operations.

Below are some photos of the beach.  We look forward to welcoming you to paradise soon!