Bonaire Vacations Blog by Harbour Village

Located in one of the five island areas of the Netherlands Antilles, the Island of Bonaire has hotels that present a dream getaway to all their guests. Featured in the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the Harbour Village Beach Club in Bonaire is an exclusive residential resort that has one of the top scuba diving locations in the world.

Their elegant and luxurious rooms are located along the marina or the lush courtyards, and some are just steps away from the beach. Their guests can choose from the Club’s line of accommodations such as guest rooms, beachfront suites, or premier suites.

A vacation at Harbour Village presents numerous activities aside from scuba diving, as the resort hosts a number of Spa services, fitness center, tennis courts and even a water sports complex to ensure that their guests can enjoy their stay to the fullest.

To experience the best of Bonaire hotels, get in touch with the Harbour Village Beach Club. For more information, log on to their website at HarbourVillage.com or contact 1-800-424-0004.

All-inclusive Caribbean vacation packages are perfect if you’re looking for a truly relaxing trip to the Caribbean to enjoy everything that the islands have to offer, but don’t want to go into the nitty-gritty details of planning.
There are a lot of inexpensive Caribbean vacation deals online that are ideal for families, couples, singles, friends or any group wanting to enjoy some sun, sea and sand in one of the world’s top destinations. The key is to find a website focused on trips to the Caribbean islands, and that features diverse offerings that give value for your money.
Ideal, all-inclusive Caribbean vacation packages should not only include luxurious accommodations, food and the use of amenities, but also activities centered on the best features of the Caribbean destination. This, of course, includes a diving getaway in Bonaire, which is the setting for some of the most beautiful underwater marine life and pristine coral reefs in the world.
For more information about Caribbean getaway packages, check out HarbourVillage.com.

A Bonaire diving getaway is considered the highlight of every trip to the Caribbean because of its pristine reefs and diverse, beautifully preserved marine life. Located near Aruba and Curacao, and home to 86 distinct dive sites, the island of Bonaire is dubbed one of the top five diving destinations in the world. The island has an arid climate and very little rainfall, making the waters surrounding Bonaire exceptionally calm, crystal clear and, most importantly, perfect for diving all year round.
With very little commercialism seen on the island, due in part to its designation as a protected marine park, Bonaire certainly meets the expectations of tourists looking for an untouched and unspoiled diving destination. The environmental protection laws of the area have successfully protected the waters around Bonaire for more than 30 years. Because of this, Bonaire has been dubbed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration as having “arguably the most pristine coral reef environment in the Caribbean” in 2008.
With more than 120 distinct types of coral and over 300 species of tropical fish, Bonaire diving locations have also become an ideal destination for underwater photographers.
To learn more about Bonaire and other Caribbean getaways, check out HarbourVillage.com.

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!