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REAL DEALS

The Beaches of Bonaire

Lodging/car package for a week on the sunny Caribbean island known for its turquoise water and flamingos.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007 |

The Real Deal: Seven nights' accommodations and rental car from $294 per person.

When: Through Apr. 14, 2007.

Details: Based on quadruple occupancy; add $110 per person for double occupancy. Taxes are an additional $6.50 per villa per day, and there is a $65 cleaning fee payable at the end of your stay. Use the code CWSV100 when booking. For general guidelines on evaluating deals, click here.

Book By: No deadline; based on availability.

Contact: Caribbean Wind & Sun Vacations, 800/219-0118, bonairecaribbean.com.

The small island of Bonaire is paradise for bird-watchers, snorkelers, divers, windsurfers, and anyone looking for an off-the-beaten-path escape. This winter and spring, Caribbean Wind & Sun Vacations is offering a seven-night stay in one of the Windsock Apartments from $294 per person for a group of four or from $409 per person for a couple. Each air-conditioned apartment comes equipped with a full kitchen, living room, private bathrooms, and a porch facing either the garden or the ocean. It's a short walk to Donkey Beach and Bachelor Beach. One word of caution for light sleepers: the apartments are just a few minutes from the airport.

A manual-transmission rental car (a Yaris or similar) with air-conditioning and unlimited mileage is included. A concierge is on hand to help plan outings, activities, and even child care. For instance, you can rent snorkeling gear for $15 daily and take a two-hour windsurfing lesson for $45 per person or a three-hour kiting lesson from $175 per person.

For more information about the island, visit its official website: infobonaire.com.

Getting to Bonaire: The island lies 50 miles north of Venezuela, and isn't the easiest part of the Caribbean to access from the U.S.; the only non-stop flights are from Houston on Continental on Fridays and from Newark on Saturdays. Air Jamaica flies to Bonaire on Saturdays. For example, we found round-trip flights in late February between New York City and Bonaire for $517 (including taxes) on Air Jamaica. American Airlines has daily flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and American Eagle has a few flights weekly between San Juan and Bonaire.

Don't forget to pack your passport! As of January 23, passports are required for air travel to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, and Canada (with the exception of U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico and the U.S.V.I.). For more information and related travel deals, read our article, Caribbean Travel Incentives.

What Makes This a Deal? The package represents savings of about $129 per person for a couple or about $200 per person for a group of four.

More on the Caribbean:

  • Secret Hotels of the Caribbean 

  • Bonefishing on Grand Bahama Island

  • Sweet Little Guesthouses of Vieques

    • Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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