Here we go ….
Your Arrival:
We arrived by KLM flight at 4:30 am, check in was fast and easy, a very nice Spanish talking Dominican man at the open air reception helped us with our suitecases to the top floor (second) of the accommodations building. We booked the 1 bedroom apartment. Since it was still dark and we were tired because of the long flight we took a nap until 7:00 am … the sun came up 🙂
Rooms: The one bedroom apartments at Eden Beach Resort have been nicely refurbished. It has a seperated kitchen with cooker, fridge, coffeemaker, a small bar to have you meal if you want eating inside but who cares because outside it is 30C degrees. The bedroom, which was big enough, has a huge kingsize bed, new airconditioning, closet, satelite TV, telephone. The bathroom also from a good normal size has a big walk-in shower. Now the best … a spacious balcony with beach and ocean view with 2 sunbeds, 2 chairs and a table. Nothing to complain about. Daily the maid cleaned our room and even did our dishes, perfect
… oh … wireless internet for free … and FAST!
Restaurants and Bars: Well … this was at the moment we were here a bit of a problem, that will say, the restaurant was. First the bar: The (beach)bar was fine, hardworking funny girls who might need a manager to teach them some details on how to treat your guests but still, good girls. We thought some drinks were expensive, I find a smoothy coming from a package for 5 USD is too much, a hamburger for 10 USD is rediculous. But it did not keep us from drinking a capuchino in the morning nice cold beer and some white wine. Restaurant: This is the only negative point of Eden Beach, but what I have understand from the charming Venezoelan owner not for long, since they are in negotiating with one of the best restaurants on the island to lease the catering from the hotel. If this will be true then Eden Beach will be THE place to stay at Bonaire. For now … the manager from the catering just don’t get it, he offers one kind of breakfast, there is no a la carte, he just tells what he has which is not much. It’s a shame because the restaurant is an open two-story ranchon/palapa with a stunning seaview. Lets not talk about it any further because soon it will be better as promissed
All was solved soon enough because Bonaire has so many really outstanding restaurants like It Rains Fishes, Unbelievable, la Barca, Bambu, Sense, La Guernica … too much to handle 🙂
Beach/Pools/Grounds: Pool: Small and could be improved, first things first because Eden Beach Resort is still busy with reconstruction of the last apartments/hotelrooms. Beach: Bonaire does not have many beach options and Eden Beach has one of the best. Not too big but big enough and a lovely view on Klein Bonaire. For snorkle addicts, you can walk right off the beach into the sea and you are in the middle of the aquarium of a Chinees restaurant, unbelievable colored and so many fish. They have enough sunbeds which costs for non-hotel guests 5 USD per day but free when you stay at Eden Beach Resort.
Kralendijk, the center of Bonaire, has a few times per week visitors from cruiseships, some of these tourists who want to go to the beach are dropped of by taxi’s at Eden Beach, nothing to be worry about, it is just a little bussier and at 4:00 pm they are all gone again back to the ship.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel: Scuba Diving: The diving school Wannadive is at the same location as Eden Beach and have their facilities and a small dock in front of the beach, very relaxed for divers. It might be handy to rent a scooter or car when you visit Bonaire. When you do not dive and don’t have to carry a lot of stuff a scooter is enough since Bonaire is a small island.
Visit Sorobon beach, the donkey sanctuary, Slagbaai natural area, Klein Bonaire, snorkle, dive, dine … to much to mention in this review. I will write about all things to do, tours and excursions in Bonaire at other pages at Debbie’s website
Other Comments: Eden Beach Resort in the past had some bad reviews, I must say honestly, I was keeping my breath when we arrived at the hotel because of these reviews, and expected nothing … I was pleasently surprised and find Eden Beach a nice, good, three star hotel with honest, hard working, enthousiast personel, who just had some rough years and have made some wrong dicisions who they now regret. Soon people will fight for a night at The Eden Beach Resort … if I may believe the manager 😉
Four Debbie-Flowers from me, next time five ok? Because I love Bonaire and will be back
Photos:Â http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=139553&id=143616623808