Although we windsurfed in Bonaire, the following information would be useful to kiteboarders as well.

Bonaire was absolutely gorgeous and easy to get to. We stayed at Plaza Resort Bonaire. The hotel was first class and very comfortable. This was especially good because Jane got the flu and had to spend four days in the room. The cable TV with movie channels and the excellent room service were invaluable. The casino was a great place to spend the evenings.

We sailed at Jibe City. Out host, Ernst, was very congenial. They had new Bic gear and Neil Pryde sails fully rigged and ready to go. Lac bay was beautiful with very clear, flat turquoise water. The wind blew between 15 and 30 mph side-shore while we were there in late December. Some days required big gear, others small. If you like flat-water sailing on a beautiful bay, this is our number one pick.

There is a small restaurant/bar called the Hang Out Bar where they have excellent sandwiches. The owners were very friendly and the food was delicious. The bar had no stools but they have harness lines attached to the molding where you hooked in hung out. It was unique and a lot of fun.

The drive to Jibe City, which is on the other side of the island, took 10 minutes from our hotel. The island is so small that when we noticed one of our tires was very low, it took us forever to find the one and only gas station that had air.

Everyday we stopped to snorkel on the way and on the way back. The water clarity, color and range of fish make Bonaire a divers paradise. We're hard pressed to say whether the snorkeling in the Caribbean is better in Bonaire, the Caymans or Belize, although the diversity of sea life was definitely the best in Belize.

We found the local restaurants in town to be very good. The residents were friendly too. Bonaire was, however, very expensive but we believe it was worth it.