Entre Nous is the monthly newsletter
from the Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB), Netherlands Antilles.
In this newsletter you will find the accomplishments of TCB
in Bonaire, North America, South America and Europe as well
as the newest developments within the tourism industry.
We hope that you will read it with
pleasure and if you have something that you think is relevant
for the tourism sector to know just fax it to 717-8408 or e-mail
to: info@tourismbonaire.com.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
TCB
BONAIRE
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LOCAL
REPORT
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MS.
RONELLA CROES NAMED TCB'S GENERAL
MANAGER
 TCB
welcomes Ms. Ronella Croes, recently
named General Manager. Ms. Croes
hails from Aruba, where she returned
after completing her Bachelor's
Degree in both Marketing Management
and Tourism, and also her Master's
Degree in Business Administration.
While in Aruba, Ms. Croes received practical
training in the tourism industry
while working with Aruba Adventures
and AHATA (Aruba Hotel and Tourism
Association). This experience
provided her with a vast knowledge
of Caribbean tourism, which she
now brings to Bonaire.
Ms. Croes recently stated, "Growth
in tourism is definitely top
on the agenda of TCB and its
Board of Directors. There are
various opportunities for Bonaire
and various areas which need
our devoted attention. Our
efforts also need to be directed
to the preservation of our
pristine nature above and under
water. The latter is vital, considering
Bonaire's popularity
for its diving experience. We
need to ensure that divers are
satisfied every time they visit
our divers paradise."
TCB is happy to
have Ms. Croes on board, and wishes
her much success in her new endeavors! |
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PWA
ANNOUNCES FINAL DATES FOR 2005
BONAIRE KING OF THE CARIBBEAN, FREESTYLE WORLD
CUP
Dates have now been set for the 2005 King
of the Caribbean, which takes
place at Lac Bay, Bonaire,
in the Dutch Antilles.
The event will take place from
the 15th to the 22nd May,
2005, and is set to kick off
the 2005 PWA Freestyle Tour with
what is expected to be the most
dynamic and inventive Freestyle
action of the year. Ricardo Campello (JP, Neil Pryde) and Daida Moreno
(Mistral, North) are likely to
be in attendance.
For further information on the whole PWA
World Tour, check out www.pwaworldtour.com or
email info@pwaworldtour.com. |
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NEW
BONAIRE AMBASSADORS
AWARDED
GOLD: |
Ken & Judy
Calhoun, Kansas, USA |
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Ken & Judy
Calhoun have been coming to Bonaire
for two weeks each year during
the Christmas holidays. Bonaire
has been their vacation spot
for 23 years now, and their children
and grandchildren come to spend
the holidays with them here on
Bonaire.
What they love
about Bonaire is its people,
the diving, and the good restaurants
that are on the island.
People ask them why keep returning
to Bonaire every year. They said
it is very simple--they enjoy
coming to Bonaire and they enjoy
their friends that have
became part of their extended
family. In addition, Ken
and Judy always enjoy the diving
and snorkeling immensely. They
are staying at Lions
Dive Resort. |
AWARDED
BRONZE: |
Jean & Edward
Magocs, Pennsylvania,
USA |
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For
ten consecutive years now,
Jean and Edward Magocs from
Pennsylvania have been coming
to Bonaire. For the
past three years, they have
come for four months, and
they say each visit
they discover something new.
Their two sons also come
to visit them and one comes
during the Christmas holidays
and the other for Carnival.
Each year they make their
own t-shirt, and Bonaire
is, for them, the perfect
island, as they enjoy the
warmth of its people
and the tranquility. Jean
told us that soon (2
years more) their eight-year-old
grandson will also become
an Ambassador, since he has
been coming to Bonaire since
he was a baby. He enjoys
the ocean and can identify
almost every fish in the
ocean that he sees. Two
of their favorite spots on
the island are: Playa Grandi
and Spelonk. They are staying
at Eden
Beach Resort.
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AWARDED
BRONZE: |
Regina & Evert
Den Hartog, The Netherlands |
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Regina
and Evert receive their Bronze
Ambassador Medals on the occasion
of their tenth annual visit to
Bonaire. During this visit, they
are staying on Kaya Rotterdam. |
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GOLDEN FLAMINGO TO BONAIRE FUN TRAVEL
 For
the third year in a row, Dutch tourists
elected Bonaire Fun Travel as the best
tour operator. Coen de Rooij, BFT’s
president, was awarded the Golden Flamingo
by Frits Hannenberg (TCB BOD) and Roger
Davids (TCB Europe). This took place during
the well attended ceremony at the Vakantiebeurs
Utrecht on January 11th. In his speech,
Mr. De Rooij thanked the island of Bonaire
and all members of the private sector for
their superb corporation over the past
years and dedicated this year’s award
to them. Roger Davids announced that the
2004 Golden Flamingo was the last one because
the of the new recognition program, the “Bonaire
Promotion Award.”
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PROMOTION AWARD TO ABC TRAVEL
 TCB
Europe introduced a new way to recognize
our partners, the Bonaire Promotion Award.
A panel will choose the company or person
who has put forth a remarkable promotional
effort to benefit Bonaire. The first
award goes to Rudy Kloppenborg, president
of ABC Travel. In their radio campaign
(summer 2004) ABC Travel featured Bonaire
as the number one dive destination and
thereby generated a lot of publicity
for our island. The award was presented
to him at the Utrecht Vakantiebeurs 2005.
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PINK EGG TO KONA SPORTS MANAGEMENT
 The
Pink Egg is the annual award recognizing
a company that will join TCB Europe promotions
in the upcoming year. After last years
winners KLM and the magazine DUIKEN,
this years Pink Egg was presented to
Rene Glasz, managing director of KONA
Sports management. KONA will join TCB
Europe this spring and summer in a new
promotional campaign aimed at wind- and
kite surfers as well as mountain bikers.
The promotion will highlight Bonaire
as a broader sports island. This will
not be only rolled out in the Netherlands,
but also in other European countries.
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PROMOTION
DUIK VAKER STARTED BEFORE CHRISTMAS
DuikVaker is the most
important dive show in the Netherlands.
This year’s
exhibition is extra important for Bonaire
since it will be the last event of
an ongoing dive promotion which features,
among other items, the virtual dive
magazine. Therefore, TCB Europe has
joined the promotion carousel of this
show to promote the dive brand Bonaire
to divers. Not only is Bonaire featured
in many (on-line) news bulletins, but
Bonaire is also the only destination
mentioned on the event poster.
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CTO
PROMOTION TRAVEL MAGAZINE AND TRADE
Bonaire joined CTO Holland’s
promotional brochure 2005. This brochure
was not only presented to the Dutch travel
trade, but was also enclosed in
the magazine, Meridian. This magazine’s
readers are well-off people, willing
and able to travel long haul to destinations
like Bonaire.
CLIPPING
REPORT UP TO 1. 4M EUROS
TCB Europe sent its
clipping report of the last 6 months
of 2004 to TCB’s
HQ in Kralendijk as well as the Bonhata
Office. In this report many
clippings of free articles in magazines
and newspapers throughout Europe were
detailed. The total value of these
articles adds up to almost 1.4 million
euros, which equals almost 1.8 million
dollars!
MANY
VOTERS DUTCH DIVE MAGAZINE
The Dutch dive promotion
has entered the next stage. After the
first brochure to feature 8 pictures
and accompanying stories, many divers
entered their stories and pictures
to enlarge the virtual brochure to
35+ pages. This closed right after
New Years Day, and now Dutch divers
can vote for their favorite picture.
The brochure can be e-mailed from one
diver to another and of course can
be seen 24/7 on the internet. It’s
amazing to see how many votes came
in already by the end of January. The
voting stopped prior to DuikVaker (February
17-19). If you want to see the new
Dutch dive magazine for yourself, surf
to www.basiscommunicatie.nl/bonaire/duikbrochure or
click the button on the Dutch page
at InfoBonaire.
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“BONAIRE1” UNVEILED AT THE NEW YORK ADVENTURES
IN TRAVEL SHOW
 The
US version of Bonaire’s well-known license
plate was unveiled at the Adventures in Travel
Show, January 14-16, 2005 as
part of the DEMA Scuba Tour Sponsorship. The
original design was modified to capitalize
on the popularity of “vanity” license
plates and to highlight that Bonaire has
been rated the number one dive destination
in the Caribbean for
the third consecutive year by the readers
of Scuba
Diving Magazine. At the request of the
Bonhata delegation, DEMA presented Nick
Davies with one for use
in their booth, as well.
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BONAIRE GETS "BIG" EXPOSURE AT NEW YORK
BOAT SHOW
 While Bonaire did
not have a booth at the New York Boat Show
(Jan
1-8, 2005), thanks to a 20’ tall
diver at the entrance to the Show, Bonaire’s
name along with the logos of Plaza Resort and
Captain Don’s Habitat greeted everyone
who entered. The extra exposure at shows that Bonaire may
not be attending comes from providing prizes
for people who try diving at the Scuba Tour
Pool. In addition to Plaza and Captain Don’s,
Windsock, Divi Flamingo and The Hamlet have
also provided prizes for the Scuba Tour. The
Scuba Tour will make 25 stops in 2005, so all
Bonhata resorts wishing to participate will
have the opportunity.
MS RONELLA CROES GETS INTRODUCTION TO THE
NORTH AMERICA MARKET
In
a full week of meetings, during which the
new General Manager of Tourism Corporation
Bonaire met with Adams Unlimited, Bonaire’s US Representatives,
and tour wholesalers Maduro Travel, and Caradonna
Caribbean Tours, Ms. Croes began her introduction
to the North American market. Ms. Croes explained
her strategy and ideas for Bonaire and
listened while the people on Bonaire’s “front
line” provided an overview of their
activities and a background on the marketplace.
Ms. Croes was a “quick study” and
was soon offering her own ideas for promoting Bonaire.
All of us in North America congratulate
Ronella on her appointment and look forward
to working together.
DON'T LOSE YOUR COOL...YOU CAN STILL BE
HIP IN BONAIRE
In
a New York Post article that starts out “Your
clothes are cool, your kids are hip and on
sitter nights you still hang out at your favorite
dive bar…,” writer Candyce Stapen
assures vacationing parents that their diving
days are not over just because they are vacationing
with their kids. The article then goes on to
highlight the many activities for kids (from
toddlers to teenagers) to do on Bonaire.
The New York Post is the 7th largest
newspaper in the US with
a circulation of 642,844 Mrs. Candyce Stapen
visited Bonaire on a
press trip in December, 2004.
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BONAIRE ON TV!
Travel writer Candyce Stapen who recently
visited Bonaire is a travel correspondent for WUSA-TV, Washington, DC's CBS-TV affiliate. On January 13, 2005 Mrs. Stapen did a travel segment during
CBS's local morning show, which included Bonaire. During the segment Mrs. Stapen talked
about the island as a “great
escape” for travelers and especially
those with families. She highlighted
such activities as snorkeling, diving,
kayaking and windsurfing and said Bonaire’s calm waters make it an easy place
to learn how to do them. She also
spoke about the range of accommodations
available and packages being offered
during this time – footage
of the destination accompanied her
travel segment.
BONAIRE EZ NEWS FOR JANUARY
During January two issues of Bonaire
EZ News were written and distributed to
our database of more than 25,000 consumers
and travel agents. The January
13th issue of Bonaire EZ News focused
on 2005 hotel packages being offered. The
January 26th issue of EZ News focused
on island news.
PRESS RELEASES
As part of the ongoing press release program,
Adams Unlimited researches, writes and
prepares a steady stream of releases
for mailings to the media for applicable
editorial coverage based on editorial
calendars and the need to disseminate
timely news. In January two
press releases were prepared and distributed. The
first, distributed on January 10th, focused
on island news in the form of the
first Bonaire Briefs for 2005. The
second, distributed on January 24th, focused
on hotel packages being offered
by resorts in Bonaire during 2005. January 10th’s
release was also posted on Dive Newswire.
DIVE NEWSWIRE FOR JANUARY
Dive Newswire is distributed electronically
to more than 6,000 dive shop owners,
manufacturers as well as media outlets. On
January 10th, Bonaire
Briefs 2005 was distributed on Dive
Newswire.
ONE-ON-ONE PRESS VISITS
In January we began working with Bob
Friel,
the editor-in-chief of Caribbean Travel & Life, on
a press visit in early February to
the island. A feature article
(10-12 pages) is planned to run on Bonaire focusing on “how to learn” to
do activities in Bonaire. Kayaking, bone fishing, windsurfing
and diving are just some of the activities
that will be covered in this feature
article which is scheduled for the May
issue. To gather the information,
travel writer, Jonathan Green and
photographer, Greg Johnston, will
be visiting the island January 29
- February 5 and January 31 - February
6, respectively.
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EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Black
Meetings and Tourism (circulation
28,000)
In
the November/December 2004 issue
of Black Meetings and Tourism magazine,
Bonaire was featured as a great
eco-tourism destination as well
as an excellent destination for
meetings and conventions for groups
of all sizes. This two-page article accompanied by
color photos included information
about Bonaire’s
world-class diving, the facilities
at Captain Don’s Habitat,
The Plaza Resort Bonaire, and Harbour
Village Beach Club. Bonaire’s
movie theater, Bonaire Twin
Cinema, was also mentioned. Bonaire’s
800 number and website were listed
along with airline information.
Chicago
Tribune (circulation 591,746)
Bonaire was
featured in the travel section
of the Chicago Tribune on January 5, 2005 in an article
about participating Caribbean destinations
at the upcoming travel shows in Chicago. BONHATA, BHG and Plaza Resort Bonaire’s
booth numbers were given along
with show dates and times.
Islands (circulation 220,283)
In
the January/February 2005 issue of Islands magazine, Bonaire’s underwater
art exhibit, “40 Feet Underwater” is
profiled with an interview of Dutch
artist Fred Ros and an underwater
photo of two of his works of art. When Ros is asked what his creative plans
are for the future, he simply replies, “I
don’t know, for now my museum
is the Caribbean Sea.”
A
HUGE number of other newspapers
covered Bonaire’s art exhibit
prior to its closing including newspapers from New York, Connecticut,
North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio,
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Missouri,
Kentucky, Ontario, and Nova Scotia,
just to name a few for a combined
circulation of 3,652,729!
Caribbean
Travel & Life (circulation
140,200)
Bonaire's
Trans World Radio has the highlight
of the Caribbean briefs
in the February 2005 issue
of Caribbean Travel & Life. Factual
information was offered including
that using 810,000 watts of "higher
power," Trans World Radio can transmit
interdenominational messages, hymns
and gospels in 20 languages. Plus,
its 500-foot antenna makes it the
hemisphere's most powerful medium-wave
radio station.
Modern
Bride (circulation 385,216)
Bonaire was
featured as a beautiful honeymoon
destination with extraordinary
shore diving in the February/March
2005 issue of Modern Bride. Highlighted for being a diver’s
paradise, Bonaire was
also praised for being home to
more documented fish species then
anywhere else in the world. Bonaire’s 800 number and website
were listed.
Sport
Diver (circulation 100,000)
Diving
at Bonaire’s Town Pier was
highlighted in the February
2005 issue of Sport Diver. Color photos from the dive site accompanied
the article that covered all of
the facts about the dive site,
including that it is one of the
top 5 destinations in the world
to see seahorses. News about Captain Don’s new spa
and Sand Dollar’s new nitrox
diving tanks were also highlighted
in the February 2005 issue of Sport Diver. Bonaire’s
800 number and website are listed
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A
WARM WELCOME TO RONELLA
From TCB South America, our best wishes to
our colleague, Ronella Croes, recently
named General Manager in TCB. Welcome to our
Bonaire team!
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KLM
QUITO HAS NEW GENERAL MANAGER
Axel Metselaar from Holland
is the new person in charge of KLM Ecuador.
He knows the Latin-American markets and trends
since he was previously based in Mexico.
In
a recent meeting in Quito, he met with the
Bonaire Delegation discussing rates and number
of seats available on the route to Bonaire.
Mr. Metselaar will work with the operators
to reinforce the commitment in working close
together on the promotion of Bonaire. He
also highlighted the importance of having adequate
and attractive packages from the hotels to
increase visitors to the island.
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BONAIRE
PRESS RELEASES IN ECUADOR
As result of the Ecuadorian
press FAM carried out on October 15th to the
19th (host hotel Captain Don’s Habitat):
CABLEVISIÓN--JOURNALIST
ANITA AVELINO
The report on Bonaire was aired in two
programs: Vida Actual transmitted
on CD7 channel, a magazine about fashion,
beauty and entertainment, and Primera
Hora on CN3, the News channel with the
highest audience.
Cablevision is a cable company
with 15 years experience as a leader in news
and entertainment directed at high- and middle-class
viewers.
DINNERS
MAGAZINE--JOURNALIST
ERNESTO TRUJILLO
In its
November
edition with
a title “Buenos
Aires Caribeños”,
the journalist
informed the
readers how
easy it is
to go to Bonaire
with the 2 ½ hours
KLM flight
from Quito
and Guayaquil.
In the two
full-color
page articles
with a beautiful
picture of
the salt dunes,
he promoted
Bonaire as
one of the
best diving
destination
in the world
where people
speak many
languages including
Spanish. He
writes about
an island where
visitors find
peace, relax
and practice
many different
sports. He
also touts
the nice hotels
and apartments
and houses
for rent.
DIARIO
EL UNIVERSO--JOURNALIST
CARMEN CORTÉZ
With a very
complete report
and beautiful
images, the
travel writer
describes the
island of Bonaire,
its pristine
waters, the
ecological
environment,
the location
near Venezuela
and how close
it is to Ecuador.
Thanks to
KLM flights,
visitors are
able to enjoy
the wide range
of accommodation
from luxurious
to the simple
but casual
and the local
gastronomy.
He highlights
the activities
on island,
inviting the
readers to
visit this
paradise in
the Caribbean.
BONAIRE'S
IMAGE PROMOTED
IN TENNIS
This last
December, during
the last two
weeks of the
year, a tennis
event was held
at Izcaragua
Country Club
in Caracas.
Bonaire was
promoted among
all the members
of this prestigious
golf and tennis
club. A big
banner was
exhibited in
the main entrance
of the tennis
center and
many people
came asking
for more information
about the island.
Two tennis
players already
booked their
stay at Sorobon
Beach Resort.
JASTA
TRAVEL/TRANSAVEN
FLYING TO
VENEZUELA
The Gam
Magazine, in
its January
edition, announced
the air operation
of Jasta Travel/Transaven
from Bonaire
to Valencia
and Caracas
and their scheduled
flights.
Due to
the upcoming
Carnival season,
Jasta Travel
is promoting
their flights
to Venezuela
with a full
page advertisement
in the magazine
Gaceta Aérea
(blue Caribbean
section).
VENEZUELA
TURÍSTICA.COM
REPORTS BUDDY
DIVE ANNIVERSARY
The
Buddy Dive
anniversary
program was
reported by
this internet
magazine which
makes a link
with the tourism
section of
the Venezuelan
telephone company
web site, CANTV.NET.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Rio
Boat Show
- Brazil,
Website: http://www.rioboatshow.com.br:
The Trade show
will be held
from April
29th toMay
8th, 2005,
with more
information
available in
our next Entre
Nous.
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NEWS
FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR
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BONAIRE
INN ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF TRANSITION
TO NEW MANAGEMENT AND CELEBRATES
WITH NEW SPECIAL
 Bonaire
Inn, previously The Friar’s
Inn, is pleased to announce the
completion of its transitional
phase to new ownership and management.
The Inn is housed in one of Bonaire’s
most historical buildings in the
heart of Kralendijk. This 100-year-old
building offers the opportunity
for visitors to Bonaire to stay
at a warm and friendly bed & breakfast
and still be within walking distance
of shopping, restaurants, activities,
and nightlife.
During this transition phase,
the Inn has received many new renovations
and amenities, including increased
security for guests’ peace
of mind, a friendly and helpful
house-staff, interior and exterior
painting, and new beds, including
some king-size mattresses. Additionally,
free wireless internet access is
available on the premises.
Optional breakfast is served each
morning on the patio with three
types of breads, cereals, eggs,
cheese, spreads and jam, orange
juice, and coffee, tea, or milk.
To celebrate, the Inn is offering
a new special for anyone planning
on visiting Bonaire. Book and deposit
your stay for any dates in 2005,
and you will receive the Inn’s
Bed & Breakfast Special, for
two persons, including your room,
breakfast, and all tourist taxes
for only $58.00 per night ($29.00
per person).
Don’t forget to visit the
Inn’s new website at www.bonaireinn.com and
sign up for the Inn’s monthly
raffle! Enter to win a free two-night
stay on the Bed & Breakfast
Special, valid for any dates (space
available) in 2005! For more information,
email info@bonaireinn.com.
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CHAT
'N' BROWSE EXPANDS WEBSITE
 Chat
'n' Browse, Bonaire's only barefoot
Internet and Chat Center with 24-hour,drive-up
wireless service, is proud to announce
the expansion of its website.
New to the site is
a page for guest comments.........now
you can post about your experiences
at Chat 'n' Browse,
make suggestions, rate the Cuban
cigars available there, or even
pose a question.
The new comment page
can be found at www.chat'n'browse.com,
and click on Feedback. The staff
of Chat 'n' Browse look forward
to meeting you "on the net."
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| Carnival Events are listed in Red |
Carnival
Adult Parade Dates:
2005 - 2011 |
Febuary
2005
TBA - International Fishing Tournament
Feb 5 - Rincon Market Day
Feb
5 - Adult Parade, Rincon
Feb 6 - Adult Parade, Kralendijk
Feb 7- Youth Farewell Parade
Feb 8 - Grand Farewell Parade with the burning of King Momo
Feb 9 - Ash
Wednesday
|
2005
- Feb 6
2006 - Feb 27
2007 - Feb 18
2008 - Feb 3
2009 - Feb 22
2010 - Feb 14
2011 - Mar 6 |
March
2005
TBA - 5km Fun Run time
Mar 5 - Rincon Market Day
Mar 20 - Palm Sunday
Mar 25- Good Friday. Banks and shops closed.
Apr 27 - Easter Sunday
Apr 28 - Easter Monday. Banks and shops closed.
April
2005
Apr
1 - Simadan (Harvest) Festival
in Rincon
Apr 2 - Rincon Market Day
Apr 15 - 22 Dive into Earth Week (Day) - check with your hotel or dive shop
for activities including beach and underwater cleanups
TBA - 15th Karels
Beach Bar Sailing Competition
Apr 30 - Rincon Day
Apr 30 - Queen Birthday
Apr 30 - Windsurfing Race
Apr 30 - 5 km / 17 km MCB Run
Apr 30 - Road Race 70km Bonaire Cycle Club
Every Tuesday Night @ 6:30pm -
BonaireTalker Dinner/Gathering
at Gibi's, known for great local
food. Call Gibi at 567-0655 for
details, or visit www.BonaireTalk.com,
and search for "Gibi".
Click here for a detailed CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
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To unsubscribe or subscribe go to http://www.bonaireentrenous.com
*********************************************
Tourism Corporation Bonaire
Kaya Grandi #2
Bonaire
Dutch Caribbean
Tel: 599-7-8322/ 8649
Fax: 599-7-8408
E-mail: info@tourismbonaire.com
Website address: www.InfoBonaire.com |
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