BEAUTIFUL BONAIRE:
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

SAND DOLLAR CONDOMINIUMS

PLEASE CALL US for "SUDDEN SEASONAL SPECIALS" at SAND DOLLAR RESORT.
Periodically hotel managers alert us to new specials, so call our vacation planners at 952-953-4124.
We at U.S. DIVE TRAVEL pledge to price protect your resort package, all seasons, all groups, always.

If you book 9 people the 10th client stays and dives for free!
If you are all divers, they get a diver's package.
If you are mixed divers + non-divers, they get a non-diver package.
Book 14 and 15th and 16th stay and dive for free!

Bonaire should be renamed "Bon-shore." That's because this lovely little Caribbean diving island offers some of the easiest & most relaxing shore diving in the entire Caribbean region. Just a few feet from shore, for many miles up & down the southern coast, the shore diving is a lot of fun -- rich with critters & corals, & blessed with forgiving currents for new divers. But there's one fly in the ointment we feel duty-bound to convey. Our clients & group guides report back to us that there was some coral damage to the famous shoreline reefs of Bonaire, caused by storm surge during Hurricane Lenny in the fall of 1999. This is a natural process, & island reefs do bounce back, so take heart. Recent reports in summer & fall of 2005 show that many of the shallow hard corals are recovering beautifully. And below about 25-35 feet, where the brunt of Lenny's slap was felt, the corals are just as splendid as they always were.

The hurricane never actually hit Bonaire directly. This storm was centered hundreds of miles to the east, but the winds & surge it created did cause some pretty noteworthy damage to corals, when tens of tons of beach sand was sloughed down from the resort shores, all along Bonaire's southern coast, & dumped over the living corals. But there's always a ray of light after these storms, & the Caribbean people do not give up easily. Their spirits & determination are high, & our best wishes daily go out to these good people. Bonaire's locals are optimistic that their once pristine corals will return to something close to their former luster some day, before too long. Corals do grow back you know, both hard & soft species, but it can take years sometimes. We all wish the people of Bonaire only the very best blessings during this historic rebuilding period. They are exceptionally gracious people who have served many clients well, for many years.

One thing some of our corporate groups & dive clubs will do is to rent pickup trucks through Sand Dollar Resort, then they drive up the coastal road a few miles from the resort areas, where the classic shore diving sites begin, then they walk their tanks down to the better shore diving locales. Now HERE the Bonaire scuba diving can be pretty nice still. To really experience the best of Bonaire's shore diving, we recommend you consider driving 2-4 persons in an extended cab pickup, tooling up the shoreline to the remote countryside coves, as that's where some superb reefs are located.

The formal name of this comfortable 3-star resort is Sand Dollar Dive & Photo, which means it's a dedicated haven for marine photography buffs -- both scuba divers & snorkelers. The prime claim to fame for Sand Dollar Condominium Resort is that it's located on a wonderful tract of land where beaches are only 50 yards from the edge of a vast diving wall that stretches for miles along southern Bonaire's protected shoreline. The South Bonaire water is warm, the currents usually tame, & the visibility often hits 80-100 feet, making Bonaire one of the world's most popular destinations for scuba divers & skin divers who want easy, safe access to awesome shore diving. Here at Sand Dollar Condominiums you can go back again & again, day after day, with zero charge for your shore dives! Utter convenience is the byword here with Bonaire diving. In the greater spectrum of Caribbean diving options, we are certain that Bonaire diving offers the best shore diving in the Caribbean, with few islands as near-peers.

Even the daily boat dive is only a quick 15-minute jaunt from your dock at Sand Dollar Resort to splendid coral & fish sanctuaries, including such famous sites as "Rappel," "Forest," & "Yellowman Reef." These are popular Bonaire diving classics, that Sand Dollar Condos dive guides know well. The Sand Dollar Condos diving vessel leaves as many as five times daily for one-tank scuba diving trips, so you have unlimited flexibility for planning your daily diving schedule. No hassles here, mon! Bonaire diving, Sand Dollar diving; they are safe, easy & exciting.

One of the famed "ABC Islands," Bonaire is located a short distance north of Venezuela's northwestern coast, near Aruba & Curacao islands, all settled by Dutch merchant seafarers. The combination of Bonaire's strict ban on spearfishing & the carefully preserved National Marine Park that envelopes most of these magnificent shore dives, has created a clean, pure place to enjoy marine wonders like they were decades ago. Bonaire diving professionals are caring for their legacy. This is an island that coddles its natural resources, & its condo guests as well! The best shore diving aside, this island of Bonaire seems created to give relaxation & satisfaction.

It seldom rains in Bonaire, so soil runoff is not a problem here, which means the diving "viz" is most often extraordinary. It's just so safe & easy here, you'll be in scuba diving nirvana on Bonaire.

For camera buffs, Sand Dollar Resort features a wide array of high-tech underwater video & photo gear for rent, plus professional instruction to enhance your skills affordably. (Call us for details -- U.S. Dive Travel: 952-953-4124.) You can often get your slide film processed the same day you take them by experts who'll treat you right. This is a great way to learn by constant re-appraisal of shots.

The nerve center of Sand Dollar Resort is the venerable Green Parrot restaurant, perched smack dab on the vessel dock, with sweeping views of the ocean & coastline. This amiable little Caribbean bistro is open air & offers very affordable meal plans. The meal plans help couples & families beat the high cost of eating out in town, where you'd otherwise drop $85 - 95 a day per person for three squares. However, at the Green Parrot, you can get a hearty three-meal-per-day plan for only $45 per person plus tax. Sunsets from the Green Parrot are stunning, night after night. It's a great place to sip a drink & relax with a fine conversation.

For large groups or families, Sand Dollar Condos offer a wide range of accommodations, including condos with one, two or three bedrooms, plus studios, all of which are graced with fully equipped kitchens, A/C in the bedrooms, large living spaces, cable TV & ultra-clean user-friendly decor. You can play tennis day or night on specially lighted courts, & relax beside a wonderful freshwater pool at Sand Dollar Condominium Resort.

For families with children, there's a program called "The Sand Penny Club," which offers special discounts on scuba diving packages (for kids older than 12), plus free snorkeling lessons & other seasonal freebies for the kiddies. Children are always welcome at Sand Dollar Resort, any time & any season. This dive resort is far & away the class act of South Bonaire, & most experienced dive travel pros will second that plaudit. Sand Dollar Resort specials are the way to go.

All Bonaire diving package prices listed here are subject to possible change in this steadily evolving travel market. Lodging & diving prices are traditionally stable, while air prices can fluctuate daily. Until air tickets are issued, all airlines reserve the right to change airfares without notice -- an industry standard. We at U.S. Dive Travel will price-protect you to the utmost of our professional ability; & that has been our pledge for one decade now. Our tropical vacation experts normally secure wholesale discount air tickets for our clients who book early enough to secure limited seats in the best price categories. Remember please, the federal government has deregulated airlines, so only they control their pricing -- not any travel professionals.

Unless specifically noted, these above scuba diving packages are prices for only the land-based portion of the dive resorts, in most cases reflecting double-occupancy rooms. At many dive resorts, there will be no triple-occupancy rooms offered. Some exceptions will be noted. International & commuter "island-hopper" airfares are always extra above these land costs. Nominal service fees are also extra for air tickets & the vessel + side tour components. The baseline tariffs for all clients start at $45 per person for the land portion + $35 pp for the air tickets. Late-booking clients on these Bonaire diving tours may receive slightly higher tariffs on the lodging + diving at many of our dive resorts. Solo clients with our Bonaire diving packages will always pay a single supplement to secure a private room for themselves.

The preferred payment mode for all dive resorts & side tours is by cashier's check or wire transfer in U.S. dollars. All clients living outside the USA or Canada will need to pay for their dive vacations via direct wire transfer in U.S. dollars. No personal checks will be accepted for the land portion of any reservation. Thank you for your gracious understanding. Our service level is the highest & our prices the lowest in this industry, & thus we need to preserve a reasonable margin. For published-fare air ticket bookings, USDT always accepts Visa & Mastercard.

Remember, all Bonaire diving vacation clients to all foreign destinations will be asked by local officials overseas, upon departing the airport on your final day, to pay a nominal government departure tax, usually between USD $35 - $45 per client. USDT cannot collect this tax beforehand, so you simply pay it down there, in your host country. Be sure to stash away a little cash for this final moment at the airport, so you'll get your exit visa stamped quickly with no fuss; & away you go. Best of luck with your dive travel plans. We hope your Bonaire scuba diving vacation is a safe & satisfying adventure. Blessings & best wishes with ALL your Bonaire diving vacations.

Best fishes too!

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John Hessburg, General Manager
Susan Hessburg, Operations Manager
Founding Partners of the U.S. Dive Travel Network.