Bonaire: where coral and cactus thrive and where the sea soothes the soul



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We observed the almost transparent vertical canes called trumpet fish chasing on the back of parrot fish, blending innocently into the herbivore host before going on a hunt. We came to know and regularly visit a coral rock where a pair of octopus hid and looked back, changing color under our eyes from red to green to gray. And every day we saw the same three parrotfish, vermilion and emerald, half as long as we are, nibbling invisible food on the corals.

One day, I floated lazily over a large gorgonian coral composed of long, flexible strands shaped like serpentine ferns. I floated, half hypnotized, as he swayed back and forth in sync with the water. A pair of French angel fish, resembling indigo plates streaked with yellow, came a few inches from my face and I stayed there, curious and fearless. I looked back, lazily wondering, as if Alice were nodding in her wonderland, what they thought of this bulky giant trapped in plastic and without natural fins, alien visitor of the same planet.


Where to stay: We stayed in two different, charming and cheap Airbnbs, ranging from$ 69 to $ 89 per night, with kitchens and pools.

Getting around: Car rental is better than scooter rental, as the roads are narrow and many are unpaved.

Where to eat:

We used to cook at home to save money and shop at the excellent Van den Tweel Supermarket Bonaire.

Fresh tuna dinner at Hillside Apartments is served every Tuesday.

For a delicious wahoo fish dinner and a fun bar atmosphere in Kralendijk, try It Rains Fishes Restaurant & Bar.

Blennies at Buddy Dive Resort has a nice mojito and fabulous sunset. For a classy dinner, try Ingridientes in the same complex, right next door.


Nina Burleigh, Newsweek's national policy correspondent, is the author of "Golden Cuffs: The Secret Story of Trump's Women".


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