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JMB-NLY
The museum is quite decent. There are several rooms dedicated to flora and fauna, the history of the two plantations (Washington and Slagbaai), and the geology of the island. It's a nice way to start your visit to the park (it's located at the gate). There are two routes within the park, one listed as 90 minutes and the other 2.5 hours. We took the former. At times it's a very rough ride and we were glad to have a high clearance pickup. We saw small sedans, though, and it appeared that if they took it very slow they could manage the roughest spots. There is excellent bird-watching at Put Bronswinkel (a small water hole) not far from where the road reaches the beach. We snorkeled at Playa Funchi but weren't impressed. There are a few flamingos around Boka Slagbaii. The museum at the gate is worth a visit.
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lindap202
This national park covers the top half of Bonaire island. If you are from the Tucson Arizona area, as I am, this country looks like home. Desert plants, bad roads, clean restrooms, just add the beautiful ocean. Park Rangers are very helpful in warning you about how long your visit will take as I seldome made it out of first gear. Very bumpy ride but worth it to see wild parrots, flamingos, and beautiful scuba and snorkel sites.
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286zacharyt
*Sorry in advance for the long review*We visited the national park on a day trip to snorkel and see some Flamingos. I'd recommend the scenic route on the way up to Rincon and the "highway" back. The scenic route starts of the end of Kaya Grande. The staff at the park gate were exceptionally helpful giving us recommendations for snorkel sites. We had brought the white copy of our marine park pass receipt as was recommended by the dive shop we bought it at and you will need it plus some form of photo ID. There was not much to see in the museum at the gate but very clean public restrooms with some humorous men's and women's signs are behind the museum. We opted on the short route (1.5 hours) around the park instead of the long (3 hours) based on some reviews. This gave us ample time to stop and snorkel at three spots, some of the suggested times seemed a little over cautious. The truck we rented, a "grand tiger" (Chinese truck) had seen better days (or maybe it hadn't) and struggled with a few of the hills. One of the biggest struggles was getting stuck behind people in more capable vehicles going unnecessarily slow up hills and you need to be careful they don't prevent you from making it up the hill. The roads were not that bad compared to some roads at home (rural Manitoba) but vehicle capability was a real factor here so I would recommend renting something like a Toyota Hilux for this trip. That being said we did see a small car coming through behind us but I would question how they made out. Also be careful for Park staff going the wrong way on the one way road at a high rate of speed. While driving be sure to watch for large iguanas and goats crossing.There seemed to be less of a problem out here with theft however we still didn't leave anything in the truck. We did however see people leave towels etc in trucks. You need to bring absolutely everything you will need with you on this trip, umbrellas, water, sunscreen, snorkel gear, lunch, etc. there are no services in the park. You should probably bring a cellphone if able as we observed one truck with a flat about 1/3 of the way in and wondered how they would have summoned help. We snorkelled at three sites...Playa Funchi: the first stop was neat but lacked a great place to make an entry. There was ample reef here and some neat fish such as a large school of 4' Tarpons we saw. The currents were strong here as it is a small cove so fins and some skill snorkelling are a must. Wayaka II: the second of three spots at Wayaka was some of the best snorkelling we experienced on the whole of Bonaire and the best not on Klein Bonaire. Outstanding variety of fish including some large friendly angelfish. The site has a very small very private white sand beach and is accessed by a small stone staircase from the parking. There were a ton of small lizards at the parking if this at all bothers you. Good sand entry to put on fins at this site. Boca Slagbaai: this was our final stop adjacent to some salt flats with a large group of Flamingos present. This was a large beach but not as nice as Wayaka. Enter from the far left in the sand to snorkel (learned the hard way). Again lots of fish to see here but much busier than other areas of the park. Coral in the whole area is much nicer then the shallows around the main island probably due to traffic. It was definitely worth the trip up but plan for most of a day. As a tip from a dive shop, buy a dive pass even if you don't plan to dive as this gets you repeat access to Slagbaai without extra charge but the watersports pass has a park entrance fee of $15 each time if you don't and choose to go more than once.
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mogalo
First of all, about the roads: I'd say if you're used to driving any 4x4 roads, you will not think the roads are bad. I'm pretty sure a passenger car would be just fine here, maybe it's different after a big rain? We are from Colorado and the roads in the park would not even get a 4x4 warning back home. Biking: My husband and I took our rented mountain bikes around the 21 mile long route. We started around 9am and it took us about 2.5 hours with a few short stops. Some recommendations: 1) take more water than you think you need. At least 2-3 bottles per person. 2) the road is hilliest near the end of the loop. For this reason, I'd almost recommend riding it clockwise instead of their recommended counter-clockwise direction. You get the hills out of the way first, having flatter ground later in the day when it warms up. 3) start at 8, definitely not after 10, as it's blazing hot by noon. And not much shade, less at high noon. 4) you don't need technical mountain bike skills to do this ride (it is basically gravel road with some very short paved areas), but you need to be in good shape and competent on a bike. It is a solid 2-2.5 hours of riding. 5) take a brimmed hat, we didn't need helmets, as it wasn't technical, so the hat was great for the sun. Some single track would be great inside the park. Gravel roads are fine, but mixing it up with some off road areas would be great.
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ValtsV
National Park in the northern part of Bonaire is a surprisingly pleasant and interesting experience. On a basis of our (limited) experience I can advise the following:- go there in the very morning - ideally, just at the opening hour. Then you can do some hiking and sightseeing while it is still reasonably cool, and you have enough time to do your dives - if you plan any;- try doing both trails next to the entrance (a hill and a walk to the seaside) in the morning - later in the day it should be unnecessarily challenging;- make a good use of the map which you will receive at the entrance - quite a few highlights, which are marked there, are worth seeing,;- getting from the last dive site to the exit gate takes quite a bit of time - it is moe than 10 km and the road is bad;- and, finally, the roads are really bad in some places - you might be willing not to drive there something smaller than a proper pickup truck or an suv.And, once again, I would like to stress, that the place is definitely worth a visit, if you are on Bonaire and have a few days to spend there.
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MaartenCdV
Excellent day trip. Take a pick up car, the roads are rough. Great views and great snorkling spots. We recommend Wayaka 2. Mind the iguana, they might be a little bit fresh and agressive and in need of a bite of your lunch.
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U8493WYmarkb
We chose to go diving on the north shore, so through the park we went. It's very beautiful. Being from AZ originally, this area reminds us of home. The roads aren't paved, so plan to spend some time. The short route takes a few hours, and the long route will take most of your day. Well worth the visit. Take lots of water and some snacks. There is nothing nearby after you pass the entrance.
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762RichardH762
What a ride. Flamingos, goats, Iguanas, and open ocean vistas. This place reminds me of Arizona with mountains and cactus surrounded by the ocean. We did the short trail with several brief photo stops. Bring a picnic lunch and beverages (don't forget water) and take a break at the beach. It is in a protected cove where you can swim, snorkel, and dive. A good place for the kids to get wet so bring the swimsuits. There is a beach house with restroom facilities.
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palleiske05
We spent a day of our diving trip at the National Park. It's a $25 for divers and a $10 for non divers (for one year). The roads are rugged...not paved and either dirt or gravel or paved in certain areas. Be prepared to see goats, chickens, iguanas, ect crossing the road at any time. The dive sites are not easy to get to BUT WELL WORTH IT! The park recommends you begin your last dive by 2:30pm in order to exit the park by 5:00pm. Signs along the dirt/gravel road are clearly marked but it may take an hour to go 5 miles because of the terrain. There are GORGOUS picture opportunities along the road. If you arrive early in the morning, opt for the longer route....if arriving past 12:00pm, take the shorter route to make sure you exit the park on time. There are tons of opportunities to hike, dive, picnic, sightsee, throughout the park, PLEASE be aware of the wildlife and be sure to checkout the nature center/museum before you leave. DONATE if you can. This is really a great place to visit while in Bonaire!
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DarrylJ_11
The Washington Slagbaai National Park on the northern tip of Bonaire was one of the highlights of our trip this year. We were warned about the rough dirt roads and the warnings were not exaggerated. For the most part, it was a decent narrow dirt/mud/coral/rock track, but occasionally it became a little more sporty. I'm sure the rain didn't help the road conditions. The Ranger at the gate was helpful and the map we were given was informative and easy to follow.I highly recommend taking the long route (there are two: long and short) as it visits all the historic shoreline features. On my next visit to Bonaire, I'll save more than one afternoon to return to this magnificent park!
