Rather than me write about it, here's part of the news release from the Boanire Tourism Commission. This truly is a diver's Paradise.

BONAIRE SWEEPS SCUBA DIVING MAGAZINE’S READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2008
Bonaire Dominates With Nine #1 Ratings Including #1 Dive Destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic

Kralendijk, Bonaire – (December 5, 2008) – Once again the island of Bonaire has swept top honors while continuing its reign as one of the world’s top dive destinations:  For the seventh  consecutive year , Bonaire has been rated the Top Dive Destination Overall (Caribbean/Atlantic) in Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2008. 

Bonaire also received the #1 rating in eight other Caribbean/Atlantic categories: Top Marine Life, Top Marine Environment, Top Macro Life, Top Shore Diving Destination, Top Destination for Underwater Photography, Top Destination for Beginners, Top Value, and Top Snorkeling. ...

For the Reader’s Choice awards, thousands of Scuba Diving subscribers and web users rated their dive experiences on a scale of one to five.  Results of the 2008 Awards will be featured in the January/February 2009 issue of Scuba Diving magazine. ...

Bonaire is the recipient of the prestigious Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization 2008 Sustainable Tourism Award and continues to be recognized as one of the top destinations worldwide for its sustainable tourism as reported by National Geographic Traveler magazine (March 2004) and Islands magazine (December 2007), and as one of the top diving destinations in the Atlantic/Caribbean for six years in a row in the Scuba Diving magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards (2003-2008); and was designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as having the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean (January 2008).

Wow, it looks like all our hard work is paying off. We got an email the other day from a New York Times editor saying we where going to be in the New York Times travel section. We where listed as one of the 39 Reasons to go to the Caribbean This Year . That made our day, but we didn't know they where going to make us the "Top Pick" of all the resorts they had listed in Bonaire. That was an honor.

We're thrilled as you can imagine. We're proud of the resort, but it's good to see other people like it too.

We got bananas today for the first time in about 3 weeks. Shopping in Bonaire isn't like shopping in the states. There is no real agriculture here so everything comes in on the boat. We got bananas today from a grocery called "The Warehouse." - Now from the name you're probably picturing a Sam's or a Costco. - Think again.

The Warehouse is not as big typical American groceries. But it is Air Conditioned and they usually have a good selection of fresh fruit, just maybe not exactly what you're looking for that day.

In the States, we make a grocery list and go to one store and buy it all. In Bonaire we shop more like our parents (or grandparents) did, we go to the market and see what is good and fresh that day. If there is one thing you're really looking for you might have to make a few stops to find it.

Being from New Orleans, we miss our local food. A friend sent us a care package the other day of local products. It cost her $40 to ship it from the States, and I had to pay customs $10 to pick it up from the Post Office. But dinner that night sure was good.

One of the most rewarding things about running the resort is the people we get to meet.

Many of them have been kind enough to leave us reviews on various travel websites. We have a saying, "Come as a guest and leave as a freind." And it's really true.

We've had some of the most delightful people in the world stay with us. It means a lot to us that these people we never met before they stayed here think highly enough of us and the resort to take the time to write these reviews. We love our guests and always hope they enjoy the stay.

Scuba Board

We just returned yesterday from a week in Bonaire and is our second trip there. We booked somewhat at the last minute and had found Coral Paradise Resort had availability but did not know anything about it other than looking at their website (Coral Paradise Resort, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean) since our last visit to Bonaire was back in 2005.

After our stay, we can honestly say that we would highly recommend the Coral Paradise Resort to anyone going to Bonaire!!! It is a new resort (couple months old) and Kenny & Margaret are great hosts and make you feel like family rather than just another guest. The rates were great and it was nice staying in something brand new.

With just six rooms (each of which can accommodate four guests), this no-frills, beachside hotel is surely an antidote to the big-resort trend sweeping the rest of the Caribbean. But the resort, which opened in April 2008, doesn’t stint on service, offering 24-hour shore-dive access, daily boat dives and next-door proximity to the popular Captain Don’s Habitat diving center.

Just returned after spending a week at the Coral Paradise. I can't say enough good things about it. I go to Bonaire regularly and have stayed at numerous resorts on the island. Kenny and Margaret Treadway are excellent hosts and offer a great place for an excellent price and value.

Our family stayed at Coral Paradise Resort, Dec 13-21. We were very pleased with the room. The kitchen had everything we needed, nice balcony, pool and it is new. The hosts were interesting and helpful in every way. Be careful at the grocers though. I thought I did well figuring which was non-fat milk until I tasted the buttermilk on my Honey Nut Cheerios. We highly recommend Coral Paradise!

We just got back from Coral Paradise and it was fantastic. Kenny and Margaret where great. We went on the advice of a friend who goes to Bonaire about twice per year and he was right. -- It's brand new and I love staying in new buildings. I've give it a 9.5 out of 10.

For more Bonaire info see: Tourism Bonaire, Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association and Info Bonaire Bonaire Insider

And for more information on cool things to do in the Caribbean, visit our friend Summer at Caribbean Vacation Activities .