A tour of KRALENDIJK, capital of BONAIRE
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2024
- Hi everyone! This is episode eleven of my Dutch Caribbean series, in which I travel to the ABC Islands - Aruba, Curacao (Curaçao) and Bonaire. In this episode, I visit Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire, for the first time.
The vlog starts with me walking from my accommodation in a residential neighbourhood towards the town centre. Along the way, I give information about the island as well as my first, raw impressions, including the architecture, the prominent choice of colour and the pace of life on the island. It is fair to say that the pace of life in Kralendijk is markedly different than the capitals of the sister islands, namely Oranjestad (Aruba) and Willemstad (Curacao). I stumble across various beaches and swimming areas, as well as a supermarket, where I get an idea of the cost of items on the island.
After a quick dip in the Caribbean Sea, I arrive at Fort Oranje, the oldest structure in Bonaire and share an interesting fact about the cannons. I then explain the meaning of the colours on the flag of Bonaire, and arrive at the town centre where I walk around Wilhelmina Plein (Plaza Wilhelmina).
I then hit the town centre where I marvel at the beautiful, colourful buildings and continue to notice the speed of development on the island - restaurants, apartments and general works. I also invite some comments from locals on how they feel about this rapid pace of development - on the one hand, it does bring in lots of tourism but could this be at a cost to the natural beauty of the island?
I then take in more of the town itself by strolling around shopping areas and taking in the beautiful street art. I also take a break for a smoothie and a local delicacy - let's just say this is not something I will order every day!
After the smoothie and quick snack break, I explore more of the town and stumble across monuments dedicated to political figures of other countries. At sunset, I visit the Divi Flamingo Resort and Casino, where I share some interesting historical facts about Bonaire and the Second World War.
The vlog ends with me having a sunset dip in the magnificent Caribbean Sea.
I hope you enjoy this vlog and that it gives you some insights into Kralendijk and Bonaire! If you haven't done it yet, please LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. I also really appreciate comments and engagement from my audience, so please let me know your thoughts / views in the comments below!
Happy exploring
Willie
Thank you,Willie,featuring our Littman’s jewelry store since 1981 in this historic building ,where the facade is still visible a reminder of Bonaire old monuments on Kaya Grandi,Kralendijk!!
Hi Esther! I had a great time in Bonaire, and glad you spotted your store! Kralendijk is such an interesting place. Thanks for watching my videos, I appreciate the support!
Thank you for your beautiful videos and your comment on abc islands👍👍👍
Really appreciate your comment and kind words! I had a wonderful time in all three ABC islands. Thanks for checking out my content :)
Hey Man Bonaire was another awesome island just the fact that the lowest temperature is 19 and the hottest is 30 that is so amazing by itself it is the perfect summer weather not too hot not too cold . overall the ABC islands series was great .
Keep up the good work brother 👍👍
Thanks my friend, glad you enjoyed it! It was a great area of the world to visit, that's for sure. I have a lot of respect for the people who live there day in and day out, because in that heat it can be challenging. Hope your travels are also going well brother :)
@@willieexplore
Yeah bro my travels are ok so far so good can't complain 🙂👍
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Ok, that is insanely beautiful. The birds and waves give it a nice ambience, if it wasn't 30° C it would be perfect lol Too bad I wasn't there in 1925 for their record low! Those blues of the water though are something else, wow. Definitely different from your standard Netherlands scenery for sure.
Couldn't agree more! Just a tad too hot for me all year round, even though I do prefer hot weather over cold. I can definitely see why a lot of people move there! What an insane fact re their record low temperature.
Dankie Willie reis heerlik saam met jou ooral en geniet dit vreeslik
Hallo Carl groot plesier! Waardeer dat jy saam toer en dat jy my ondersteun! Groete
My last visit the Main Street was torn up being rebuilt. In the past two years looks like a lot of work has taken place. Charges have taken place. They have limited the ships in port also. Looks very beautiful!
They are certainly developing at the speed of light! Lots of construction, it really is noticeable. Wonder what it will look like in five years' time!
Willie: “masha masha danki pa mustra nos Dushi Boneiru.! “( Papiamento our local language).
( Willie: Many many thanks for showing us sweet Bonaire).
Danki! I appreciate the kind words and that you watch my videos, your support means a lot!
Hello Willie, thanks for another look around a gorgeous island. Bonaire seemed to be more like Aruba than Curacao. That path to the beach in the first shots, imagine living right there! Interesting to hear a bit of history again, especially about the assistance given to the Allied forces and the imaginative use of the old cannons. So much colour here again and some quirky art on the streets. It's a no from me on the sausage though😂. Sunset ending was beautiful☀️.
Hi Sheila! Always a pleasure having you exploring with me virtually. Definitely a more laid back vibe and I have to agree with you, it probably felt more like Aruba than Curacao. As a South African of Dutch descent, I do find the history in this part of the world particularly fascinating. I was very apprehensive about the blood sausage but with small, careful bites I managed to stomach some of it (admittedly not all!). For me, street art / murals often stand out more in the quiet setting of a small town, and Kralendijk was no exception here. My favourite is perhaps the shopping trolley converted into a chair :) Cheers for your continued support!
@@willieexplorethe trolley was also my favourite but I also liked the palletts that were made into benches on the beach. I love seeing items being recycled and reused👍
@@sheilam4525 so do I! I guess it is all part of the sustainable tourism initiative, and I love it :)
Number Ten restaurant is a nice breakfast boutique. Also lots of great shops where you can purchase homemade scrubs and soaps. Klein Bonair is a must.
Next time I hope to get to Klein Bonaire! Thanks for your support :)
It's funny, but I could probably have told you the capitals of Aruba and Curaçao, but I can honestly say that I've never heard of Kralendijk in my life! But what about that sea?? Such incredible colours! The beaches around town don't look much to write home about, but that often seems to be the case around towns. Did you get to see other beaches on the island? Those on Curaçao looked pretty spectacular.
You could definitely tell from the vlog that Bonaire seems to be more laid back than the other islands, I think I could happily spend some time chilling there!
Another top-notch vlog, Willie...thank you sir!
Hi Andy, always wonderful to hear from you! Glad I could contribute to your geography education by showing you these mysterious capitals ;) The colour of the water was spectacular and I can only imagine how it would look outside the town centre. Unfortunately I did not venture outside of Kralendijk as I did not have enough time. However, I could easily return and just chill in Kralendijk for a few more days. On the way to Aruba, I sat next to someone who mentioned to me they are only going to Bonaire and doing so for two weeks, with the goal of doing absolutely nothing! Hope you get a chance to work for that company office in Curacao at some stage so that you can explore the magic of this part of the world too :)
@willieexplore Trust me Willie, I'm working very hard on getting that trip to Curaçao! My big boss came over from the US to visit us here in the UK last week, and the topic came up of where the next big team meeting should take place. I'm sure you can imagine my suggestion! He made positive noises in response, so I think I may have planted the seed...fingers crossed please. 🌴🏝😆
@@andybaker2456 that is excellent, glad you planted the seed...now let's see what happens!
thanks!! Your videos has been so helpful for my next trip to the ABC islands
That is great to hear, Cristhian! Cheers for checking out my content and leaving a comment. I hope you enjoy your visit to the Dutch Caribbean!
Just watched your video especially your knowledge on historical information and its brilliant to hear watch and inform from various sources of information detail about the island. Excellent quality video Willie thanks have you left and gone on to another area to filmed your travels to? Thanks again for your wonderful time making these videos useful for others to watch!
Cheers for your wonderful support and kind words there Simon, as always! It is my absolute pleasure to make these videos and share my experiences with people like you. I might have one more video in Bonaire coming up soon (...) but I do indeed have another upcoming trip, so hopefully there is an opportunity to make more vlogs ;)
Hey, Willie ... always enjoy your walk-arounds ... get to see the "real deal"! Yes, very pretty beaches and ocean!! ... So, once upon a time I had a pen-pal (that dates me, I know!) in Bonaire. Always enjoyed reading her letters, and did want to visit. But, being 12-years-old, neither of us had the means to travel very far! So ... end of story. Don't remember her name anymore either ... bummer. ... Stay safe, Willie, enjoy your travels, and share more of them!! [As always, greetings from Tucson.]
Hi Jim! Always a pleasure hearing from you. Thank you so much for sharing that story, it is a real shame you never met your Bonaire pen-pal! Hope all is well across the pond!
Stumbled across your channel and so happy I did.. You're quite informative❤
Hi Melly! Thank you very much for your kind words and support, I really appreciate it. Hope my channel brings you lots of joy! Have a good one :)
@@willieexplore planning on binge watching this weekend again... I can't wait!
@@melly9928 cheers, hope you enjoy it a lot! I am grateful :)
Excellent video and information! My children and I will be visiting the ABC Islands in September. Thank you!!
Thanks for the great feedback, Jen! Hope you have a wonderful time in the Dutch Caribbean!
@@willieexplore Thanks Willie!!
really very interesting Willy, thanks for that. I will follow some of your steps there once I arrive later this year 😎
Cheers for watching Max, hope you have a wonderful time!
Tnx for your nice videos, Bonaire is now a Provence of the Netherlands and the only lissard they eat is iguana’s
Thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, I've heard about the iguana soup in particular. What a beautiful part of the world!
Willie, I have had this one saved in my "Watch Later" section since before the World Cup!
This is a great video as always. Really enjoyed it. I can see myself chilling there for a very long time!
Nice one Peter! I think I need a holiday again after all the stress of the rugby, this is definitely one place I can recommend!
@@willieexplore I could certainly go for a holiday! Our second was born just before the semi-final against England so we're going nowhere in the short-term but I'm eyeing a family holiday in the second half of 2024 in the Maldives. Let's see what happens!
@@frontrowrugby congrats, that is wonderful news! The Maldives sound like a great holiday. You definitely deserve it after all your hard work :)
Thanks@@willieexplore ... Let's get the new kid on the block a passport!
Nice to see Bruce Bowkers Carib Inn... spent many days there over the years.
That's great! Thanks for watching and commenting
In the first corner you took is living the gouveneur of bonaire.with the big flags in the garden
That is interesting, cheers! Thanks for watching
Nice video.
I grew up there and will be moving back from Holland next year.
The reason for the construction everywhere is because over 1000 Dutch are moving to Bonaire every year.
On the current population of 25.000 thats a lot and new houses need to be build. Bonaire is booming also because of all the savings that the Dutch bring with them to build a new life on Bonaire. Its getting really populair.
Dankje wel! Glad you enjoyed this video. It is quite evident that Bonaire is growing rapidly. Thanks for sharing those insights about the Dutch moving to Bonaire, makes a lot of sense!
Beautiful video. I see that it was posted to CZcams about eight months ago, but when was it filmed?
Cheers Jack, I appreciate the kind words! This was filmed early June 2023.
HI WILLIE nice video I live in aruba saw the video from my island didn't realize how beautiful it is 😂BTW its not lizards they eat its iguanas 😂 I protect them shalom ❤😊
Thanks for watching, Candice! I had a wonderful time in Bonaire. Iguana is a type of lizard :)
Nice video, thanx Willie
Thank you Natascha, appreciate you checking out my content!
Willie uitstekende toer and eiland! Groete.
Dankie Tosca! Hier is die lewe stadig, wat 'n wonderlike, rustige eiland
Bonaire certainly resembles latin american countries like chile and bolivia also added some dutch vibes
Definitely a lot of those areas' influences you can see on the island. Cheers for watching, as always!
Nice video.. anyway what you do for a living before starting to travel ?
Thank you! I still work full time so only travel during holidays
I like to make the same tripoojaaa
Cheers for watching!
Is there a bonaire sign to take pictures?
At the airport, as well as a flamingo!
@@willieexplore thanks where can i find this flamingo?
@@rodvarmo airport
You just went to the chinese supermarket. Those are 20 procent more expensive
That was the only one I went to; it was close to my accommodation and on the way to the town centre. Where is the other one(s)?
Das wird meine Auswanderinsel Januar 2025...😊
Best of luck on your move! Thanks for watching my content ;)