The Ecolodge is off the grid and still luxurious. You have a lot of privacy, a fully equipped kitchen, and a barbecue. There is an inside and outside shower. The outside shower will give you that really "outdoor feeling" There is no need to leave the premises if you desire so. It is a great place to unwind, relax and enjoy the starry sky at night
In july 2011 we (two adults, two kids) stayed for a whole week in this ecolodge. The week before we spend on Curacao and after Bonaire we went to Saba. Without doubt Auriga Ecolodge was the most adventures, relaxed and memorable place of all places we stayed. The ecolodge is not just a place to sleep and eat, it’s an experience! And even more then that, with your stay you will contribute to an impressive project of the owners. Hans and Jenny do have a mission and that’s to bring back a little piece of Bonaire in it’s original state and show that it’s possible to live and run a lodge in a sustainable way. They are pioneers and we believe also trendsetting, this is the way of thinking and the way of life we all should persue. The natural environment, the silence, the hummingbirds and parrots etc etc make you feel far from home and your busy life. The outdoor shower (additional to the indoor one), the star roof platform and the well equipped kitchen are fun. Also our kids found it exciting, and had fun with feeding the chickens, the outdoor fireplace on the BBQ area and looking at the stars. Hans and Jenny are very good hosts and also willing to tell about Bonaire and there project. We also went on a kayak trip in the mangroves with Hans as a guide, a must-have-done on Bonaire! Those who want something different and taste the real Bonaire should try Auriga Ecolodge!
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Date of stay: July 2011
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Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Auriga Ecolodge is the ideal place if you want to experience Bonaire in a nature-friendly way. The house is located in the "Kunuku", the scarcely populated "outback" of Bonaire, approximately 7 km from the port of Kralendijk. It offers plenty of space and privacy because of its remote location. The owners Hans and Jenny live nearby and are friendly and helpful. The place is a true ecolodge so don't expect airco, swimming pools, TV's etc. You will like however the spacious house, the stargazing platform on top and the wind that cools the house and ensures insects are almost completely absent. The house is well equiped with a kitchen (incl. fridge and oven), a small library, a barbeque place, a bathroom, an outdoor shower, a living room, and a balcony terrace. Because of its location and the fact that Bonaire activities are spread out across the island you will need a car to get you around, but we found it a delight to come back in the evening to our "home away from home". Great to hear and see the parakeets, the orioles, and the other birds in the morning at breakfast and to enjoy the quiteness of a beautiful sky without light polution at night, while sipping a glass of wine. More good news : Through proper maintenance of their land the direct environment of the lodge is much greener and more biodiverse as the rest of the "Kunuku". If you don't need others to entertain you, then this is the place to stay in Bonaire. I know we will return !!
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Date of stay: August 2010
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Trip type: Traveled with family
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My partner and I stayed at Auriga Ecolodge, 15 minutes outside Kralendijk's main street, and could not have chosen a better place to spend our last few days together on Bonaire. Having previously stayed in town- the silence and stillness of the countryside was a much needed surprise. Granted, it's only still until you take a good look- and then everything's alive with activity.. Auriga is absolutely beautiful. Hans built it himself and one can tell in the details that a lot of care went into the building process and ultimate presentation. There's beautiful framed photographs, statues, art work, and colors that give the ecolodge its unique character, in addition to having the lowest carbon footprint I've been able to find for a rental spot on the island- for me, that's the selling point. I highly recommend Auriga Ecolodge-- it's beautiful!
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Date of stay: July 2011
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Typically we do not like to go back to previous destinations as places tend to change and not always for the better. A prejudice so untrue for Auriga Ecolodge !! After we were one of the first guests in 2010 to this place, we returned in February only to be delighted again. This is the place to stay if you prefer the beauty of the Bonaire outdoor over the cosmetic luxury of a hotel. Owner Hans Voerman has converted an old building in a spacious lodge with a kitchen/living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and an outside shower, a large veranda, and the stargazer platform on top. A fantastic place to stay, 15 min by car from Kralendijk center, in the middle of the "Kunuku", the rugged nature area that is filled with bush, trees, cactus, birds, iguanas, etc. That is if you like nature and are not afraid to be surrounded by it. No airco (but who needs that if you have the continuous breeze of Bonaire around you), no bars or restaurants within walking distance (but the kitchen is well equipped with oven, fridge, utensils, etc), but good beds, showers, a small library, several games, and best of all, the nature of Bonaire at your doorstep. For us this was again the ideal "home away from home" on the island to explore the beaches, Slagbaai National Park, the numerous diving sites (most of them reachable from the shore), and the small towns of RIncon and Kralendijk. You need to rent a car when you stay here, but within half an hour you can reach most of the nice places on the island from the lodge. Hans is building a second place to stay near the lodge. Although different in design it looks just as great to stay once it is finished in the next couple of weeks. We can't wait to come back.
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Date of stay: February 2015
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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We stayed 8 nights in May in this spacious, comfortable place, away from the sea but close to iguanas and birds. Friendly Hans and his animal family (3 pigs, 4 dogs) were very good companions. Our mornings started with coffee and climbing onto the roof platform to count iguanas and watch the birds. The outdoor shower was fantastic after a whole day of snorkeling. The Mangrove trip with Hans was very educational and I stopped eating shrimp. Very relaxing house with constant breeze, birds and happy feeling being surrounded by bushes and trees. I miss the friendly dogs already! Ania and Brian
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Date of stay: May 2014
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Ecolodge is a wonderful place for people who are looking for a different experience and who love nature. The lodge is a spacious, romantic dwelling with lots of lovely corners (incl. a hammock) to relax. Two dining areas (inside on the ground floor, and open air on the top floor), two showers (one in the bathroom, one outdoors), two bedrooms (one inside the original horse barn on the ground floor, one upstairs on the added construction), so even for a group of 4 persons, there is enough “me” space. The bathroom – on the ground floor - is only accessible from the outside. The kitchen is well equipped, with a 4-burner gas cooker and a big fridge. There are windows on all sides of the house, they have no glass (this is common on Bonaire), but insect mesh netting, iron bars, and wooden shutters. So there is a choice to let light and wind in, or to darken up the place. This is an almost fully sustainable house, so only cold water (which is not really cold on Bonaire) out of water tanks, and electricity from solar energy, meaning careful use of these valuable resources. It makes you appreciate more of the boundlessness we have at home, and gives a flavor of how maybe the future might be like. Lots of beautiful birds, chickens, ducks, a pig family, four gentle dogs (who are really quiet and patrol the grounds to make sure everyone is safe), and hermit crabs who tiptoe around the house at night. Also for women travelling alone, as myself, the lodge and the grounds feel safe. Being in the country side, a pick-up truck to travel the dirt road to the lodge is a good choice (there are many dirt roads on Bonaire and if you visit the Washington Slagbaai national park, you’ll need a 4x car anyways). It is however not that far from Kralendijk or Sorobon (about 20 min.). About 10 min. from the lodge on Nikiboko Noord are smaller convenience stores and supermarkets, and some local bars and restaurants (e.g. Mi Banana, a Columbian restaurant with great, inexpensive dishes). Hans is a great person, and I appreciated the kayaking tour with him through the mangroves, and learned a lot about the fragile eco-system. If you don’t mind a bit of dust on your flip-flops, you’ll appreciate this sweet “out in the bush” place, far away from cars and people.
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Date of stay: April 2014
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Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
In the middle of nature, close to the eats coast you find the Auriga Ecolodge. A very specious lodge which gives you a feeling of total relaxation the moment you step out of your car and still be close to Kralendijk and all beaches and dive-sites. The lodge is very tasteful decorated with a kitchen with all you need to cook a nice meal. A lovely bedroom with a very good bed and very clean. Surrounded by trees there is an outside shower and if its to "cold" there is an inside shower and toilet also very clean. All electricity is powered by solar, and water comes from big water-tanks which makes you very conscious on how to use it, even when you get back home. At night the sky is full of stars, all you hear are the sounds of the night, the leaves rustle in the cool wind, little crabs walking around carrying their shel house. Owls, and before dark flamingos fly over. What a wonderful place, an oasis of serene tranquility, adventure and fun. Thanks for this great experience!
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Date of stay: November 2012
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Trip type: Traveled solo
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Response from hansoutdoor, Owner at Auriga Ecolodge
Responded Jan 11, 2013
We have never had a guest who has stayed this long at the lodge without really leaving the property. I suppose it must have given you the home feeling we want people to have while staying with us. Let nature do his wonderful healing work. Hope to see you again here !
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The peace and serenity rejuvinated us and the project truly inspired us. The hosts are amazing and the star gazing platform is an experience. Everyone at the busy seafront has no idea what they are missing. This is Bonaire; this is paradise.
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Date of stay: July 2011
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
In the private grounds of the lodge we had a 2-story former stables to ourselves. At breakfast, we could watch the hummingbirds, afterwards we would feed the pigs and have a stroll through the grounds watching birds, butterflies and iguanas in the cactuses. As the lodge is located close to Kralendijk, all the diving/snorkling spots and the National park are close by. The village of Kralendijk being just 10-15 minutes by car. If you like, you can prepare your own meals, there is a fully fitted kitchen and a nice table with a great view. The owner is taking great care of his property, keeping away the goats and mules that roam the country and eat up everything that grows except for the cactuses. The lodge uses only solar power, and since there is almost always a strong wind on Bonaire, your lodge is airconditioned by nature! Our kids simply loved the place, the animals, the outside shower (there is one inside too), their own room, the lookout, driving the unpaved road in the back of the pick-up truck, everything.
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Date of stay: July 2013Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When you're looking for a place to stay at Bonaire, look no further and book Auriga Ecolodge. The owner Hans (re)build the lodge (which was formerly a horse stable) with his own hands and he's deservedly proud of the result.
Expect a big wooden house with a nice and fully equipped kitchen, two showers (one outdoor shower!), two bedrooms, plenty of space to relax or sit and a rooftop terrace from where you can see a sky full of stars at night or a beautiful sunrise/sunset. All day and night you see and hear Bonaire's wildlife like iguanas, all kinds of birds, lizards and donkeys. And of course the three sweet dogs of Hans. The property is very green and lush compared to the dry, bare ground you see when you drive from Kralendijk to the lodge.
Hans himself is very nice, welcoming and helpful. He knows a lot about Bonaire's nature and is dedicated to preserve and protect it. That's why you really should go on a tour with him as well (Outdoor Bonaire). We did the Kayak tour in the mangroves, which was really nice!
Enjoy!!
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Date of stay: October 2013
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"You'll have your pick of a bedroom on the first floor next to the kitchen or a bedroom on the second floor above the kitchen. We chose the upper bedroom, which had wonderful airflow through the windows at night, and we especially enjoyed the sounds of the bush and the heavy downpours at night. There is also a deck with a hammock and table on this level."
There are more places to choose from in the Kralendijk area.
LOCATION
CaribbeanBonaireKralendijk
NUMBER OF ROOMS
2
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