Well, it was good to be back on Bonaire. I was there for 2 weeks in January 2020 just prior to COVID becoming a part of our lives. After being used to annual Bonaire dive trips for quite a while, I was really looking forward to “dive freedom” – set my own schedule, dive my own dive sites, dive my own dive profiles. There is nothing quite like Bonaire.
My wife and I always fly from Portland to Bonaire through Houston on United. We have been able to get to Bonaire in the same day with a very early morning departure, a quick, but makeable layover in Houston and an arrival on Saturday evening around 6:30pm.
That flight was not available to us on this trip, so we ended up taking an 11pm flight on a Friday night that arrived in Newark early the next morning, followed by a 90-minute layover and on to Bonaire with an arrival by 1:30pm on Saturday afternoon. The downside to this was the lack of sleep on the redeye (for me). The upside was that we got in early enough to get settled into our accommodations, get to the dive shop to acquire weights and check-in and still get in a nice dive, followed by dinner.
We have stayed in many places on Bonaire over the years, depending on whether we are there by ourselves, there by myself, or there with small groups or large groups. This was our 2nd time in a row staying at Bamboo Bonaire (formerly known as Bamboo Bali Bonaire). After two outstanding experiences, we will likely always stay there going forward, when it is just the two of us. Bamboo Bonaire is located across the street from Captain Don’s Habitat. It is like walking into a SE Asian oasis. The landscaping is stunning and tropical. All accommodations are individual, self-contained villas. There are basically 3 villa types at three different price points ranging from $1150 per person, per week to $1500 per person, per week (depending on villa type and time of year). That price includes a rental truck with CDW insurance from AB Carrental, unlimited nitrox or air package with VIP diving + the villa.
All villas come with full kitchen, huge bathrooms and private outdoor space. You can check the website for all of the nitty gritty, but in my opinion, it is affordable luxury. VIP delivers tanks each day, so there is no need to go to VIP’s dive shop to pick up and drop off tanks (although you can do that, if in the area). There is an analyzer next to the tank station for those diving Nitrox. There are 2 different rinse and drying areas within the completely secure and walled compound of Bamboo Bonaire. There are also individual lockers, if desired.
Bamboo Bonaire - Boutique Resort - Bamboo Bonaire
I have to say that the tank fills from VIP were the best I have ever experienced. Fills were consistently 3200-3400 psi, Nitrox was a consistent 32-33% and we never had a bad o-ring among the 84 tanks we used during the 2 weeks we were there.
The only downside to staying at Bamboo Bonaire is that it is not waterfront and thus has no “house reef”. Which is one of the great advantages to staying at a place like Den Laman (where we have stayed in the past). We were close enough to walk across the street geared up and enter the water at the Captain Don’s pier if we really wanted. We never did, but did choose to have our last dive of the day there on a few occasions. We would pull in with the truck and park, gear up at the truck and walk the few steps down to the pier for an easy entry and exit. It is a great dive site in it’s own right. Head north on the reef and dive the Cliff and return or head south to the Machaca wreck and the reef in front of Buddy’s and return. On high current days, you could easily drift south all the way to the Den Laman pier and exit south of the pier at the Bari Reef parking area. We had a day like that with a ripping south current flowing through that channel.
We had a nice daily routine during our stay. Leisurely breakfast, make our lunch and throw it in the provided cooler, load gear and tanks into the truck and head out for the day to do 3-4 dives. We would always find a nice location to have our lunch after dive 2 and then get in our 3rd dive and then decide if we wanted to add a 4th or call it good for the day.
Historically, I am one of those people that loves to eat out at a restaurant every evening in Bonaire, as there are so many great options. I also love hitting all of the food trucks for lunch between dives. This trip was very different, in that with the exception of 2 evening meals out at Mezze (Syrian/Lebanese/Med cuisine), we had all dinners at the villa and made our lunches each day. It was a good routine, saved considerable money and Iost weight .
The diving was excellent. Water temps were a consistent 79-80. We only shore dived. I got in 44 dives and my wife did 40. Visibility was generally a bit cloudy, and days were quite windy, with a couple of exceptions. The further southern dive sites were difficult to access due to swell and wave height. There was never an issue once you rounded the corner back north at Pink Beach and dive sites headed back to town.
Not sure if it was an anomaly due to spring break and easter week, but the amount of territory being covered, and the vast number of the kite boarders has really expanded at the southern sites. They and their boats were sailing as far south as Sweet Dreams and as far north as Red Beryl. I felt a bit unsafe diving some of my favorite sites as there were numerous boats and the kite boarders will come all the way into the shallows at very high speeds.
We dived a couple of new “unmarked” dive sites that were outstanding, and we took a day trip up to the national park for some diving there, which was highlighted by a wonderful dive at Playa Funchi. For some reason, I had never dived this dive site up in the park before. It is an idyllic setting and backdrop. It has a couple of shaded picnic tables for hanging out or eating and a drop dead gorgeous salina and mountain views behind the dive site and the parking area. We had been getting some big evening downpours and everything was a verdant green. The reef was gorgeous and truly worthy of doing back-to-back dives there after a surface interval.
We saw all the usual critters and had numerous spotted eagle ray encounters, 3 frog fish on Bari Reef, numerous turtles, lots of eels of all shapes and sizes and I was struck on this trip by the number of scorpion fish we saw on most dives. Including a large pair huddled next to one another right under the NE corner of the Bari/Sand Dollar/Den Laman pier in 7 feet of water. Lots of porcupine fish and I always love the number and variety of trumpetfish on Bonaire. Loads of Spotted drums also.
All in all, a stellar trip and we look forward to getting back into our annual Bonaire visit.
I am off to Fiji in less than 3 weeks. Be on the lookout for a much more detailed trip report for that adventure. We don’t get many detailed reports on Fiji and whereas I have been to Fiji in the past on a few occasions- going back to 1983- it was always as a snorkeler or surfer. So, this will be the first dedicated dive trip and I can’t wait. I will be going with my close knit private dive group from Portland, OR and we will have the entire resort to ourselves for 2 weeks of diving the Rainbow Reef from the island of Taveuni at the Taveuni Dive Resort: Taveuni Dive Resort
My wife and I always fly from Portland to Bonaire through Houston on United. We have been able to get to Bonaire in the same day with a very early morning departure, a quick, but makeable layover in Houston and an arrival on Saturday evening around 6:30pm.
That flight was not available to us on this trip, so we ended up taking an 11pm flight on a Friday night that arrived in Newark early the next morning, followed by a 90-minute layover and on to Bonaire with an arrival by 1:30pm on Saturday afternoon. The downside to this was the lack of sleep on the redeye (for me). The upside was that we got in early enough to get settled into our accommodations, get to the dive shop to acquire weights and check-in and still get in a nice dive, followed by dinner.
We have stayed in many places on Bonaire over the years, depending on whether we are there by ourselves, there by myself, or there with small groups or large groups. This was our 2nd time in a row staying at Bamboo Bonaire (formerly known as Bamboo Bali Bonaire). After two outstanding experiences, we will likely always stay there going forward, when it is just the two of us. Bamboo Bonaire is located across the street from Captain Don’s Habitat. It is like walking into a SE Asian oasis. The landscaping is stunning and tropical. All accommodations are individual, self-contained villas. There are basically 3 villa types at three different price points ranging from $1150 per person, per week to $1500 per person, per week (depending on villa type and time of year). That price includes a rental truck with CDW insurance from AB Carrental, unlimited nitrox or air package with VIP diving + the villa.
All villas come with full kitchen, huge bathrooms and private outdoor space. You can check the website for all of the nitty gritty, but in my opinion, it is affordable luxury. VIP delivers tanks each day, so there is no need to go to VIP’s dive shop to pick up and drop off tanks (although you can do that, if in the area). There is an analyzer next to the tank station for those diving Nitrox. There are 2 different rinse and drying areas within the completely secure and walled compound of Bamboo Bonaire. There are also individual lockers, if desired.
Bamboo Bonaire - Boutique Resort - Bamboo Bonaire
I have to say that the tank fills from VIP were the best I have ever experienced. Fills were consistently 3200-3400 psi, Nitrox was a consistent 32-33% and we never had a bad o-ring among the 84 tanks we used during the 2 weeks we were there.
The only downside to staying at Bamboo Bonaire is that it is not waterfront and thus has no “house reef”. Which is one of the great advantages to staying at a place like Den Laman (where we have stayed in the past). We were close enough to walk across the street geared up and enter the water at the Captain Don’s pier if we really wanted. We never did, but did choose to have our last dive of the day there on a few occasions. We would pull in with the truck and park, gear up at the truck and walk the few steps down to the pier for an easy entry and exit. It is a great dive site in it’s own right. Head north on the reef and dive the Cliff and return or head south to the Machaca wreck and the reef in front of Buddy’s and return. On high current days, you could easily drift south all the way to the Den Laman pier and exit south of the pier at the Bari Reef parking area. We had a day like that with a ripping south current flowing through that channel.
We had a nice daily routine during our stay. Leisurely breakfast, make our lunch and throw it in the provided cooler, load gear and tanks into the truck and head out for the day to do 3-4 dives. We would always find a nice location to have our lunch after dive 2 and then get in our 3rd dive and then decide if we wanted to add a 4th or call it good for the day.
Historically, I am one of those people that loves to eat out at a restaurant every evening in Bonaire, as there are so many great options. I also love hitting all of the food trucks for lunch between dives. This trip was very different, in that with the exception of 2 evening meals out at Mezze (Syrian/Lebanese/Med cuisine), we had all dinners at the villa and made our lunches each day. It was a good routine, saved considerable money and Iost weight .
The diving was excellent. Water temps were a consistent 79-80. We only shore dived. I got in 44 dives and my wife did 40. Visibility was generally a bit cloudy, and days were quite windy, with a couple of exceptions. The further southern dive sites were difficult to access due to swell and wave height. There was never an issue once you rounded the corner back north at Pink Beach and dive sites headed back to town.
Not sure if it was an anomaly due to spring break and easter week, but the amount of territory being covered, and the vast number of the kite boarders has really expanded at the southern sites. They and their boats were sailing as far south as Sweet Dreams and as far north as Red Beryl. I felt a bit unsafe diving some of my favorite sites as there were numerous boats and the kite boarders will come all the way into the shallows at very high speeds.
We dived a couple of new “unmarked” dive sites that were outstanding, and we took a day trip up to the national park for some diving there, which was highlighted by a wonderful dive at Playa Funchi. For some reason, I had never dived this dive site up in the park before. It is an idyllic setting and backdrop. It has a couple of shaded picnic tables for hanging out or eating and a drop dead gorgeous salina and mountain views behind the dive site and the parking area. We had been getting some big evening downpours and everything was a verdant green. The reef was gorgeous and truly worthy of doing back-to-back dives there after a surface interval.
We saw all the usual critters and had numerous spotted eagle ray encounters, 3 frog fish on Bari Reef, numerous turtles, lots of eels of all shapes and sizes and I was struck on this trip by the number of scorpion fish we saw on most dives. Including a large pair huddled next to one another right under the NE corner of the Bari/Sand Dollar/Den Laman pier in 7 feet of water. Lots of porcupine fish and I always love the number and variety of trumpetfish on Bonaire. Loads of Spotted drums also.
All in all, a stellar trip and we look forward to getting back into our annual Bonaire visit.
I am off to Fiji in less than 3 weeks. Be on the lookout for a much more detailed trip report for that adventure. We don’t get many detailed reports on Fiji and whereas I have been to Fiji in the past on a few occasions- going back to 1983- it was always as a snorkeler or surfer. So, this will be the first dedicated dive trip and I can’t wait. I will be going with my close knit private dive group from Portland, OR and we will have the entire resort to ourselves for 2 weeks of diving the Rainbow Reef from the island of Taveuni at the Taveuni Dive Resort: Taveuni Dive Resort
