1st trip to Bonaire! Lots of questions.

[diversteve]

Den Laman has arguably the best house reef on Bonaire - Bari Reef. And a dive dock with stairs down into the water. Just no beach but Cocoa Beach Club is literally next door. Den Laman is also a nicer, newer property in a good area - you can walk to 3-4 restaurants nearby, an ATM and a small market.

I believe Dive Friends recently took over the dive concession there - they also have a shop next door streetside but their Bari entrance is on the south end of their property next to Den Laman - stairs down to the beach. As I mentioned above, Dive Friends has the most shops in the most useful areas for the most part.

Last I heard Den Laman was recommending Eddie's - the Sand Dollar's restaurant - for breakfast as theirs was some sort of South American lunch/dinner only place. Next to Sand Dollar is Buddy Dive then Habitat - both have a couple places to eat plus house reefs - you used to be able to walk along the waterfront to any of them.

 

[dlawr3]

What's the point of going to bonaire if you want to do boat dives? Not being disrespectful/ nasty... just curious.

We're doing both. We want to get over to the island too! Plus it's my daughters first time diving so she should get to experience both.

 

[oldschoolto]

A lot of people go to Bonaire and only do boat dives... They want to be baby sat and not have to deal with moving gear.. I would talk to people that never left their resort.. To each their own...

Jim..

 

[dlawr3]

Den Laman has arguably the best house reef on Bonaire - Bari Reef. And a dive dock with stairs down into the water. Just no beach but Cocoa Beach Club is literally next door. Den Laman is also a nicer, newer property in a good area - you can walk to 3-4 restaurants nearby, an ATM and a small market.

I believe Dive Friends recently took over the dive concession there - they also have a shop next door streetside but their Bari entrance is on the south end of their property next to Den Laman - stairs down to the beach. As I mentioned above, Dive Friends has the most shops in the most useful areas for the most part.

Last I heard Den Laman was recommending Eddie's - the Sand Dollar's restaurant - for breakfast as theirs was some sort of South American lunch/dinner only place. Next to Sand Dollar is Buddy Dive then Habitat - both have a couple places to eat plus house reefs - you used to be able to walk along the waterfront to any of them.

Ok, I'm good then DL does have a place for breakfast, - breeze and bites, waterfront.
What's it like walking along the road?

 

[diversteve]

What's the point of going to bonaire if you want to do boat dives? Not being disrespectful/ nasty... just curious.

There's 26 dive sites surrounding Klein Bonaire and the last time I checked the water taxi would not let you bring dive gear on board.

Plus there's good dives only accessible by boat. Rappel is arguably one of the best - on our boat several regulars asked for it, Small Wall also. (unless you stay at Black Durgon Inn) I'd prefer to take a boat ride up into Slagbaai Park for those dives (although you can drive slowly with most trucks) I never have but I'd even dive 1000Steps from a boat - it's not the walk down that's the hard part...it's the 64 rock steps back up.. I think we did 6 boat dives - only one did we later pass on the road north.

 

[jimw]

Ok, I'm good then DL does have a place for breakfast, - breeze and bites, waterfront.
What's it like walking along the road?

There is a sidewalk along the road at least from the traffic circle north passing Den Laman, Sand Dollar, Buddydive, Habitat, and more resorts. All oceanfront and with easy water access via stairs into the water or a giant stride off the docks The sidewalk is not the best, but serviceable, walk carefully dodging donkey dung and thorns!
The best stairs look to be at the dock in front of DL which also serves SD. I've not used them however.

Zung Kong grocery and oriental restaurant are across the road and a little further north of Habitat and the Dive Friends shop at the dive site Cliff. Cliff is also accessible from Habitat and the places north to the mentioned DF shop.

Between 2 Buns is a GREAT sandwich place also serving breakfast and open until 5pm. It is in Sand Dollar strip plaza in front of the resort on the road as is
Eddy's Restaurant.. Den Laman has a restaurant on the ground floor oceanfront. Habitat has a restaurant and pizza restaurant oceanfront, Buddy has Ingridient's oceanfront and another off the ocean a bit.

I always suggest having breakfast at "home", as meals cut into dive time.....Either house restaurant or room. A brecky buffet pkg is available at most of these resorts.

 

[diversteve]

Ok, I'm good then DL does have a place for breakfast, - breeze and bites, waterfront. What's it like walking along the road?

I forgot about that, I think B&B moved in when the SA place closed.

Walking along the road there should be OK.

If you did want to walk - about as far north as you'd want to go is Habitat for Rumrunners or the Pizza Kitchen. Google Earth puts it at 4/10 of a mile. Going south - the heart of downtown is around Town Pier - 3/4 of a mile south.There's also a cobblestone walkway along the harbor front downtown - IDK how far it extends. Some of the better restaurants are in that area or a few hundred yards south.

Pull up the area on Google Maps - it shows all of this.

To do any serious shore diving/sightseeing you'll need a vehicle. The lighthouse and salt pans are at the far south end of the island and Slagbaai park the north. There's just over a dozen cabs total on Bonaire so that's not a reliable option - esp. if any cruise ships are in when you're there.

 

[jimw]

I put in an email request to VIP. It does look like a great fit. Still trying to find the perfect place to stay, though. I have a reservation at den lamen, will have to look into some of the other places mentioned. We definitely want a good house reef. How is the reef there? I don't know about their dive shop? And I've got to look into a vehicle. Do you have to pick up at the airport? Can I maybe get one delivered? And would a car be adequate? In reality we'd probably only take it out for shore diving a day or maybe two. Plus, I would really only like to have it part of the week, since we're doing boat dives and the guided dives, I don't know that we need it the whole time. I'll look at the rates. Has anyone snorkeled at Klein Bonaire, as opposed to diving it? The trips get such good reviews I'm wondering how the diving compares? Plus, half price for kids on the snorkel trip! Ching Thanks everyone who chimed in to help me.

Several of the hotels have rental vehicles available onsite. Budget at Habitat, Buddy has it's own trucks only as I understand it. Hertz at Flamingo Beach next to Bruce Bowker's. All of'em deliver. Several folks who went with us to Habitat last year rented Budget trucks for a day or 2--no problem. They had brand new Toyota Hi-Lux tiny pickups and jeez they were hard riding. I would maybe try an suv or something with a softer ride--IF they will allow diving from an suv......

 

[dlawr3]

I forgot about that, I think B&B moved in when the SA place closed.

Walking along the road there should be OK.

If you did want to walk - about as far north as you'd want to go is Habitat for Rumrunners or the Pizza Kitchen. Google Earth puts it at 4/10 of a mile. Going south - the heart of downtown is around Town Pier - 3/4 of a mile south.There's also a cobblestone walkway along the harbor front downtown - IDK how far it extends. Some of the better restaurants are in that area or a few hundred yards south.

Pull up the area on Google Maps - it shows all of this.

Cool, i forgot about that, dah. I see there's an outdoor movie theater close by too! How fun!

 

[dlawr3]

Several of the hotels have rental vehicles available onsite. Budget at Habitat, Buddy has it's own trucks only as I understand it. Hertz at Flamingo Beach next to Bruce Bowker's. All of'em deliver. Several folks who went with us to Habitat last year rented Budget trucks for a day or 2--no problem. They had brand new Toyota Hi-Lux tiny pickups and jeez they were hard riding. I would maybe try an suv or something with a softer ride--IF they will allow diving from an suv......

Ok, this is good to know. Will check them out. I'm so glad to be on this site and getting this info. I really appreciate everyone who's on. Thanks