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Anyone have any experience with the Bellafonte?
Bellafonte Chateau de la Mer? Anyone?
- Thread starter cowboyneal
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WarmWaterDiver
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Yes, twice, and we would stay there again if we visit Bonaire again.
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It looked nice but it's a little far south so a 5-10 minute drive to any kind of food or diveops. I don't think they have one onsite so the nearest would probably be the satellite Buddy Dive operation at BelMar nearby. Which is another good option in that area. We stayed there(BelMar) two years ago. It's a peaceful, quiet residential area south of town and really close to all the really good south dive sites - the Hooker, Salt Pier, Angel City etc.
WarmWaterDiver
Contributor
Having stayed there, I can give you more details if you like cowboyneal. Just shoot me a PM.
The simple stuff :
It's close to Belnem, and we picked up tanks from Photo Tours (first trip at their Caribbean Court location, last trip at Port Bonaire, on the other end of the beach by the airport). Marcel was working with Photo Tours / Dive Friends to set up tank inventory on-site when we left after our Thanksgiving 2006 visit, so that may be a done deal by now. The 'free upgrade to nitrox for nitrox certified divers' at the Photo Tours Port Bonaire location worked great for us!
http://www.dive-friends-bonaire.com/pt_port_bonaire.html
The house reef is the Corporal Meiss dive site in the Schnabel & Swygert book - they evidently founded Photo Tours, as some of my older books have their names in front of "Photo Tours" in the business name. Most of the photos in my 2006 trip gallery were taken from our dives on the house reef there. The old scientific research grid right at the dropoff is a perfect navigation aid, day or night. Many of the pics were dusk dives that we enjoy - the slipper lobster was bigger than a shoebox!
There are restaraunts in the Belnem area, or just on the other side of the airport and Caribbean Court - Chibi Chibi with Divi is probably one of the closest, and there was a place by Lisa Car Wash called Gibi's. Anyway, after Chibi Chibi there's loads of places to eat all the way through town (Cactus Blue & Donna & Georgio's were our favorites on our 2006 trip). There's also a (some?) restaraunt(s) on the road to Sorobon as I recall.
Marcel at the Bellafonte can set you up with extra discounts from Photo Tours and AB Car rental through their concierge service as well. This worked great for us.
My wife's U/W pics from our trip are now in my gallery - she's working on the above water ones. Got great shots of trupials, either the Bonaire parrot or Parakeet (we're still debating / deliberating - the external differences seem subtle to us), and some interesting weaver bird nests at Port Bonaire when we dropped off & picked up tanks.
For us, the location is just right - we're not 'party animals', so the distance from live music etc. is a plus for us, but the convenience of town and the southern dive sites is right there if you start up your truck.
The drying room is roomy enough for everyone for both of the visits we made.
North sites are still reachable - the green moray eel pic was a dusk dive at Andrea II for example - good size, around 5 feet long, and we had the site to ourselves for that dive.
The simple stuff :
It's close to Belnem, and we picked up tanks from Photo Tours (first trip at their Caribbean Court location, last trip at Port Bonaire, on the other end of the beach by the airport). Marcel was working with Photo Tours / Dive Friends to set up tank inventory on-site when we left after our Thanksgiving 2006 visit, so that may be a done deal by now. The 'free upgrade to nitrox for nitrox certified divers' at the Photo Tours Port Bonaire location worked great for us!
http://www.dive-friends-bonaire.com/pt_port_bonaire.html
The house reef is the Corporal Meiss dive site in the Schnabel & Swygert book - they evidently founded Photo Tours, as some of my older books have their names in front of "Photo Tours" in the business name. Most of the photos in my 2006 trip gallery were taken from our dives on the house reef there. The old scientific research grid right at the dropoff is a perfect navigation aid, day or night. Many of the pics were dusk dives that we enjoy - the slipper lobster was bigger than a shoebox!
There are restaraunts in the Belnem area, or just on the other side of the airport and Caribbean Court - Chibi Chibi with Divi is probably one of the closest, and there was a place by Lisa Car Wash called Gibi's. Anyway, after Chibi Chibi there's loads of places to eat all the way through town (Cactus Blue & Donna & Georgio's were our favorites on our 2006 trip). There's also a (some?) restaraunt(s) on the road to Sorobon as I recall.
Marcel at the Bellafonte can set you up with extra discounts from Photo Tours and AB Car rental through their concierge service as well. This worked great for us.
My wife's U/W pics from our trip are now in my gallery - she's working on the above water ones. Got great shots of trupials, either the Bonaire parrot or Parakeet (we're still debating / deliberating - the external differences seem subtle to us), and some interesting weaver bird nests at Port Bonaire when we dropped off & picked up tanks.
For us, the location is just right - we're not 'party animals', so the distance from live music etc. is a plus for us, but the convenience of town and the southern dive sites is right there if you start up your truck.
The drying room is roomy enough for everyone for both of the visits we made.
North sites are still reachable - the green moray eel pic was a dusk dive at Andrea II for example - good size, around 5 feet long, and we had the site to ourselves for that dive.
WarmWaterDiver
Contributor
Oh yeah, what rooms we have been in. We stayed in room 304 in May 2004, my non-diving in-laws were with us for part of that trip. They only charged us the 2 bedroom rate while my in-laws were there, and the 1 bedroom rate when only us two were there.
Stayed in Room 301 last trip - just us 2, no in-laws.
The third floor corner rooms (like 301) have their own mini hot tub.
Penthouse construction was in the last phases when we were there in late Nov / early Dec. 2006. Elevators were installed but not yet operational then; probably completed by now. If interested, drop them an e-mail asking about construction status.
Stayed in Room 301 last trip - just us 2, no in-laws.
The third floor corner rooms (like 301) have their own mini hot tub.
Penthouse construction was in the last phases when we were there in late Nov / early Dec. 2006. Elevators were installed but not yet operational then; probably completed by now. If interested, drop them an e-mail asking about construction status.
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