Bonaire-- best house reef / most deluxe accommodations

[mintaka]

We're planning a one week trip to Bonaire at the end of May. I have received a quote for a package at Captain Don's. Before I pull the trigger on that I thought I'd just explore a bit further. We plan on doing a lot of diving on the house reef where ever we stay, so a really nice house reef is probably the highest priority. Second to this would be have as deluxe accommodations as possible. Any recommendations ? I've seen more recommendations for Buddy's than I have for Capt Dons... how different are they ? Just for reference, we spent a week in Curacao last year at Habitat and loved it.

Thanks !

 

[TheWizard]

They're adjacent to each other, same basic reef.
Deluxest accomodations, you should hit Harbour Village, I think.
But most folks are fine at either Buddy's or Don's.
Try one this year, the other next year...

 

[scubacat1]

The Wizard is right. I've never stayed at Don's, but I've been to Buddy's many times. Same basic reef except that Don has a small tugboat on his and Buddy's has Charlie the friendly tarpon.

For deluxe digs, the Plaza.

 

[diversteve]

I've been to all three but not inside a room - except at Buddy's briefly. Both would be similar to Habitat on Curacao - Capt's Don's might be older. At one time I think Capt' Don owned Habitat Curacao - or was some how affiliated. Food's better at Capt' Don's anyway....lol.

Harbour Village is quite a bit nicer but not on an especially good reef - the draw there is the beach and a small wreck offshore - the diving is rubble diving in some areas.

You might look into Den Laman, they appear to be a lot nicer inside since their only a few years old and are on Bari Reef - IMO one of the best resort reefs on Bonaire. Sand Dollar condos next door is comparable also to Habitat and on Bari Reef also. Sand Dollar's pool is in the parking lot though behind the condos.

One thing I've seen mentioned about Den Laman is that some of the smaller units face the parking lot. I've never stayed there.

There's also two sides to Buddy's - their resort and the former Lions Dive condo property next door that they acquired a few years ago. I've no personal experience visiting the LD side but I've read it's older and maybe not as well maintained depending on the individual owner's standards. We've stayed at the other Buddy-affiliated property - BelMar condos in Belnem - it's nicer but their house reef was something we only did once after our BMP dive.

You might also look at the Divi Flamingo - it's part of the Divi resorts chain, is on a good house reef, has the casino and a small beach, and is walking distance to the restaurants/shops downtown.

Most of the north dive resorts are on ironshore so although there's sand, calling it a beach is a stretch - if that's of interest. Although any of them beat the "beach" at Habitat...lol.

 

[gypsyjim]

I have stayed at both Buddy and Den Lamen. Both are on a great house reef, the same Bari Reef as Capt Don's. I wouldn't describe either as luxury, but they are both pretty nice. Can't say anything much about Don's having only eaten dinner there, which was a very good meal, but pricy.

The reef is awesome, day or night, and even when I stay off resort I return continually to Buddy's to get onto Bari Reef. Daytime, nighttime, predawn. If I do 21 dives in a week on Bonaire probably 1/4, at least are on Bari.

This June we are staying for the first time at the Plaza, which is supposed to also have a good house reef, and has a reputation as a nice resort too!

Basically, I go to Bonaire to dive my @$$ off, and all I need is a place to sleep and hang a wet swim suit to dry!

 

[diverrex]

Well you asked about deluxe accomodations so I couldn't resist passing this place along:

Bonaire Beach House - The most beautiful villa with swimming pool on the island!

I can only dream about staying there.

 

[Abaco24]

About $1500 to $2000 per person depending on your options for a week.
Harbour Village Luxury Hotel Bonaire

 

[vladimir]

I have stayed at Harbour Village Beach Club four times, each time staying in a beachfront suite. The suites are nicely done: spacious, with a living room, bedroom, large bathroom with separate shower, toilet, and soaking tub areas, and a little vestibule. The rooms are slightly dated but well-maintained and about what you'd expect for the $500-$600 a night you'll spend. The beach is nice--probably the nicest on the island. I think they truck the sand in. The house reef, however, sucks. It might be the worst dive on the island. Hairy red algae cling to dead coral--there are, however, a lot of juvenile fish, octopuses, eels, etc, so a macro photgrapher can find subjects, and there's that wreck down on the southern end, off of the restaurant. The restaurant, La Balandra, is one of the best on the island, in my opinion. To the extent that some are concerned about security on the island, I would say you can be less concerned while you are within the confines of the resort--access is by pass-code through a manned gate and lockers are provided for gear. The rooms have safes, of course. It is by no means a fortress, but I have left gear to dry overnight in the patio outside the suite and have never had anything disappear.

 

[DiverVince]

The access to good diving at Harbour Village is attained by crossing the channel underwater and diving the Something Special site in front of the Bluewater Condo. As Vladimir indicated, the diving directly in front is way below Bonaire's standards. Having said that, H.V. is perhaps the most luxurious resort on the island.

 

[vladimir]

The access to good diving at Harbour Village is attained by crossing the channel underwater and diving the Something Special site in front of the Bluewater Condo.

Good point, Vince.