Bonaire- Cheap Eats/Tips? Going Oct 10-17 if anyone wants some buddies

[MeganW89]

Hi Everyone,
My Dad and I are looking at going to Bonaire Oct 10-17. We have found a few reasonably priced rental houses and shore diving seems relatively inexpensive but food seems very high. Where do the locals and budget conscious divers eat out? We have been spoiled with our past few trips being to Roatan. Also any tips on the island/lodging/diving are greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Megan

 

[KathyV]

Sounds like you are planning a great trip. A rental house, condo, or apartment is a good idea because eating out 3 times a day is expensive and it takes up time. We like to rent an apartment at Den Laman and dive with Bari Dive and Adventure. We prepare some simple meals and eat out for others. I am not crazy about fast food and the nicer restaurants on Bonaire can be pricey. I also have some food allergies so sometimes eating at home is just easier.

I have made this suggestion before to divers looking to reduce expenses on Bonaire, but I have never stayed there personally, but the Plaza Beach Resort is an all-inclusive and the costs include accommodations, all meals, non-alcoholic and well-brand alcoholic beverages, free nitrox, WiFi, and unlimited shore diving. I think the price also incudes taxes, service charges, and airport transfers but I am not certain about that.

I have read both negative and positive reviews of the Plaza Beach Resort so you need to do some research if you are interested. Right now they are advertising $1,100 per shore diver with the option to upgrade to include 1 or 2 tank boat dives, see the link below:

Plaza Resort Bonaire All Inclusive Dive Experience Package - Caradonna Dive Adventures

Other expenses will include: airfare, car/truck rental, insurance, gasoline, marine park fee, tips for the dive shop staff, and the departure tax.

Wherever you stay, security is an important issue. I love Bonaire but break-ins and petty thievery are a recurrent problem so make sure that you are staying on a secure property. Don't just pick a place because it seems cheap.

Another tip, sometimes lodgings are advertised as air-conditioned, but that may just mean AC in the bedrooms. If that is important to you then make sure that the entire unit has AC. Cars and trucks may or may not have air-conditioning so again, be sure to check first.

FYI, the link below is for a recent post of mine about Bonaire and Plaza Resort. Good luck and have fun wherever you decide to stay!
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...80-where-should-i-go-october.html#post7474623

 

[diversteve]

Subway, BobbeJans, KFC (with beer), Wattaburger, Between Two Buns, Cactus Blue on the Beach (food truck)

Anything with Snak in the name on this list: Bonaire's Restaurants | InfoBonaire

Food is very high. It's an island and it mostly comes from Curacao on a container ship.

Rentals are cheaper if you're willing to drive to the water. Check out Lagoen Hills if you are. Even across the street from the water can be cheaper - or an obstructed view. Anything south of the airport is an automatic drive to town for food/restaurants - there aren't any in the area.
Or north of the north dive resorts. (Past Habitat except for Caribbean Club's pool restaurant - and maybe 1-2 others I'm not thinking of.)

 

[Doctorfish]

Try Mi Banana.

The place is dumpy but the food is quite good and the prices are low. Columbian menu as well as the usual North American stuff. I usually have the fresh fish or a fish burger. Huge piece of wahoo on a bun with onion tomato and lettuce.
The Rumba Cafe in town is quite reasonable and has a good view of the harbour.

+1 for Bobbe Jans and between 2 buns.

 

[oldschoolto]

Eating out takes time and is pricey., The wife and I will be down for 2 weeks in October starting the 13th... We stay at a friend's house by the airport... Breakfast is eggs or oatmeal cooked at home... Lunch is a sandwich or fruits W/ snank (light) and than we cook a dinner at home... We like to barbeque and we enjoy the time cooking together... Then we try and do a night dive... We don't always get that done.. But, You'll be with your dad.. So you guys don't have our "problem"... LoL

Jim..

 

[KathyV]

Sometimes the lunch menus are cheaper than dinner items at restaurants like ZeeZicht, so you can have a larger meal for lunch and a light meal later. Just make sure you don't go on a day that cruise ships are in port because it may be crowded.

You didn't mention your age or if you will be drinking alcohol, but a lot of the bars - like Karel's Beach Bar - have a happy hour around 5 pm and that helps to reduce the expense, too.

We like to barbecue but didn't have a grill available. The last time we were there we went to one of the stores and picked up a cheap grill like the one at the link below. Then all we needed was a roll of aluminum foil and a small bag of charcoal and we were ready to cook. We just left the grill behind when we checked out.
Kmart.com

 

[MeganW89]

Thank you all for your advice. I think we found a 2 bedroom rental house made for divers with very good reviews for about $700 a week so I think that part is taken care of. Then diving is about $300 for both of us. So for us the "all inclusive" isn't really what we are looking for.
We love food trucks, "hole in the walls, and the local quick food options. And yes, I am 26, I am old enough to drink. So I do appreciate bar/drink suggestions as well.
I'm not sure how up to date this is, but here is what I have found from various other websites if anyone can give their 2cents:

Smoked chicken from the Van Den Tweel Truck in front of Warehouse Foods
Kite City Truck
Chinese Lunch Plates
Pasa Bon Pizza
Wattaburger
Dutch supermarket Cheese and baguette
Cactus Blue lunch truck at Kite Beach
Pastechi
Between 2 Buns
Rum Runner's which at Captain Don's habitat-order off the lunch menu in the evenings
BBQ night at Dive Hut
BobbeJans
Mi Banana
Maiky's Shack

 

[diversteve]

There's also the Pizza Temple at RumRunners. Specialties - Rum Runners BonaireRum Runners Bonaire My choice for pizza would be Donna & Giorgio though - not the most affordable option though although I don't really recall it being expensive either. I was underwhelmed by the food at RumRunners but only ate dinner there once.

Some other possibilities: Bonaire Dining - Bonaire Official Tourism Site

If you haven't read about it yet, service can be really slow when dining out. It's not that they're incompetent it's just island time plus most places consider your their guest and want you to stay as long as you like w/o being rushed. In fact at many - like Donna/Giorgio - we had to ask for the check 2-3 times.

"Dive" Bars I know:

Habitat has the Deco Stop Bar overlooking the dive dock/operation. Rum Runners Deco Stop Bar Rum Runners does BBQ one night a week - maybe Monday? Kind of fun to watch the Tarpon feed in the overhead lights.
Buddy Dive has one at Blennies - Really popular judging from the noise level - and we were next door. Blennies Restaurant - Buddy Dive Resort
Eden Beach has something called Spice Beach Club - have not been there since it opened. Spice Beach Club Bonaire - seems kind of upscale.
Karel's Bar downtown is an institution. http://www.karelsbeachbar.com/
Coconut Crash at the Plaza Resort. Once a week they do a beach BBQ there with live music. Lately it's either Tuesday or Thursday. Also it's on the beach, there's volleyball etc. https://www.plazaresortbonaire.com/en/culinary/cocunut-crash-beach-bar/about-coconut-crash-beach-bar I recommend it - it's a fun time.
Little Havana is the closest thing to a nightclub there is: http://www.littlehavanabonaire.com/

my .02

If you see any posts for City Cafe, they closed last year. Too bad that was cheap food/bar and music in one.

 

[djtimmy77]

We bring our own dry oatmeal, pasta, and whatever dry spoces we may think we will need. So, oatmeal for breakfast. Gouda sandwiches for lunch, and a variety of stuff we pick up at local grocery stores for dinner with some pasta from home mixed in. We generally only go out to eat maybe once or twice in a week in Bonaire. It is slow and not worth the hassle for us.

 

[KathyV]

Mono Lisa has been on Bonaire forever and it is a popular place with divers

Mona Lisa - Bonaire