Bonaire in November - 2nd visit

[lala_atlas]

My husband and I are heading to Bonaire for the first week of November to celebrate our anniversary, my birthday, and give ourselves a vacation after two hellish years. I’ve been to Bonaire once before as a last minute solo trip in 2015 a year after getting certified and stayed at captain don’s which I loved because of finding a community of divers to spend the week with. I’ve been to curaçao 3 times, most recently with my husband two years ago and we found solo shore diving to be amazing - particularly spots where we could just explore the shallows and find blennies, octopus, etc.

Anyway I’ve gotten a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities in Bonaire and would love some feedback. Right now, I’m mainly deciding between captain don’s and grand windsock. Captain Don’s would be appealing because if we are feeling lazy we can just hop on the boat and join other divers, and we would still rent a car to be able to go elsewhere. But I am not sure if I’m drawn to it just bc I’ve been there before, or how likely it is to be full of groups. I think there will be pros and cons to boat dives. Grand windsock sounds pretty great in terms of the apartment and facilities but I’m not sure about the proximity to the airport or what it’s like in the southern part of the island. I also considered chogogo but am not sure about the resort vibe and got turned off by the sand issue. I considered other options (apartment, airbnb, a few other hotels that are a bit farther from the reef) but given the stress of the last two years I wanna make it as easy as possible on us for this trip. And money is a factor, so I can’t afford some of the higher end options.

Do people have insights on the choice between habitat and grand windsock, or anywhere else I’m missing out on that have a house dive shop and are on the reef? Any other tips for early November are definitely welcome! I am not the best at night dives but am gonna work up to the ostracods dive, that sounds amazing. Thanks in advance

 

[arew+4]

Den Laman condos, plenty of opportunity to do the group thing meet other divers if your in the mood, or do your own thing. Excellent house reef with super easy access. Dive Friends has a shop on the property and runs boats from the pier. On site restaurant bar, options within walking distance. Lots of reviews on this site. Only issue may be availability.

 

[scubadada]

Look at Sand Dollar and Den Laman, just south of Capt. Don's. Each has accommodations with kitchens, prepare the meals you want and go out for the rest. Dive Friends is on site. You have use of the gear storage room and access to the pier with tanks on it. Bari Reef is a great house reef day or night and the pier is easy access. Dive Friends boats leave from the pier. Generally quieter and without the groups at Capt Don's and Buddy Dive. Less like a resort, only Sand Dollar has a pool. To each their own.

EDIT: Ha, funny that @arew+4 was posting while I was writing, he beat me to it

 

[BoltSnap]

Den Laman

For somebody who isn't going to be cooking their own meals and wants some sort of a meal plan, is this a good choice? Do they offer breakfast and other meals on premises?

 

[BigDaddyGlad]

I always recommend newcomers to Bonaire stay at Buddy Dive and get the Boat Dive+Unlimited Air package. This gives you the best of everything the island has to offer in terms of diving: boat dives to explore Klein Bonaire and the northern sites not accessible by truck, convenient location, fantastic house reef (which is very easily navigable as a night dive!) and a super-efficient operation.

After a couple visits, you should be comfortable enough to go with a vacation rental/AirBNB/VRBO. I find that route to be a bit more cost-effective, and it's nicer to have a villa for a week rather than a hotel apartment.

I see you mention ostracods. Don't miss that opportunity! They only spawn two to five days after the full moon, so plan your trip dates accordingly. I also highly recommend booking a morning with East Coast Divers for a completely different experience from what you typically get on the leeward side. Lastly, an essential purchase is the Reef Smart Guide for Bonaire. I've been to the island about a half-dozen times and feel like I know it very well, but I still refer to the book as a refresher before every dive.

 

[tkaelin]

You asked about grand windsock vs. Capt. Dons. Haven't been to GW but have been diving with CD 7 times staying there 4 times. My two cents is if you enjoyed Capt Dons, why look elsewhere unless it really didn't check the important boxes for you. We did two trips to Capt Dons just this year and kept returning because we have been enjoying it more not less with each stay. Plus over the years there have been improvements including the new garden apartments and pool area, improvements to the bar area and to the diving dock and diving areas. We find it just plain easy, affordable and comfortable. We also like the single tank flexible boat dive set up. We book the Oceanfront Jr. Suit.

I get looking at other places but we also appreciate return visits to places we enjoy.

 

[arew+4]

For somebody who isn't going to be cooking their own meals and wants some sort of a meal plan, is this a good choice? Do they offer breakfast and other meals on premises?

They have an on-site restaurant, but I do not think it's open everyday, and I think it's mostly dinner, maybe lunch? Do if you don't want to do any meal prep is likely not a prime choice. Part of the draw of a condo situation is the flexibility on meal planning and the potential savings.

 

[scubadada]

For somebody who isn't going to be cooking their own meals and wants some sort of a meal plan, is this a good choice? Do they offer breakfast and other meals on premises?

No, Den Laman is far from an all inclusive resort. These are essentially apartments with full kitchens. We generally stay in one of the one bedroom ocean fronts. Spectacular view of the ocean, Klein Bonaire, and great sunsets from the balcony deck.

Breeze 'n Bites, downstairs, used to offer a breakfast, not connected to the rooms. I don't think they offer breakfast anymore. They are open for lunch Thur-Sun and dinner Thur-Monday. There are several places to get food that are very close, Pizza Mare, Doner Station, Pita Madre food truck, Eddy's at Sand Dollar, Luciano ice cream and Plazita Lima and Seaside Krioyo Fusion in Isidel Beach Park . There are several more restaurants within a short drive as well as a moderate sized grocery, Zhung Kong.

I don't pay much attention, I believe the only traditional all inclusives on Bonaire are Plaza Resort and Divi Flamingo.

 

[lala_atlas]

Thanks to everyone for your input! Based on the original simultaneous posts I ended up grabbing a studio at Den Laman! We're excited to have finally committed and to not be too far from Captain Don's, while also keeping it low key and flexible. Really glad to have the food recs, the suggestion to try an east coast dive, and the confirmation to be sure to catch the ostracods! and the guide. Now I have just a month to prepare (and looks like I'll be forced out of work for a bit too based on the news tonight, so this is a welcome distraction). Thanks again!!

 

[lala_atlas]

You asked about grand windsock vs. Capt. Dons. Haven't been to GW but have been diving with CD 7 times staying there 4 times. My two cents is if you enjoyed Capt Dons, why look elsewhere unless it really didn't check the important boxes for you. We did two trips to Capt Dons just this year and kept returning because we have been enjoying it more not less with each stay. Plus over the years there have been improvements including the new garden apartments and pool area, improvements to the bar area and to the diving dock and diving areas. We find it just plain easy, affordable and comfortable. We also like the single tank flexible boat dive set up. We book the Oceanfront Jr. Suit.

I get looking at other places but we also appreciate return visits to places we enjoy.

good point! it's nice to hear you keep coming back. I went with Den Laman for a few reasons (price being one) but I'm sure we'll still swing by captain don's to check it out. in some ways that first trip was really special because i was solo, and it was a great place to make friends with other divers and buddy up, but i wasn't sure this is what i'd want if i am going with my husband. but now we have all the flexibility in the world (for just one week!) so we'll definitely explore and hopefully we'll be back many more times in the years to come. thank you for your input!