Bonaire - where to stay?

[suemenglau]

We are going in late April till May 6. Reading a lot of different and at times conflicting reports on good value accomodations with dive packages...please advise the Good, the Bad and the Ugly places/operators?
1. looking for good value and more simple, but clean, safe & efficient place. Not interested in paying for swanky resort with casino, the hot-bar-spot in town, and it doesn't need to be oceanfront (unless you recommend otherwise).
2. we have all our gear...want a safe place, where I do not have to worry that the staff/other unscrupulous characters want to "help" themselves to our gear & cameras.
3. we are not staying for the typical 1-2 weeks, (more like 5-6 days) as we are flying on route from Venezuela, and might be there longer if the wild life turns out be very good. Not sure we even want unlimited per day diving, so are there places where you just pay per dive, or are all places typically packages with unlimited air a per day charge?
4. what is a typical per person cost for 2 persons/one room (with basic microwave/fridge/no kitchen) with car rental & tanks?
5. If we want to have a DM to come with us on a specific shore dive, what is the charge per day/per dive?
6. is Bonaire feeling some of the pinch the rest of the caribbean is feeling. With the US and world markets in a downturn, tourism has been on the decline. Are Bonaire prices dropping? Is tourism down?
Thanks for any feedback, especially on recommended accomodations & places to avoid!

 

[BDSC]

I think this place is just what you would be looking for.

Golden Reef Inn Resort--Home

While I have never stayed there, I read nothing but great things about them not only on this site but many other sites as well. Lots of folks on SB stay with them and love it. I'll bet Liz and Ed could easily answer all your questions.

You may also want to go to this website to find out a lot about staying and diving on Bonaire: Bonaire Talk - The place to discuss everything and anything about Bonaire!

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

 

[stortecky]

If you are going late April you might be better off staying for a full 7 as compared to 6 because with diving, hotels and car rentals many places are buy 6 get the 7th free. the =bBlack Durgon might be anouther one if you are looking cheap and on the water.

The de lamen might be another to look into. Or the gold reef as mentioned above

 

[ronski101]

Buddies works for us. if you want special attention contact them at their web site.

 

[keytofreedom]

I am on Bonaire now and haven't noticed any difference in the amount of people on island vacationing, this year vs. the last three. The owners of the place we're staying have said that most people booked (and paid their deposit) a year ago, so he's not sure how the economy is affecting his business. We come for 4 weeks every year and, for the last two, have stayed at Blachi Koko. You can check it out at blachikokobonaire.com. They have 5 apartments, no pool (fine with us); it looks like a garden of eden - truly beautiful. It's also very safe & clean. You aren't coming during high season, so maybe you can get a reservation. A 1 BR condo will probably cost you about $100 a day, maybe a little more...don't really know because we get a monthly rate.

Go online at infobonaire.com where you'll find a car rental form that allows you to get bids from many different rental car companies on island. You can probably plan on around $50 a day.

Carib Inn, two doors down, supplies unlimited air fills/tank rental for $99 a week. We LOVE shore diving and have never done a boat dive here (seems pointless unless you have some sort of disability) but you can check online with Carib. I believe their boat dives are very, very cheap. Also if you need any gear, like wetsuits, etc., buy them from Carib. They are so much cheaper than our dive shop back home.

Sorry, I don't know what a DM costs per day, but like BDSC says, bonairetalk.com is a great source of info and the people there are more than happy to share with you what they know, which is EVERYTHING, collectively, about Bonaire.

Enjoy your time here. You'll come back again and again.

 

[DiverKKC]

I've only stayed at one place, but have been happy with Buddy Dive. I have always gone for a week with the Drive and Dive Package; apartment (only bedroom is air-conditioned) w/ small kitchen, tv, sofa, etc., good continental breakfast, truck rental (insurance is extra), unlimited air fills at convenient drive-thru station, nice bar (sweet view). I have really enjoyed my stays there. Cost for 2 divers for a week drive and dive package including the above is about $1,100 each, not sure how the 5-6 day trip would work out.

The staff has always been very helpful and courteous. Augusto (head of dive operations) will gladly answer any questions that you have. Bart was my DM on the few boat dives to Klein that I took and is a great guy; super nice, asks you where you want to go and could always spot things I had missed...seahorses, frogfish, etc. I had a couple of beers with Murph (another DM) and got his opinion on several dive sites.

I'm sure there are other great places to stay, just relaying my experience at Buddy's.

Oh, another thing. You might want to spend part of a day driving through Washington Slagbai National Park. Some beautiful views and great photographic opportunities.

You'll have a great time.

Kevin

 

[b1gcountry]

We are going in late April till May 6. Reading a lot of different and at times conflicting reports on good value accomodations with dive packages...please advise the Good, the Bad and the Ugly places/operators?

I haven't seen any of the ugly. The good is Jerry Ligon at Bonaire Dive and Adventures for his fish seminars. Excellent value, and excellent class.

1. looking for good value and more simple, but clean, safe & efficient place. Not interested in paying for swanky resort with casino, the hot-bar-spot in town, and it doesn't need to be oceanfront (unless you recommend otherwise).

If you want simple and easy shore diving, it's nice to stay at a place with a house reef. Buddy's Captain Don's and Sanddollar all have excellent reefs, and it makes it a lot nicer to do a night dive when you are already home when you surface.

2. we have all our gear...want a safe place, where I do not have to worry that the staff/other unscrupulous characters want to "help" themselves to our gear & cameras.

You just need to watch your gear wherever you go. I would not trust my valuables anywhere.

3. we are not staying for the typical 1-2 weeks, (more like 5-6 days) as we are flying on route from Venezuela, and might be there longer if the wild life turns out be very good. Not sure we even want unlimited per day diving, so are there places where you just pay per dive, or are all places typically packages with unlimited air a per day charge?

The per day prices are usually quite reasonable. I know BDA charges ~$9 per tank of nitrox w/weights, and ~$20 per day of unlimited tanks. It won't be significantly cheaper unless you only do 1 dive.

4. what is a typical per person cost for 2 persons/one room (with basic microwave/fridge/no kitchen) with car rental & tanks?

Hotel $150/night. Car: $250/week Diving: $25/day

5. If we want to have a DM to come with us on a specific shore dive, what is the charge per day/per dive?

Depends on the DM. For a boat dive, figure about $30 extra for a one tank dive. Hiring a DM for the day might be $75, but that's a guess.

6. is Bonaire feeling some of the pinch the rest of the caribbean is feeling. With the US and world markets in a downturn, tourism has been on the decline. Are Bonaire prices dropping? Is tourism down?

Last I was there was November. It didn't seem like it.

 

[shawrg]

We are going in late April till May 6. Reading a lot of different and at times conflicting reports on good value accomodations with dive packages...please advise the Good, the Bad and the Ugly places/operators?
1. looking for good value and more simple, but clean, safe & efficient place. Not interested in paying for swanky resort with casino, the hot-bar-spot in town, and it doesn't need to be oceanfront (unless you recommend otherwise).

Everyone has a favorite but I always check with Carib Inn first. it seems to fit your requirements for good value and more simple, but clean, safe & efficient . dive shop prices are cheaper than most caribbean dive shops and compare favorable to anywhere.

 

[scubadada]

The "Dive with the Naturalist Course" with Jerry Ligon at BD&A is priceless. The half day it takes is invaluable. I would make all attempts to include this in my itinerary.

Good diving, Craig

 

[DiverKKC]

scubadada, is this course with Jerry Ligon a regular thing? Is it throughout the year, and can you just show up or need a reservation? I would love to attend this class if possible when I'm there later this year.