Canucks invade Bonaire

[r2t]

Four cold water Canucks invade Bonaire. We stayed at Buddy dive resort.

I will start with the bad. The continental red eye sucks. I will do my best to avoid that flight next time. That's it for the bad

After reading so many reviews on scubaboard I knew our room would not be ready until the afternoon. We had breakfast,did our orientation and check out dive and the room was ready around 2:00 pm. I skipped the next dive and took a power nap. I still managed to get 3 dives in that day.

The resort it's self was perfect. Our room was very nice and located next to the breakfast bar, dive shop , pool and the driveway so we could pull over right beside the room to unload gear. I can't say one bad thing about the whole buddy dive experience.

This was my first warm water trip so needless to say, the diving was just amazing. I got in 24 dives. My favourite southern site was Invisibles, northern site Karpata. We also did the east side with Bonaire East Coast Diving.

The best meal I had was at Casablanca's. The lion's den was also ok. One restaurant in town was also ok. Last meal was at Eden beach and it was very good. Lunches we purchased supplies from Cultimara and ate on our patio.

The whole trip was just fantastic, we had zero problems. The only sad thing was I had to leave and have no ideal when I can make another trip.

Ron L.

 

[DCBC]

Sounds like you had a great trip Ron! I love it there. The days may be long, but you'll be back. You'll be speaking Papiamentu in no time.

 

[chauncy19]

Thanks for the report. Not knowing when I am going back is toughest part of PBD for me. I usually plan my return shortly after I get home. This time
no plan. Have not done Invisibles but agree Karpata is a great dive.

 

[DiverVince]

r2t you obviously have the malady known as PBD..Post Bonaire Depression..There's only 1 cure; plan another trip & then begin the countdown.

 

[walrus2]

I'm one of the other cold water Canucks on that trip. I read about PBD before but still got hit On the bright side, in Calgary it was -15C when I got back and my family got sufficiently excited by Ron's clear blue water and sun pictures we're now going to Playa del Carmen next Spring. Still need to sort out a next trip to Bonaire but it's a start.

 

[chauncy19]

Well atleast its a warm weather trip. Playa's not high on my list but would be happy if I was going :-(
Nice warm water and good visibility.

 

[helimvee]

Great photos!

I am sure you will find some way to go back, very soon.

I agree that the redeye is tough to handle, but traveling from Ontario it allows us to get there and back without an overnight enroute.

 

[princessaprilia]

I have PBD and I didn't even go there. Apparently you can catch it through the internet.

 

[DeputyDan]

My wife's caveat on going to Bonaire - I have to find transportation other than the red-eye.
Period - not open for discussion.

So American to Curacao and Divi Divi to Bonaire seems to do the trick for our needs.

The Delta flight is usually way to expensive...

 

[robint]

Wow, nice report and pictures!!

sorry you don't like the red-eye...... we love it! It means we leave here at 4pm, arrive in Houston around dinner time, eat and chat with other divers, then get on plane and catch a nap on the way there. Arrive for breakfast and start diving! No day lost traveling for us.
The return flight for us was awful though.... getting up before the sun and then sitting at airport for 2 hours after standing in line 1+ hour to go through customs, ugghhh, then we got to Houston and the horror continued - customs line was over an hour and we ended up missing our flight, the next one got delayed by weather. We didn't get home until close to midnight. I wish they had a red-eye going back!