captain don's habitat vs carib inn area

[Candiru]

Hello, and thanks for all the info. I have narrowed down my resort choice to either
1 Captain don's Habitat
or
2 Blachi koko, boat diving with carib inn next door, and divefriends or buddy dive for shore dives.

Captains don's is a slight premium compared to the other option. Is the house reef at the captains worth an extra 160 per person more for a week of diving or is the reef in front of carib inn equally nice. Thanks for any input.

 

[redacted]

I prefer Cliff over Capt Don's sites (Manchaca and Scientifico) but you can stay a Carib Inn and hit all those sites with no problem. Slipping south from the Cliff, you will be able to do all of Manchaca and entering at Buddy Reef, you can head north and do Scientifico.

 

[Ray and Pam]

Candiru,

Decisions, decisions, you should try one and then next time try the other. Look at several places while you're there for your next trip.
We've stayed at Carib Inn several years ago on our first dive vacation to Bonaire.
Our last 2 trips we stayed at Capt Dons and are staying there again this year.
The boat diving spoiled us, it's so easy and we stay for 2 weeks and don't rent a truck. You get to dive Klein and several sites North that can't be done from shore. We could do the house reef everyday and not get tired of it. It's far from town whereas Carib Inn is right next to town but there are several good places to eat, happy hours at other resorts, grocerys, etc. in the Captain Don area. Like I said we stay for 2 weeks and don't need a truck. Yes, we've been there about 9 times and have rented a truck and circled the island several times, been shore diving North and South, been to the Park, been to the conch shell beach and the wind surfing beach on the east side, donkey ranch, KFCgull,etc. but we don't need a truck and can put that money into the boat diving.

Carib Inn has the "Bruce" who can fix any gear problems you may have, Captain Dons you might be able to get a mouthpiece but that's about it.

You'll enjoy either one, you'll be busy shore and boat diving.

 

[Candiru]

Just to clarify, cliff is the site in front of carib inn?

 

[diversteve]

Cliff is the site North of Habitat. Accessible if you swim north from Habitat's dive dock. LaMachaca (wreck) is the Habitat site. They kind of run together though, we did both on one dive from Habitat.

Calabas Reef is the site in front of Divi Flamingo south of downtown. It extends down and mingles with 18 Palms which is the site on the north end of the Plaza Resort. So by extension it's the Blachi Koko/Carib Inn dive site.

Blachi Koko has the advantage of being 1/3 of a mile south of Town Pier - downtown Kralendijk. Many of the shops/restaurants are walking distance. The Divi next door has the only Casino and what passes for nightlife on Bonaire is downtown - City Cafe, Club Havana or Karel's Bar. Also the Plaza is 1/4 mile south - their restaurants plus Coconut Crash Bar are walkable from BK. Apparently you can buy a pool use pass also. CCB has a good Beach BBQ mid-week - last I knew it was Tuesday night.

Downside is the cruise ships dock at Town Pier - when they port there. It's not a major cruise destination and they're gone by 5. You'll see them from your apt. - the tallest thing for miles except Salt Pier.

Habitat is the upper end of resort row. About 2 miles from downtown. Since those resorts are mostly perpendicular to the water it's a short walk from Habitat to Buddy's Bar (their better restaurant recently closed afaik), Den Laman's oceanfront restaurant or the beach club at Eden Beach. There's also a little strip mall near Sand Dollar Condos, small food store, Lover's Ice Cream and an ATM. There's also a newer deli nearby but IDK where.

If you were planning to get to Bonaire on Dutch Antilles Express, I'd make other plans. They just lost their fleet and their lease on Curacao.

 

[redacted]

Cliff is the house reef for the hotel just north of Capt Don's. I think that is Caribe Inn. I could be wrong. In any case, Capt Don's house reef can easily be accessed from neighboring hotels.

 

[jimw]

After staying several places since '86, including both Habitat and Caribe Inn; we prefer Habitat because the shore dive is much better--I like Cliff and it is easily accessible from Habitat's dive dock or Dive Friends store just to the north. Caribe Inn is very nice and has everything except a good shore dive, IMO.

We too; do not always rent a vehicle, stay at Habitat, do some boat dives to Klein, and dive out front daily or maybe ALL day.........At Habitat, there is a grocery and several restaurants a short walk away--same at Caribe Inn. Some years ago, i shore dove all the places I thought I might be interested in staying and decided on the good Captains place. There are now many more places to choose from--so stay someplace, rent a truck, and dive everywhere--that's my suggestion!!

 

[Candiru]

So in regards to my particular situation, would you say that 160 extra per person per week is a justifiable cost to stay at captain don's?

 

[diversteve]

Cliff is the house reef for the hotel just north of Capt Don's. I think that is Caribe Inn. I could be wrong. In any case, Capt Don's house reef can easily be accessed from neighboring hotels.

Carib Inn is Bruce Bowker's place south of the Divi Flamingo south of town. The resort north of Habitat just past the dirt road is Hamlet Oasis. Or are you thinking of Coral Paradise? Or Caribbean Club further north up on the hill?

---------- Post added August 27th, 2013 at 06:36 PM ----------

So in regards to my particular situation, would you say that 160 extra per person per week is a justifiable cost to stay at captain don's?

In my opinion - No. I can think of better dives nearby. Cliff has the distinction of being one of few shore accessible vertical walls on Bonaire. We dove it from Habitat and drifted back over the LaMachaca. Nice dive but I wouldn't base staying there on that. Other nearby resorts are on equally good sites and off-site shorediving from Habitat is not as convenient - you have to walk your gear up the hill from the dive dock which is a level below the resort level. There is a ramp - Habitat from the water:



If you're divers like jimw seems to be then Habitat is a better option. We don't go to Bonaire to stay/dive in one place - we like to dive all over the island so look for locations with more street accessible facilities. I wouldn't actually pick Buddy Dive for that either except they have the excellent drive thru.

 

[jimw]

Cliff is the house reef for the hotel just north of Capt Don's. I think that is Caribe Inn. I could be wrong. In any case, Capt Don's house reef can easily be accessed from neighboring hotels.

Caribe Inn is NOT near Capt. Don's--it is about 2 miles south next to the Flamingo Beach Hotel on the south end of town. Coral Paradise is one of the small resorts immediately north of Don's. It may well be the nicest place nearby and is even closer to the grocery store. Hamlet Oasis is another. Bamboo Bali is across the main street. There are others as well. Many of the divers at Coral Paradise dive with Habitat and CP is as close to the dive shop as many of the rooms at Habitat. Habitat has some rooms that routinely get bad reviews-these are the deluxe oceanfront rooms by the pool. They are old and need refurbishing. The best rooms are the Junior Suites which are oceanfront, recently built, and next to the dive shop. We like the 1 and 2 br Bungalows, especially the 1 br for the 2 of us--and there is 1-1br Bungalow next to the dive shop and just behind the Junior Suites. There is a good resort map on the Habitat Bonaire website. We routinely see <$700./person, 6 boat dive package/unlimited shore, etc. for the bungalows. Best price and value is for 4 people in a 2 br/2 ba Bungalow.