Good family hotel with house reef?

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Carolin

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We would like to pay a visit to Bonaire with our two sons (13 and 17) next year. We were on our honeymoon at Captain Don's in 1999, but that's already a long time ago! This time we're looking again for a hotel with a good house reef, also for snorkeling (which is what I'll be doing), and a good diving school (which is what the boys will be doing). The hotel needs to have a pool and breakfast.

Three options in our budget seem to be Captain Don's (but gets lesser reviews?), Buddy's, and the Divi. How are their house reefs currently for snorkeling?

I would really appreciate some inside info!
 
Just got back from Buddy. Love it there. House reef is great for snorkeling. My girlfriend snorkeled it several times while I played down deep on the reef.
 
Just back from trip # 15 @ Buddy. Would recomend it as it meets your criteria - lovely pools, great breakfast options (eggs to order! Pasteries! Bacon! COFFEE!!), excellent instructors who have been there a long time. Awesome house reef, I would say the house reef had more sealife than some sites. It's all shallow and close to shoreline/exit point making snorkeling pleasant. Airport transfers make getting to resort easy. Rental truck so you can explore. Onsite CoVid testing to get back to US.
 
I would recommend Buddy's as well. Our kids did their pool work and check out dives at Buddy's after doing the online portion at home. Rented out tanks from them for the rest of the stay, dove the house reef a time or two. We did not stay at Buddy's, we stayed at a VRBO up the road aways from town. A really nice house with a pool and ocean view. Cost wise about a wash.
Most of the shore dives have very good to excellent snorkeling. So access to a house reef is not strictly necessary so long as you are a strong and confident swimmer.
 
Our daughter learned to dive at Buddys; excellent dive school and easy access to the shallow area from the dock for the in water classes.
We have gone back there 5+ times and never had a bad stay. We dive the house reef most evenings or nights.

Divi or Captain Dons would also meet your needs. Buddys is one stop i.e. accommodation, breakfast, truck, diving, dive school, drive through tank pick up and house reef. Doesn't get any easier.

IMO, the house reef at Buddys/Dons is more vibrant than Divi. Also, now that cruise ships are starting to land again, they are pretty close to the north end of the house reef at Divi creating noise, shadow and vibration.
 
Coral paradise.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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