Is Port Bonaire that noisy with the airport? How about Sand Dollar?

[cowboyneal]

I guess we're zeroing in on something...hahaa...I like the look of Port Bonaire, but Sand Dollar may be the way we go. I ran into the "Zales" condo here on the board and it looks great, and they seem really nice...anyone have any experience here or knowledge on either?

 

[Boat Chick]

We rented the Zale's condo on our first trip to Bonaire in 2001. It is very nicely furnished and well maintained, fully stocked kitchen, CD player, etc.. They have a nice screened in porch to relax and hang gear to dry if you need/want to. Bari Reef out your front door is one of the best on the island. You won't hear any airport traffic.

That said, I've never stayed at Port Bonaire, but it is directly across from the airport. The 3AM KLM flight might be the one you would hear, however, at all places I've stayed South of the airport I've heard it, woke up, and quickly went back to sleep.

 

[Bosun]

From memory there are currently two KLM flights overnight, Lima - Bonaire - Amsterdam lands around 23:30 and takes off around 00:30. The Amsterdam-Bonaire-Quito lands around 04:00 and takes off around 05:00.

 

[scubaotter]

While I have not stayed at Port Bonaire knowing the location I would not stay there due to the late night/early morning landings of both KLM and now Continental. I have stayed with friends that are renting a house just down from the airport and you know when a plane, even a smaller one, is coming or going.

Sand Dollar is north of town and that is where I prefer to stay as it is a bit more quite and closer to the Northern dive sites like Oil Slick leap. I have heard good things about Zale's condo but, I have never stayed there in my six trips to Bonaire.

 

[diversteve]

I was between Port Bonaire and the Plaza when a small prop-jet went over. I could barely hear while it did - they're pretty low. I imagine the big KLM plane would be much worse especially at 4AM in that area when all you hear is the occasional donkey...

If you're looking for a condo south, try BelMar. Nice, newer units, all on the water facing west. Decent house reef dive just offshore and they're the other Buddy diveop so you can use the Buddy's drive-thru also. And it was quiet the week we were there. I slept with the windows open and I'm a light sleeper.

 

[Bosun]

The 4:00am Amsterdam - Bonaire - Lima KLM flight finishes later this year, I think at the end of this month. It is replaced by a new flight AMS-ARU-BON and a direct flight AMS to Lima.

 

[Humble older aquaman]

Over ten years, about fifteen stays, countless conversations with fellow divers...airport noise is real for some...so so for others, and then there's the folks that just snore all night!

Off to Sand Dollar next week, been there a bunch of times, comfortable predictable stay.

Hoa!

 

[dvrliz1]

We normally live "on the hill" so we don't hear the KLM and Continental flights. We are currently staying at a rented house just north of Belmar and South of Bellafonte. The KLM shakes our windows and doors at 2:10 am, the Continental flights on Sat & Sunday around 4 and 5 in the morning. I have not seen the Zale's condo, but know that Sand Dollar is nice, quiet and relaxing.

Liz

 

[skynscuba]

We liked Den Laman, adjacent to the south of Sand Dollar. Nearly new, competitively priced, closer to the dive operation than most of the Sand Dollar units, uses the same dive operator/pier. Only has queen beds (I think). I didn't think much of the breakfast at the restaurant there, but dinner was very good. Mostly ate breakfast and lunch in the condo.

At some point, construction is going to start on the new Divi resort just south of the Den Laman. I imagine that it would be unacceptably noisy (to me) during that time.

Gary


Gary

 

[djac5700]

Cowboyneal - Guessing you are looking at 2 bedrooms based on interest in the Zale condo.

I'm staying at the Den Laman on an upcoming trip 1st week of May. Just to clarify on skynscuba's response, the Den Laman 2-bedrooms have a queen bed in the master bedroom and two twin beds in the second bedroom.

Definitely liked the price of the package deal for an almost new set of accomodations. Also used Bonaire Dive and Adventure last year in Bonaire and loved them. Nice to have BDA as the house shop (not to mention Bari as the house reef .