Need advise about Bonaire. Please help

[MikeM_scuba]

Going to Bonaire first time in November 24 - Dec 2nd.
Two friends, both divers. Need two bedroom apartment /condo / two beds hotel room.
Looking for unlimited shore diving and 3-4 boat dives.
Need advise where to stay, what dive shop to dive with.
Also, where to eat.
Another question: is Visa card acceptable on the island? How much rent a jeep?
Please help ASAP, need to buy air fare.

 

[00scuba]

Call Buddy Dive...they will set you up. Great tank set up and you can rent a vehicle through them. Visa accepted!

Buddy Dive with be your dive op and where you can stay.

 

[CLEAR BLUE]

Buddy's would be a nice place to stay. Another good dive shop is Wannadive. Doesn't matter where you stay or who you dive with there is always all the unlimited shore diving you want. Get a "Drive and Dive" deal. We had a pickup and it was included with our room price.I think Buddy's has its own pick ups you can rent.
The house restaurant at Buddy's is great! Casablanca is Argentinean grill and it's very good. The City Cafe...Bistro de Paris...We also bought food at the local grocery store and cooked ourselves. I
I almost think 4 boat dives is too many. Once you do the shore diving it is all you will want to do!

 

[herman]

"Going to Bonaire first time in November 24 - Dec 2nd.
Two friends, both divers. Need two bedroom apartment /condo / two beds hotel room.
Looking for unlimited shore diving and 3-4 boat dives.
Need advise where to stay, what dive shop to dive with.
Also, where to eat.
Another question: is Visa card acceptable on the island? How much rent a jeep?
Please help ASAP, need to buy air fare."

My best advise is to contact Liz (dvrliz1 on SB) at Golden Reef Inn (aka GRI). www.goldenreefinn.com She can help you with room/diving/truck and air.
Liz runs a really nice small operation and you will not find a better host and thats difficult considering the many great ones on Bonaire (yea I love the island..no secret to the board ). Although you can use any shop you like, GRI uses Wannadivebonaire as "their" shop. There are a bunch of dive ops on the island and I really don't know of a bad one. I prefer to use which ever one that works with the resort where I am staying, makes things easier. As it turns out Wannadivebonaire is one of my top 2 shops. Bart,owner of WDB, and the Wannadive staff will treat you right.

Where to eat...just about any place thats open. A few to start you off.
Casa Blanca, Cactus Blue, Bobbiejans, City Cafe, Pasa Bon Pizza and Donna and Georgieos

Visa is taken in most restaurants,shops and stores on the island with the exception of some small places. US$ is accepted everywhere. You can also use your ATM card to get cash, either in USD or guilders. I use a combo of CCs and cash but I don't carry much along, I just hit the ATM if I need more.

A 4dr truck, which is the best option for diving and what 90% of the divers use, runs around $300.....I have not checked in a couple of years so that is likely off some, again Liz can give you a much better cost.

Do a search on the board with the word Bonaire and prepair for HOURS of reading. There are tons of tips, hints and trip reports to read. If you have specific questions I am always happy to answer PMs if I can.

Almost forgot, don't miss the all you can eat local BBQ at GRI on monday nights. It's a don't miss for me.

 

[ronbeau]

Going to Bonaire first time in November 24 - Dec 2nd.
Two friends, both divers. Need two bedroom apartment /condo / two beds hotel room.
Looking for unlimited shore diving and 3-4 boat dives.
Need advise where to stay, what dive shop to dive with.
Also, where to eat.
Another question: is Visa card acceptable on the island? How much rent a jeep?
Please help ASAP, need to buy air fare.

The Golden Reef Inn is another option to consider. The have a Dive & Drive package that includes dual-cab pickup for the week. Another package includes the above plus 6 1-tank boat dive for something like $125.

I highly recommend Casablanca for the Mixed Grill. It fed my wife, daughter and I for two meals plus a little. IT was $36 plus an extra $6 - $7 for a plate for my daughter. The extra plate is not just an empty plate. It is a plate full of food (rice, potatoes, salsa, salad etc.)

Patagonia was pretty good but service is slow.

 

[Buc Chick]

Ditto on Herman's restaurant suggestions. We ate at all except for Donna and Giorgio's. All were exceptional. My favorite... Bobbejan's.

Mmmmm....Bobbejan's

 

[MikeM_scuba]

Anybody knows anything about Deep Blue View(http://www.deepblueview.com/) or Sonrisa (http://www.sonrisabonaire.com/index.html)
Thanks in advance.

 

[piikki]

Anybody knows anything about Deep Blue View(http://www.deepblueview.com/) or Sonrisa (http://www.sonrisabonaire.com/index.html)
Thanks in advance.

Do you want to stay on water/desire to have a place with house reef? Both nice things to have but not at all necessary. You should think about that because at least Deep Blue View is up on the "mountain", very nice place, lot of good feedback but will not have own reef and it's a little drive to the water. Everything is close on Bonaire though, so any place will work when you take Dive & Drive package.

If you are in Philly you are pretty close to direct flights out of Newark on Continental.

 

[MikeM_scuba]

Thank you very much everybody for advise.
We are going in October.

 

[Janine]

When are you giong in October? We'll be there until Oct. 6.