Opinion re: Habitat Curacao

[fisheyeview]

We didn't go looking for the game room, gym or computer so we didn't see anything wrong at Habitat. We never attempted to turn the TV on either. The lockers I saw were all working okay. We did see some steps that needed repair. They were damaged from the big poles they were lowering down the stairs where they were building the new locker area. If they have not yet been repaired then that is wrong.

The place is rustic, but everything was working for us. We ate breakfast and lunch in our room while prepping camera equipment, and down loading pictures. All of the meals we ate in the restaurant were good. The service was a bit slow, but the food was good and the drinks were cold. I did find out that the restaurant is owned seperately from the hotel.

I have some friends going down there in a couple of days. They have been going down there a couple of times a year for the past several years. I have asked them to give me an update on the condition of the place.

This was our first time there, so I have nothing to compare it to as far as the previous condition. Like I said before, maybe my expectations are lowere as I have spent a lot of time island hopping the bahamas. I have been to some really nice places over the years, but I have also been to islands with less than 100 inhabitants.

There is a bar on Rum Cay where the floors are beach sand. The pool table shifts in the sand, and the balls will all roll to one side. It was either that or the rum.

 

[Damselfish]

We did see some steps that needed repair. They were damaged from the big poles they were lowering down the stairs where they were building the new locker area. If they have not yet been repaired then that is wrong.

Unless there's new damage, the steps have been broken for at least a couple years.

I tend to explore places so even if I don't use something, I notice what's going on. Since I've been there so many times I can see the trend over the years. I've been a variety of places too, and there's a difference between rustic because that's what it is, and neglect that does not seem to make sense. Habitat didn't start out rustic, it was a nice place that is being neglected.

So where are they building a new locker area?

 

[sytech]

If you think the dive set-up at Habitat Curacao is convenient the one at the Divi Flamingo in Bonaire puts it to shame and by a lot. There are full size metal lockers right on the pier, literally feet from where you giant stride into the water.
The entire dive operation is run much better and more conveniently at Divi in my opinion

The lagoon was clean my last trip this past March. You can definitely see that money is not being spent on basic maintenance, which is a shame.

I have to admit, the 24/7 convenience of the house reef and dive setup means a lot to me. A 50 yard walk from my room to the dive area, I typically dive the house reef in the morning before breakfast and again after dinner, with various shore dives around the island in the afternoon.

I did enjoy the house reef at Kura Hulanda. I'll consider staying there on my next trip, but it's not setup as convenient as Habitat. The locker room, showers and bathrooms were always locked up and only opened upon request of the attendent. I'm sure they don't have an attendent there all the time. Damselfish, how far are the rooms from the house reef ?

 

[ronscuba]

I hear Bonaire is the ultimate in convenience. I haven't made it there yet, mainly due to the limited choices in flights, but I will probably go there soon.