Just back from Bonaire and time to write a quick report while the washer, dryer and rinse tubs get a workout. Let's take this piece by piece:
Den Laman: Nice two bedroom apartment. Clean, nice bathrooms, plenty of room in the living room/kitchen area and two veranda, one with a table, 4 chairs and a beach-type recliner with pad. Helpful front desk but only there from around 9 to 5. Easy access after hours. They clean the Apt every other day. Hard bed that I liked, but spouse and brother-in-law weren't thrilled. Large dead cockroaches in the morning and evening in the entry way downstairs. Powerful insecticides on that floor did the trick and we did not smell it up in the room nor see any bugs in our Apt. Just be ready for 3-4 big dead or dying ones when you come throughs the lobby floor. The Den Laman breakfast included with the unlimited shore diving package was typical dive resort breakfast. The only thing that changed each day was the meat: sausage, bacon, etc. Everyday had scrambled eggs, lots of fruit, rolls. All in all, nice place and helpful staff.
Dive Friends: We did mostly shore dives but did one 2-tank boat dive. Helpful and friendly staff, very good boat crew and nice, easy set-up all the way around. Two issues: The nitrox tester left something to be desired. Not sure how accurate but when you don't go below 70 and spend the vast majority of each dive between 25 and 50 ft and start each safety stop with 99 NDL and 1000 psi, not that important. Again, nice, well managed shop and very convenient that you can pick or drop off tanks and any of their locations.
Food on the Island: I did not have high expectations and was happy with the restaurants we went to for dinner. Ate lunch in the apt then out for dinner each night. Best for us: La Terrassa; no menu. You just say what you don't like or can't eat and they bring you starters then a main when you've had enough starters. Two of the three of us are vegetarians and they made great veggie dishes. Also, Cuba Compagnie was good.
OK, now the diving: Last visit was 10 years ago. Very happy with the reef conditions and the size of the schools of fish. The architecture of the soft and hard doral was delightful. Lots of diversity and lots of small to medium size fish in large schools. Lionfish seem to have less influence now. Boat dive to Klein Bonaire was not better or worse than shore dives, but a change of pace. Best dive: 4:30 pm at Torri's Reef. It seemed that all the fish on Bonaire were heading somewhere as dusk approached. Schools everywhere. Spotted eagle ray, turtle, free swimming big green morey, and small critters like cleaning shrimp, arrow crabs, etc. Another great dive, Ostracod dive five nights after the full moon. Exceeded my expectations. Our guide would turn on her light for 2 seconds while scanning the soft corral with it and the whole side of the reef would light up. Watching them two inches from your mask light up and up on what seems like a string was amazing. Overall thoughts: Very nice, easy diving with large diversity of fish. Nothing too big and not a lot of "WOW" stuff (Ostracods excluded) but all agreed it was in the upper tier of our Caribbean diving experience.
Shore diving: Ten years ago, no issues. Now, into my sixties with some feet problems, not having very hard soled booties was a problem. Fell a few times and had some painful steps. My companions, not so much. Just know that if you have feet sensitivity or slight numbness, go for the HARD soled booties. Other than try feet, what's not to love about setting your own schedule, picking your sites, diving with just your two buddies without anyone else or a guide being a distraction. Slow and steady won the race and it was quite enjoyable.
A few pics to prove I was there.
Den Laman: Nice two bedroom apartment. Clean, nice bathrooms, plenty of room in the living room/kitchen area and two veranda, one with a table, 4 chairs and a beach-type recliner with pad. Helpful front desk but only there from around 9 to 5. Easy access after hours. They clean the Apt every other day. Hard bed that I liked, but spouse and brother-in-law weren't thrilled. Large dead cockroaches in the morning and evening in the entry way downstairs. Powerful insecticides on that floor did the trick and we did not smell it up in the room nor see any bugs in our Apt. Just be ready for 3-4 big dead or dying ones when you come throughs the lobby floor. The Den Laman breakfast included with the unlimited shore diving package was typical dive resort breakfast. The only thing that changed each day was the meat: sausage, bacon, etc. Everyday had scrambled eggs, lots of fruit, rolls. All in all, nice place and helpful staff.
Dive Friends: We did mostly shore dives but did one 2-tank boat dive. Helpful and friendly staff, very good boat crew and nice, easy set-up all the way around. Two issues: The nitrox tester left something to be desired. Not sure how accurate but when you don't go below 70 and spend the vast majority of each dive between 25 and 50 ft and start each safety stop with 99 NDL and 1000 psi, not that important. Again, nice, well managed shop and very convenient that you can pick or drop off tanks and any of their locations.
Food on the Island: I did not have high expectations and was happy with the restaurants we went to for dinner. Ate lunch in the apt then out for dinner each night. Best for us: La Terrassa; no menu. You just say what you don't like or can't eat and they bring you starters then a main when you've had enough starters. Two of the three of us are vegetarians and they made great veggie dishes. Also, Cuba Compagnie was good.
OK, now the diving: Last visit was 10 years ago. Very happy with the reef conditions and the size of the schools of fish. The architecture of the soft and hard doral was delightful. Lots of diversity and lots of small to medium size fish in large schools. Lionfish seem to have less influence now. Boat dive to Klein Bonaire was not better or worse than shore dives, but a change of pace. Best dive: 4:30 pm at Torri's Reef. It seemed that all the fish on Bonaire were heading somewhere as dusk approached. Schools everywhere. Spotted eagle ray, turtle, free swimming big green morey, and small critters like cleaning shrimp, arrow crabs, etc. Another great dive, Ostracod dive five nights after the full moon. Exceeded my expectations. Our guide would turn on her light for 2 seconds while scanning the soft corral with it and the whole side of the reef would light up. Watching them two inches from your mask light up and up on what seems like a string was amazing. Overall thoughts: Very nice, easy diving with large diversity of fish. Nothing too big and not a lot of "WOW" stuff (Ostracods excluded) but all agreed it was in the upper tier of our Caribbean diving experience.
Shore diving: Ten years ago, no issues. Now, into my sixties with some feet problems, not having very hard soled booties was a problem. Fell a few times and had some painful steps. My companions, not so much. Just know that if you have feet sensitivity or slight numbness, go for the HARD soled booties. Other than try feet, what's not to love about setting your own schedule, picking your sites, diving with just your two buddies without anyone else or a guide being a distraction. Slow and steady won the race and it was quite enjoyable.
A few pics to prove I was there.
