We're going to Bonaire! Any recommendations?

[Buddha64]

I was at Buddy Dive in April. The diving is fantastic!!!! Buddies house reef is great. I would also make sure you hit Oil Slick Leap. Do the cliff jump entry you'll remember that for a while. Not much to do for non-divers though.

 

[hapadiver]

Thanks to all for the input.

Since Waterwabbit's original posting, our group has grown to 7, and we're thinking that renting a house is our best option. However, we are still open to recommendations for affordable dive resorts or other accommodations.

We would like to be on or close to the water. A pool would be nice, but, of course, we could always go basic. If we spend a lot of money we want all the amenities, however we can forego luxury if the price is right. Right now, we're hoping that we can spend $25 up to $40 USD a night per person ... Which we think is reasonable considering the size of our party.

As for dive operators, we would like a shop that can accommodate a range of diving experience. Our party includes 2 divemasters (200-300+ dives each), 1 rescue diver, 2 advanced, 2 disco (who are planning to take the open water course there). We would like to keep everyone happy.

And on that note, has anyone been diving on the north side? Is it worth the $100 for two dives price tag or is it all just hype?

Finally, info about scooter and truck rentals, the casino (for the new divers), and other activities would be greatly appreciated!

Happy dives!
Waterwabbit and Hapadiver

 

[timetraveler]

There are so many shore diving sites on Bonaire that you can dive different ones every day your whole vacation without ever getting in a boat. Get a copy of "Bonaire Shore Diving Made Easy" by Susan Porter as soon as you get to the island. You'll be able to find dives to suit everyone in your party. Then all you have to do is buy an "unlimited air" package and not worry about finding a dive operator who can accommodate such a wide range of diving experience as you have within your group.
We rent trucks from AB Carrental. They're all beat up, but so far have been reliable. By the way, already beat up is not a bad thing given the condition of some of the roads. http://www.abcarrental.com/ Their prices were the best we could find and they have an office at the airport.
The Washington Slagbaai National Park makes a nice day's outing for those in your party who want a long surface interval.
Finally, someone mentioned Lions Dive having been bought by Buddy Dive. That's correct. The former Lions Dive is now included in Buddy Dive Resort. Bon Bimni Divers is no longer there. We were quite happy with the Buddy Dive operator. But I don't think you'll be able to stay at Buddy for the price you want.

 

[ScottNY]

Try really hard to find a place with a pool for the non-divers and maybe someplace where they can get to town easily so they'll have something to do while you dive on the days they don't go. They should bring some books because unfortunately, there's practically zero to do if you're not a diver. There is windsurfing on the north? side I think? And if they have a separate car, they could head to the park to see the Flamingos, but you don't want to loan them the single car to do that unless you're going to be on a boat or something for awhile, as the drive, sightseeing, etc. would be longer than you'd be down for. There are - of course - some bars, but again, you can pretty much cover the nightlife spots in a couple of evenings. There's also a couple of small casinos.

Basically, as you've been reading and have probably found on other Bonaire threads, the diving is spectacular, but it's really got little for non-divers. One advantage of the resorts is several have "house reefs" and tanks right by the put in. So night dives become really easy. Non-divers can have a beer while you dive, come out of the water and join them right there. Again, even though perhaps more expensive than a cheaper roughing it condo, non-divers may prefer having a pool, an onsite dining facility/snackbar or two and things like that.

"Town" is basically just a few square blocks, so any tourist shopping is pretty much exhausted in a couple of hours, (max.)

I echo the safety comments. The theft perspective MAY be overblown, but it does happen. So plan your gear management such that the only thing in your car during your dive is a towel and just leave the vehicle unlocked. If you don't have them already, decent booties are practically a must as many of the shore diving beaches are actually rocky beaches and you'll want something with a bit of a tread to put in/exit.

If you want to get off the beaten path a bit, there's a small town called Rincon, (not sure if I spelled that right), and you can get a bite to eat there. It's not much of a place to speak of really, (apologies to the residents), but it is just a different flavor if you're into seeing what's all the way local.

Have fun!
Scott

 

[oly5050user]

We have a group of 6 traveling to Bonaire in July. Some of us are avid divers and want to dive 3-4 times a day, while the others are perhaps not so avid and more interested in other land/water activities (drinking beer and watching flamingoes?).

Looking for recommendations for accommodations, dive packages, and truck rental. We were thinking a 3 bedroom apartment with a separate dive package for the avid divers. Any suggestions?

can most likely get a 3 bedroom condo with unlimited shore diving,breakfast,rental truck,free nitrox if certified for it @$599. pm if interested,I am located in NYC.Property has pool/pools.A little less for non divers..

 

[mjh]

You will have a great time. Here is a trip report and slide show. Suggestions: 1. Buy heavy soled dive booties, some of the entries are hard on the feet. 2. Book Town Pier and Salt Pier dives on arrival. I would do 2 dives on Salt Pier, one day and one night. 3. Book a trip out with Larry's Wild Side Diving, to dive the "windy" side.

Trip Report
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=97803&highlight=bonaire+a+la+carte

Slide Show (You need to "sign up for free" to view)
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2307605&alb=0

 

[Goose75]

Since Waterwabbit's original posting, our group has grown to 7, and we're thinking that renting a house is our best option. However, we are still open to recommendations for affordable dive resorts or other accommodations.

We would like to be on or close to the water. A pool would be nice, but, of course, we could always go basic. If we spend a lot of money we want all the amenities, however we can forego luxury if the price is right. Right now, we're hoping that we can spend $25 up to $40 USD a night per person ... Which we think is reasonable considering the size of our party.

I don’t think you will find what you are looking for in that price range but I don’t know the rates at every place on the island. I stayed at Sand Dollar. Buddy Dive and Captain Don’s were right beside it and I expect all three offer similar accommodations. 2-3 bedroom apartments right on the beach with tank access and piers. Since you can drive to any site without too much trouble you may be willing to sacrifice that in favor of saving some money.

As for dive operators, we would like a shop that can accommodate a range of diving experience. Our party includes 2 divemasters (200-300+ dives each), 1 rescue diver, 2 advanced, 2 disco (who are planning to take the open water course there). We would like to keep everyone happy.

On the west side you will have beach access to almost all the sites (rappel has cliffs and Klein Bonaire is a small island). Dive conditions are going to be similar; beach and sparse coral until about 30-35 feet (some places earlier), then a wall loaded with coral and life headed down to 100-140ft, little current to worry about and excellent visibility. Pelagics are uncommon on the west side.

And on that note, has anyone been diving on the north side? Is it worth the $100 for two dives price tag or is it all just hype?

You can beach dive the north side but you have to drive through the park to get to it. The park drive is rough roads and one-way. It will take 2-3 hrs to drive out once you are in. Restrooms facilities are available at the entrance and near the exit. If you are in a mixed group you may want to make sure everyone is comfortable finding a tree. You are also a long way from help should something go wrong. I assume your $100 price tag is to take a boat there. Whether it is worth it or not is probably dependant on whether you want to take the time to go by truck and whether you want a boat available should something go wrong.

The north and south tips of the island are said to have significant current but I was unable to confirm since we did not dive it ourselves. Larry’s Wildside diving runs a Zodiac on the East side where you are more likely to see pelagics. Webpage:
http://www.larryswildsidediving.com/

I hope this helps.

 

[Boat Chick]

Thanks to all for the input.

Since Waterwabbit's original posting, our group has grown to 7, and we're thinking that renting a house is our best option. However, we are still open to recommendations for affordable dive resorts or other accommodations.

We would like to be on or close to the water. A pool would be nice, but, of course, we could always go basic. If we spend a lot of money we want all the amenities, however we can forego luxury if the price is right. Right now, we're hoping that we can spend $25 up to $40 USD a night per person ... Which we think is reasonable considering the size of our party.

It is going to be hard to find a place that is that cheap per night in a house/villa. Here are a couple of links of property companies on Bonaire that rent houses/villas.

http://www.bonairepartners.com/p/8/48/mo25-cg20/mo48-cg20/mo49-c160#m95-19

http://www.sunrentalsbonaire.com/vacation.php

As for dive operators, we would like a shop that can accommodate a range of diving experience. Our party includes 2 divemasters (200-300+ dives each), 1 rescue diver, 2 advanced, 2 disco (who are planning to take the open water course there). We would like to keep everyone happy.

The dive shops on Bonaire are VERY accommodating to groups with a variety of divers. Bonaire is the shore diving captial of the world, and the ops are all first rate IMHO. I use Wannadive a lot, but it's usually because I stay with friends who live on Bonaire.

And on that note, has anyone been diving on the north side? Is it worth the $100 for two dives price tag or is it all just hype? Finally, info about scooter and truck rentals, the casino (for the new divers), and other activities would be greatly appreciated![

I think maybe you mean the "East" side. The East side is the windward side and the only real "shore" diving over there is Lac Cai, which is an Advanced dive and should be done with a guide. Larry, from Larry's Wild Side has a boat that you can do boat dives from, and Menno from the Deep Blue View also has a boat and does 2 or 3 tank dives on the East side. For the advanced divers in the group, it would be worth it.

The casino is at Divi (not sure if Plaza has a csino anymore). We always use Netty's car rental. She is a small company, but has great service We've also used AB and Budget a few times but we like Netty because she is owner operated and small.

I think there are a LOT of things to do for non-divers. We've had non-divers in our group, and if they snorkel, they can snorkel at all the spots you dive. They can also go on the boat dives on the Leeward side and snorkel while you dive. We've had a lot of folks do this. Taking a drive around the South side of the island and over to Jibe City and Sorobon is nice. Drive to Lac Cai and you will see lots of Flamingos. Visit the Donkey Sanctuary and get a history of the donkey's on the island. You might want to consider staying at a place that has a bigger beach, like Eden, Plaza, or Divi for the non-divers. Also, Black Durgon is a smaller place and has it's own dock, dive shop, etc.

There are also a lot of non-profits that can always use goods. The Hoppner Home for Boys is always in need of supplies as is the Animal Shelter. The shelter can use old towels, dog and cat toys. You can PM me for details. We always pack a few things for the boys at the home and for the shelter as well. You can support the Turtle Foundation by stopping by the place where they sell t-shirts, mugs, etc. The money goes toward the turtle foundation. They are at the "Sign Shop" on the road heading North from town (on the right side of the road if you head North). You can find out more info on these places by going to http://www.supportbonaire.org/Bonaire_Non_Profits.php

Lastly, you may want to head over to
http://www.bonairetalk.com/

for specific questions on properties. Lots of trip reports and accommodation reports, plus reports from non-divers on activities to keep themselves occupied.

Have a great trip!

 

[diversteve]

Just saw this in the Bonaire EZ Newsletter and thought it might work for you:

Ultimate Dive Travel is offering a package at Buddy Dive Resort that includes seven nights accommodations; six days of unlimited shore diving; breakfast buffet daily; rental of a full size van for the week; and round-trip airport transfers. The package is priced at $547 per person based on six divers sharing a three-bedroom condo. For reservations or more information contact Ultimate Dive Travel at 1-800-737-3483, email udive@ultimatedivetravel.com or visit http://www.ultimatedivetravel.com.

 

[blawler1]

The Yachtclub Apartments www.yachtclubapartmentsbonaire.com have a 5 bedroom penthouse that starts at $270 a night and they offer combination apartment/truck deals, that works out to roughly about $210 a week per truck as you will probably want multiple vehicles with that size crowd. It is just north of town across the road from Harbor Village and very close to Bonaire Dive & Dive and Adventure (BDA), Buddy's and Capt Don's.

We've stayed in their one bedroom apartments several times and have never been disappointed as they are a good value. The penthouse is in the new section above the studios.

As far a diving deals, the free nitrox upgrade 6 day package at BDA (In Den Lamen condos next to Sand Dollar) is as cheap as it gets at $105 for unlimited 32% nitrox tanks (same price as air) and weights for six days (they don't have to be consecutive days) It is convenient to the Yachtclub as it is less than quarter mile away and the house reef (Bari) has had the most species sited on it of any dive site in the Caribbean according to Project REEF (reef.org)