I'm celebrating a "milestone" birthday in October (won't say which one) and am going to Bonaire with my husband, a place I've wanted to visit for 30 years since I started diving. I read Dee Scarr's "Touch the Sea" and was committed. But different sites provide vastly different reviews for the same properties and dive operators. I prefer comfortable over luxury, local cuisine over gourmet, and boat dives over shore dives primarily because they're easier and require less walking and physical effort (to satisfy my husband). That's not to say we won't do some beach diving - just don't want it to be "more" diving and not most of it. Based on your experiences, where do we stay?
Where do I stay first time to Bonaire?
- Thread starter Just Deb
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flots am
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That's a really hard question to answer because the rooms, even at the same facility are sometimes vastly different.
I've been to Buddy Dive a couple of times. Once I got a room that was so old, moldy and funky that I ended up with a sinus infection, and the other time I got a gorgeous, clean two-level apartment that would make anybody happy.
The diving is beautiful, but the facilities seem to be inconsistent.
If you pick out a place and a room you like, make sure you verify that you're getting a room just like the one in the picture, and not just "a room".
flots.
I've been to Buddy Dive a couple of times. Once I got a room that was so old, moldy and funky that I ended up with a sinus infection, and the other time I got a gorgeous, clean two-level apartment that would make anybody happy.
The diving is beautiful, but the facilities seem to be inconsistent.
If you pick out a place and a room you like, make sure you verify that you're getting a room just like the one in the picture, and not just "a room".
flots.
Except for the boat diving request I would recommend http://www.bonairebeachcombervillas.com/ and would challenge you to find a single bad review. But this is a privately owned condo in the Hamlet Villas area of Hato. Dive Friends Hamlet location is like 2 doors down with a new drive thru facility but you would have to go to their other location to catch a boat. But I think once you experience the joy of practically walking out the back door to dive, you may rethink the mostly boat dive desire!
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Kharon
Contributor
If you would be interested in an apartment I would recommend Coco Palm Gardens. Clean, quiet, full kitchen, close to amenities (town, grocery, gas, etc.). They partner with Dive Friends Bonaire and could get you the best price for boat dives with them as well as transportation. I have used them twice for accomodations, truck rental, and unlimited air for shore diving. Current trip for that is under $1800 for two weeks.
drrich2
Contributor
I believe Buddy Dive in Bonaire is now offering a package deal with more boat dives; here's a link to a thread on it. They get your from & return you to the airport; breakfast buffet included but eat wherever otherwise. Nice house reef. A number of boats. Pretty good location and nice grounds.
Richard.
Richard.
Both Buddy Dive and the Plaza offer a pretty good deal, and have good boat diving available, as that is your preference. Most of us who return often to Bonaire prefer the shore diving because of the flexibility it allows, and the cost difference, but I have used both BD and the Plaza, and dived their boats.
I would suggest either as a good resort to use for a first Bonaire visit. Buddy's also has a sister resort, Caribbean Club that my friends have used and really like. they have a nice site, and use all of BD's facilities and boats.
I would suggest either as a good resort to use for a first Bonaire visit. Buddy's also has a sister resort, Caribbean Club that my friends have used and really like. they have a nice site, and use all of BD's facilities and boats.
K
KeithG
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There are lots of options. Depends on what you want. Do you prefer a resort or an apartment/ condo?
There is a largish list of water front dive resorts that have great house reefs and boat diving. There are also lots of apartment condo options, many of which are associated with rental trucks and dive packages.
If you stay at a resort and mostly boat and house dive then you may be able to get away without a rental truck. Do you want your dive boat covered?
I think that feedback on your resort or apartment preference (or some other key factor) would help to narrow down the suggestions.
I always recommend divi since we can walk into town for supper. But there are lots of other equally great choices.
There is a largish list of water front dive resorts that have great house reefs and boat diving. There are also lots of apartment condo options, many of which are associated with rental trucks and dive packages.
If you stay at a resort and mostly boat and house dive then you may be able to get away without a rental truck. Do you want your dive boat covered?
I think that feedback on your resort or apartment preference (or some other key factor) would help to narrow down the suggestions.
I always recommend divi since we can walk into town for supper. But there are lots of other equally great choices.
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If your husband isn't a big fan of walking, I wouldn't pick the Plaza. It's a sprawling resort, the dive shop/lockers/boat dock are on the far south east side off the lagoon, some of the villas are nearby but the regular rooms are farther north. Their shore dive - 18palms is far enough north that the dive shop stages tanks there with a cart. Zoom in on the image I posted in the Invasion thread here for an idea: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/in...tions-about-bonaire-invasion.html#post6532003
You might like Belmar. It's the other Buddy Dive location but IMO nicer - the resort itself is a couple decades newer. But check with them as IDK if they have daily boat dives from that location - last I saw it was only 2-3 times per week - you wouldn't want to drive the 15mins. to Buddy's if they don't. It's also waterfront, a couple of the previous suggestions aren't. It's a compressed, smaller property, the shore dive is 50' from your patio - if you're on the ground floor - the stairs on are the backside for the upstairs units. Your vehicle is also 20' from your back door. Parking can be tight if they're full.
No food nearby so everything is a few minute drive to town. Quiet at night. About Belmar
You might like Belmar. It's the other Buddy Dive location but IMO nicer - the resort itself is a couple decades newer. But check with them as IDK if they have daily boat dives from that location - last I saw it was only 2-3 times per week - you wouldn't want to drive the 15mins. to Buddy's if they don't. It's also waterfront, a couple of the previous suggestions aren't. It's a compressed, smaller property, the shore dive is 50' from your patio - if you're on the ground floor - the stairs on are the backside for the upstairs units. Your vehicle is also 20' from your back door. Parking can be tight if they're full.
No food nearby so everything is a few minute drive to town. Quiet at night. About Belmar
For a place to stay that has a streamlined setup Maybe an A unit Sand Dollar or Den Laman? That house reef doesn't get any easier to dive, maybe boat dive with Dive Friends? Otherwise my research indicates Buddy Dive for the boat dives, although the variability of rooms is a downside. Maybe captain Dons would be a happy medium? ( only been once and went to sand dollar, other suggestions are based purely on extensive research)
miketsp
Contributor
Just make sure you clarify with them exactly how many cylinders that gets you on the boats. When we booked last November, the advertisement was very clear about the boat dives - 5 x 2 tank dives = 10 cylinders. When the vouchers arrived 5 days before traveling in February, the voucher stated 6 x 1 tank dives = 6 cylinders. In the end because we were in a group and so had a boat to ourselves we rearranged this into 3 x 2 tank dives = 6 cylinders. We didn't kick up too much of a fuss because in Bonaire we just did more shore dives, which were more enjoyable anyway, but if you're counting on only diving from a boat it would make a difference.
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