I am planning on a dive trip to Bonaire this winter and am overwhelmed at the options of accommodations. Does anyone have any great suggestions? It's just myself and my husband and we prefer smaller places. Our requirements are on (or very close) to beach/shore for unlimited shore diving and a kitchen. We don't want to spend tons or stay with lots of others. We just want a simple, clean place with a good dive operation. I have been looking at the Eden Beach Resort, BelMar Apartments, and Den Laman Condos- does anyone have feedback on any of these locations? Or, can you suggest something better? Thanks!
Where to stay/dive in Bonaire?
- Thread starter jndeller
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I just returned from Bonaire in September. We stayed at BuddyDive and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's on the water, has several boat trips available every day, and our unit had a kitchen (I think they all do). It was very reasonable for the week and included a rental pickup.
I'd go back in a heartbeat.
I'd go back in a heartbeat.
I was in Bonaire 3 weeks ago and we used Buddy Dive this time. I have also used Plaza Resort/Toucan Diving in the past. You won't go wrong with either place.
DiveMaven
Contributor
We stayed at Den Laman for 2 weeks this summer and loved it so much we've already made reservations for 2 weeks next summer. 
Den Laman only has 16 condo units, all on the 2nd and 3rd floors, so you're up off the ground and can enjoy sitting out on your balcony with a bit more privacy than a ground floor unit. The condos are cleaned daily and very clean, new, modern, comfortable, and include A/C in the entire unit not just the bedroom.
The kitchen was super convenient with a full sized refrigerator and a dishwasher. I don't believe they come with ovens, but you have a microwave, coffee maker, hot water pot, stove top, toaster, and a full assortment of cooking equipment and utensils...what more do you need? We did our own breakfasts and lunches, only going out for dinner which worked out great for us.
The dive/drive/stay package price was cheaper than Buddy's, Capt. Don's, or Sand Dollar, which helped us make our choice initially, now it doesn't matter, Den Laman met our needs 100% and we didn't consider staying anywhere else when we decided to return next year. I'd really recommend Den Laman highly.
Den Laman only has 16 condo units, all on the 2nd and 3rd floors, so you're up off the ground and can enjoy sitting out on your balcony with a bit more privacy than a ground floor unit. The condos are cleaned daily and very clean, new, modern, comfortable, and include A/C in the entire unit not just the bedroom. The kitchen was super convenient with a full sized refrigerator and a dishwasher. I don't believe they come with ovens, but you have a microwave, coffee maker, hot water pot, stove top, toaster, and a full assortment of cooking equipment and utensils...what more do you need? We did our own breakfasts and lunches, only going out for dinner which worked out great for us.
The dive/drive/stay package price was cheaper than Buddy's, Capt. Don's, or Sand Dollar, which helped us make our choice initially, now it doesn't matter, Den Laman met our needs 100% and we didn't consider staying anywhere else when we decided to return next year. I'd really recommend Den Laman highly.
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We stayed at BelMar a few years ago. It's very clean, quiet (if kids aren't in the pool) and the house dive is good - not great - we did it twice. It's the other Buddy dive shop so you can use the Buddy drive-thru for tank exchange when shorediving the north end of the island.
Nice condos, full kitchens minus oven and all of them have patios with an unobstructed view of the setting sun. It's a very compact property surrounded by houses so pretty quiet at night. If you have a ground floor condo, there's a dive locker outside your back door, upstairs gets a locker at the diveshop on the south end of the property. You park 30' from your door and shoredive tank pickup is at a little fenced area by the diveshop, when we were there your condo key opened the public areas of the diveshop for tanks, Nox analyzer etc. They also stock tanks on the divedock.
At different times I've heard that Buddy's either sends a boat down to BelMar or you have to drive up there if you're planning any boat dives. It's about 10-15mins. between the properties.
BelMar is located in Belnem far enough south of the airport that I never heard a plane - yet close enough to be convenient.
If you use Google Earth, PM me with an e-mail address, I've got all the major resorts - nearby divesites, piers, the market and some restaurants located on a .kmz file I can e-mail. Gives a really good sense of the distances involved.
The biggest downside to BelMar is a total lack of restaurants within walking distance. Afaik there still isn't even any in Belnem. The closest is probably at the Plaza resort which is a 2min. drive past the airport and around the lagoon. Or 2 more minutes to downtown Kralendijk. But you're literally 2 minutes to the south dive sites from there.
Port Bonaire is a nice condo complex also, slightly closer to town, but they're in the flightpath and there's a couple of real early morning KLM flights. We drove in there but I didn't see any advantage to it over BelMar.
Buddy's looked nice also when we were there but the bar gets loud if they're booked up - which is pretty often, it's a popular place. And it's bigger since they took over the Lions Dive condos next door a few years ago. Not to fault it, but you mentioned wanting a smaller place.
They were building Den Laman when we were there so it's the newest property of the three. It also has the advantage of being on Bari Reef, which has the most counted species of fish in the Caribbean. Bonaire Dive/Adventure is there and they do nature programs in addition to diving.
From what I recall, Eden Beach should be the next property south of it. So 2 minutes between all the dive sites at the resorts in that area. I think Eden Beach is the Front Porch? site, Den Laman is Bari Reef and Capt' Don's sits on LaMachaca with Cliff just to the north - both are doable in one dive. Buddy's next door to them also has a good reef, I just don't know the name. Since the resorts sit perpendicular to the water, it's easiest to drive in and out of each resorts entrance. All have full facilities, we dove all of them except Front Porch in one afternoon. Capt' Don's charged $5pp to use their lockers/showers.
The only resort with any sort of beach of the three you named is Eden Beach. It's pretty nice with a beach bar(Bongo's?) fronting the water. We didn't see inside a condo though. But due to their orientation, most would be a short walk to the water - some would even be view obstructed from what I remember.
BelMar sits about 10' above the water on ironshore. Walking distance down the street is the Bachelor's Beach divesite but it's not much of a beach. I don't think there's any beach at Den Laman either, but it's a real short walk down to Eden Beach. I think you walk along the waterfront but I'm not sure.
enough rambling...
Nice condos, full kitchens minus oven and all of them have patios with an unobstructed view of the setting sun. It's a very compact property surrounded by houses so pretty quiet at night. If you have a ground floor condo, there's a dive locker outside your back door, upstairs gets a locker at the diveshop on the south end of the property. You park 30' from your door and shoredive tank pickup is at a little fenced area by the diveshop, when we were there your condo key opened the public areas of the diveshop for tanks, Nox analyzer etc. They also stock tanks on the divedock.
At different times I've heard that Buddy's either sends a boat down to BelMar or you have to drive up there if you're planning any boat dives. It's about 10-15mins. between the properties.
BelMar is located in Belnem far enough south of the airport that I never heard a plane - yet close enough to be convenient.
If you use Google Earth, PM me with an e-mail address, I've got all the major resorts - nearby divesites, piers, the market and some restaurants located on a .kmz file I can e-mail. Gives a really good sense of the distances involved.
The biggest downside to BelMar is a total lack of restaurants within walking distance. Afaik there still isn't even any in Belnem. The closest is probably at the Plaza resort which is a 2min. drive past the airport and around the lagoon. Or 2 more minutes to downtown Kralendijk. But you're literally 2 minutes to the south dive sites from there.
Port Bonaire is a nice condo complex also, slightly closer to town, but they're in the flightpath and there's a couple of real early morning KLM flights. We drove in there but I didn't see any advantage to it over BelMar.
Buddy's looked nice also when we were there but the bar gets loud if they're booked up - which is pretty often, it's a popular place. And it's bigger since they took over the Lions Dive condos next door a few years ago. Not to fault it, but you mentioned wanting a smaller place.
They were building Den Laman when we were there so it's the newest property of the three. It also has the advantage of being on Bari Reef, which has the most counted species of fish in the Caribbean. Bonaire Dive/Adventure is there and they do nature programs in addition to diving.
From what I recall, Eden Beach should be the next property south of it. So 2 minutes between all the dive sites at the resorts in that area. I think Eden Beach is the Front Porch? site, Den Laman is Bari Reef and Capt' Don's sits on LaMachaca with Cliff just to the north - both are doable in one dive. Buddy's next door to them also has a good reef, I just don't know the name. Since the resorts sit perpendicular to the water, it's easiest to drive in and out of each resorts entrance. All have full facilities, we dove all of them except Front Porch in one afternoon. Capt' Don's charged $5pp to use their lockers/showers.
The only resort with any sort of beach of the three you named is Eden Beach. It's pretty nice with a beach bar(Bongo's?) fronting the water. We didn't see inside a condo though. But due to their orientation, most would be a short walk to the water - some would even be view obstructed from what I remember.
BelMar sits about 10' above the water on ironshore. Walking distance down the street is the Bachelor's Beach divesite but it's not much of a beach. I don't think there's any beach at Den Laman either, but it's a real short walk down to Eden Beach. I think you walk along the waterfront but I'm not sure.
enough rambling...
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reefdiva
Contributor
If you are going in the winter you might want to avoid Eden because their tiny beach gets very crowded on days when cruise ships are in port.
We stayed at Den Laman in July. Nice rooms with full equiped kitchens. Not my favorite dive op, they open too late and close up to early for me so you have to plan carefully if you want tanks or to get to your equipment for late evening or early morning dives. Nothing wrong with them otherwise, just their times can make diving less convient than I like.
Another place to check out is Golden Reef Inn. Golden Reef Inn Resort--Home It's not on the water but close by....although no place on Bonaire is far from the water.. It's a smaller place with full kitchens and a nice pool, Ed and Liz will take good care of you. They use Wannadivebonaire as their dive op of choice. WDB has several places around town including at GRI where you can pick up and drop off tanks which can be convient. WDB is one of my favorite dive ops anywhere.
Another place to check out is Golden Reef Inn. Golden Reef Inn Resort--Home It's not on the water but close by....although no place on Bonaire is far from the water.. It's a smaller place with full kitchens and a nice pool, Ed and Liz will take good care of you. They use Wannadivebonaire as their dive op of choice. WDB has several places around town including at GRI where you can pick up and drop off tanks which can be convient. WDB is one of my favorite dive ops anywhere.
I stayed at Bruce Bowker's Carin Inn and it was great. It sounds like exactly what you are looking for.
Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles - Scuba Diving and Accommodations - Home Page
Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles - Scuba Diving and Accommodations - Home Page
The good news is I know of no bad place to stay or bad dive op, basically you start at good and go up from there.
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