We are returning for our 2nd trip to Bonaire in Nov. Talked 2 other diving couples into coming with us. We are staying with Buddy Dive. Two couples in a 2 bdr and one in a 1 bdr. We would really appreciate any info about the rooms and rental vehicles. Should we ask for a certain building / floor. What about vehicles, van / truck?? Thanks so much in advance Mike & Cathy

ps this is an awesome board!

Welcome to the board.
I have stayed at BD a bunch of times. The hotel and dive op staff are super. You will most likely get (2) 4dr pickup trucks. Ours has always been relatively new and in good shape. All have been manual trans and no AC. I don't mind driving a stick and the lack of AC is no big deal.

As for the rooms, I have stayed in all the buildings and they are pretty much the same. I do like the second floor, it has a better view. If I had to choose a particular building, I would pick the one closest to the dive shop....less of a walk to morning coffee

We stayed at Buddy's for the sixth time this August. Some of the rental trucks are starting to show a bit of wear (we had them a year or two ago when they were brand new, but the salty environment really does a number on them)but in some ways that's better than a brand new one since you don't need to worry about the little nicks and scratches. We always stay in building 4, but I think that they're all pretty much the same. It's great to have a refigerator, microwave, and gas stovetop, and there are room safes in each room -- just remember to get the key from the front desk when you check in; they're big enough for your passports, airline tix, cash, etc. There's a huge ice machine that you can use by the front desk; we always bring an old beat up gallon picnic jug and fill it with ice and water before heading out. "Beach" towels (which are actually just bath towels) are provided at check in and can be swapped out for clean, dry ones anytime at the front desk. I totally agree with Herman -- the staff and facilities at Buddy Dive are outstanding.

Thank you guys. Please more, more, more. Thanks!

Okay, here's a few more tidbits about Buddy Dive Resort.
--No hairdryers in the room; BYO if ya really need one.
--Wall plugs for AC power DO accept US-style plugs, but it's recommended that you not plug in sensitive things like laptops and battery chargers since the power flucuations and different frequency (50 vs. 60 cycles) can damage these items. You can use a protected power supply in the dive shop for these items.
--There is AC in the bedrooms but not in the rest of the unit, and there are no screens on the doors/windows; various strategies for minimizing mosquitoes in the unit are effective to varying degrees, but do bring the bug spray, particularly if they've had any rain prior to your trip.
--Breakfast buffet is adequate, best stuff in my opinion being the squeeze-your-own fresh OJ and the made-to-order omelets.
--Dive boats can fill up quickly at some times, or can be fairly empty at other times. If you find that boats are getting filled up before you get a chance to sign up, try to be around when the boats are boarding--that's when they erase that day's assignments and you can sign up for the next day's. People do erase their names from the board quite a lot, so if the boat you want to go out on is filled, keep checking the sign up board for openings. If you want to do their weekly night boat dive, inquire about it in the dive shop and sign up early.
--Tipping of the dive staff can be done via envelopes and a box in the dive shop. Corinna recommends that you leave tips for the dive shop as a whole rather than for individual divemasters so that everyone, including those working on shore filling tanks, working the shop, drivethru, etc, can share the tips, but this is obviously up to your own discretion.
--Have fun, relax and smile; friendly good mornings to the all the staff from dive staff to front desk, restaurant, bar, cleaning and maintenance folks always results in friendly experiences and often results in developing friendships and learning about the people who actually live and work on Bonaire. Reach out and someone will almost always reach back. And buying a few beers at the manager's party for the dive staff is ALWAYS a good idea!

We have stayed in building 4, room 8 I think, four times now. It is a single bedroom. You can see the view from the balcony by clicking on my profile. The buildings that are 3 stories high, there is no roof on the balconies, something to consider if you like to hide in the shade (I do).

Nice place, nice people, nice guests. I hope you enjoy your trip.

ummm, only the balconies on the 3rd floor have no roof...just wanted to be clear...

The booking agent told me that the only true 2 bdrm units are on the 2nd & 3rd floors of building 1. Meaning the living area is down stairs & the bedrooms upstairs. Is that true??

You can check out the floorplans at:

http://www.buddydive.com/roomviews.html

There may be more options than shown here, depending on the building, but this is a rough idea. Our local dive shop has been taking groups to Buddy's for the last six years or so and recommends it highly. Great location, too. For lunch and dinner, you're within a 5-minute walk of restaurants at Sand Dollar, Lion's, and Captain Don's. I don't think we encountered a friendlier staff than at Buddy's. We were there for the 'Mexican Fiesta' night--strolling musicians and a buffet followed by a slide lecture on sea turtles.

Ron,

I think you mean the following link: http://www.buddydive.com/roomlayout.html

Martin

Mike and Cathy,

In my four visits to Buddy Dive, I preferred the building to the south of the bar. On the map located at: http://www.buddydive.com/buddydiveresortmap.html it is all the way to the right. It is IMO a little more quiet. See if you can reserve the first floor end unit (1 bedroom) it is right next to the water. It was my favorite. Enjoy!!