BonaireTalk Discussion Group
Accommodations: Info on Port Bonaire Resort
Bonaire Talk: Accommodations: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2006: Archives - 2004-08-04 to 2005-05-09: Info on Port Bonaire Resort
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Asher Forst (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 9:01 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I am thinking of taking a trip in January and was wondering if anyone had any good or bad information on the Port Bonaire Resort, specifically the 1 bedroom room. This is my first time coming to Bonaire and I would like to have a place that is nice, clean and responsible. Also looking for shore diving. If anyone could also tell me how the shore diving works on bonaire, it would be a big help. In the Cayman's, you can just pick up a tank anytime, go down to the ladder and just go diving. Is it the same at these hotels in Bonaire. Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrea & Dave Bartlett (BonaireTalker - Post #30) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 11:30 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The only living I would not like about Port Bonaire is it right across the street from the airport. The planes taking off and landing might be a bother to you. Shore diving in Bonaire is the easiest thing in the world. Pick up your tank, and go diving either right off the dock or beach at your resort or if you have a rental truck/car drive down the coast road until you see a yellow rock, pull off the road and go diving. The yellow rocks mark dive sites from north to south along the coast road. When you land in Bonaire you will get a map showing all of the dive sites. Enjoy the island and the diving

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #12538) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 2:07 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Asher, are you looking for a place with a kitchen, beach front, restaurant on the premesis? That will open more suggestions from the board. I've never stayed at Port Bonaire, they look nice from the outside, but as Andrea and Dave said, it's right across from the airport, so you will get noise.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Asher Forst (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 5:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I am looking for a kitchen but otherwise, nothing special. I'm not concerned about the airline noise and would like to be near the airport and stores in the area. As long as I am able to pick up tanks whenever I want and can dive directly from the shore of the hotel I'm staying at and see different sites, I'll be happy. I'll also be looking into renting a car to travel to other shore sites. I also looked at the Plaza Resort but it was a little more expensive. I'm always open to suggestions from people who know more then me and who have done this before, so I am grateful for any information anyone can offer. Thanks again.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #12541) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 5:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Ahser, Port Bonaire and the airport are not close to town. Probably a 5 or 10 minute drive. Dive Inn is near Divi, and has Calabasas reef right in front, nice dive site, and it's within walking distance of town. Eden Beach is closer to town as well, but not really within walking distance. But you do have Bongos right there. That's where the webcams are located. Sand Dollar has studios, and I'm not sure if Buddy's or Cap Don's have studios, but they have great house reefs as well. Probably have made your choice harder now huh! Anyplace you pick, will be a winner though...it is rare that there is a "bad" trip report on a place.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #649) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 5:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

All Buddy units are studio or better (2-3 bdrm); Divi has studios as well as hotel type rooms; Caribe Inn is semi studio (refrig/microwave)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #12546) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 7:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Greg, forgot about Carib Inn!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steven Speck (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Monday, November 8, 2004 - 10:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Asher,

I wouldn't stay at Port Bonaire unless you have a vehicle. Port Bonaire is affiliated with the Plaza Resort so except for your condo, all of the facilities - the Toucan Dive op, the beach, bar, restaurant etc. are at the Plaza resort which is across a lagoon and a healthy walk away. The condo's are however pretty nice, newer looking units. And no way you'd walk to town from there, it's 5-10 minutes by truck. Watch out for low-flying aircraft though, I've heard there's a 3AM KLM flight midweek that rocks the windows.

Our travel agent told us that we would probably wind up driving to the Toucan diveshop at the Plaza if we stayed at the Port, it's that far. And she was right, it's pretty far to haul your gear unless you have a pack with wheels.

And Port Bonaire's on the backside of a small lagoon so there's no shorediving from the property, the only shorediving there is around the lagoon and down past the other side of the lagoon by the Plaza resort beach, I've heard it's not very good either, mostly used for classes, beginners etc. It's not a recognized dive location on Bonaire.

Most of the vehicles that are rented on Bonaire are small 4 door pickups, some with tank racks in the back. It's what everybody uses to get to the divesites as they're spread all over about a 10 mile stretch of the main road both north and south of town.

You will need a truck to shoredive on Bonaire unless you stay at one of the dive resorts, either nearer to town or up north. And you really do want a truck for shorediving Bonaire, about 50-60 of the divesites are a matter of driving up to your diveshop's tank p/u location, getting tanks, throwing your gear in the truck, driving north or south along the main road til you see a yellow divesite marker, pulling off the road, gearing up and walking 20-50' to the water.

The dive resorts to the North of town - Buddy's, Capt. Don's, Lions Dive, Sand Dollar etc. are all located off the same reef structure and have their own dive docks, restaurants and other facilities. Although they're a couple miles north of town as well so you'd need a truck to go south to town for food etc. There is a little mini-market type place about 1/2 mi. from the north dive resorts, but they don't have a lot.

About the closest place to town is the Divi Resort, it's a full service dive resort just south of town, you could walk maybe 1/2 mi from there to town if you wanted to. They also have good diving from their dock, a dive facility, the only casino and a restaurant.

The food market and two warehouse food stores, are located in town away from the water. It's driving distance only.

Kralendijk's touristy main shopping street is 1 blk from the water. Several of the better restaurants are located right on the waterfront there. There are some condo/room/apt. options for staying near there, but there's no shore diving done from town except the Pier at night. Carib Inn and Dive Inn being the exception.

Make it a point to read through the info here on Bonairetalk. I did before our trip and found things to be almost exactly as described here by the regular BT'ers.

Any other questions e-mail me at s_speck@yahoo.com. I don't regularly read this forum lately.

Steve

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linda Richter - NetTech (Moderator - Post #2032) on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 10:06 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The dive site at Plaza is called Eighteenth Palm. It is a nice dive with an easy entry. We saw a school of tarpon there.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #102) on Tuesday, November 9, 2004 - 12:02 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Asher --

There are many places to stay that meet your criteria -- Sand $, Cpt. Dons, Buddys, Lions, Eden Beach (all to the north). Carib Inn, Divi, Bel Mar, Plaza (all to the south).

It is also worth understanding distances on Bonaire -- other than the park (in the far north), it does not take very long to get from point a to point b. Port Bonaire would be *less* than a one minute drive from the airport. It is probably a four minute drive to Divi or Carib. Maybe ten to Captain Dons, et. al.

From the Divi, it less than a 10 minute drive to the airport, some of the southern dive sites, town, some of the northern dive sites, etc.

There have also been several recent threads on where to stay. If cost is a serious constraint, I was pleased with Happy Holiday homes (not on the water, no pool) and there are many other options that I know little about (Wannadive Hut, Golden Reef, Casa Oleander, Yacht Club, etc., etc.)

======

Greg -- The Carib Inn has a mix of rooms with only two being "semi-studio (#4/5)." One is true studio (#3), two are one bedrooms with a full kitchen/living area apart from the bedroom (#1/#2), two more are one bedrooms but with decks (Small poolside and larger waterview) (#7/#8) and, if I recall, an extra half bath. One is a two bedroom (#6, my favorite!) with lots of space and a great deck almost on the water. Finally, the one bedroom waterfront bungalow (#9) and the house (three bedrooms, two baths). Over the years, I have been in every unit and stayed in all except #8, #1 and the house. I really like this place but it is not for everyone (no 24 hour desk, no on-site bar, small, etc.)

====

Steve:
Yes, there is an approx. 3am flight most (all?) mornings. While I agree that a truck is the easiest (and most common) dive vehicle, it is possible to do most sites with a car or van. That said, I also always rent the p/u as it is so much easier...

 


Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites


Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration