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Accommodations: DreamBonaire house rental
Bonaire Talk: Accommodations: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2006: Archives - 2005-05-09 to 2005-08-16: DreamBonaire house rental
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By chris Thorpe (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Sunday, June 5, 2005 - 12:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Does anyone have any info regarding the DreamBonaire house rental in Belnam? I think that it is next to Bel Mar Apts. and has a web site @ DreamBonaire.com I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who is familiar with it. Thanks. Alida

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #261) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 1:59 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Have seen the deck area from BelMar and it looks nice. Have not been inside the house. They do use the dive shop at BelMar and there is a nice resturant across the street. The area is quite and laid back with lots of nice diving.
Andy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By chris Thorpe (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 9:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Andy. Can you tell me if it is the same house as the one on the Web site? We are about to commit on renting it for a few weeks and we wanted to make sure that we were not making a mistake. I did read some upsetting reports about crime ( in 2004 ) in that area. Alida

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #262) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 10:47 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Having stayed in the Belnam area all 3 times we have never been subjected to any crime. Stayed at Happy Holiday Homes 1X and BelMar 2X's. It looks to be the same house as on the web site. I am sure others will chime in here with more info. You might try a direct email to some of those who live on island (like Jake, Tish, Ruth, or Ann) they may have a better idea.
Andy

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By chris Thorpe (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 10:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Good idea Andy! I'll try the e-mail, and again thank you! Alida

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Debbie Babcock (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1678) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 1:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Chris,

I actually own a place in Belnam and have never had a problem with crime. I use common sense and we have night time security at our place which is a must in todays world. I know quite a few other places have security in Belnem, not sure about the house you are referring to. Maybe you should look into what kind of security they offer first, and take it from there. Just my two cents worth.
Debbie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By chris Thorpe (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 4:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Debbie!

The house that we are looking at has a Web site: http://www.dreambonaire.com/house.htm Perhaps you may recognize the place. I took Andy's advice and e-mailed Tish who has offered to help out. Very nice of her for sure!! Tish has offered to "drive by" and let us know her impression of things there.
We would welcome any suggestions that you would have on the matter. We have been to Bonaire numerous times over the past 15 years or so and Belnam has always looked like a great spot to rent a place on the water. Any info that you could share would be very much appreciated. We are not commited to any one house at this point. Thank you for your two cents!!! Chris & Alida

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Holly (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #230) on Monday, June 6, 2005 - 5:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've stayed three or four times at the house next door, the other side from the Belmar. Belmar had its own security guard at night, so I think we benefited from that presence. We were never bothered, but then we didn't leave things out or the doors unlocked when we weren't up and around.
It looks like the unit upstairs. When we were there last time, there was a someone living in the downstairs condo. It will feel isolated, but isn't really, and that gives your a little more security.
The folks who stay at the Belmar can tell you the diving in the "back yard" is pretty good.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By chris Thorpe (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 9:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks Holly. The owner tells me that the downstairs is vacant and that the patio is for the renters of the upstairs unit exclusively in the event that someone may be in the lower unit. I would assume that the second floor unit might be more secure as well.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Josh Schrank (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 9:22 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Chris,

Sorry I'm so late in chiming in on this. Wish I could see more of the parking area, but I'd swear that is Joe Byrds old place (he may still be the owner). If the guy you talk to has a boston accent, then it's Joe's. I've never been in the downstairs apartment, but the upstairs unit was fabulous. I remember him telling me that he had to make the upstairs floor thicker than normal because he wanted to make the unit wider than the norm. Last time I was in the place was in '99, and there wasn't any worry about crime then. Of course that I'm sure that has changed in the following years. If the downstairs is anything like the upstairs (very cool master bath upstairs), it'll be well worth the rental.

Again, I may be getting it confused with a unit near by, but it sure looks like his place. Joe runs a business called polaris marketing (not sure if they still have an office on the island or not), but the website is http://www.bonbini.com . Good luck with it!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Josh Schrank (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Friday, June 17, 2005 - 10:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Chris,

I just checked out the "quarter share" ad that Joe has up on bonbini.com and compared it to your dream bonaire house. The furniture, windows, etc are all exactly the same, so I'm pretty confident it's the same house. Curiously though, all of the pictures are of the upstairs, none of the downstairs. In any case, the few times I was there, the diving off of his pier was always nice and it's great to be able to roll out of bed and into the water. As far as security is concerned, keep things locked and you'll be fine.

 


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