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Accommodations: Divi Flamingo Hotel and Diving Tips
Bonaire Talk: Accommodations: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2006: Archives - 2005-08-17 to 2006-01-02: Divi Flamingo Hotel and Diving Tips
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bonnie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #104) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 3:36 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello everyone- My husband and I just returned from our first trip to Bonaire. I am still floating (quite literally, too!) but I wanted to send a quick note to help anyone who may be staying at the Divi.

It was a wonderful wonderful vacation all around. Great hotel, diving, weather and restaurants. What more can you ask for?

First of all I must say before I forget, THERE WERE NO MOSQUITOS! LOL Now I have tons of OFF wipes and spray to last a small lifetime.

1. If you arrive after 5, the dive shop is closed and you will have to wait for the next day to do your orientation dive. EVERYONE on Bonaire must do an orientation dive, which means that you check your bouyancy, making sure you have the correct amount of weights. The orientation dive is at 9:30 in the morning. The night desk person did not tell us that, so when we arrived leisurely at the dive shop around 10, we had missed our chance. Thankfully, he met us back there at 1:00 so we were able to do the 2:00 afternoon boat dive.

2. Bring locks. Divi has lockers and has teeny weeny locks with teeny weeny keys that you will undoubtedly lose. Maybe more than once.

3. If you are a coffee lover and enjoy really good coffee, bring your own coffee and basket-type filters and get a coffee pot for your room. The coffee at the hotel is TERRIBLE and so is the creamy-stuff used as cream. Get a couple of cups from the restaurant (they will glady give them to you). If you want cream or milk, rent a fridge and go to the grocery store for your coffee fixings.

4. If you have paid for breakfast only, you are able to use the breakfast vouchers for lunch if you arent a breakfast eater. My breakfast would make it through my regulator so I always opted for lunch. There is a surcharge for some lunch items but it's worth it if you dont eat breakfast.

5. Ask for a key for the back gate if you plan to walk into town for dinner (they give it to you with a $25 deposit). There are so many excellent restaurants within ten min walk and going in and out of the back gate is really nice.

6. Buy your own beer/wine in town and ask for a fridge for your room. No one seems to care or notice whose beer or wine or whatever you're walking around with.

7. There was no one waiting for us (as anticipated) at the airport, even though we paid for transfers. We waited and waited and then finally got a cab. Get any taxi to drive you-- there are plenty of them there-- and the hotel desk person will provide the driver with a voucher.

8. You are asked to sign up yourself for morning and afternoon dives, which can fill up quickly. As soon as you get back from your morning dives, go sign up for the next day... and the same for the PM. As soon as it's over, sign up for the next day.

9. If you want to dive at the Town Pier at night, you must go with a dive operator. We missed our chance because there was a cruise ship there for two nights and then a Windjammer for another two, so we never got to go. Although diving around the Divi at night is truly as spectacular as it is easy, I am told that the pier is world-class. Talk to the dive masters as soon as you get there and let them know that you're interested in a night pier dive so you don't miss out.

10. Shade is hard to come by on the piers, on the little beach, and near the pool in the afternoon. Put your towels on some chairs or there will be no place to lounge. Believe me, you won't be able to take the sun for long. :-)


11. The diving was wonderful and the dive operation/masters tops. Tipping is made easy by having mailboxes for all the divemasters inside the shop. You can either tip as you go or wait until the end of the week.

We're already looking forward to next summer!



 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Freddie Hughes (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6360) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 3:43 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonnie ,Thank you so much for these practical hints and Tips..Sounds as if you had a terrific time on your vacation.. will you write a trip report with Photos???Please!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeanine (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #684) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 4:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Bonnie! Thanks for the great tips. I am laughing so hard right now because of all of the posts regarding mosquitos. I must be a magnet! I fed a ton of mosquitos at dinner the first night because I figured I was safe after reading everyone's posts and did not put on spray. My dive buddy actually left the restaurant, went back to the hotel, and returned to the restaurant with bug spray. NO ONE else at our table got bitten. I even showed them one of the little buggers to prove I wasn't making it up. Go figure...lesson here, be on the island the same time as I am and you won't get bitten - they will all be on me! LOL. So glad you had a good trip. Hope to see pics soon.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bonnie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #106) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 5:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We didnt bring our camera because the underwater housing was broken... but have no fear! I am attaching a link to a fellow diver's Snapfish photo album. The pictures of Divi both above and under the water are truly spectacular!

http://www.snapfish.com/shareereg/p=809191124499421903/l=57455332/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB/t_=0/pns/share/p=809191124499421903/l=57455332/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB/t_=0

You have to join Snapfish which is easy and painless. It's worth the time to view these pics. We're already looking forward to this time next year!!! Enjoy!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bonnie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #110) on Sunday, August 21, 2005 - 7:56 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I forgot to mention: The Divi has a "business center" right off the lobby (convenient) with 4 computers. For a whole $3.50 an hour, you can get internet time. Unbelivable! You dont even have to dry off before walking in and sitting down. Very convenient for keeping in touch with friends or loved ones back home or getting info online.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1632) on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 9:21 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks for sharing all the great tips and glad you had a nice time!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bev Delarue (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - 8:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Bonnie
Can you send your pictures again, I cant get them when I click on your link.
I would love to see them.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bonnie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #112) on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - 8:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I see that it comes up as error. I'll send the link to your email.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bev Delarue (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #7) on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - 8:25 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonnie
I tried also from your email and it just brings me back to this page again.
Thanks

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bonnie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #113) on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - 9:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hmmmm.... ok I'll send them again in an email and see if it works. Gosh. The problem is that they arent my photos and it isnt my link (which means I dont have the photos downloaded onto my own computer).

PS- another suggestion regarding your trip to Bonaire. If you need ANYTHING whatsoever, you will pay out of the nose for it or not find it on Bonaire. For example, my husband couldnt find one antacid anywhere he went. He went crazy to find Rolaids and all he could find was AlkaSeltzer. I needed ear drops (which I never needed before). I paid $7.50 for a little bottle of "swimmers ear drops" which was 1 oz of isopropyl alcohol. HA! If you think you may need it (and even if you dont), bring it! Especially medicine or sundries of any type.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bev Delarue (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 8:38 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bonnie

I received your photo's they are fantastic, Thank you for sharing.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Iris Rivera (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 11:53 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi, Thanks for the advice/tips, my boyfriend and I will be there 9/1-9/7. Did you travel with a coffee machine or did you buy/rent one at the Divi? Was the refrigerator rented or borrowed? and if so how much. Thanks. I bought a collapsable cooler per advice from the fabulous people here on BT. Does the divi provide ice?

Thanks again

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bonnie (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #116) on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 1:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

ICE: Yes. Machines are located throughout. Ice buckets are in the rooms

COFFEE POT: Yes. They provided them. Ask the person at the desk and/or the guy who brings your luggage to the room. When I was there it was Roland. Really nice guy. As far as I know they didnt charge us. Make sure you specify coffee maker. At first they brought us a hot water maker.

FRIDGE: Again, tell the desk person and the bellboy (hehe) will bring it to the room. We examined our bill pretty closely, so unless they made a mistake, they did not charge of for any of these things.

They will also bring you an iron and ironing board for the week if you were cotton and linen like I do (packed straight from the dryer, unfolding into what looks like undone christmas wrapping paper. LOL). Again, no charge.

Have lots of fun!

FILTERS: Bring your own. Basket type.

COFFEE: Bring your own for obvious reasons.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Erickson (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #8) on Friday, August 26, 2005 - 6:48 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Fridge is 6.30/day according to an e-mail I received from the Front Desk Manager. My wife and I will be there 8/31-9/7.

 


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