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Accommodations: Divi Flamingo
Bonaire Talk: Accommodations: Archives: Archives 2000 to 2006: Archives - 2001-07-12 to 2002-10-06: Divi Flamingo
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pat Relich on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 12:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello everyone,

First I want to thank everyone who help with my cancellation problem a while ago when I was caring for my mom. She passed earlier this month and now I attempting to schedule a get away with my family for June 19 - 26, maybe 3 days longer. I need the get away.

I was reading previous postings about Divi Flamingo, which seem to be favorable. I have received a good package offer using their services.

The question I have does anyone know anything I should be aware of or should ask for? I see some construction going on and is it complete?

Appreciate any advice.

Pat

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 4:39 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

if you have a deluxe room (near the ocean) ask for a room close to the Chibi Chibi restaurant... there are barking dogs located adjacent to the south end of the property (away from the restaurant). Email a request for a refridgerator... good for sodas, beer, etc. If breakfast is included in your package, you will get coupons upon arrival... be aware that they can be used for a lunch item if you don't use them for breakfast. Laundry service is cheaper if you drop it off yourself at the laundry (off-prem.) vs. using the laundry bag in the room.

If you have any specific questions, just ask...we just got back from 3 weeks at the divi.

Ken and Lisa

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Corney Ann Carter on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 6:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The construction is in the timeshare area and will be ongoing for a while yet. It is away from the hotel section. The laundry is just to the right of the stadium in town.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 8:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

So sorry to hear about your Mom, Pat...I went thru something similar just last year with my Mom. Our sympathies go out to you. Bonaire will be a good place for you to "get away" and have some well needed quiet time. The Divi is a good place to do just that...swim, dive, snorkel, relax, dine or just do nothing but recline on the chairs on the beach or the tanning pier. We love it at the Divi. Someone had mentioned there was construction starting at the outdoor breakfast area which overlooks the Divi beach. I don't know what type of construction it is or how loud, etc. Someone who just came back might be able to give you more input on that. The Deluxe rooms are literally right on the water. I have been told the second floor units are nicer in that they have higher ceilings and ceiling fans in them. We are on the timeshare side, but we were booked in the deluxe side closer to the Chibi Chibi restaurant for Thanksgiving week when we had to cancel out due to my unexpected dental disaster. Darlene Ellis has told me that her favorite room is #203 up on the second floor of the deluxe units...she says it is much better upstairs than downstairs.

Hope this helps you out. Do take care of yourself and may peace be with you. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ken on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 10:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

they are tearing down the old Caleba's restaurant area. The are moving right along and are probably about done with the removal. The only things we noticed was that they would block the main path and make you walk 20 yds out of your way :). They are supposed to be building a new restaurant on the same site. They only work during the day and it has no impact on your stay.

Our first floor deluxe room had a ceiling fan... second floor gains you a phone from what I could gather.

Breakfast's were at the Chibi Chibi.

Ken and Lisa

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Denise Kacavas on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 1:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

deluxe rooms are well worth the additonal $ in my opinion. If not in one, and therefore not on the ocean I would suggest you get an upstairs room from what I have seen in the past... We always took the deluxe rooms and loved waking in the AM, stepping out on the balconey over the water, and at sunset before dinner also.... lots of various fish in the water right up to the edge, and they love to be fed!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pat Relich on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 2:23 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thanks everyone,

But my travel agent says she has a better deal for me. She is quoting me a place at the Port Bonaire Villas. Seems extremely nice, but AJ has quoted me a place at the Plaza Resort. They share amenities and seem to be close together. Cost difference is about $500 US.
both quoted me prices on 1 bedrooms. Unfortunately the Port Bonaire only has one bed in the bedroom and I was told the Plaza has 2 queen beds in the bedroom.

Any advice?

Going to make decision this afternoon, tired of this planning. Have to pay or get off the pot.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linda Richter - NetTech on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 2:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Here are the pages about their rooms.

http://www.plazaresortbonaire.com/rooms2.htm

This one is Port Bonaire.
http://www.plazavillas.com/rooms.htm

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pat Relich on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 2:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Linda,

Which would you choose? You have a lot more expertise on the island than I. You confirmed there is a convenience feature. I'm awaiting a call about the 2 bedroom at Port Bonaire. Are they close enough together to easily take advantage of the shared amenities? And if the price of a 2 bedroom at Port Bonaire were the same as a 1 bedroom at The Plaza, again what would you do? Privacy for my family is not an issue if no one sleeps on a pull out. Sharing a bedroom we've done before.

I won't hold anything against you, but if I like your decision I'll buy you and your husband a drink when I get to your lovely island. If not I'll still buy the drinks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sarah on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 4:52 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Pat, the Plaza and Port Bon Villas are very close together, just a short walk to the amenities at Plaza. We have stayed at Plaza a few times, and liked it very much. We stayed in a laguna view room; it had a well equipped kitchen area, nice big bathroom, separate living area with TV etc and a balcony, there's also a car parking area very close to the laguna view rooms, we liked that as we could drive up to our door and drop off shopping,luggage etc...

Never stayed at Port Bon Villas, but have seen them from the outside, they do look very nice. Tough decision.. but just remember that the walk to Plaza facilities is a very short one indeed! Sarah:)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker on Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 9:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think the main difference is that there is a beach directly on the Plaza property and you would have a short walk stayig at the other accomodation. Personally, I would prefer the beach at my fingertips...er..toetips! If the savings is important, than do what is best for you. I just know "me"! LOL. I believe the water you see outside the window/glass doors in the Port Bon Villas is not the ocean directly and immediately in the front...it is further out in the background if you look closely. I do not know of anyone who has stayed at the Port Bon Villas as yet as they are fairly new,(they do look lovely, tho) but I have heard lots of great things about the Plaza beach and the snorkeling there and I believe they have a restaurant, etc, as well as a small casino right on the property. There are different category rooms with different views and sizes and prices, but I love the water too much not to be able to just walk out the door and be at the beach and in the water.....well, almost! Good luck on your decision. You will enjoy Bonaire no matter where you stay...of this I am certain. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mimi greenberg on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 2:06 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

ken,
the barking dogs to the south of the Divi Flamingo belong to Bruce Bowker who owns the Carib Inn. They have been barking for many years.
People have complained, including some of his guests. But nothing has changed.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By gregg brewer on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 8:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Bruce's dogs are great compared to the barking dogs on the north side (time share area), roosters and parrots which start screaming early in the morning.... they've been there for years

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clay Lansdown on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 9:31 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I think the complaints were not about Bruce's dogs but about others.
Last year when we were there the people with the dogs on the north side were moving I believe.
I think Bruce has one dog now and in any case I never heard his dogs barking unless there was a reason.
We never had a problem with barking anyway, it wasn't a big deal. I don't recall any of the other guests being upset either.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 10:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

They weren't Bruce's dogs. They belonged to whoever lived in that white building next to divi

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mimi greenberg on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 11:54 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

clay - I stayed at the Carib Inn for 2 weeks, approximately 18 months ago. The dogs barked through out the night. Numerous guests complained to the staff. Nothing was done.
You will be happy to know that I was not one of the complainers, as i am partially deaf. also, i was on the swimming pool side of the inn, a good distance away.
darlene - there were no people living between the Divi & the Carib Inn during the time I was there.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Goff on Friday, March 29, 2002 - 12:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Barking is not necessarily a bad thing. I welcome the barking if it is to alert to safety concerns.
!WOOF!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clay Lansdown on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 7:56 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

mimi.. If you sit in the gazebo at Bruce's and look to your right, you will see a long platform running out over the water. It's about 20 feet or over the water. That belongs to a house between the Inn and the Divi. (Note, I am not talking about the low Divi dock that was damaged due to the wave action). It's been there for many years, but you may not have realized that it was not part of the Divi since it abuts the Divi.
Those people had dogs - one looked like a doberman - that barked and Bruce had complained to them about that.
Last year it appeared that they were moving but I am not sure if they did. There was a truck hauling stuff away and we heard that the property had been sold. We were hoping so because the dogs were kept out on the deck, had little shade and looked pretty miserable in the hot part of the day.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mimi greenberg on Saturday, March 30, 2002 - 1:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

clay - i know the house that you referenced. it was vacant and in terrible shape. I doubt that it was habitable without major reconstruction. The reason i know this is one of the guests asked Bruce if he was interested in buying the property to expand the Carib Inn. And he said he wasn't interested and the place was a wreck.
That's why i'm pretty sure no one has lived there since the people with the doberman moved.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 9:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Clay, those are the dogs I spoke of. There are two of them and they were there this past January. I never heard any barking and I felt so bad for them and would go and talk to them from the new Divi dock right next to the dock you speak of. By the way, they were putting the finishing touches on a big beautiful dock and there is great fishlife under it with lots of coral growth on the pillars.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clay Lansdown on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 10:39 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

mimi...I am not sure we are talking about the same place. The one with the high deck has been occupied for the last several years. I don't know what shape it's in on the inside.

Darlene..we had a good time watching them work on the Divi dock last May. It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase "Island Time". Not that island time is necessarily a bad thing. It is bad only if you want something done in what we tend to consider a timely fashion. Don't want to forget that one of the reasons we go to the island is to get away from "mainland time."

Looking forward to 4th May. Got our regulators back after their annual service, so we are ready to go.

Also Lee's arm is good enough that she was able to get into her 3mm wetsuit without help. We will have to see if her strengh improves enough for her to handle the weight belt or not. If not, her faithful dive slave will have to help I guess.

My wetsuit seems to have shrunk slightly while in the closet this winter, but its still useable.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mimi greenberg on Thursday, April 4, 2002 - 3:55 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hmmmm. According to the posts, the dogs don't bark at the Caribb Inn or at the house between the Divi & Caribb Inn. Yet, Ken made reference to barking dogs at night on the south side of the Divi.
Is Ken having auditory halucinations? I think not. Is someone impersonating the sound of barking dogs in the middle of the night? I think not.
Is there anyone who can explain this mysterious phenomenon?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clay Lansdown on Friday, April 5, 2002 - 8:10 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

mimi.. You are right, it's a terrible place. They can barely manage to keep the place booked up a year in advance and only about 80% of the guests are repeat visitors. There must be a lot of problems and aggravations. Don't go back there..please.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mimi greenberg on Friday, April 5, 2002 - 10:30 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

clay...you said the Caribb Inn is terrible. Not me. I said the barking dogs that are heard at night on the south side of the Divi, are Bruce Bowker's dogs. Let's keep who said what accurate. If you won't, I will.
Everyone knows that Bruce's dogs bark at night, including yourself. So why get so huffy & indignant? I think it's hilarious that you need to defend the dogs as if they were criminals.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker on Saturday, April 6, 2002 - 3:25 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Enuff, already. I don't think this board was meant meant to maintain continued altercations and snipes at each other. Nothing productive is coming out of some of these comments and exchanges. Maybe it's just me, but you can feel the tension with each letter being typed onto this subject. Why not take it "off board" and continue with the barbs that way? I know I am going to be the subject of a lashing here, now, but I don't care. I will turn the other cheek and walk away without dignifying a response to a negative, personal dig. No mas, No mas, por favor. Dogs bark...period. Birds sing...period. Roosters crow...period. Nothing is perfect...what it does is make you aware you are alive...just go with it. We should all be grateful we are able to be on Bonaire and enjoy what she has to offer in general. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Clay Lansdown on Saturday, April 6, 2002 - 8:02 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Carole I agree with you. As Forest Gump said "That's all I have to say about that"
Clay

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS on Saturday, April 6, 2002 - 10:22 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Carole, nicely said!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mimi greenberg on Saturday, April 6, 2002 - 3:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I never understood why the sniping started in the first place. but it's good to know that it has stopped.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kay Powers on Sunday, April 7, 2002 - 2:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

All I need is another trip to Bonaire! :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lorraine Meadows on Saturday, April 13, 2002 - 4:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, another trip to Bonaire always does make things better. Unfortunately we have to postpone our regular May trip to the fall this year. I am back on the board today looking around to see what's been happening lately. Good to "hear" some of the old voices again !

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Davison on Monday, April 22, 2002 - 4:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Woof.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By sherry baker on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - 9:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

10 more days until barry and i arrive on bonaire. Yippie!!

we are so ready for vacation!!

2 weeks of fun on paradise.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lorraine Meadows on Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - 8:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Have a great trip Sherry!! Give my love to everyone and let us know when you and Barry plan on being on the web cam.
How was your Birthday?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jan Klos on Wednesday, April 24, 2002 - 7:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Sherry& Barry----If i don't talk with you --- Have a galloping time!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ernie Barreyro on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 3:04 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My wife and I are close to selecting our accomodations. We are leaning towards the Divi.

Would you recommnend the patio or balcony for the oceanfront rooms. Any rooms to avoid or to prefer?

Thanks.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan on Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 3:47 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

In Aug. I had an upstairs oceanfront witn balcony and it was lovely...last week I had a lower level oceanfront with a balcony..again a super view of the parrot fish and crabs..

Annie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kitty Lee on Wednesday, June 5, 2002 - 2:07 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Has anybody been to the Divi lately? My family arrives June 24. Are the renovations complete? We are staying in the timeshares.

 


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