Greetings all ... I've read most of the posts here on this subject, but haven't quite found the answer I'm looking for. My wife and I are making our first trip to Bonaire in August (15th to the 23rd), and like others here, we're trying to figure out where to stay.

Our requirements are as follows...

* Some form of separate sleep and wake rooms, as I tend to wake (much) earlier than my wife.
* Queen-size bed (not a double or two beds pushed together).
* Decent pool area, as my wife enjoys lounging and swimming. If there's a sandy beach-like area near the pool, she'd like that, too. Ideally, the pool would be on the ocean side of the resort, so that there were views from the pool area.
* Ocean view room.
* Good 'home' diving at the resort. We'll certainly drive and do many shore dives at other spots, but it's a bonus if the resort has great diving right off their dock/shore.
* Air conditioned sleep room at a minimum, ideally other room as well.
* On-site dive shop with easy access to air, for both local and drive-to dives.
* Secure storage area for gear would be great.
* Decent on-site breakfast, ideally as part of a package.

Based on my research (on too many pages on too many sites!), we've narrowed our list down to three resorts (but we're also open to alternative suggestions):

* Buddy Dive
* Sand Dollar
* Eden Beach

(I had Divi Flamingo on the list, too, but it seems they don't offer any multi-room rentals.)

All three seem relatively similar to me, but I'm not clear on a few of our requirements. How are the pools at these three resorts -- are they clean and well kept, with lounge chairs for relaxing? How easy/hard is the air to get for local and drive-to dives? How are the included breakfasts? How separate are the rooms (full walls and door?) that separate the sleep and wake rooms?

From what I've read, Buddy Dive seems to have the best dive operation, and a well-received breakfast buffet. However, I'm not sure about their local reef. Sand Dollar seems to have the best local reef diving, but I can't find out much about their pool area nor their breakfasts (what do they serve, how is it?). Eden Beach doesn't include breakfast in their plan; is their a local restaurant for breakfast?

Any/all such information you can provide would be greatly appreciated -- or pointers to other resorts. The above three are all about in our budget range (about $2,000 for the eight days, including shore diving, breakfasts, and truck rental), and we'd rather not spend much more than that (less would be good, of course, but we do want decent accommodations).

Thanks in advance for all the help; we've talked about going to Bonaire for years, and now it's finally going to happen!

-rob.

Welcome to BT, we have stayed at Buddys and Captain Dons last year, I thought that Captain Dons had better rooms, the house reef is very good in front of both resorts, Buddys has the best dive staff, both our children got their open water and my wife and I got our advanced, the drive through bottle exchange is the best.

Well I can speak for Eden. The one bedroom rooms do not have a separate room for sleeping and waking. This has not been an issue to me as I get up and wander around/dive till the SO wakes up. They are air conditioned with a full kitchen. You can get breakfast at Bongos which is very good and you can get a breakfast plan if you ask for it. The pool is right next to the beach. The beach is fairly small but many times bigger than Buddy Dive or Captain Dons. The rooms are on the beach with the ocean steps away.

The dive shop is right there with secure storage. There are also tanks at the parking lot which is also right there. The house reef is different with a steep coral rubble wall. No lush coral but many exposed fish, cleaning stations and small critters in the rubble. A short swim in either direction will get you to standard Bonaire coral walls.

I second Buddys, which sounds like it would meet your needs with the exception of the secured storage area. They do have a room where you can store stuff, but it is open all day and only locked at night (at which point I don't think you can get your stuff...bad for unplanned night diving).

We had a one-bedroom upper apartment (Room 512) which had a separate bedroom and living area/kitchen (each had separate a/c) and a fabulous, huge balcony overlooking the ocean (lots of railing space for drying dive gear, too....yeah, we look like the Beverly Hillbillies when we go on dive trips). The room was steps from the dive shop, one of the pools (there are three pools, I think), and several of the restaurants (incl. the breakfast one). If you don't mind climbing stairs to your room (carrying dive gear), I'd recommend that room (or another room in that building....there were 4...two up/two down).

Breakfast was good, although I usually just eat yogurt and a piece of fruit and coffee if I'm diving, so I can't speak to the other offerings. They did have made to order eggs and the usual fare of standard breakfast stuff. My husband sampled it all and said it was fine.

There were lots of lounge chairs by the pools and also shade umbrellas, several sandy beach-type areas with awesome views (although b/c of the elevation, none really had direct sand access to the ocean....there were stairs). I did notice one night when returning from dinner at Capt. Don's that there was a very small sand beach area on the edge of the property where Buddy's meets Capt. Dons property. I thought Buddy's reef was great, and since it morphs into Capt. Don's reef, they were quite similar (at least to me).

Buddy's rooms are a bit tired, but our bed was quite comfortable and if you set your expectations properly (i.e. this isn't going to be the Four Seasons), it is totally fine. The pool bar is great, with swim up access (although we never really were around to use that feature). There is a pool volleyball net, etc.

My husband and I both did our AOW and Nitrox certs with Buddy's dive shop, and liked both our instructors. Augusto (the shop manager) is really helpful and nice, and makes sure your needs (whatever they may be) are met.

Whew....that was quite a lot of information, probably more than you wanted....

One last thing, I liked Buddy's so much that I am staying there again when I go back in May.

oh yeah....Buddy's reef has these tarpon that hang around most of the time and will dive with you at night if you're lucky. Sadly, I only saw them during the day. They must have been busy elsewhere when I did my night dive there Although when my husband did a night dive with the other guys one night (the girls stayed behind to drink cocktails on our fabulous balcony), the tarpon hung around with the guys for the whole dive. He said it was totally cool.

Rob,
Terry and I have stayed at the Sand Dollar twice. The house reef is great, and the dive shop and photo shop, too. The pool is on the back side of the resort closest to the road, not the beach. We never used the pool since we both dive.
Good luck with your decision and have a great trip.

Rob,

My wife and I stayed at Buddy's last summer, and we are headed back there in April. The rooms are definitely a bit tired, as someone else mentioned, but you can't beat the dive operations.

We dove all over the island and still thought that Buddy's reef was fantastic. I don't think you will be at all disappointed with the house reef!

The pool at Sand Dollar kinda grossed me out when we were there in November. It was moldy around the edges and the tiles seemed chipped and dingy. It is also behind the buildings, away from the ocean. There's a bar/restaurant surrounding, which had ok/mediocre food. Condos are fine, with separate rooms. I heard the breakfast was good.

The Sand Dollar reef is fine, easy to access, lots of critters.

Eden Beach pool didn't look much better, but we didn't stay there.

I would recommend Don's It has everything Buddy's has but it is a little smaller, a little more cozy. It is however a complete, total, dive resort. By the end of your trip you will know a large part of the staff and they;you. I also think they have a great restaurant with a great view. The dive staff is first class (although there is some variation). On one boat dive I saw the staff jump in to save someone and it was impressive. They reacted so quickly that I would almost say they prevented the problem before it had time to develop.

Carter:

When I looked at Don's, it seems the only ocean view units are the villa suites, which seem to come with double beds (and are more expensive). Everything else about it looked good, though.

Based on the feedback thus far, I think Buddy's presently has the edge. Thanks for all the great info, and I'll keep an eye here in case there's more to come.

-rob.

Look at BelMar and Bellafonte south of the airport. They are both on the water, No beach but BelMar has a nice pool and palapas set up around it and on the dive piers, Bellafonte does not have a pool but does have a hot tub set up. BelMar has an onsite dive shop, They both have condos with seperate bedrooms and living/kitchen spaces. They only draw back is neither has a resturant. But that doesn't bother us as we cook breakfast and lunch and then eat out for dinner, we like trying new places. You will need a truck/car if you are going to do any shore
diving. In town there is the Bonaire Oceanfront Apartments, dive shop on site, nice pool and surroundings, close to the shops and resturants too. This will give you some more options to consider, there are so many nice places on the island. Check out www.inforbonaire.com and click on accommodations section.

Good luck, I know you will find just what you are looking for.

Hi Rob, A little more info regarding Don's.
If you go to http://www.habitatdiveresorts.com/bonaire/property_map.html#property_map
you will see that the delux ocean view rooms also have ocean view.
Best luck on your choice. Any place on Bonaire is great!

Carter: Thanks; I saw the deluxe rooms, but they're basically one-room units (based on the floor plan picture). We really need something with two physical spaces (as I wake very early and my wife sleeps in; sometimes there's as much as a four-hour difference there).

For anyone: If we stay at Buddy's, the only internet access is in an internet cafe, correct?

-rob.

Rob G.I would think that even though you need an extra space that all of outside would be the ticket.. At Don's for instance there are wonderful chairs under a covered porch {between the bar and the dive shop} that if I were an early riser and wasn't staying in one of the cottages {off the water} that is where I would camp out in the morning waiting for my spouse to awake.. Plus I would go for an early morning dive as the locker room is right there and the dock to giant stride off is a mere glance away..Even when we do stay in the cottages we utilize the covered porches on them for having our morning coffee and reading a book or using the WIFI JMHO YMMV

Rob G.

Also in the Ocean View Deluxe Suites at Capt Don's, there is an outside patio or balcony (depending on 1st or 2nd floor) which is set up as a living room area with coach, chairs and coffee-like table. My daughter used this area for reading, internet and veging while her baby slept in the room. They face the sea but here you can see their proximity to the pool. Give me a book and lounge chair and I'm one happy lady....well maybe a tropical drink, too.

Rob - I just exchanged emails with Buddy's regarding wifi availablility. The reservations person provided this response:

"We have wireless internet but only at the pool bar and the restaurant. The cost is $8.40 for 150 minutes and $40 for unlimited access for a week."

I did see some people with their laptops at the pool bar area last time, so it apparently works.

HTH,
Liz

Freddie/Linda: The problem with outside is that there can be literally four or five hours between my wake-up time and that of my wife -- I wake up ridiculously early. And as much as I like being outside, it's a bit tough to sit outside in the dark .

Freddie, when you say you'd go for an early-morning dive, did you have others in your group for dive buddies? I'd love to do some early morning diving while my wife's sleeping, but we're not going with anyone else.

-rob.

I was on the verge of booking Buddy Dive when I stumbled on a totally different kind of place ... does anyone have any experience with Port Bonaire? It's a small facility located on the inlet to the marina, very near the airport.

They have an on-site dive shop, air conditioning, a nice pool area, and have very good reviews on Trip Advisor. Obviously, being close to the airport means some noise, but I actually enjoy watching airport traffic, and my wife can sleep through lots of noise.

They claim that Windsock and 18 Palms are both divable directly from their place, but I can't quite figure out how much swimming that would involve.

There's no on-site restaurant and there's no breakfast in their plan ... but the small size, room quality, and nice looking pool area are draws for us. Has anyone stayed there, and/or can anyone comment on how good those two shore dives are (and how much swimming we'd be doing to get there)?

thx;
-rob.

Rob, I have not stayed at Port Bonaire so cannot comment on the rooms. I have, however, been on the property and on their docks and can't really see how they can say that Windsock and 18 Palms are diveable from there. Both would, I believe, involve swimming in the boat channel to get to the reef. Port Bonaire is located near Plaza so perhaps they think you could walk there -- but it would be a haul with your gear.

They commented to me in a Skype chat that there's some sort of roped-off swimmable area to guide you out, but if it's a 1/2 mile ocean swim to reach the reef, that's not really something I want to do every day

-rob.

Hi Rob . if you are in a resort you might find a buddy to do early morning dives with. but for instance I would do an early morning solo off of Don's cause it is an easy dive I would just make sure that I knew where the entry rope was...

Hi Rob,

We are not divers so I can't comment much on those issues. but I would like to follow-up on Gallus50's comments about the Sand Dollar. The entire pool area was completely renovated within the last 2 1/2 years. The pool bar is open throughout the day but the snack bar(sad excuse for a restaurant) has limited hours and menu. Gallus50 is being kind when he/she says the pool water is gross! The pool filter must either be undersized or not run long enough (or both). Rather than a crystal clear aqua blue it is more like pea green . Also the pool is located on the road side of the resort snugged up against the service area barns. There is a water front restaurant adjacent to the Sand$ that serves a decent breakfast.

Both Gallus and DickD are correct that the pool at Sand$ is not in a condition that makes me as an owner comfortable. Management is very much aware of the problem and change will be coming soon. That is all I can say for now. As far as pool location I feel it is one of the better aspects of Sand$ as the last thing I personally want in front of my oceanfront patio is a pool. I prefer the unobstructed sunsets. This is a personal feeling and to each his own. The walk to the pool from my unit in A building takes about 1 minute, the walk to the dive pier about 10 seconds, so you can see my priorities.

Patrick

Hi, I'm new to this site and the idea of vacationing in Bonaire. However, my fiance and I are strongly considering it for our honeymoon. We'll be first time divers, getting certified before we go.

This thread has been very helpful already. We're looking at Buddy Dive and will be travelling the same week as Liz who posted above (5/9 thru 5/16).

My main question concerns expenses other than the resort package. It looks as if the room, breakfast, diving, and truck rental are included in the prices I'm being quoted. However, how much should I expect to pay for meals and entertainment beyond that?

Thanks for all the great information.

Hi Jason - congrats on the upcoming wedding

As far as additional costs, you should know that even though a vehicle is provided as part of the package deal, that doesn't include insurance (at least not at Buddy's). Given the driving conditions around Bonaire, you really do want insurance, I think. Buddy's offered daily insurance, and I suppose the other resorts do to. Although I think Amex might have some deal that provides insurance if you use their card for the rental. I know we ended up paying something around $18-20 bucks a day for the insurance through Buddy's.

As for food costs, it depends on how much (or little) effort you want to put towards cooking during your trip. If you want to make a grocery store run early in the week and stock up on beer, snacks, etc., then you can save some $$$ that way. I'm not a big fan of preparing my own meals on vacation, so we ate out pretty much all the time, sometimes at Buddy's and sometimes in town or wherever we ended up. We did stock up on beer, rum and mixers, though, so we could enjoy a cool libation on our balcony in the evenings. Grocery prices are a bit higher than the States. I know the bottle of rum was a bit more than we pay at home. But, oh so worth it

Also, in case you didn't know, Buddy's has a food discount for 1/2 off the food you buy at the resort during May. Don't know if it includes drinks, too. You can save up to $75 or something like that (not sure if that is per person or per reservation or what).

Restaurant pricing was pretty fair, from what I recall. Around $50-100/couple for a decent dinner with cocktails, if I recall. Lunch was much less.

HTH,
Liz

Rob, E-mail me for additional information. We have been going to Bonaire for many years. I have pictures of most of the resorts and condos and would like to share some info with you about the resorts you listed. Thanks, Terry
terryarmour@embarqmail.com

Jason, I think as a new diver you will really like Buddy's. Ofcourse I don't know your personal criteria, so I could be way off :-) My opinion is based on how easy it is to dive at Buddy's. The diving off the dock is great and easy in and out.

If you shore dive usng a truck, the drive-up for tanks is very convenient too. I have not done their boat dives. Others can comment of course on them too. We did not stay at Buddy's but did a number of dives off their dock because of the great reef and the easy entry and exit. It certainly looks like a clean resort as well. Only reason we did not plan to go back there to stay this next trip is that we really love Deb and Gregg's place at Light House - not a resort atmosphere, fairly private, and very nice inside and out http://www.bonairevilla.com/

Get away from the resorts and rent a house. The privacy alone is worth the trade offs. Some have their own dive site feet from your own pool. Erika at Sunbelt can take care of any and all your needs. erika@sunbelt.an

Ric -

You've made this suggestion on several topics as of late. In the interest of understanding would you care to clarify your interests in that market on Bonaire? What's your connection?

Do you own property that sunbelt rents on your behalf?

Do you receive any compensation from sunbelt?


I just want to know the basis for your recommendations.

Kevin,

None of the above! We have used Erika at Sunbelt for the last 8 years and have had nothing but the best from her and the rest of their staff. Every once in awhile, positive praise should be given where its' earned. Thanks for your note.