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Everything Else Bonaire: Trip Cost
Bonaire Talk: Everything Else Bonaire: Archives: Archives 2007 - 2008: Archives-2008-03-01 to 2008-07-31: Trip Cost
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brooke (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 3:09 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I am trying to plan a budget for our trip. Can any of you regulars tell me about how much is enough? I was thinking around 3000.00 for the whole trip (room, diving, food and souvenirs). Should I try and budget a little more in?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew Van Sickler (BonaireTalker - Post #63) on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 3:42 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Is that for 1 person or 2? Seems high for 1 person. My wife and I are going on our first trip soon and so far airfare, hotel, rental truck, and dive package is going to be around $2600.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By B. Maxim (BonaireTalker - Post #27) on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 4:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Some unanswered questions:

Including airfare? From where?
How long?
Dining out or room with kitchenette?
Truck rental?
Boat dives?
Time of year?
2 people?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brooke (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 4:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

2 people, including airfare. from dallas texas for 8 days 7 nights. room w/a kitchenette and truck rental. probably first of september or the week after thanksgiving.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brooke (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 4:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

oh, and i figured boat dives into that figure as well. we are looking at staying at den laman.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brad (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #748) on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 5:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

My wife and I just returned on Saturday. We stayed at Den Laman (LOVED IT!) and spent just about 2700. This did not include any food, truck, boat dives(we didn't do any) or souvenirs. Airfare was on AA from Phoenix. We also had an extra night as we flew in Friday night and flew home on Saturday.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #387) on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 3:23 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

So, figure about $670 PP for air (midweek, AA via SJU, w/taxes). Together that is $1340.

Add about $200 plus taxes plus insurance for the rental car (lets call it $300). Add a one bedroom plus kitchen overlooking the water and the pool at the Carib Inn for $140/night(a pretty basic room but with fridge, toaster and micro is $100 -- that would save you about $280), either way, plus taxes ($5.50 pp/pn). For diving, lets do a week of unlimited shore diving at $99/each. Add three one-tank boat dives pp ($15 x 3 x 2 = 90). Lets assume you don't need to rent any gear. All of that part is about $1650.

So that is about $3k plus food, gas and t-shirts. For food, if you go to grocery stores keep alcohol consumption lower and buy more local or dutch brands, I find the food prices are about what I would pay in Seattle. Plus I tend to take some food down with me.

A few observations if that is too much:
a) Plane tickets are a large part of the price. That is why you can double your vacation for about 50% more. Ways to save: look for deals to Curacao (then via Divi Divi). And for AA special saver fares to BON. Use FF miles (credit cards can be a way to really rack up the miles) -- I once paid something like 15,000 miles plus $200 for airfare from SEA to BON.
b) I would always get a rental car. Ways to Save: But if you stay closer to town, are comfortable walking and don't care about shore diving (and would do 100% boat diving), you can do without a car. Depending on what sort of insurance coverage you get via your credit cards and any umbrella policy, you might be able to forgo the CDL (runs about $11/day).
c) You can go much lower on room price. I really like the Carib Inn -- on the water, pool, that room overlooks the water and great house dive. Great staff and shop. Ways to Save: Do their $100/night basic room. Or you could do a a one bedroom at the Golden Reef. At GRI, no water view, you can't walk to the dive site in less than 90 seconds but a pool -- and much less money -- about $75 a night. While I will pay more for the CI (on the water, I dive more and I really enjoy the CI -- location, location, location -- and the ten or fifteen percent cost difference of the total vacation budget seems minor to me), GRI is nice as well. And there are even lower cost places around.

One last idea -- price it out yourself. Then see what the cost might be through one of the TAs like Caradonna.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Johnson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #388) on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 3:37 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

FWIW, I started with a seven day trip to Bonaire. Then two weeks. Then 17 or 18 days. And now I am at three weeks.

I got to that point because:
a) The day (or night) you arrive is sort of a settling in day for me and the last day you can only squeeze in a very early morning shore dive. That means a week is more like five days of solid diving plus a last dive on day six.
b) It is a long ways. Less so from DFW than SEA but still... OR maybe that is an age thing now that I have gotten older.
c) The cost difference of adding extra days is minimal compared to airfare. If you can find another group to travel with (i.e., four people in a three bedroom house can really drop the lodging price pr person and you can share a truck to boot)
d) I would rather have extra time on Bonaire than the newest dive gear or lots of nights on the town.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Theresa Torres (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 12:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hello Brooke,

I am a newbie and I just booked my first trip to Bonaire and this is what I found out. I booked a dive and drive package with Sand Dollar which cost me about $2000.00. It is for 2 people in a 1 bedroom w/kitchen. I get unlimited shore diving, truck (not including taxes), & breakfast. It is a bit cheaper for a studio. If you do not intend to dive everyday, then getting a dive and drive package may not be worth it. The flight with 2 people from LAX was about $1200.00 round trip (including the export tax). Also, remember that this time of the year is called the low season so, it is a little cheaper. I hope this helps.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A rose by any other name..aka RosAnne (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #2373) on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 1:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Welcome to BT Theresa from another west coaster. I'm a little farther north but we seem to be growing in numbers here. When are you going? We are doing AA out of LAX to San Juan and Bonaire in August.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry (BonaireTalk Deity - Post #10921) on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 1:17 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Welcome to BT Theresa. Your info should help. Enjoy Bonaire.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Theresa Torres (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Friday, May 16, 2008 - 2:12 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Thank-you Rose & Jerry. My best friend and I will be in Bonaire from May 25th to June 1st and I am soooo excited. Unfortunately we have a 3 hour layover in New York/New Jersey on our way there.

 


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