Bonaire Resort Recommendations

[RickSp]

Rich,

Everybody has different needs. It sounds like the GRI fits yours. That's great.

I prefer to be on the water with a panoramic view, being able to go to breakfast, also right on the ocean overlooking Kleine Bonaire, and then go directly to the dock by way of the equipment room where I have left all my gear, just a few steps away, for my first dive of the day. The convenience is wonderful. Some days we didn't even fire up our rented truck because we had no need. Everything is handy including dropping back to the room between dives for a hot shower, change of clothes or a visit to the refrigerator.

Regarding your comment about drunken revelers, one of the reasons that we chose Sand Dollar is because it has a reputation as a quiet, family place. Even though our room overlooked the Green Parrot bar because of the layout behind a seawall we couldn't here the music from inside. No doubt there are some resorts where drunken revelry takes place, but those are not the resorts we sought out.

There are no right or wrong answers, just a matter of what suits your needs and expectations.

 

[RICHinNC]

Agree on the no right or wrong answers.....and needs or desires to be more accurate will dicatate actions. Just believe in keeping my options open.
later...rich

 

[irishstout]

Thank you everyone for the feedback...

We were leaning towards a resort for the convenience of having food/entertainment close by and we did want to be close to the ocean.

That being said we aren't opposed to other locations. We just wanted to find a place that offered some type of package deals and was reputable and reasonable. We don't need to stay at the Taj Mahal but want someplace that was clean and had friendly staff.

Websites with pictures of the property can be somewhat deceiving occasionally and we have had good luck with getting recommendations from people in the past.

 

[Natasha]

HI irishstout:

I'll give another vote for the Plaza Resort.

While it is the nicest resort on the island, I wouldn't say that makes the staff less friendly. I have actually had the staff included on the last day of my trip, in our pizza parties.

The rooms are huge, and it's on the best beaches in Bonaire. As of last week, they have added additional security because of the 'talk' about equipment theft on the island.

799.00 will get you a Jr. Suite and unlimited shore diving 24 hours a day.
Check it out.
www.plazaresortbonaire.com

 

[Tom Smedley]

Natasha

How is the house reef at the Plaza? Is it lush or rocky or whatever?

HI irishstout:

I'll give another vote for the Plaza Resort.

While it is the nicest resort on the island, I wouldn't say that makes the staff less friendly. I have actually had the staff included on the last day of my trip, in our pizza parties.

The rooms are huge, and it's on the best beaches in Bonaire. As of last week, they have added additional security because of the 'talk' about equipment theft on the island.

799.00 will get you a Jr. Suite and unlimited shore diving 24 hours a day.
Check it out.
www.plazaresortbonaire.com

 

[herman]

I have stayed at or been on all of the properties listed above except for the Plaza (if Natasha say it's good then that's enough for me) plus several others. All are fine, matter of fact I really don't know of a bad place to stay on Bonaire. Here are a couple more to add to your list to consider. Buddy Dive and Yacht Club. For what it's worth, my preferences are for Buddy Dive if I am staying on the water and Golden Reef Inn if not. I have been to Bonaire quite a few time so staying on the water is not as important to me as saving a good bit of money. The dive operations at Buddy Dive (Buddy Dive) and Eden Beach (WannadiveBonaire) are both great operations with great staff, I have dove with both and would be happy to use either again.

 

[SDAnderson]

Tanks are stored right beside the beach, so all you need do is walk up, grab a tank and hit the water. They've got a good sized rinse station on the beach, as well as showers and the area is very clean and well-maintained. The beach is sand and only a short walk across. The entry point is a small artificial cove with a fairly smooth bottom, wear boots with a good gripping sole if you're going to wade in with your gear on. I usually drag everything into the water and put it on there - the water is normally so calm that you won't have any concern with "waves" knocking you about.

Like much of the lee side of Bonaire, above the 30 ft mark the reef at the Plaza was pretty well trashed a few years ago by a hurricane and much of the shallows are a bed of staghorn coral rubble. There is one patch of fire coral that even the hurricane couldn't wipe out - it's easy to avoid but interesting to take a look at, too. The shallows are recovering well but haven't been fully colonized by new coral yet and fish life can be a little scarce. Watch for pipefish just beneath the surface, they're nearly invisible until your eyes learn to see them, then they're everywhere.

Below 30 ft, however, is a different story. There is a steep wall that is in good shape with plenty of coral, sponges and the ubiquitous small life that abounds at most Bonairean sites. Those with patience and good eyesight can usually find seahorses and frogfish and a host of small critters that move slowly and blend in well, as well as the full compliment of the various schooling fishies. Big fish (groupers, sharks, whales, dolphins, etc.) are as rare as snakes teeth on Bonaire but we've heard tales...

The first bench is at about 100ft and contains a delightful eel garden. If you follow the wall south you'll eventually run into a rubble field that was created from the harbor dig spoil - it's pretty bizarre and has nooks and cranies that shelter all manner of critters. Further south lies the airport; one way-cool dive involves surfacing in the flight path of the airport as the evening KLM 747 from the Netherlands makes it's approach. Most folks can't get there and back on a single tank and it's got nothing to do with diving, but it's freaking amazing having that plane fly over your head so close you could spit and nearly hit it. To the north along the wall the bench narrows and then drops some as you head towards Bowkers place. We've been known to enter the water at the Plaza and swim north, stopping at the Caribe Inn or the Divi for a howdy and a virgin daquiri and to swap for fresh tanks before heading home.

Night dives are excellent at 18 Palms, it's not hard to find octopi and other denizens of the night in abundance. I enjoy the twilight dives as the reef goes through it's shift change from daytime critters to the normally invisible nighttime inhabitants - everybody is out and around and being v-e-r-y circumspect. Tarpon and some 'cuda's are omnipresent and will follow you like tame puppies - until you shine your light on dinner.

Those with the training for deeper dives will find a series of benches every 60 feet or so, as you get deeper you'll find much of the life (especially the whip corals) getting larger, if a little less plentiful. Technical gear and trimix is usually available from the dive shop, as is training for using it, if you're ready for the deep stuff. Toucan is a truly world-class dive operation and has a full staff of skilled (no, really, most of them are truly good) divers to provide you with whatever assistance or training you want or need.

There are lots of different opinions about which site is the "best" site on Bonaire. I don't think that anyone would include 18 Palms on their top-five list but it's nowhere near the bottom of anyone's list, either. We've stayed at the Plaza several times and will happily do so again - it's hard to beat for comfortable, convenient, easy and entertaining diving.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Thanks for the detailed rundown of the reef. Aside from the Town Pier I haven't done any diving from Something Special to the Fuel Pier. Now I know that the reef along the Caribe Inn and Plaza is good.

The reef from the Eden Beach to the mouth of the harbor is kind of barren but has lots of small stuff if you take the time to look. Then Something Special picks up after the harbor and is indeed a special dive site.

This time I went in at Eden Beach and did the My Confidence. It's way worth the swim.

 

[RickSp]

No doubt about it - Something Special truly is.

 

[Natasha]

Natasha

How is the house reef at the Plaza? Is it lush or rocky or whatever?

Hi Tom:

As you have read, Reefraff described 18 Palms much better then I could have. I would like to add two additional statements.

#1 I know this is going to be an unpopular thing to say but..I could dive 18 Palms the whole week and go home happy. It would take a lifetime just to see everything on that reef.

#2 My very last time in Bonaire and my last dive on 18 Palms..I saw a frogfish. You're not going to believe this, but I swear it's true. I opened up my hand and he swam right into my palm. My friend Suzanne and her husband were right there and saw the whole thing. It was a great way to end the trip!

Herman:
Thank you for the vote of confidence. I feel the exact same way about you!
As Herman said you can't go wrong anywhere in Bonaire. :winky: