Bonaire Trip Recommendations Please

[00scuba]

DO NOT GO TO BONAIRE!!!!!

unless you take me

 

[piikki]

Where did you get that deal?

All booked directly. Scored one of the barely $300 flights from Continental, and got the studio package from Den Laman. I rarely use middlemen when I book my travels. For the flights it pays to follow how they vary week to week if you have flexibility.

 

[Ruminari]

Ya I always hate playing the airfare rate game. If you check during the middle of the week it's completely different than if you check on the weekends. Just set the dang prices and leave em there.

 

[ClayJar]

You're killing me, people! Aaaaarrrghh!!!

I *so* want to pull the trigger on a trip to Bonaire, but I can't call to book anything until February 13th at the earliest. Since I'm dyin' over here, I guess I may as well ask a few questions. It'll probably only make the wait worse, but hey, that's half the fun of planning dive trips, eh? :biggrin:

Um... er... oh, nuts! I can't think of anything!

Okay... given Buddy Dive, Sand Dollar, and Den Laman as options, are the latter two just as convenient for shore dive logistics as Buddy Dive? They'd certainly be less expensive for us, but if it comes down to something being much better, I'd spend the money to make J.'s vacation that much better.

Black Durgon won't work, as we require our own non-shared kitchen. (J.'s the logical one and considers a kitchen a fiscally-smart idea [I agree], and I'm the romantic one who would find it very stylistically cramping to have to wield my culinary powers in the potential presence of mere mortals... muahaha!!! Er, sorry...) The Golden Reef Inn would certainly be in the mix, except that I simply *must* be right on the water in order to appease my diving whims. (I can't drive off and leave J. stranded, after all, if she sleeps in. If I were on my own, maybe I'd be there.) Divi Flamingo looks far too pricey (and not really our style).

Oh, and Continental Houston to Bonaire is currently showing as $570pp on the week we'd likely go... (Is there a "jumping off the walls" smiley?)

 

[DeputyDan]

Okay... given Buddy Dive, Sand Dollar, and Den Laman as options, are the latter two just as convenient for shore dive logistics as Buddy Dive? They'd certainly be less expensive for us, but if it comes down to something being much better, I'd spend the money to make J.'s vacation that much better.

/QUOTE]


The answer is yes - they are essentially the same!

 

[alashas]

"they are essentially the same," however, if you stay in any of the Den Laman condos and arrange to do your diving with Bonaire Dive and Adventure the dive shop is located immediately adjacent to DL. Depending on where you stay at Sand Dollar, you will have to walk a little bit to a good bit more to get to BDA.

We did a very nice dive from the dock at Buddy's and it's a good size lay out. I imagine that the walk to the dive shop at Buddy's could vary a fair amount, depending on where one would be staying at Buddy's.

Cheers, alashas honeymoon2's photos- powered by SmugMug

 

[scubadobadoo]

Yeah, what they said. Buddy is GREAT but not GREAT enough to pay the extra IMHO. Go with Den Laman. They have some of the nicest and newest rooms in Bonaire. The only real advantage to Buddy over the others is the drive through tank pick up but honestly you can park right by the tank pick up at Den Laman anyway. As for your third option, I am not a fan of the place. The rooms vary in quality and the grounds are just plain ugly. Have fun!!

 

[Ruminari]

Update - We got our trip booked for the 1st week of April. We can't wait. We decided to go with Golden Reef Inn as their price on a 1 bedroom was pretty good and I heard great things about their hospitality, to us that can really go a long way.

We did have one other question which I wasn't able to find on scubaboard. Is a dive flag required? Recommended?

 

[tridacna]

Bonaire is great. We loved it. Just stay away from Captain Dons. The dive boat staff were rude and unfriendly. Spoiled what would otherwise have been a great stay.

 

[oly5050user]

Yeah, what they said. Buddy is GREAT but not GREAT enough to pay the extra IMHO. Go with Den Laman. They have some of the nicest and newest rooms in Bonaire. The only real advantage to Buddy over the others is the drive through tank pick up but honestly you can park right by the tank pick up at Den Laman anyway. As for your third option, I am not a fan of the place. The rooms vary in quality and the grounds are just plain ugly. Have fun!!

I find the price of the rooms in the same price range.When you add in the fact that Buddys includes buffet breakfasts( DL does not) and the friendliness of the staff and access to gear after hours Buddys gets my vote.