Pricing out trip to Bonaire

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cathycalg

Registered
Messages
45
Reaction score
18
Location
Calgary Alberta Canada
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi...a trip is in the works for 2 weeks, Jan 2013. I've priced most of the main resorts that have drive and dive packages. Then I priced out a condo, not on the oceanfront but close, and costs for vehicle rental and diving. It adds up to at least a thousand dollars less for my do-it-yourself package, as opposed to the resort package. The condo is right next door to the Plaza Resort. I'm wondering if I've missed something .. I tried to compare apples to apples. Also, I wonder if we'll miss out by not being right on the beach. Any insights?
thanks, Cathy
 
Depends on how much you want to dive vs other things. When I go to Bonaire, I'm there to "dive, dive, dive" 5-6 times a day. For that, who cares how close your accommodations are to the beach? (Such as beaches are in Bonaire, which is to say "not at all.")

Also, my buddy and I didn't feel like cooking ("dive, dive, dive") so a condo was out for us. We stayed at Plaza and would do so again. Breakfast buffet included, we bought cold cuts and PB&J for lunch, and then went out and blew that savings on dinner. :)
 
It's probably location - off-water is always cheaper. What condo? Port Bonaire? We rented a condo - most have a drive/dive option that's often just several hundred $ more. There are places in Belnem that are also less expensive as they're a few minutes south of town. But closer to the good southern dive sites.

If you want a beach - one that you can actually enter the water from w/o climbing over ironshore - you're pretty much limited to the Plaza, Eden Beach, the Divi (not much beach) or Harbour Village (priciest resort on island). There's a little strip of sand between Sand Dollar and Den Laman also. Or Sorobon = but it's a drive to all the dive sites from there.
 
No, I don't think you're missing anything. On the two week-long trips I've taken to Bonaire, we priced out dive/drive/stay packages at the larger resorts vs. a DIY package (room/condo not on the water). The DIY package ended up being $500-$700 less per person. We're from San Diego, so we get to see/play in the ocean a lot when we're home. It wasn't really necessary to secure rooms overlooking the water while on vacation. We ate fresh fruit and oatmeal or cereal in the morning, cold cut sandwiches for lunch, and cooked in the kitchen or ate out for dinner. Some of the restaurants we tried were good...some were rather forgettable.

As RJP mentioned, the larger resorts may offer buffet breakfasts as part of the dive/drive/stay packages. Some people might find value in that.

The larger resorts might also include some boat dives in the dive/drive/stay packages. :idk:
 
I prefer a resort that has a house reef. So that those spur of the moment dives are so easy to access. Resorts may also have a buffet breakfast plan and pick you up at the airport and include a truck in the package. Security is at the resorts, no so at private condos.Less of a chance of a room being broke into. Compare apples to apples and by the time you figure in what a resort offers over a condo the difference is not really all that great.
 
I hope to make a solo trip using Dive Hut in the future; with a group I've stayed at Buddy Dive and Eden Beach Resort. Dive Hut is cheaper, and the difference goes up fairly dramatically for solo accommodations, from what I understand.

Make sure your dive package includes free nitrox.

Richard.
 
I prefer a resort that has a house reef. So that those spur of the moment dives are so easy to access. Resorts may also have a buffet breakfast plan and pick you up at the airport and include a truck in the package. Security is at the resorts, no so at private condos.Less of a chance of a room being broke into. Compare apples to apples and by the time you figure in what a resort offers over a condo the difference is not really all that great.

Are people not staying at a particular resort allowed to shore dive in front of the resort?? Forexample, could I shore dive on the house reef in front of Buddy's even if I'm not staying there?


thanks for your help,
c

---------- Post added April 13th, 2012 at 01:09 PM ----------

diversteve, the condo we're considering is in Caribbean Court, right next door to the Plaza.
 
At Buddy, you ask permission to dive from their dock. They give permission. Right next door is Sand Dollar, Den Laman and between the two, Bonaire Dive and Adventure. You will not be allowed to dive from the BDA dock if you are not a registered (i.e., paying) diver with them. However, alternate access to Bari Reef, the house reef, is simple and easily accessible from an entrance just to the south of Den Laman. Other resorts may or may not allow you access to their reef, if it means going through their property without a public access point. You must ask permission at each such location.
 
[
QUOTE=cathycalg;6304245]Are people not staying at a particular resort allowed to shore dive in front of the resort?? Forexample, could I shore dive on the house reef in front of Buddy's even if I'm not staying there?
Yes you can ,just let the office at Buddys know that you are there. Other resorts do not allow non guest on the house reef.Examples are Habitat(need to pay at office for the privilage),Sand Dollar,Black Durgeon. It is the ease at any time just stepping out of your room at Buddy's walk 30 seconds and you are on the dock ready to go in the water.No loading up a truck and driving . I will be at Buddy's May 18th..taking a group of 19..





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[
QUOTE=oly5050user;6304491][
Yes you can ,just let the office at Buddys know that you are there. Other resorts do not allow non guest on the house reef.Examples are Habitat(need to pay at office for the privilage),Sand Dollar,Black Durgeon. It is the ease at any time just stepping out of your room at Buddy's walk 30 seconds and you are on the dock ready to go in the water.No loading up a truck and driving . I will be at Buddy's May 18th..taking a group of 19..
I'll definitely have to think more about the "house reef" vs the "DIY package". At the end of the day, the money "saved" by the DIY route may not mean all that much versus the convenience of a resort like Buddy's. It's difficult to make a decision sometimes when you've never been to a place. A confession: I tend to cheap out sometimes and regret it later.

What can you tell me about the accommodations at Buddy's??

I hope you and your group have a great time, oly5050user




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