Bonaire all inclusive suggestions

[The Chairman]

I've stayed three times at Plaza Resort Bonaire because its all inclusive. It's better than it used to be, but I've enjoyed every stay there. The rooms are huge and clean, the food is adequate and the house reef is spectacular, especially at night.

 

[scubadada]

What about Delphins Beach Resort? IDK if they have an AI option but might due to how far south they are.

No AI

 

[tursiops]

TourismBonaire website lists only Plaza as all-inclusive.
You can easily eat lunch and dinner a la carte at several others resorts....but I would not want to. The freedom to go try all the other great places on Bonaire -- especially Between Two Buns -- is wonderful.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Delfins does have a nice beach. I’m not sure where they stole it from, but it’s coral sand. Nice and fine and light. Built up about 4 ft above the waterline with steps down to she coral scree into the water. The swimming area is very nice as well. Mainly flat smooth rock bottom
And sand. You don’t even really need swimming shoes in the water, but i would still wear them. Delfins has no all inclusive though. Restaurant is very expensive, but probably floating around 1 Michelin star level IMO. Really solid food. Good champagne and wine selection as well.

 

[drrich2]

Delfins does have a nice beach. I’m not sure where they stole it from, but it’s coral sand. Nice and fine and light. Built up about 4 ft above the waterline with steps down to she coral scree into the water. The swimming area is very nice as well. Mainly flat smooth rock bottom

What's described here brings up an important question; what is the beach desired for?

Years ago staying at Eden Beach Resort there was a man-made 'beach' - and if you just wanted to lay in a lounge chair and sun on it, fine. But if you walked to the water, you saw the sand ended and there was a rocky stretch that waves washed over, then an abrupt 'step' of at least a few feet.

My point is, if 'beach' to you means a gradual sandy slope out into the water, where people wade out to waist-deep and frolic in the water (e.g.: swim, snorkel, float on an inner tube), that is not your beach.

Sand Dollar Condo.s has a small beach by the pier there, with a cordoned off swim area, which would be okay for some uses (e.g.: a couple of little kids who wanted to play in the sand, or a pair of adults looking to sunbathe) - but if 'beach' to you means long, romantic walks on the beach, nope, not gonna do it.

I believe Harbor Village has beach, I don't know about AI, and every time I look at their prices I quit researching.

Did you consider Curacao? The A.I. resort is Sunscapes Curacao, where the last Scuba Board Surge was held Jan. 2019. A couple of links may be helpful:
Curacao Trip Research Notes
Curacao Trip Report with SB Surge Jan. 2019

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

To be honest, you can wade out to waist deep off Delfins and frolic. There is a flat rock bottom that is about 50ft wide by 20ft and the bottom has sand. Getting in and out is smooth ‘scree’ coral. It’s not like other areas.

That being said. If you want a fulll sand beach experience, Bonaire ain’t it.

 

[Kevin Floyd]

Thanks for all the info.

let me clarify on the beach and AI.

My wife and I get only one or two weeks a year that we can afford/schedule to travel by ourselves (sans kid). I’m self employed so we often don’t get a lot of heads up when we can swing a trip.

I just landed a big new contract and our primary child care giver (Besides us) will be available the end of the year so money and schedule seem to be in line.

So seeing that this is most likely the only week we will get to travel for the next year my wife wants relaxation as much as we want diving. I was thinking turquoise bay Roatan as the diving is great, subway water sports is right there, 3 boat dives a day and pretty affordable plus AI. My wife is ok with that but wants at least 1.5 days where we are free to sleep in and do something other then jump on the boat. Turquoise bay’s food is ok, bar isn’t bad but the beach is full of sand fleas and located so far from everything that it’s pretty isolated (none of these things bother me as all I care about is the diving but “happy wife bla bla bla...“)

I was thinking Bonaire because it seems like almost anywhere you go has shore diving thus if we want to sleep in and skip a boat dive we can still dive on our own (flexibly), I want AI so I don’t have to stress the eating but if it’s located in an area full of restaurants or a good market that’s about the same. I guess just a good on site breakfast.

I talk about a beach because we might just take half a day to do nothing but layout, but don’t want a bunch of sun burned cruise shippers and their kids in our ear (we left ours at home on purpose).

I hope this clarifies what I was thinking and again thanks for all the great input.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Yeah. I would stay at Delfins if it’s in the budget. Really nice pool. I never had an issue with it being busy and I we were there for 3 weeks. It was in August though so don’t know if you will have more issue with cruise ships. Bit I liked the most is getting. Up..maybe bumming in the pool for a bit, then 5 min drive to salt pier or The lake or the Hima. Then 5 mins back to swim in the pool and have a sandwich, then back to xxx for another dive. Then bottle
Of our own champagne at sundown on the beach beds. Maybe a glass of wine at the bar...

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

All depends on budget though..

 

[diversteve]

AI with a nice beach is ONLY the Plaza. Non-AI with a nice beach and more private (and expensive) is Harbour Village. They're on the south end of "dive resort row" so walking distance to ther restaurants such as Spice Club at Eden Beach next door. Both rhe Plaza and Harbour Village have an onsite dive operation and a shore dive. Plaza's is better it's the 18 Palms dive site.

Except for Delphins None of the other dive resorts have much If Any beach. Except the Plaza or H.V.
As Richard mentioned Eden Beaches is kept in place with a curb, and the Duvi Flamingo has a small, narrow strip in one area. Rooms there are really average. It would be good for food as the two major markets on Bonaire are about a quarter mile inland from their gate and some of the best restaurants along th sane raod downtown. Town Per is just north of the Divi which is the cruise dock but only 2 can tie up at once. The Divi discourages cruse business. Someone told me that they discourage diving north if a ship is docked and you can hear ut u/w,

I may have covered All the resorts with a beach on Bonaire unless you want a condo. That wob't be a big list either,

If the beach is a deciding factor you need to go somewhere else. The AI on Curacao is Sunscape, decebt beach, shore dive, Ocean Encounters keeps a boat there. Just a little south of downtown so some of that is accessible. Downside might be it's a former Breezes Kids resort so they are there.
Curacao has a Lot of nice beaches, most are also divesites with on-beach operators and food. It's almost the same diving as Bonaire since it's 50 miles away. Cheaper/Easier to fly there also. our flights (AA) were about 1/2 oi a flight to Bonaire a few years earlier,

If you are thinking Roatan look at Barefoot Cay. it's nicer, secluded has Barefoot Divers on site for guests, nice food, pool, spa, and nice extras like you can have the chef cook in your villa. It's a lomg walk to French Harbor though for other food options - I'm not sure what restaurants are there but 3 big narkets are. I can't remember if BFC is AI or not but the pool, spa, beach (raked and sprayed for Sand Flies - I saw them do it) Also the lagoon out front is a better snorkel than shore dive but the famous Mary's Place is so clode I watched my friends dive it from the upstairs terrace at the restaurant.

Wrst Bay Beach is over-run with cruisers especially around Bananarama which is a paid excursion. Nice beach but no shore dive.