Advice needed for first time traveller with family

[Trailboss123]

Lasenza,

I'm not sure all your needs will be met at any one location. There's a new resort south of town that looks pretty nice. Beautiful pool. I imagine they're pricey but I don't know for sure. Luxury defined by nature - Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire

There was some discussion about car rentals. I'm a fan of AB (and full insurance). Very well run and good vehicles. And if you do have a problem with a truck they'll take care of it quickly. They've always had someone right there to pick us up at the airport.

I have some experience with Delfin's. It is one of the nicest resorts on the island and Dive Friends has a dive shop and fill station there also- which is a plus! Pool is amazing. Nice, but expensive restaurants as well.

It is quite pricey, unless you can get some sort of a special deal or if money is a non-issue. Another thing to consider is the house reef. If the plan is to do lots of dives on the house reef, it is worth considering that it is on Punt Vierkant. Conditions there can be variable due its location on the point (wind and current sensitive) - I have experienced 5 foot waves crashing the shore there and then traveled a kilometer north to Bachelor Beach to find conditions calm and glassy, the reef is a pretty decent kick from shore too.

 

[morecowbells]

Traveling as a family, Delfin's would be high on my list. Apartment units are spacious with decent kitchens, indoor and outdoor dining space and amazing pool. We stayed there in Feb 2018. Hotels.com gave us a price which was far better than booking directly with the hotel. As @Trailboss123 stated, the on house dive can be rough and inconsistent. We did one dive from house reef and one time was enough. Visibility was poor until we got to about 60 feet depth. The exit gave us a good pummeling. However, with the storage area and tank exchange, it was a max 5 minute drive to either Salt Pier or Bachelors Bay. I enjoyed being so close to the southern dive sites and spending surface intervals eating lunch on the deck at our apartment.

I also enjoyed staying at Playa Lechi. The condo was a short walk to restaurants in town and the dive site(at Dive Friends Yello Submarine) is a wonderful dive, involving a very short swim out. There is a swimming pool, but it pales in comparison to the pool at Delfin's.

 

[dmaziuk]

This made me laugh. For Europeans, Bonaire gas is cheap

Is it a driving vacation or a diving vacation? As I recall we topped up once before returning the truck, after a week of diving.

 

[ijdod]

Is it a driving vacation or a diving vacation? As I recall we topped up once before returning the truck, after a week of diving.

Really depends on what you're doing. Bonaire isn't huge, but not exactly tiny either. Both main roads (North past Karpata and Rincon; South around the salt flats) are 30 km or so, not including Kralendijk itself. Not huge distances, but it adds up.

 

[Damselfish]

There is no pool at Den Laman. There is a pool at Sand Dollar. However, in my fairly extensive experience, the pool is seldom used by Sand Dollar owners or guests. The Sand Dollar beach is small, but sandy, and is the venue of choice for nearly all who do not elect to dive or snorkel. Kids love playing at the beach and can run in and out of the water without the worries that come with running around a pool. Besides, the beach is more or less at the center of things, right next to the diving dock. The pool is adjacent to Eddy's restaurant, away from the shore.

Agree. With the Sand Dollar pool being on the road side of the buildings and sort of isolated from everything it just didn't feel like an inviting place to hang out. Though maybe kids would care less about atmosphere.

 

[dmaziuk]

Really depends on what you're doing. Bonaire isn't huge, but not exactly tiny either. Both main roads (North past Karpata and Rincon; South around the salt flats) are 30 km or so, not including Kralendijk itself. Not huge distances, but it adds up.

We did the complete loop on our no-fly day, otherwise it was diving and a couple of trips to the supermarkets. I don't think we burned a quarter tank on that. Where I live it's 300 km to the airport -- not the local one, but the one we usually fly out of.

 

[ijdod]

If you dive North of Kralendijk (1000 steps, and so on), the road becomes one way, and you have to finish the 30km back through Rincon. Less so on the South. Your milage )) may vary. We usually drove around enjoying the vistas after our dives, so we did go through a tank of gas, but I agree that on the whole cost of the trip that's peanuts pretty much regardless of what you do.

 

[dmaziuk]

Yes, we did plan North side dives so we wouldn't do the loop more than once a day. But when you're staying on Bari/Buddy reef, you don't really have to go far anyway.

 

[agd]

morecowbells mentioned Playa Lechi. We have rented there and also at Elegancia del Caribe. Another property nearby is Tropical Seaside Apartments. All are very close walking distance to the town centre, all have swimming pools, are ocean view and are just steps across the one lane boulevard to the seafront for excellent snorkelling. They are also close enough to the named dive site "Something Special" that you can walk with gear on there or actually do it underwater. The diving right out front has lots of interest too, including lots of tarpon chasing you on your night dives. Useable dive ops are the Dive Friends Yellow Submarine, or my favourite, Gooodive, right across the street. They have one of the best tank fill bargains and are excellent at guided shore dives if you want that.

I think those options check all your boxes as well as any other suggestions. You can search for availability through VRBO but also through local property management firms like Bonaire Comfort Rentals or Paradise Rentals.

If you don't mind an older slightly shabbier vehicle, Poppy at Telerin Rentals will give you one including all insurances for a lot less money than the mainline rental companies.

Enjoy Bonaire!

Andy

 

[Jeyna]

I have availability in April 2019 at Aqua View. Book by Sept. 8 and get 20% off if you book by Sept. 8. Great house reef right in front of property, great snorkeling and a pool. Nice big kitchen to cook with great view of the water from the kitchen and a nice patio to enjoy your sunset cocktails. Home - Aqua View Oceanfront Vacation Rental We'd be very happy to have you!