Den Laman or hamlet oasis

[Pyro_]

Looking at going down for the first time to Bonaire for a week or two mid December currently looking at staying at either den laman or hamlet oasis. Anyone have any feedback on either place or pref between the two? Would be looking at either a studio or 1br as it would just be myself going

 

[Kharon]

150% Hamlet. There, you are right on the Cliff dive site, Dive Friends Bonaire on site with all the tanks you want, gear storage if you want it, and plenty of gear/reg/photo rinse tanks, easy drive to either north or south dive sites. Groceries just a hop away. I stayed there on my last trip. My next trip is booked there. I would never stay anyplace else since I found Hamlet. Sorry I didn't try it sooner.

Staying at Hamlet gives you super easy access to night dives with a ton of tarpon, hunting in your dive light. Something you have to do - even if you don't stay there.

 

[Jeyna]

I've been in one of the Hamlet studios, it's small but nice. The location is fantastic. I would definitely want to be on the second floor for the breeze and the ocean view. The first floor view is more of the parking lot than anything else.

 

[diversteve]

If you actually want to be on the water - Den Laman. However I'm fairly sure their studio's look out the back at the parking lot/mountains. I believe Hamlet's ground floor view is blocked by other villas in front of it. However they do have a pool, Den Laman doesn't,

Dive Friends also has the concession there now as well. I'm pretty sure they use their dock for boat dives - at their Cliff store there is no boat access. Sort of a drive-thru tank pickup like Buddy's though. There's also another DF between the two streetside in the plaza adjacent to Sand Dollar condos.

Plus as good as Cliff was - more fish are at Bari Reef - it's the site with the highest fish species count in the Caribbean on the REEF surveys. Partly due to all of them that the previous dive shop BD&A did there for decades. It's an easier entry down stairs - and I believe - surface lighted at night.

Either is probably not great for finding a buddy though. Sand Dollar condos is adjacent to Den Laman north and Buddy Dive past that - you can walk along the waterfront. You will find a buddy at Buddy;s bar most days.

From Hamlet Habitat is just to the south - some guests use their dock/boats instead - we dove Cliff from there.

Being solo, Coco Beach Club is immediately to the south of Den Laman.

Really you can't go wrong with either. both are DF which allows use of their 4-5 other locations on island - the p/u at Port Bonaire is handy for any dives south of the airport - which is most of them. Saves driving back to town to the DF ahop on the north side of Kralendijk - by Town Pier. IIRC their other site in town is just a retail store.

An option we like is Belmar condos south of town. They have some 1br but no studios afaik. The other Buddy Dive shop is on-site and Buddy's keeps a boat there usually. 5mins to the start of the south dive sites and tank pickup is easy - storage is thru a gate on the south end of the parking lot and they'll give you a card for the drive tjru at Buddy Dive.

Just an average house reef - part of the Corporal Meiss site - a lesser known one. No food nearby though - that's a drive past the airport to places near the Plaza Resort or farther to south downtown. About 5mins by car as you have to skirt the lagoon by the airpiort
Quality-wise I would compare them to Den Laman - IMO a little more upscale than Hamlet although I'm only judging by pictures on the Hamlet website.

I would expect Hamlet costs less?

 

[Lorenzoid]

@Trailboss123 has been to both, I believe, and he offered a great comparison in a recent thread that maybe he can find again for you. Based on that information and my own prior experience with Hamlet Oasis, on a recent trip my wife and I chose Hamlet Oasis. My trip report is posted here in the Bonaire forum.

If I had to sum it up, it seems Den Laman costs a little more than Hamlet Oasis but offers slightly nicer accommodations. By no means is Hamlet Oasis run-down or anything. The Hamlet 1-br "apartment" we stayed in had everything we NEEDED, but we would have appreciated a few more amenities, mostly kitchen-related. All minor complaints. The bed was perfectly comfy, and the bathroom spotless, and those are more important considerations. Hamlet's pool is nice, but we didn't find time to use it on the recent trip, and also it was kind of windy/cloudy--not really pool weather. The Dive Friends shop on the Hamlet property is not open 24 hours, as the Dive Friends shop at Den Laman apparently is. If you hope to do a lot of dives on a house reef, especially night dives, Den Laman has the advantage. The house reef at Hamlet, "The Cliff," is fine--it's just that you need to make sure you grab a tank for a night dive or early morning dive or whatever it is you fancy before the shop closes at 5pm. The entry to The Cliff is just shoreline--no dock or anything. Den Laman's house reef, "Bari Reef," is a good dive as well, and I believe they have a convenient dock that guests can use for entry/exit. If my wallet is feeling more flush next time, we may give Den Laman a try just for the heck of it.

 

[scubaNYC16]

I haven’t stayed at either but I’d 100% stay at Den Laman next time for the access to Bari Reef. It’s one of the best dives and right in front of the condo with a nice easy entry. We were there for a week over Fourth of July and loved it so much that we dove it 3 times. Another bonus is to be within walking distance of Between 2 Buns, check out TripAdvisor reviews.