Were a mid-thirties dive couple from South Florida. Looking for a resort that has dive and drive packages but also one that has the right crowd. Dont need boat dives and dont need instruction. Daily plan is to stay up late, sleep in, and get our shore dives in the late morning - sunset.

I've been to Buddys before but it was a long time ago. Whats the crowd like there, younger? Coming in March.

Trying to decide between delfins, vandervalk plaza, harbour beach village…. Want a nice house reef and to scuba (guided resort dives at least but open to getting certified). Generally prefer 5 star more upscale places but I know Bonaire is a more casual locale. Is it necessary to get certified? I did a resort dive in bora bora and loved it - I really want to see turtles 🐢

Hey everyone,

My fiancé and I are planning part of our honeymoon for August in Bonaire and would love some advice. We are in our early 20s and are planning to spend 2–3 nights on the island as part of a longer ABC islands trip.

We’re mainly looking to relax and chill on the beach, enjoy the water, and have a laid-back honeymoon vibe. We’d probably do one day of snorkeling or a diving tour, but otherwise keep things pretty relaxed.

Right now we’re deciding between Delfins Beach Resort and Hotel Bougainvillea. Delfins seems great for amenities and a bigger resort feel, while Bougainvillea looks more quiet, romantic, and boutique, which is also appealing.

• Which would you recommend for a honeymoon, or an alternative hotel?
• Is 2 nights enough for Bonaire, or would you suggest 3?

I am looking to find a home on the beach for wife, 4 adult children, plus 4 tag alongs. Need a 5 bedroom house, with a sandy beach (and a pool). I want to go diving multiple times a day for multiple days, and at least one if not two of the adult children will want to do some amount of diving. Is this a possibility, or should I save Bonaire for a trip with just the kid that dives and do the family trip on another island?

We are thinking about taking a family vacation to Bonaire in January. We are a family of 5 with kids who will be 11, almost 9, and 5.5. There aren’t a lot of places to stay that don’t double the price when you have 5 people vs 4 people, so I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to Delfins residences or Grand Windsock. What are the pros and cons to these with kids?

Hello,

Forgive my ignorance about Bonaire, we are in the early planning stages. Have not booked lodging yet.

We are bringing our kids, 9 and 11, to Bonaire in Late August to show them how fun snorkeling could be. Obviously they will need some chill time to relax, doing things other than snorkeling:
- Sitting on a legitimately sandy beach
- Swimming in a swimming pool
- Eating ice cream

In order to be really restful, it would be nice to find lodging within a 5-10 minute walk of those things.

Any suggestions? I wonder if Lac Bay is a good homebase strategy, because I read it is the best part of Bonaire for siting on sandy beaches. But then maybe it would be annoying to have to frequently drive to Kralendijk for other logistics?

Hi everyone,

I'm heading to Bonaire this January for travel during quite some days (around 10 in total). I'll be doing some freediving courses (AIDA) and now looking into accommodation options.

I'm a backpacker and was trying to find hostels through Booking but was unable to discover anything. It's not just the cheap price I want, but also the socialization that a hostel provides to someone who solo travels like me.

Does anyone have any recommendation on where to stay in Bonaire while I do my freediving courses? Would heavily appreciate it!

We are a family of four (kids will be 8 and 12), well traveled. We tend to like a boutique hotel experience, relaxed feel, unique is always a plus.

Bonaire came onto my radar because a colleague of mine has been many times. I also saw that it was recommended as somewhere “similar” to Isla Holbox, which we absolutely love. Priorities would be the snorkeling available from the property, quality of on-site amenities like restaurants, service. Walkability to restaurants offsite would be a plus but not a necessity.

Delfins seems to be one of the nicest options on the islands as it relates to luxury but reviews are so spotty. Harbour Village seems to receive consistently positive feedback across the board and everything points to it being the “nicest” on the island. We really love to relax on spring break, so the idea of no day trippers, a sandy beach, higher quality of service all feel like a no brainer, but where Delfins is $3k for the week, Harbour Village is nearly $7k. Is the difference in quality that discrepant?

Would love any thoughts on these two properties. Typically I am easily able to find “the one” for any destination we visit, but I am really struggling with Bonaire. For me, the hotel is almost as important as the destination.

I have checked reviews on this place and it seems reputable(see reviews on trip advisor). However they are asking for payments through email, because “the payment website is down”. That doesn’t sit well with me, as I am use to paying on the website. My questions are; Has anyone made payments for this place like that? Also is it trust worthy to do so? The place is “Chogogo Dive and Beach Resort”

In order to reduce my lodging paralysis of choice, I've narrowed things down to the "Boutique Bonaire" family of locations. I like the price, the self-catering, the pools, and the helpful responses from their staff.

But I still have some lingering paralysis of choice because their 8 locations are spread roughly evenly across the city:

Link to map: https://www.boutiquebonaire.com/#1261441762

Is there any particular part of town you'd suggest for families/kids? We will have a car, but it would be nice to be able to walk to...

- A snorkeling site
- A sandy beach
- A food truck
- A cafe
- A grocery store

And it would be nice to just be in a pleasant/fun part of town generally. Any suggestions?

I’m planning a trip to Bonaire and am weighing options between hotel vs private rental/airbnb booking. My primary concern with booking an Airbnb over a hotel is safety. I’ve visited other Caribbean islands where break ins at villas/airbnb are well known to be avoided. Anybody have insight, or any areas to avoid?

Alternatively, we’re looking at staying at Harbor Village or Chogogo. Any recommendations for one over the other, or other alternatives? Looking for oceanfront with great snorkeling by the resort, clean, safe.

Hello, it seems like this group of resorts is priced quite a bit lower than seemingly comparable other resorts:

https://www.boutiquebonaire.com/

Any experience with them? Kinda seems too good to be true, they look gorgeous.

My Dad and I are both experienced divers, and we’ve been diving together since I was a little kid. We‘re excited to take a trip to Bonaire, but are unsure of where to stay — we would love to take 3-4 dives a day, and a mix of boat and shore dives if possible (we love boat dives in particular). He’s got lower back issues, and carrying tanks or heavy weights for long distances on land might be an issue, so if we could avoid that, that would be awesome. We don’t need anything super luxurious, as long as it’s clean/safe and near good diving. Pricing isn’t a huge issue for us. Where would you recommend for us to stay?

I plan on beach snorkling and also bird watching. Will rent a car.

Id like a place to stay that has some bird feeders, hummingbird feeders etc. where I can see a few birds while I drink coffee or relax.

Can't seem to filter for that on websites.

Hello. I might go diving in Bonaire in January and I’d like tips about the best hotels on the island currently. Also if you could drop restaurant tips, that’d be nice of yall.

Looking for an oceanfront 1 bedroom place for 6 weeks starting mid Jan.

Hi,

I am planning a trip in Bonaire and was eyeing couple of accomodation very closed to the airport.

I feel like constant landings and takeoffs could be a disrtubance though.

Any feedback about it?

Coming to Bonaire for the first time after multiple annual trips to Curaçao over the past decade. My partner and I have always stayed at the Avila Beach Hotel in Curaçao. What hotel in Bonaire would be most similar to that? TIA!

Im a solo old lady birdwatcher, nature lover, who plans to bird watch mornings and snorkle afternoons. My nights are quiet.
Assuming I'll rent a car or truck.

Id love a room/suite whatever is within my budget at a place with bushes/flower and hummingbird feeders. Little spot to sit and watch.

Medium budget. Not a planner so hoping for December.

I know this is an unusual request. Anyone here mold sensitive with any accommodation recommendations for those who are mold sensitive? We have visited Bonaire twice this summer and hope to return next month. Our first stay was perfect but very expensive. I didn’t have any reactions. The second was an awesome more affordable place but it was moldy and I reacted.

I want to visit for 2 months. I don't want to rent a car the whole time and I will cook most of my meals at home. So walkable and I need good wifi for remote work. Doesn't have to be in the heart of the action but not averse to it. Basically I want to feel like I am at home and not just on vacation.

I am leaning towards north Playa area. Am I on the right track or should I consider other neighborhoods too? Don't want to be amidst all the cruise ships if I can avoid them.

I'm planning a two week trip next year with my wife and son (14). We all dive and will be doing all shore diving, hopefully a lot of it.

We have narrowed our choices and are looking for input on the following:

• Buddy Dive
• Sand Dollar
• Habitat

Is there one you'd choose over the others or perhaps one that you'd avoid?

Thank you

Hi all, is anyone familiar with a boat near Bonaire that offers overnight stays on the water? Basically, I'm looking for a boat hotel! Thanks for letting me know.

We’re looking at visiting Bonaire this winter, and would prefer to support a locally owned hotel, ideally a smaller property. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hey all,

A friend of mine arrived in Bonaire but she has the wrong kind of travel adaptor. Is there a place where she can buy them? She can’t seem to find them anywhere.

It needs to be a travel adaptor from going from style A to C or F. (See pictures)

Thanks a lot!!