We chose this place because of the price, kitchens, and pictures on the website - which are accurate. Arranging the reservations couldn't have been easier. Responses came within a couple of hours.
We were going to opt for no car, but were advised we would probably want one. They were right. They made the arrangements, and it was waiting for us in front of the office the morning we arrived.
We were upgraded, at no extra charge, to an apartment from a studio because they wanted to "fill the septic tank" so they could water the gardens. The apartment was very clean.
It was explained to us several times that "this is not a hotel", and not everything would be provided. I emailed them ahead of time to see if we needed to bring our own shampoo/conditioner/soap and the answer was "we are not a hotel, you need to bring what you want to use".
There is a "welcome notebook" in the room full of useful information, including the fact that Bonaire is in the tropics, and therefore guests must except a few bugs and lizards.
We met one bug, who woke us one morning for what turned out to be our most magical day; and one lizard about the size of 1/2 of my little finger.
Marion was always very helpful. We did not take advantage of the weekly Indonesian buffet. Also, though the pool was delightful for a thorough rinse at the end of the day, the hours didn't always accommodate our day.
The only problem we encountered were dogs that pretty consistently interrupted the quiet of the evenings.
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Many things would have changed since my wife and I visited Sorobon from Trinidad in August 1987. However, we were new to naturism, and didn't even know the rules - but we found it a nice getaway to enjoy a nudist resort without others knowing of what we were doing.
I gather the facilities and the meals have improved, and we long to go back. We were the first Trinidadians here then, but we understand others have gone from here.
I would encourage other Trinidadians and Caribbean people to experience Sorobon. We are hoping to get back here next year August (2009) after 22 years.
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
I suggest you absolutely avoid this dive.Visited: March 2008
Posted by cocopalmisadive
The Coco Palm was run down, filthy, infested with insects, and overpriced. Also, the owner was extremely unkind to us. She has no place in the hospitality industry. She was rude, arrogant and un-accommodating.
Why anyone would recommend this dive to anyone, I can't understand. After four days, I moved to another hotel, while continuing to pay for Coco Palm - as I was obligated by my Coco Palm contract.
If you're seeking nightmarish depressing accommodations, this is it. Oh, and bring your own soap and toilet paper - it was not included.
I loved everything else about Bonaire, though - including the hotel I moved to.
7 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful.
My wife and I, along with a cadre of international friends, have stayed here for many years. It feels like a second home. We can't imagine a year without spending at least a month here!
1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
I was unimpressed with the service and the food for the price. The seafood entree was without much flavor. The dinner salad, though, was fresh and tasty.
The big draw here seemed to be the wine. And as we didn't partake, perhaps the food wasn't as good as it might have been after a bottle or two.
Cactus Blue and Richard's were much better in quality for the price.
1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
My 21-year-old son and I stayed a week in December 2007. We had a dive/drive/breakfast package.
The rooms were very ample for our needs. Towels were changed once, and we discovered no top sheets on the bed. The bedroom was air conditioned, and was more than adequate.
The kitchen had plates, bowls, cups, glasses and silverware - but no pots or pans. The fridge was good, and froze our water bottles nicely for the next day's diving as we didn't use a cooler.
The dive shop on site worked with Buddies, and was again ample for our needs.
It was not fancy, but good enough for a father and son trip to dive, relax, and bond. We will return.
3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
Coco Palm Garden & Casa Oleander are very nice apartments that are located in a quiet, tropical setting. Each one is decorated in colorful decor of a unique tropical theme.
Situated in Belnem, these apartments are at a perfect location for shore diving. The nearest beach is only a short walk, which is one of our favorite dive sites. Also, they are only a five-minute drive to Kralendijk with its shops and restaurants, and Lac Bay with great windsurfing and snorkeling.
The staff is very friendly, and keep everything well maintained and clean.
Truck rentals are arranged directly with Coco Palm Gardens, and also a scuba diving package can be aranged if requested.
There is a swimming pool located in the bar/dining area, which is in a beautiful tropical setting.
We have stayed at Coco Palm Gardens numerous times and plan to stay there for our future visits.
5 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
We received great hospitality by a friendly hostess.Visited: October 2006
Posted by mieke_hofland
We stayed at Aquarius Lodge for one week. Prior to our arrival, Stefania arranged the rental of a car and scuba diving for us. She provided us with many good and useful recommendations during our stay.
We enjoyed the great barbeque evening she offered us at our last evening. Thank you, Stefania, for everything!
5 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
Harbour Village Beach Club is absolutely wonderful.Visited: August 2006
Posted by connieus75
We have just returned from a fabulous week at Harbour Village. My husband and my son were impressed with the surroundings of Bonaire (and the hotel as well).
We were told that the hotel was completely booked for that week, and I must confess that at some point we felt a little disapointment because we wanted a quiet place to stay. To our surprise, we were not disturbed at any moment by the crowd. We only saw how many people were staying there at the moment of departure.
My son loved the beach. It belongs to the hotel, so you have all the comfort at your hand. Our accommodation was a beautiful one-bedroom suite, and the staff was really nice.
Guess where are we going next summer!
3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
It's a wonderful place, with a truly friendly hostess, and great facilities.Visited: September 2006
Posted by martinrowen
We stayed at Aquarius Lodge for a few days, on a stop over on the way to Peru. We had a wonderful time because Stefania, the hostess, was amazingly friendly and helpful.
Before we arrived, Stefania organized vehicle hire and diving gear hire for us. Stefania came to the airport to meet us, and arranged our short break. She was a wonderful hostess, always friendly and kind and helpful. She was also a wonderful diving guide and companion! Stefania took us to an awe- inspiring wreck dive.
The facilties for divers were excellent at Aquarius Lodge, with rinse tanks and places to store gear. The lodge was conveniently located on the island so that nothing was far away. However, the main attraction of this place to stay was the fantastic hosts.
4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
You can dive behind the resort.Visited: October 2005
Posted by peggy_ca
The Sand Dollar is a clean and comfortable place to stay with a really nice reef right behind the resort. You could dive every day there and be perfectly happy.
It is conveniently located, but you really need a car to get around in Bonaire. There are a few places nearby to get necessities (a great ice cream parlor next door), which helps.
We had a kitchen, but I don't know if all the units do. Also, there's a good grocery store in town.
If you're a diver - and who comes to Bonaire for anything else? - you'll find the Sand Dollar a good place to stay, and the dive operation is top-notch.
14 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful.
It was awesome - quiet, relaxing and fun!Visited: September 2005
Posted by angela_w
If you hate clear, perfect water with tons of fish and cool pink flamingos, don’t come to Bonaire. Bonaire has a very unique beauty, and I love this island. Don’t expect a tropical island with miles of white sandy beaches, either.
However, Harbor Village really did have one of the best beaches on the island. Please remember you are in the Caribbean, so don’t expect to get everything you can get in a regular city at your local Wal-Mart.
Things every Bonaire traveler must do: dive, snorkel or something that lets you see what is under the water around this island. Also, please visit Bon Pizza and Casablanca for yummy meals. If you can rent a scooter and ride the whole island, take water and extra water with you everywhere. It never seemed like we had enough!
In addition, wear sun block, even if you don’t think you need it. Don’t bring nylons or fancy clothes, either. If you want to dress up on Bonaire, wear a Gap polo and khaki shorts.
I suggest that if you are renting a vehicle or scooter, do it at the beginning of your trip so that you can plan on spending more time another day at the places the interested you most during your ride. It does not take long to travel the island on a scooter, six hours maybe. And again, bring lots of water on these rides.
I saw what I think was a donkey, and lots of them. They were so cute. I also saw lots of beautiful pink flamingos up close. It was so cool to see such an odd bird in person, and in such large quantities.
I do believe I had the best lasagna in my life at Bon Pizza (it was very spicy - just how I like it). The pizza was great, too. Casablanca was a Brazilian restaurant, with large portions. I suggest sharing a meal, then get an appetizer with drinks. The owner of Casablanca was always there, would recommend wines, helped get us seated, and checked on us frequently. The front cashier was cool, too.
My massage at Harbor Village was awesome. I had a cute, short woman who did not speak much English give me a massage. It was so quiet, relaxing and calm.
The resort was really quiet, and I rarely saw people during the day. It made everything we did so peaceful, quiet and stress-free. Walks around the harbor and beach were so nice, I felt like I had this cool resort to myself.
We are in the process of planning our return vacation to Harbor Village in 2007. We can’t wait to return.
4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
I'm currently preparing for my fifth trip to Bonaire and my fifth stay at KonTiki. I've looked at a lot of places on the island, but seem to gravitate to the truly Caribbean ambiance and genuine gracious hospitality of KonTiki.
It's a comfortable, friendly, place, and at this point, it's my home away from home. If you want a taste of what a Caribbean island should be - this is it.
8 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
I had lovely rest at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort.Visited: April 2006
Posted by nb318
I stayed here for five nights over Easter break. My arrival was met by a rather brusque but courteous young man who turned me over to the care of a pleasant porter.
I was whisked away to room 2006, a comfortably appointed room with stunning sea views. The grounds were lovely with mature foliage. The beach was very small with several loungers on the beach, but plenty on a large, but crowded jetty. The sea was crystal clear. The beach was hot, as no breeze came by due to the sea wall.
The housekeepers and bar staff were very nice. This was a well run property. I had a lovely rest at the Divi and cannot wait to go back soon.
1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
This is a true Caribbean dream.Visited: August 2005
Posted by cangur8
We stayed here for one week. It was very clean, and close to the beaches. They provided a lot of services for free, also.
The owners came to pick us up at airport for free, also. They gave us great tips about what to do, where to buy things, and where to eat. In addition, the barbecue evening was something special. Prices were affordable here.
4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
I found the management absolutely unrelenting ... always in our business ... never any privacy ... not allowed to invite a couple in for drinks ... many unhospitable rules. Compared with the 100 or so hotels/resorts I have stayed, Casa Atman is abolutely the worst.
0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
Lions Dive is a great place to stay.Visited: January 2005
Posted by elmouchi
The Lions Dive Hotel has been purchased by neighboring Buddy Dive, so the name Lions Dive will soon cease to exist. But as part of the larger Buddy Dive Resort, this is a great place to stay!
It's not large, but it's a comfortable condo. There's a full kitchen (no dishwasher), AC in both the living area and bedroom, cable TV in the living room and a good-sized bathroom with a great shower.
They've closed their own dive shop and front desk operations, but all the Buddy Dive facilities are available. Lions Dive is still maintaining their own pool and small beach as well. The popular restaurant, Lion's Den, is still running, and you now have three restaurants on site.
We weren't impressed with the snorkeling at the resort itself, but incredible snorkeling is minutes away. There's not much else to do on the island, and it's not known for beaches as they are mostly rough coral. But the snorkeling and diving can't be beat. Take a guided snorkel tour with one of the many catamaran services or snorkel guides on the island, and you'll be amazed.
Lion's Dive/Buddy Dive is a cozy, comfortable place to stay. It is well-situated - town is a five-minute drive away with many good restaurants to choose from. Food and supplies are expensive, so bring snacks and paper goods (and washcloths) if you can. We'd be glad to go back!
4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
My family and I stayed at the Plaza December 2004 for 17 days from 16th December. We arrived at 4am at the Airport but the hotel did not meet us (after an email advising the arrival time) we had to wake up the night front desk person, then we carried our luggage to our room, junior suite (J006) stank of damp, lock removed on patio door, mosquito net broken..went to reception at 10am and was advised they would "spray air freshener" to cure the damp ! and would repair lock..3 visits to reception later and a public slanging match they finally agreed that I was not going to give up and agreed with me that you can't spray damp away, my room was changed..
The swimming pool was under repair until the 23rd December with the beach that requires sandals to walk over the stones.
On New Years Eve we were told and advertised that it was not needed to book the "Gala Dinner" however we arrived at eight o'clock to be told it was sold out....and ended the night at kentucky fried chicken as all other eating places were closed or fully booked.
The food in the hotel was bland to mediocre, the decor is most shappy, and staff had a "what the heck" attitude to the customers. It is never a 4 Star hotel--and I regret in fact Ive beeen treated better by New York cabbies.
6 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
All you need is here. 
We are old first-time visitors to Sorobon. 
I suggest you absolutely avoid this dive. 
It was overrated. 
We received great hospitality by a friendly hostess. 
