Dive Review of Divi Flamingo in
Bonaire

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Divi Flamingo: "Lovely dive trip", Jul, 2022, by Michael H Howes, ON, CA ( 1 report with 1 Helpful vote). Report 11998 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Many people have sent in dive reports for Bonaire, so I won't go into great detail on: fish (lots); shore diving (amazing ... loved the little truck); boat diving (very good); dive shop operations (very tight, very good, no nonsense, very efficient ... very Dutch!) My wife and I have been diving for 5 years (missed 2 with covid) and have done all of our diving in the Caribbean. We have typically dived at Sandals resorts b/c we learned there and they have good operations. Barbados and St Lucia stand out for us. So, going to Bonaire and a dive resort was different for us. Shore diving was very different for us. If you dive, the boat diving is the same here as anywhere, broadly speaking, in terms of how it was run. We found that Kleine Bonaire sites were just lovely. Not many people, pristine, but not according to the long-time dive instructors who lamented about how much it has changed since 1985. But for us, it was outstanding. The shore diving was so different. You rent a truck (from Hertz with Divi, included with Buddy's and other resorts, I have been told) and you get as many tanks as you like and your drive around the island. Each dive site is named on a rock at the road / lane entrance. We did Oilslick and Andreas I. We only did 2 b/c we had just one day for shore diving. It was unusual for us to be our own guides but with a compass it wasn't an issue. Go against the current to start and with the current to return. Go north and go south. Pretty easy. Getting in and out over the rocks at Andreas I was a challenge, but no major injuries were sustained. We drove around the island (about half) from the salt flats up to the edge of the northern park. It looks like Arizona which was unexpected. Overall, a really good day. People need more than diving so I will offer some thoughts on the resort and dining out: We stayed at Divi Flamingo. This was our first time going to a dive resort. It is not glitzy, but it worked for us very well. Our room A/C was such that it could have been used as a meat refrigerator, but that wasn't a bad thing after a long hot day. We didn't stay in our room much ... it was dated, but clean and serviceable. No issues. In future, we would ask to stay at the end of the resort closest to the dive shop which are newer rooms, from the look of them. That's where the cool kids were staying. The food was good. Breakfasts had lots of options, but simple fare and lots of it. Great coffee. Our routine was to do breakfast, do the two boat dives in the morning and come back for the 'bucket of beer' at about 12:30 or so. We sat under the umbrellas on Divi's peninsula patio adjacent to the bar and cool down. Lunch was at Chibi Chibi. Good to great food. Fries with mayo (very Dutch) and the fresh fish, salads, etc all very good. Service was also very good. Dinner was split between eating at Divi or going into town. Dinner was good at Divi, but much better in town. Two restaurants stood out for us: Mona Lisa's [tripadvisor.com link] and Joe's Restaurant. [joesbonaire.com link] Both were awesome ... some of the best meals we have eaten anywhere and both my wife and I have traveled extensively around the world since our teenage years ... we've seen lots of restaurants. Fresh fish was the go to but all the accompanying dishes were very tasty. Wahoo ... first time I have tasted it. Yum. I have to shout our my new fave bar ... Bonaire Blond Brewery. We stopped in for beer during the walk from the resort.[brewerybonaire.com link] A random observation: all the water is from desalinization plants. It is the best tasting water we have ever had. Apparently that is because all of the minerals have been removed. We wanted to bring a few gallons back, it was so good. We are going back in July 2023 and possibly every year thereafter. I just noted that we are supposed to note what was 'bad' as well, in our reviews. Really, nothing. The toughest part was relaxing and not rushing to do anything. That is on us. We went to Curacao for a week of diving after Bonaire and were quite disappointed in what we saw, so that is the negative. Final comment: Don't hold back if you think you are not experienced enough or if you are cautious about shore diving. It is exceptionally easy and it is a true adventure.
Websites	Divi Flamingo
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Jamaica, Bahamas, St Lucia, Barbados, Curacao
Closest Airport	Bonaire International	Getting There	Toronto - Charlotte - Curacao - Bonaire No issues with travelling.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	81-84°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	150-250 Ft/ 46-76 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No restrictions.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	1 or 2	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Divi Flamingo in Bonaire

Divi Flamingo: "Lovely dive trip", Jul, 2022,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Divi Flamingo in
Bonaire