Dive Review of Toucan Diving/Div'Ocean Bonaire/The Plaza Resort in
Bonaire

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Toucan Diving/Div'Ocean Bonaire/The Plaza Resort: "Bonaire - July 3 through July 17", Nov, 2016, by Nick J Monaco, MD, US ( Reviewer 5 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 9409.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	July 3-17 Plaza Resort The resort is going through some much needed renovation both inside and out. Grounds They have been sandblasting and repainting exterior areas, which has caused the removal of landscaping in many places. Management indicated that the landscaping will be replanted upon completion of the exterior renovation. They’ve installed a large solar array on the grounds, which provided what seem like an endless supply of hot water. That was not always the case in past visits. Kudos to the property for this green initiative. They installed a floating dock on the northern side of their beach property, creating an easier entry for divers and a great place to sit and enjoy a beverage. We also noticed more attentive service on the Plaza’s beach (one of the few sandy beaches on the island). Frequently staff would come by to take drink orders and offer fresh fruit and cold water. Accommodations The room we stayed in had been updated. The mattress was new and quite comfortable, meaning no back aches upon waking. In-room WiFi was very much improved, as it was throughout the property. The new air conditioning system in the room was quiet and efficient, making for pleasant sleeping conditions. Tipsy Seagull Restaurant The resort converted to an “all-inclusive” a few years back and this was our second visit since the change-over. Our biggest concern was how this would affect the quality of food. Generally, all service is buffet style with one item made fresh as you stand by an opening to the kitchen. They call this “Live Cooking.” During our visit we found the food to be above average. On two occasions we asked their Executive Chef and Sous Chef if they would be willing to make something off the menu or with a twist. The result was whole deep fried snapper one night and lobster thermidor another. Yum! Another modification was the extension of the thatched roof all the way to the sea wall at The Tipsy. This provided some additional coverage from the direct sunlight or a passing shower. Diving We had limited interaction with Toucan Diving at The Plaza on this trip as there were several very large dive groups staying at the resort; we avoided boat dives because of the large numbers. We have used Toucan in the past and have always been very satisfied with their knowledge and service. They have also gone through a reconfiguration with their dive equipment storage area; it is now much more opened up, providing more space. For boat dives we used Div’Ocean Bonaire ([divoceanbonaire.com link]) next to The Plaza and were very satisfied. They run small groups of 6 to 8 people, which was more to our liking size-wise. Peter, our dive guide, was able to find two seahorses on separate dives. 18th Palm, The Plaza’s house reef, continues to provide many things to discover while diving. We saw eagle rays, turtles, various eels including a very large green moray. We were also very fortunate to see an enormous bait ball out front. Unfortunately getting from Toucan Diving to the beach to gear up can be a challenge as the shop sits at the front of the resort and the beach in the back. There are wheel barrows to haul equipment back and forth. A few more would have been nice. It was another excellent get away to a diver’s paradise. We wish we could have stayed longer.
Websites	The Plaza Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Florida Keys, Bahamas, Roatan, Statia, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Crete, Tortola, Rhoades, Capri (Italy)
Closest Airport	Flamingo Airport	Getting There	Baltimore Washington International to Atlanta. Change planes, then Atlanta to Bonaire.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-75 Ft/ 18-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	N/A
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Bonaire is a great island for underwater photographers beginners to advanced. Fantastic for macro photography as well.

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Dive Review of Toucan Diving/Div'Ocean Bonaire/The Plaza Resort in Bonaire

Toucan Diving/Div'Ocean Bonaire/The Plaza Resort: "Bonaire - July 3 through July 17", Nov, 2016,

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 Toucan Diving/Div'Ocean Bonaire/The Plaza Resort in
Bonaire