Buddy Dive Resort

Buddy Dive originally opened in 1980 and its disheveled entrance belies the rustic manicured lawns and gardens throughout the resort. Its open-air lobby has a bamboo front desk, bamboo furniture with lime-green cushions, and a book exchange, all contributing to the kick-backed-by-the-sea vibe. The resort’s grounds are punctuated by retired dive tanks that line the walkways and serve as repurposed lights and ash trays, and five-foot tall cacti are used as fences (a common sight on the island). The resort’s sandy waterfront, two pools, and restaurants are quiet during the day, as guests are usually out diving. Closer to the dive shop and pier, though, there's plenty of action, with divers in various stages of preparing for their adventures. Meanwhile, guests can be seen walking down jumping off the dock into the Caribbean Sea for a shore snorkel or dive. The hotel’s restaurants have ocean views, making for a fine end (or beginning) to days often filled with exploring. All in all, this is a casual and unpretentious place, and while guests at the hotel are mostly American couples and friends, it does attract divers from around the world.

Buddy Dive Resort sits right on the sea in an area of other small and mid-size hotels. It's a 10-minute drive north of Kralendijk, Bonaire’s commercial heart and the best place on the island for restaurants, shopping, and bar hopping. That said, nearby food options are less than a five-minute drive from the hotel and include: Surinamese, Caribbean, and pizza. The nearest supermarket is a five-minute drive away and an outdoor movie theater is within a two-minute drive. Top tourist spots -- those that aren't related to diving, anyway -- include Washington-Slagbaai National Park, which has rugged hiking with ocean views (a 25-minute drive from the hotel). Lac Bay, a windsurfing and kiteboarding hub where the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet, is also a 25-minute drive away. Flamingo International Airport is 15 minutes away by car, just across the street from Donkey Beach, the closest sandy beach to the hotel.

The rooms at Buddy Dive Resort do the trick for most of the dive-obsessed visitors that pass through here, but expectations must be managed. In other words, decor and style are spartan. Rooms are available in a mix of studios, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments with mustard-yellow walls, resin-wicker and simple hardwood furniture, and a few token posters of underwater life on the walls. It all feels a bit like a sea-loving post-college grad decorated the spaces, though things are clean and well kept.

All rooms include full kitchens with black linoleum counters that feature full-size refrigerators (some with ice-makers and water dispensers), microwaves, toasters, coffeemakers, dishes, and cookware. They do include dish soap and a sponge, but you’ll have to buy your own paper towels for cleanup. Flat-screen TVs with cable channels are standard, and we battled a couple mosquitos during our stay as well. While free Wi-Fi is technically available, it's spotty at best and unusable at worst. Additionally, while all units have air-conditioning, it's limited to bedrooms in multi-room units. 

Contemporary, white-tiled bathrooms are large and a bit of a step up from the rooms themselves. They have dual-sink vanities and glass-walled showers. Disposable wash cloths are included and liquid soap and shampoo are available from wall-mounted dispensers. Rooms have 110-volt plugs that fit both U.S. and E.U. plug sizes and safes come standard. Irons, ironing boards, and hairdryers are available at the front desk.

Buddy Dive - as the name implies - is a resort for divers. As such, most of the features here are geared toward underwater pursuits, though there's plenty additional features to keep everyone happy. A full-service dive shop offers certification courses, equipment sales and rentals, and a shore dive that’s part of the island’s coral restoration project. Multiple daily boat dives are available on six dive boats, though guests complain that the seating is limited and boats fill up quickly. One of the more unique features is the dive shop's photo school and rental office for underwater photography. There’s also a drive-thru tank fill-up next to the free parking lot.

The hotel’s two pools have ocean views and the larger of the two serves double duty as a venue for diving classes. The other pool has a walk-up bar to Blennies Restaurant, the resort's casual eatery set under a giant palapa that serves international cuisine and has happy hour specials. Friday’s are barbecue night, with live music, a barbecue buffet, and an hour of free rum punch. Ingridiënts is the hotel’s more upmarket restaurant that overlooks the ocean. It has a vaulted ceiling, rattan chairs, orbs made of driftwood, and a pricey (but tasty) menu of local and international cuisine.

Buddy Dive’s beaches aren’t beaches, but are instead oceanfront sandy areas with rattan lounge chairs and steps leading into the azure water. There’s a sand volleyball court and hammocks under overgrown gazebos in the hotel’s courtyard. Kayaks are available to rent. The lobby has a book exchange and sells postcards, coolers, and has a computer available for guests, though they aren't free to use. Exploring Bonaire requires wheels and the resort rents vans and 4x4s. Laundry service is available and while the resort has free WiFi, internet service is spotty and can be slow.