We were at the Divi Flamingo in Bonaire July 30-August 6, 2006.
We were with a group of 22 from a dive shop in Ohio, thus the
trip was booked through PADI Travel Network. Package deal
included breakfast & dinner daily, with unlimited shore diving
and 2 tank boat dives daily (if you choose to go).

I found the resort to be very pleasant and nicely laid out for divers.
We had a room on the 2nd floor over looking one of the two pools (closest to the dock/dive shop). Room had a kitchenette with microwave, stove & fridge. (Only used to fridge.) Small bathroom, though it was nice having the sink separate from the toilet/shower area. The dock area was PERFECT for divers! Nice
locker-type storage at the end of the dock for your dive gear (don't forget to bring a lock). There was also fresh water rinse tanks as well as a rinse-off shower head (No soap, please!) right there on the dock as well. They have plenty of extra tanks right there for those wanting to do shore dives (day or night) right from the dock.

Since Bonaire is known for all the great shore diving spots up &
down the coast, take advantage! Divi Flamingo has a small shed/outbuilding in one of the parking lots that has tanks inside,
just waiting for you to grab and load into the back of your rental
vehicle. But a word to the wise-the tank supply was usually depleted after lunch while we were there. We told the dive shop, who was going to start refilling them, but they told us we could take some from the dock if we didn't want to wait. It is quite a long walk from the dock/dive shop to the parking area (esp. if you
are carrying lots of dive gear & tanks), but we found a way for an
easy shortcut. Ask for a key to the gate by the dive shop at the front desk. You do have to put down a $25 deposit for the key,
but you get it back at the end of your stay when you turn the key
back in. All you have to do is bring your truck around the corner
from the resort to the back gate, open it up (the gate) and it's a
MUCH shorter distance to walk your gear from the lockers/dock.
I was glad another guest suggested it to us.

The breakfast buffet was average, with toast, bagels, muffins, pastries and fresh fruit selection. They had a nice omlett/fresh egg station cooked to order, as well as a selection of bacon, sausage and potatoes of some sort each day. There was also yogurt and cereals. Atmosphere for breakfast area was nice, open-air, overlooking the water. Lunch/dinner is served in the Chibi Chibi Restaurant, a little way down from the Calabas (breakfast area.) Every meal I had at Chibi Chibi was EXCELLANT! We ended up eating lunches there as well. Portions were great and price reasonable. Keep in mind that
they seem to operate on "island time".This means don't be in a hurry if you eat there-it takes a while to cook meals fresh to order in the small kitchen. But it was worth the wait, and we just relaxed and enjoyed the view (even watched dolphins playing out in the water on the first day we were there at lunchtime!)

We heard from others in our group that the visibilty in Bonaire has been better in the past, which our divemaster/boat captain confirmed, although he said it is steadily getting better. (Something about high winds and rain the month before.) I think
visibility seemed to be around 50 feet or so usually, but in spots
it varied. You can get maps with the shore diving spots listed on
them. We also did several locations on the boat dive that weren't easily accessable from shore as well as a few spots across the way off coast of Klein Bonaire. I enjoyed all the dives, and was amazed at the variety of fish life, including lots of juveniles and creatures...great for photographing. (Even saw some turtles.)

I would go back there...though only if diving was on the agenda.
(Not much there in the way of sight seeing.) A truly relaxing trip!

This past Christmas through New Year's was our second trip back to Bonaire in less than a year, both times we stayed at the Divi Flamingo and we will stay there again this year. Both times, nearly everyone we met told us that they had been coming there for years and now I definitely know why.
This is a diver's resort in a diver's paradise. Easy, carefree diving, great dive staff who go out of their way to make sure you have the best dives possible. They can always find the seahorses and frogfish.
The first time we had a room with the ocean view and balcony which was wonderful. Our last trip we stayed in the garden viilas which were great also, possibly our favorite. Right between the restraunt and dive dock if you are rushing to make those morning dives.
The location is perfect - a short walk into town to the shops, bars/restraunts on the water, etc. The Divi restraunt has really good food, is right on the water, you can watch the fish swim below while you eat. The night dives off of the resort were good every time. Saw plenty of Tarpon, an octopus or two, puffers.
I highly recommend taking a right out of the Divi at least one night and heading to Richard's on the water. We always went in the other direction toward town until someone gave us that tip. Great lobster, great service and if Richard stops by, he has one amazing story to tell.
Each time we go we meet so many friendly people, have another fantastic week of diving, always leave wishing to be able to stay longer, but knowing that we will be back again.
Meg and Mike - Chicago

This was my first trip to Bonaire. The diving was so easy. You just grab a tank & jump off the dock. In the mornings I did a 2 tank boat dive, our guides did an amazing job of finding marine life ( ex: sea horses, conch shells, etc. ). I took some great pictures of marine life. The staff there is great, always asking if there is anything you need, can I help you with anything. I look forward to going back to Bonaire next year. I have only been diving since June of 2005. I thought the Bahamas was great but the water is clearer & you see a lot more marine life. We saw moray eels, tarpon at night, sea horses, barracudas, flounder, shrimp, etc.

If anyone wants to see my pictures, my email address is mooney1410@yahoo.com. I can send you the link to the web page I uploaded pictures.


I highly recommend going to Bonaire.

We recently returned from our dive trip to the Divi Flamingo and we're already planning our return trip. The diving is great, the staff is excellent and the lockers, tank location and boats are setup for no hassel diving. The resort is clean, neat and has all of the amenities, and is just a short walk to town. The Divi isn't fancy, but it is excellent for a dive resort. The food is excellent, the breakfast buffet had all that we could ask for and the dinners were always delicious. We enjoy fish and seafood, if you don't the dinner menu would be limited. We stayed in an ocean front room, which is aging, but very clean. We don't gamble and we were tired every night, after diving, so I can't say how the nightlife is, or if there is any. In general, if you dive go to the Divi Flamingo, if you don't dive, Bonaire maynot be the island for you.