Stay & Play
Bright Horizons in Bonaire
Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino
by Susan Campbell
Historically known as being a diver’s paradise, the delightful little Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire has been making big strides in expanding their offerings and terrestrial attractions to draw many different types of travelers now. And Divi Flamingo Beach Resort, one of the island’s first hotels, has not only been changing with the times, but sometimes leading the charge!
I’ve enjoyed watching this establishment grow, refresh, and reinvent itself continually since my first stay there over 15 years ago. And regardless of whatever transformation they have gone through, it has always retained its original colorful charm and warm and welcoming vibe. It always feels like home. And I love the location of this resort, literally steps from the downtown core of Bonaire’s adorable little capital of Kralendijk and fronting its own house reef full of magnificent marine life mere steps from the shore. Their on-site outfit Divi Dive Bonaire is a 5-star PADI operation, and when I finally decide to become certified, I can’t think of a better place to do so. They have a modern fleet of six dive boats, but shore diving there is also a breeze, and night diving is also popular. It’s also an excellent place to snorkel, and their dive shop has equipment rental.
There are 129 rooms in all, some with full kitchens, and some overlooking the sea where you can spot colorful fish right from your balcony. They offer both all-inclusive and EU plans, and all guests will enjoy their all-oceanfront selection of dining rooms, snack spots, and bars. There is also a small casino on site. The latest round of improvements includes redesigning their two pools and adding Jacuzzis and refreshing and upgrading all the rooms and exteriors in the oceanfront wing and studio suite wings, and they plan to finish renovating the remaining pool view room wing by this summer. They’ve also added a convenient new dive pier and totally renovated their signature Chibi Chibi and pureocean dining spots, both great places to catch stunning sunsets over the sea.
This resort is also ideal for families. They have a children’s playground, and their little beach has calm surf and leads to sensational shallow snorkeling around a manmade pier. And children under 12 stay free! (One child per paying adult on the all-inclusive plan.) For adults, there is also a day spa and fitness center, weekly activities like yoga, and happy hours at their “pureocean” beachside, which features live music throughout the week. Divi Dive also offers a unique, hands-on PADI Reef Renewal Diver Distinctive Specialty Course to teach divers how to help rebuild the reefs. In fact, they are participating in a Reef Renewal program right in front of the resort where they are building their own coral garden using artificial “trees”. Volunteers are always welcome to help, or you can adopt your own coral with a donation.
