Oceanvista Bonaire - Oceanfront Condo with Incredible View

This was our 10th trip to Bonaire, our second stay at Port Bonaire but our first stay with Connie and Oceanvista.

Pretrip. Access to owner was exceptional with prompt and thorough replies to all inquires. About 2 weeks prior to arrival we received an information packet. All too often as a renter I was left trying to figure out the ins and outs of each particular unit. Connie provides all the information you need to work everything from the locks to the ac unit.

The apartment. Third floor, no elevator. Clean and very tastefully decorated. Unlike every other rental we have had on Bonaire, there was ac in all the living areas although we rarely used it except for the bedroom at night. Mostly the windows were thrown open (all had screens) and we had a wonderful breeze throughout the apartment. The view from the balcony is lovely but partly obstructed by large palms. These mostly block the view of town.

The kitchen. Small but well stocked. A large selection of pots and pans that were in very good condition (not common in my experience). Refrigerator worked well. No ice maker but plenty of ice trays to make your own. The dishwasher was older but worked well.

Laundry. To the right of the front door is a separate closet area with a full sized clothes washer and folding drying rack. There were also chairs, cooler and Smoky Joe available but we did not use them during this stay.

Living room large and comfortable. A convenient charging station with plugs and usb ports. Master bedroom with king size bed with firm but comfortable mattress. Smooth, soft sheets. Ensuite bathroom with shower. Plentiful towels that were the softest of any rental I have been in, condo or hotel. Second bedroom available as well as sleeping area in loft. Hall powder room and second bathroom with shower but no toilet. Both connect to second bedroom.

Diving. Dive Friends PB is quite literally next door with lockers available for gear. Connie has a heavy duty rod on balcony with wetsuit hangers. Thanks to this and the trade winds, my wetsuit was dry each morning.

Location. Almost ideal. Across from airport but rarely heard the planes even with the windows wide open. Easy access to town and the shops, restaurants and groceries but also a perfect staging location to dives both north and south. And our favorite food, Kite City Food Truck, is right on the beach next door.

Checkout. Again super easy with the detailed instructions provided by Connie.

All in all a great stay.

This unit is a gem which we loved! Our fourth trip to Bonaire, we found a place which was perfect for our needs.

The unit is lovely. Very nicely decorated, it had everything we needed to host our four adult children at various times throughout our two week stay. The living space was the perfect size, and we loved and used the covered balcony continuously. The kitchen had everything we needed to prepare many home-cooked meals which we prefer. The beds and bedrooms were comfortable and the bathrooms were sufficient for our group of (at most) 5 at a time. The screens were intact and protected us from mosquitoes when the winds were less, much preferred to another location where we had stayed which had no screens and we were unable to protect ourselves even inside.

The location was perfect. The view stunning. Having the airport across the street was actually very convenient as we walked over to pick up guests when needed; checked into the unit and returned for the rental car when it was less busy later in the day. We were entertained rather than irritated by the routine departures of the larger flights, such as the evening "dreamliner" or the KLM flight to Amsterdam. There were no flights during the sleeping hours. Having Dive Friends Bonaire right next door was great as we could store diving equipment there (arranged ahead of time) and pick up tanks easily for shore dives. We hauled less 'stuff' as a result, and felt comfortable leaving tanks in our truck as the lot was accessed only through a locked gate.

Connie was delightful to interact with, communicated promptly and was clear and helpful with every message. She provided a wonderful packet of information ahead of time, which was very useful and would have been even more needed if it were our first time on Bonaire.

We would happily return, thanks so much Connie!

The apartment was on the third and fourth floors of the Port Bonaire community (that is safe because it's in a gated community). The views were fabulous and the access to Donkey Beach and pier snorkeling was easy and fun. There are multiple locations to rinse any dive/snorkeling equipment on and near the property and a dive shop next door (with dive boats leaving daily).

The apartment was a bit dated, with some minor issues that did not really impede our enjoyment of the beauties of Bonaire. I highly recommend this place - my wife and I are planning to return in 2020.

Let me talk first about the accommodations. Connie communicates every step of the way, even sending us an information packet in the mail before we arrived with all the information we needed. She was prompt with every response. The condo is beautiful, well decorated, conveniently located to airport (across the street but not noisy), the dive shop (right next door), and a short car ride away from restaurants, shopping and shore dives. Connie thought of everything. She supplied plenty of beach towels, hooks and drying rack for wet items, wet suit hangers, BCD hangers (and drying rack), closet space, hangers, plenty of drawers and storage, a fully appointed kitchen, outdoor seating, hairdryers, and even thought it doesn’t look like it...a sofa comfy enough to nap on while the breeze flows through. We needed for nothing!!!! As far as the island, We are a family of 4 from the US wanting a scuba diving experience for us and our 13&14 year old children. My husband is an experienced diver, while the kids and I were recently certified. Bonaire, is the perfect place...we had amazing dives. The island is wonderful, safe, shore dives everywhere, great restaurants, friendly staff. We saw flamingos, donkeys, iguanas, goats, and colorful birds. It’s worth taking a trip to Lac Bay. We tried Washington park, but arrived two minutes late and were turned away...make sure you arrive by 2:30. We never had a bad meal and we had gelato everyday. We loved Gio’s but preferred Luciano’s for gelato and coffee. We had goat stew in Rincon (posada para Mira) on the way home from the northern dives and would recommend this experience. Our favorite dives were 1,000 steps, Salt Pier and Hilma Hooker (wreck). We would definitely consider returning!! Thanks, Connie

My husband and I stayed at Ocean Vista for a week, and loved every minute. The condo itself is lovely, and has every kitchen gadget that you could ever want! It was a pleasure to have such a well equipped kitchen, and as a result we cooked at home for several evenings. The view from the porch and main bedroom is stunning, and we found ourselves watching the boats come in and out of the harbor for hours on end. The dive shop next door, Dive Friends, was very accommodating. It was a pleasure to be able to step on to the boat right next to our condo, and also to be able to check out tanks for shore diving so easily. The pool and deck area was beautiful, and well maintained. The other visitors in the condo were also very friendly, and we had lots of conversations about each day's dive. And, of course, the diving on Bonaire is amazing. We've been diving here since 1993, and the health of the reef and amount of marine life is simply incredible. It's the best we've ever seen it! We will definitely stay at Port Bonaire in Oceanvista on our next trip to Bonaire, hopefully soon!