Carib Inn is perfect for divers enjoying Bonaire's reefs. My family has stayed here annually for more than 20 years and I've been there for 5 of them. All units have some cooking facilities, many have full kitchens. We have breakfast and lunch in and sample the increasing number of good restaurants for dinner. Rooms are not fancy, but very clean and fully stocked. AC in bedrooms means a good nights' sleep. Diving is right at your door, either on the reef off the dock, or on one of the usually twice-daily boats captained by experience dive masters. Special trips can be arranged and tanks for shore dives are easy to get. Dive shop is fully-stocked. Small sandy beach, gazebo, sun deck, and fresh water pool for when you're not diving. No breakfast or restaurant on site, but right next door to Divi resort and a short walk to town.

This was our first trip to Bonaire and we were lucky enough to have found the Carib Inn as we booked 3 nights ahead while we were in Aruba and were having a little difficulty finding places that had accommodations for 9 nights.

As many other reviewers say, the decor is plain but the rooms are spacious and clean. We started out in Unit 7, upstairs with a balcony overlooking the ocean. There is a full kitchen/dining area with a tiny balcony overlooking the pool. Two comfy twin beds pushed together (this seems to be the norm in Aruba & Bonaire) in the bedroom and a daybed in the dining area, one and a half bathrooms. The deck is huge and is a great place to have a drink and watch the sunset, but a little stuffy with little cross-breeze (or that may have just been the weather for the 3 nights we were there, who knows).

We then had to move to unit 2 for the following 6 nights. We were disappointed at first since we lost our view and were instead facing the pool, but we found the room was much cooler and we didn't need to use the air conditioning as much. Again, 2 twin beds in the bedroom and a daybed in the kitchen/dining area. Be warned if anybody is to sleep in the daybed; it is right next to the tank room so may be noisy in the morning if you are planning on sleeping in! The lack of view was not too bad as there are a couple of inviting terraces as part of the property.

There is a resident cat, Thunder, and at least one resident dog. Thunder is aptly named for her thunderous purr that you can hear from across the room. She ended up adopting us for our stay and would be waiting at the door for us to come home in the afternoon or evening and gave us a great "kitty fix" while we were away from our own.

The bathroom in unit 2 was much bigger than the one in 7. There was no shortage of hot water even though in such a hot climate we preferred it tepid. No laundry facilities on site, but enough clotheslines just around the corner from the pool for you to hang up anything you might hand wash.

The resort is not just for divers. My husband and I are snorkelers and found the staff and other guests to be warm and helpful. The small dive shop has a good selection and their prices are as good or as better as the ones in town. We snorkeled off the dock several times and also rented a car to access other sites on the island.

It helps to have a car for grocery shopping since the corner store has a limited selection and while you can walk to the bigger supermarkets, it is probably a good 20 minute walk one way. No dish soap or shampoo is provided so either bring a small container or pick some up locally. And bringing spices & seasonings is a good idea; both rooms we were in had small salt and pepper shakers and one set looked like it was brought in from a previous guest's in-flight meal service. As another reviewer mentioned, you may not be able to find fresh fish at the store; apparently the local catch is sold to the restaurants. We did, however, find "mystery meat" labeled as such at the Supermarket Warehouse. Ok, it was "Indian Mystery Steak" and of course we had to buy it and it was suprisingly good, flavoured with Indian spices.

For eating out, Bobbejan's Take-Away just north of town had terrific ribs and sate. There's a big enough seating area, don't let the name fool you. We also enjoyed El Mundo and City Cafe. Cactus Blue was a disappointment as the food was rather bland, but it has a lovely breezy terrace.

We enjoyed staying at the Carib Inn and loved Bonaire. Even as snorkelers in a "Diver's Paradise" we saw so many things that were new to us. We would highly recommend snorkeling with Renee and also with Woodwind Snorkel Sail, which conveniently docks right next door at the Divi Flamingo Resort.

My husband and I are returning to Bonaire in a few weeks and for the third straight year, we will be staying at the Carib Inn. The main reason we keep going back is the staff. They are friendly and professional, but pretty much leave you alone until you need something - then they move heaven and earth to help you out. Arriving on the red eye? They'll get you checked in as early as possible. Want advice about dive sites? They'll have the answers you're looking for. We've never had any issues with any of the gear we've rented through the Carib Inn. When a friend of ours had a problem with his own gear, Bruce was kind of enough to fix it for him, even though our friend was staying at a different resort. Diving can't be any easier when you're staying at the Carib Inn. Every morning, your pre-filled tank is waiting for you. You either put it in the back of you truck and head out for a shore dive, or go for a boat dive from the Carib Inn's dock. If you want to dive later on the same day, another tank is ready for you. It's very easy to do three dives a day. There's great diving right off of the dock, and you can sign up for guided night dives. There's a dunk tank conveniently located in the front by the parking lot, and one in the back by the dock. Everybody gets their own locker to store gear. The location is perfect - right on the water and central to everything. Every room has at least its own kitchenette, and some have full kitchens. Last year, we used the grill by the dock and ate our dinner on a balcony overlooking the Caribbean. It doesn't get any better than that. If service, location and value are important to you, stay at the Carib Inn. You won't regret it.
I'm a little surprised to read so many reviews saying the restaurants on Bonaire are disappointing. We've eaten at a lot of good places. Our favorite so far is Patagonia Argentinean restaurant at the Harbour Village Marina. Donna & Giorgio's serves excellent Italian food. And Chibi Chibi at the Divi Flamingo right next door to the Carib Inn has decent food and a fun atmosphere.

I stayed at Carib Inn in a one bedroom efficiency with my 13 year old daughter for a scuba diving vacation. Awesome, experienced, pleasant dive masters. Adequate facilities. Nice pool and pool area. Relatively quick & free wireless internet. Great location on island. Great cable TV. Some of our best pictures and dives were right off the dock. We had a couple of great night dives. Fantastic rates on diving and dive equipment.