Bonaire

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

1. Laidback, unspoiled, slow spaced island, a unique travel delicacy

2. Biking on the coastal road in bearable heat, though no shadowy section on the southern coast

3. Bonaire is one of the best diving destinations with excellent coral reefs, relatively low coast of divings not complicated by disturbing undercurrents - e.g. Bachelors Beach

4. Favorable climate

5. Even the inland offers some nature beauties (like Bandaris Hill), we watched strange looking birds

6. Our favorite beaches: Sorobon Beach (Lac Bay), Te Amo Beach, 1000 Steps

7. Eat a whole fish caught that day in La Cantina (downtown Kralendijk)

8. Locals are still not spoiled by mass tourism, is not a snobbish destination, at least not for the time being.

9. We had a stress-free vacation, which was the main thing

10. Soft surfing (Lac Cai and Lac Bay)

11. Clear bottom kayaks and snorkeling through the Lac Cai Mangroves on the southeastern tip of the island

Dislikes

1. Few offers for inland programs, so Bonaire can be annoying for those who like active vacation, but can not dive, snorkel, do other water sports.

2. Too much calmness, little bustle, rough tourism infrastructure

3. though mosquitos

4. Few upscale entertainment options outside the hotels, no field for showing off glamour

5. The frequent trade winds can spoil many open-air programs, some sports activities

6. On most of the beaches there are no trees providing some shadow

6. Hotel room quite expensive in February (high seasons are: January-April, July-August)

7. A too-small island, the landscape is not diverse

8. Most of the shops close on weekends

9. Some of the 22 beaches of Bonaire sometimes disappear and appear. That very much depends on the tides and other natural causes, like wind and waves.

10. To see an iguana swimming in our hotel's swimming pool. Not brutally scary but somewhat unexpected

Opinions

,, Bonaire's countryside is far more interesting than its towns, and the best way to see it is independently and leisurely by rental car. An organized guided tour can cover the highlights in 3 or 4 hours if time is limited. At the top of the must-see list is Washington/Slagbaai National Park, followed by Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, but neither compares with the remarkable underwater attractions.(C.T., 2019)

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“Bonaire is not ‘picture perfect,’ partly because two-thirds of the island was left to nature rather than being manicured to suit tourist tastes. This rawness suited me perfectly. However, the high prices are an issue. It is said that almost everything costs as much as 40 percent more than in the Netherlands. But they produce almost nothing on the island. I chose the island for kite surfing, but to be honest, after five days, I was getting tired of always doing the same thing in the same place. The problem was with my enthusiasm. Towards the end, we should have spent more time snorkeling.” (2021)

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“Bonaire's flora and fauna are not very diverse but are all the more exotic and charming for that. The highways are teeming with iguanas, and domesticated, and now free-living donkeys keep a suspicious eye on tourists from the side of the road. Flocks of tiny hummingbirds fly around the bushes. The giant cacti, which grow up to 10 meters tall, are used by the locals to make hedges to keep curious and hungry donkeys away from their well-kept gardens. If you look closely at the license plates of the island's cars, you will notice that they all feature the slogan ‘Divers’ paradise.’ This is no surprise, as the strictly protected coral reef, with its exceptional features and diverse and very rich marine life, offers plenty of attractions and diving adventures for those who enjoy diving. From large predatory fish to turtles, rays, and green morays, you can encounter almost all kinds of interesting aquatic life, making it, in effect, a spectacular, open-water aquarium experience that you can visit, and you can even explore the wreck of the sunken ship ‘Hilma Hooker’. After spending a few weeks on the island, you will look at fast-paced Western life through different eyes.”

Practicals

Transport

Bonaire - water taxi

Food

Bonaire - rich sandwich

Public safety

Bonaire - sign

Health

Tap water in Bonaire is drinkable and even tastes good. The island has its water filtering system

Background

Bonaire - national flag - The black circle symbolizes a compass, referring to the image of the Bonaireans as good sailors and fisherman

Destination in brief

Bonaire is a part of the so-called ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) islands, off the northern coast of Venezuela.

Population: 20,104 (2020)

Capital city: Kralendijk

Language: The official language is Dutch, but for about 58% of the inhabitants, the Papiamentu (a native language) is the primary language. For only 16% of the population, Dutch is their primary language, and 15% have Spanish as their main language.

Bonaire used to be part of a constituent country named the Netherlands Antilles. This country (belonging to the Kingdom of Netherlands), however, was dissolved in 2010. That left Bonaire as a particular municipality of the Netherlands (along with Sint Eustatius and Saba.)

Bonaire has informally acknowledged as the shore diving capital of the world. More than 50 shore diving sites ring the coastline.

Climate

Because of its unique position in the Leeward Antilles, Bonaire very rarely get a direct hit from hurricanes. Bonaire has only been hit by the core of a hurricane every 29 years (on average), making this the perfect Caribbean destination during hurricane season.

Attractions

Kralendijk

Bonaire - Kralendijk - Kaya J.N.E. Craane - s.v. photo