Bonaire / Travel Tips

Bonaire Travel Tips

A collection of important information that can make your trip more enjoyable.

Banks:
ABN/AMRO Bank, Antilles Banking Corporation Bonaire, Banco de Caribe and Maduro & Curiel's Bank. Banking hours are Monday through Friday from 8 or 8:30 AM to 3:30 or 4:00 PM.

Currency/Money:
U.S. currency, Travelers checks and major credit cards are welcome everywhere. The local currency in the Netherlands Antilles is the NA Florin or Guilder, and is pegged to the U.S. dollar. Other currencies including Canadian Dollars, Deutsche Mark, English Pound Sterling, French Francs, Dutch Guilders, Venezuelan Bolivars and Aruba Florin can also be exchanged.

Drinking Water:
Bonaire's seawater is distilled and purified to become one of the purest drinking waters in the world. Imported water is available.

Electricity:
127/120 volts, 50AC. Converters are available in the hotels. Most U.S. appliances will work on Bonaire, though slowly. Many dive shops have adapters for charging lights, strobes or delicate equipment.

Medical Facilities:
San Francisco Hospital has 60 beds and is fully equipped to respond to any emergency. Bonaire has its own recompression chamber, with trained medical personnel, on call 24 hours a day. There are 7 medical doctors on the island.

Passports & Immigration:
U.S. and Canadian citizens need proof of citizenship, a passport or certified birth certificate with a photo I.D. are required. All others require a valid passport. A return or continuing ticket is also required along with sufficient means to support yourself during your stay. Maximum stay: 14 days with the possibility of extending the visit to 90 days. All others refere to the Embassy.

Personal Safety:
Bonaire has a reputation for being one of the safest islands in the Caribbean, but exercise normal precautions; i.e. don't leave valuables laying unattended in hotel rooms (use the hotels' safes) or in rental cars or on the beach.

Population:
12,000

Shopping Hours:
Monday through Saturday 8:00am to noon and 2:00pm-6:00pm.

Taxes:
Bonaire has a US$20.00 airport international departure tax, a hotel tax of US$5.50 to $6.50 per person per night. Car rentals are taxed at US$3.25 per day. There is also a 5% tax on car rentals, meals, services and general purchases.

Telephones:
CCalling the U.S. is easy from Bonaire. Most hotels offer USA Direct calling service, or can connect you with a U.S. operator for calling home. Local numbers can be reached by dialing the 717 plus the 4 digit number.

Television:
Most hotels have 22 cable channels, with CNN, ESPN, Disney, NBC, premium movie channels and local stations. Bonaire has NTSC system.

Time Zone:
Atlantic Standard Time (AST), one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time and the same as Eastern Daylight Time.

Tipping/Gratuities:
Same as in the US -- 10-15% depending on the service. Some restaurants will automatically add the gratuity. If in doubt, just ask. Give porters and bellhops 50 cents per bag, taxi drivers 10% of the fare