Bonaire

Introduction

Bonaire is an island in the Caribbean and the capital is Kralendijk. At the 10th of October 2010, the island of Bonaire acquired the status of extraordinary municipality of the Netherlands, just like Sint Eustatius and Saba. The Netherlands Antilles were dissolved as a separate state and that state as such no longer exists.

Brief History

Geography

Regions

Cities

• Kralendijk

Sights and Activities

Flamingo Sanctuary

Flamingo/Bonaire

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Although officially the Flamingo Sanctuary is off-limits to tourists, visitors with a strong pair of binoculars can see these beautiful creatures enjoying their everyday life in relative quietness and peace. Other flamingo-viewing spots which are open to the public are for exampl enear the Willemstoren lighthouse at the southern tip of Bonaire.

Washington-Slagbaai National Park

Salina Martijs

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Another example of nature is this national park which covers the northwest portion and almost 20% of the island. Washington-Slagbaai National Park is a magnificent place to explore. Although roads are rough this place deserves a visit. Most of the park contains tropical desert, and there is an abundance of cacti and birds. There are flamingos in the lowlands and parrots can be seen as well. Other animals include the large bright green iguanas among other reptile species.

• Bonaire Museum

Events and Festivals

Weather

The island of Bonaire has a very pleasant and constant climate. This means warm and humid weather yearround but with almost constant sea breezes cooling things of a bit. Temperatures average around 30 °C during the day, cooling of somewhat to 23 °C at night. Most rain falls between October and February but compared to the islands more north in the Caribbean it doesn't rain that much. July and August are high season and therefore the drier months of March to June are the best time for a visit.

Getting there

Plane

Flamingo International Airport or Bonaire International Airport (BON) is where all international flights and flight from other islands of the Netherlands Antilles arrive and depart. Arkefly (website in Dutch) and KLM fly there from Amsterdam. The latter has connections onwards to both Quito and Guayaquil in Ecuador. Other services include those to Houston, Miami, New York, Atlanta and Cartagena in Colombia. Finally, there are some seasonal flights to Paramaribo and Caracas and connections to Aruba.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Red Tape

Money

See also Money Matters

The Antillean Guilder (Naf) is the official currency for Bonaire. It is also known as the Florin or Gulden and is subdivided into 100 cents. Note denominations are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 250 NaF. Coin denominations are 5, 2.5, 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.1, 0.05, and 0.01 cents.
The Guilder is fixed to the US dollar at an exchange rate of 1.79:1.

In November 2008, it was decided to introduce the US dollar on Bonaire, just like for Sint Eustatius and Saba. This transition is scheduled for January, 2011. From that time, The US Dollar, or "greenback", will be the national currency of Bonaire. One dollar consists of 100 cents. Frequently used coins are the penny (1¢), nickel (5¢), dime (10¢) and quarter (25¢). 50¢ and $1 coins also exist, but are rarely used. Frequently used banknotes are the $1, $5, $10 and $20 notes. $2, $50 and $100 notes can also be found, but are rarely used.

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to Bonaire. There is one exception though. You need a yellow fever vaccination if you have travelled to a country (7 days or less before entering Bonaire) where that disease is widely prevalent.

It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to Bonaire. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended and vaccination against hepatitis B and typhoid are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months.

Dengue sometimes occurs as well. There is no vaccination, so buy mosquito repellent (preferably with 50% DEET), and sleep under a net. Also wear long sleeves if possible.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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