Bonaire – Trip Planning

We’ve been to Bonaire twice in the past year and we’re heading back in December. As of now, it’s definitely our spot. It’s got everything we want in our next home. It feels good knowing what’s next even if we’re not totally sure on the timing of it.

Everyone’s travel style is different. We’re quiet people who like our own space and privacy. We also like to explore wherever we are, sample the restaurants and meet the locals so all-inclusives aren’t our thing. We pretty much always opt for a self-catering place in walking distance to bars & restaurants that’s not part of a resort. So knowing that, here are my recommendations for Bonaire.

1000 Steps

• Stay Close to Town – The main city on Bonaire is Kralendijk. This is where you’ll find the vast majority of restaurants & shops. We stayed at the Bonaire Seaside Apartments on the northern edge of town which was perfect. Close enough to walk to everything but far enough to be away from the noise. The southern end is where the cruise & container ships dock so it can feel a little more industrial and busy when ships are in port. The north end is where it’s at for us!
• Rent a Truck – Whether you dive or not, rent a pick-up truck. The roads in town aren’t great and only go downhill from there. There are huge potholes and roads so narrow you’ll have to pull off to allow oncoming cars to pass. Trust me on this, don’t get anything but a truck. Make sure you can drive a stick too.

The wild side!

• Groceries – We passed a lot of markets but only shopped at the Van Den Tweel. Their site is in Dutch so good luck there. We didn’t go anywhere else because it was awesome. One of the best markets I’ve ever visited on a tiny island.
• Protect yourself! We felt extremely safe on Bonaire but petty theft is a thing as it is in most places. Anytime you park your truck outside of town (dive sites, sight seeing, etc) leave the windows down and the doors unlocked or risk coming back to broken windows.
• Currency – If you’re heading there from the U.S. you’re in luck as the dollar is Bonaire’s official currency.
• Who to dive with? We used Dive Friends and will absolutely use them again. It’s a friendly, well-run shop with 7 locations around the island to drop off & pick up tanks. They have a locked room for gear storage too.

A gorgeous fairy basslet.

That’s it! Now go plan your trip and let me know how you liked Bonaire!

Until next time …

Stay warm friends!