Bonaire
The delightful, intimate Dutch island of Bonaire is an ideal getaway for visitors in pursuit of peace and nature, especially the peace and nature to be found below the surface of calm waters that give divers a dependable visibility of 100ft (30m).
With less than 15,000 permanent residents and one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world,
Bonaire is the place to get in touch with nature.
Bonaire's land-based attractions can't match its underwater wonders (and the nightlife is somewhere between comatose and dead), but they can make for a day or two of interesting sightseeing—flamingos and wild donkeys give the island a surreal quality. Washington/Slagbaai National Park, in particular, is an excellent place to admire the dry, desertlike landscape—it's strikingly different from the lush greenery most associate with the Caribbean.
Capital: Kralendijk.
Currency: Netherlands Antilles guilder; US$1=ANg1.78; US dollars widely accepted
Population: 15,000.
Area: 111 sq mi/287 sq km.
Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento, English, Spanish.
Economy: Tourism, salt production.
Religion: Christian (Protestant, Roman Catholic).
Government: Member of the Netherlands Antilles, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Telephone Codes: 599
Airport Departure Tax: US$20.00
Passport/Visa requirements: Australian and New Zealand passport holders do not require visas
Health Certificates: None required. Contact health authorities for latest information.
Banking Hours: 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday, with a two-hour break at noon.
Shopping Hours: Shops mostly open 8am-noon and 2-6pm.
Electricity: 127 volts
Time Zone: 14 hours behind Sydney (EST)
Weather: There is no bad time to go—the weather is nearly perfect year-round. The average temperature is 82 F/28 C. Highs rarely exceed 90 F/32 C (August is the hottest month), and lows rarely dip beneath 70 F/21 C. The average water temperature is 80 F/27 C. If any time is worse than others, it's probably October-December, when it's rainier and windier, though neither is extreme enough to disrupt a vacation. (The island gets a total of only 22 in/56 cm of rainfall all year.) The island is south of the hurricane belt, so the summer-fall tropical storm season is not a concern. When scuba divers dream, they dream of Bonaire. The island is one of the finest dive spots on the planet. It has crystal-clear water and colorful reefs that begin almost as soon as you step into the sea. Underwater visibility often reaches 150 ft/45 m.
Transportation: There is little in the way of public transportation and taxis are fairly expensive. Renting a car is a good idea if you really want to explore the island. Scooters are also a popular mode of transportation. Driving is on the right-hand side of the road. There are no traffic lights on the island. Speed limits are in kilometers/hour and international road signs are used. Donkeys and goats are known to appear out of nowhere, so pay close attention to the road.
In 1499, Amerigo Vespucci landed on Bonaire. It was not long afterward that the Spaniards stripped the island of its divi-divi trees, prized for their red dye, and the residents, the Arawaks, who were exported as slaves.
In 1634, Dutch settlers took over the island. The Dutch West India Company was established to control economic ventures. For a short period in the early 1800s, the British controlled Bonaire, but by 1816, it was Dutch again. In 1954, Bonaire became a self-governing partner, along with Aruba and Curacao, in the kingdom of the Netherlands.
GEOGRAPHY
Bonaire lies 50 mi/80 km north of Venezuela in the Netherlands Antilles. Shaped like a boomerang with the islet of Klein Bonaire nestled in its curve, the island is 24 mi/38 km long by 7 mi/11 km wide. With dry, desertlike conditions and little rainfall, it's characterized by cacti and trees that have adapted to the arid climate. Because prevailing winds blow from the east, the entire west side of Bonaire is protected from the winds. (That protection keeps the water calm, too.) The north end of the island has numerous hills, the largest of which is Mt. Brandaris. The south end is flat and merges gently with the sea.
