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Banks
Bonaire has a number of banks, all of which
have ATMs located conveniently around the island.
Banking hours are Monday through Friday 8 or
8:30am until 3:30 or 4pm. Some are opened during
the lunch hour.
Currency
The Netherlands Antilles Guilder (NAFl.) is
fixed at the exchange rate of 1.77 to the dollar
for cash and 1.78 for traveler's cheques. Most
stores and businesses exchange it at 1.75. You
can spend dollars everywhere, but will likely
receive your change in guilders. Traveler's
checks and credit cards are widely accepted.
Be
sure to have your passport or positive ID when
changing Traveler's cheques at banks.
Climate
The average air temperature is 82º Fahrenheit
(30ºC) and 75% relative humidity. Average
water temperature is 80ºF (29ºC).
Rainfall averages 22" (52.8cm) per year.
There is a constant trade wind that generally
makes the evenings cool and comfortable. Average
windspeed is 15 mph (25kph).
Customs
Besides articles for personal use, visitors
over 15 are allowed 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars,
250 grams of tobacco, 2 liters of distillated
beverages, 2 liters of wine.
Departure
tax
Departure tax for all international destinations
is currently $20.00 per person, payable in cash
at the airport prior to check-in. Departure
tax to Curacao and Aruba are lower.
Dresscode
Casual (but no beach wear) downtown. Evening
clothes are casual to casual nice. Topless sunbathing
and nudity is prohibited on beaches except for
Sorobon Beach Resort (a privately owned nudist
resort). See our Religion page for appropriate
church attire.
Drinking,
gambling, drugs etc
The legal drinking age on Bonaire is 18 for
both beer and other alcohol.
The legal age for gambling in a casino is 21.
The
Netherlands Antilles has its own drug laws which
are not the same as Holland. Our drug laws are
not lenient.
Drinking
water
The water is distilled from seawater and is
perfectly safe to drink.
Driving
License
Foreign and international licenses are accepted.
Electricity
127 volt, 50 cycle. 220 volt is also available
at some resorts. Most U.S. appliances will work,
however a bit hotter. Dive shops and resorts
have stations for guest use for charging camera
batteries, etc. It is recommended that you use
them to avoid damage to delicate equipment.
Emergencies
Bonaire has the 60-bed hospital, Hospitaal San
Francisco (Kaya Soeur Bartola #2, Kralendijk),
and a number of doctors. There is an ambulance
plane on call for emergencies. A hyperbaric
recompression chamber is located adjacent to
the hospital and is run by a highly trained
staff - admittance via the emergency room at
the hospital. The emergency phone number for
the ambulance is 114.
Entry
requirements
US and Canadian citizens must have a valid Passport
and a return or ongoing ticket. A Birth Certificate
with a picture ID is also acceptable for entry
into Bonaire.
Ferry
services
Many people ask but unfortunately there are
NO ferry services of any kind between Bonaire
and Aruba, Venezuela or Curacao. Scheduled travel
between these destinations are limited to air
travel. It might be possible to charter a boat
for your own personal tour. If that is of interest,
go to our Sailing page for contacts.
Internet
Cyber Cafes and wireless Internet services are
available in numerous locations, as well as
several hotels and resorts. See our Technology
page for the latest information.
Languages
Papiamentu (local language), Dutch, English
and Spanish.
Location
50 miles (80 Km) north of Venezuela and 86 miles
(94 Km) east of Aruba, well outside of the hurricane
belt.
Population
+/- 12,000 people
Size
of the island
Bonaire is 24 miles long (38.6 km) and 3-5 miles
(4.8 -8 km)wide, 112 sq. miles (180 sq. km)
in area.
Klein Bonaire, an island off our west coast,
is 1500 acres.
Store
Hours
Most stores are open Monday through Saturday
from between 8 or 9 AM until 12 noon when they
close for one to two hours, then remain open
until 6 PM.
Hours
vary widely and some stay open during lunch
hour. The larger supermarkets are open from
7:30 or 8 AM until 7 PM (may close during lunch)
and some may be open on Sundays from 11 AM to
2 PM.
Taxes,
tipping etc
There is a 5% tax on virtually all goods and
services (NAOB tax).
A
Departure Tax of $20.00 for international destinations
is due at the airport upon departure (see DEPARTURE
TAX above).
Tipping
is much the same as in the States. Some restaurants
add a 10-15% service charge automatically, so
if in doubt, ask. Taxis - generally a 10% tip
is greatly apppreciated. In dive shops, etc.
10% is also the norm.
Taxi
Taxis are available at the airport. From other
locations you may call the taxi stand at the
airport at Tel. 717-8100 (See Taxi Rate page
for fees)
Telephone
Direct dialing is possible from most resorts.
AT&T, MCI, etc. can also be accessed. The
local telephone office, Telbo, can also place
calls to all locations.
For
on island calls, dial just the last seven digits.
For cell phone users, you can rent a cellular
phone for the length of your stay with Chat
N Browse.
Television
Hotels offer 22+ cable channel viewing including
premium movie channels, ESPN, CNN, Disney, Spanish,
and German language channels as well as the
local station TV 11. Bonaire uses the NTSC system.
Tourism
Season
High Season Winter/Spring: Dec. 15 - Apr. 14
Low Season Summer/Fall: Apr. 15 - Dec. 14
Windy Season: May - Aug, moderate wind Jan-Apr
Rainy Season: Nov. - Jan.
Vaccinations
No vaccinations or preventative medications
are recommended for travel to Bonaire. Yellow
fever and Malaria are not a problem here. The
Center for Disease Control in the the US offers
updates and advisories for travellers.
Links
& Sources:
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