Travel / Bonaire

OVERVIEW
A visit to Bonaire is really a visit to its surrounding waters. The Bonaire National Marine Park, which encompasses the entire coastline down to a depth of 200 feet, boasts countless dive sites, many reachable from shore, and more than 70 sites with boat moorings. Bonaire and satellite Klein Bonaire together are one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the world due to the variety of sea life and ideal diving conditions with dependable 100-foot-plus visibility. Shore diving is the order of the day, every day, and as you drive around the island you'll regularly see scuba enthusiasts traipsing in and out of the water at dive site entry points marked by yellow-painted stones.

After spending enough time underwater to make your fingertips wrinkle, check out the flamingo colonies that flock to Goto Meer, a saltwater lake in the north. The salt flats at Rode Pan are another favorite hangout of the shrimp-pink birds, which can number up to 15,000. The slave huts in the background are somber reminders that even little Bonaire was tainted by slavery.

Bird-watchers will delight in Bonaire's Washington-Slagbaai National Park. Quite a few of the 130 bird species have been spotted at the two observation areas.

If you've had enough of Bonaire's relaxed pace, venture to Lac Bay on the eastern shore to watch world-class wind surfers rocket across the shallows where annual pro competitions are held. You may even want to take a lesson yourself.

Although Bonaire is not known for hopping nightlife, there are many excellent award-winning restaurants representing cuisines from around the world. Be sure to try several on your next trip.

GEOGRAPHY
Topography: Flat and rocky in the south with low rolling hills in the north and a desert climate. Bonaire, from an Amerindian word meaning "low country," has one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world, including a notable reef system. The waters surrounding the island and Klein Bonaire, the uninhabited island a quarter-mile offshore, are designated as a marine park.

Climate: Very stable year-round. Dry and sunny with a constant breeze, temperatures in the 80¿s during the day and the 70s at night. The so-called rainy season is November through March; the island averages just 22 inches of rainfall annually. The average water temperature is 80 Degrees F

HISTORY
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 to Spain as slaves.

In 1634, Dutch settlers took over the island. The Dutch West India Company was established to control economic ventures such as corn harvesting and cow rearing. 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, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius, in the kingdom of the Netherlands.

WEBSITE :

www.tourismbonaire.com

CAPITAL :

Kralendijk

TOURIST INFORMATION :

800-BONAIRE

POLITICAL STATUS :

An autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; it is a parliamentary form of government

AREA SIZE :

24 miles long and 3-5 miles wide. 112 sq. miles in area

TAXES :

International departure tax is US$35 per person, payable upon departure. There is a 5% tax on virtually all goods and services (NAOB tax). A room tax of US $5.50-$6.50 is also charged per person per day. Car rental tax is US$4 per day.

AREA CODE :

To call Bonaire from the U.S., you would dial 011-599-7XX-XXXX, where 011 is the International access code, 599 is the country code for the Netherlands Antilles, 7 is the city code for Bonaire, and XX-XXXX is the local Bonairean number.

TIME :

Atlantic Standard Time year-round. This is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time during part of the year.

DOCUMENTS :

Passport and a return or onward ticket.

POPULATION :

15,000

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE :

80 degrees F

AVERAGE VISIBILITY :

100ft +

TYPES OF DIVING :

shore, boat, wreck, live-aboard. Be aware that most of the water around Bonaire's coastline is a national marine park and you will have to attend a diver orientation class to learn the regulations and get information on the park. You will then need to purchase a tag for US$25 that is good for one calender year.

BEST TIME TO DIVE :

Bonaire is good year round. It is out of the hurricaine belt so "the season" is not an issue. The low tourist season is from May until Mid-December when rates are lower and there are less visitors on the island.

WHAT TO WEAR :

The water temperature varies between 78 and 84 degrees so a different suit may be required depending on the time of year you go. Generally a 1.6 or 3 mm three quarter length will be enough. Shallower dives in the warmer months may only require a skin.

DIVES NOT TO MISS :

"Bonaire is a divers paradise with tons of great dives. Almost anywhere you go on the island you'll find great diving. Be sure not to miss the Hilma Hooker in 100ft of water off the Salt Pier. Customs agents sunk the ship for attemting to bring a carogo load of marijuana bails into the country. Town Pier and Red Slave are also must do dives however Town Pier does require a local divemaster with the Harbor Master's permission. Forest off Klein Bonaire can be reached only by boat but you can count on seeing a school of boga suspended above the reef slope as well as purple rope sponges, purple tube sponges, black coral stalks and elephant ear sponges. The site is populated by pairs of French angelfish, schools of goatfish, the occasional frogfish and giant anemones.