Bonaire is a special municipality in the Netherlands and part of the
Netherlands Antilles. In addition to the main island, Bonaire also
consists of the neighboring island of Klein Bonaire. The island of
Bonaire has not yet been developed for tourism, but is considered an
absolute insider tip in diving circles and is one of the 10 most
beautiful diving areas in the world. There are 80 marked diving spots
around the island.
Bonaire is the easternmost of the three ABC
islands, with the same geological structure as Aruba and Curaçao. The
island is around 39 km long and 4 to 11 km wide. The highest elevation
is the Brandaris in the north at 241 m. On a clear day, you can see the
coastal mountains of Venezuela from here.
In the hilly north,
flat sandy beaches alternate with high limestone reefs, salt lakes and
shallow water lagoons. The entire area around the Goto Sea is a nature
reserve. The south is flat, dry and in parts almost desert-like. The
Solar Salt Works of the Antilles International Salt Company are located
here. Since the early 1970s, salt has been increasingly extracted from
the sea using solar energy. The loading facilities are right next door.
In the large lagoon next to the salt pans, the Pekel Sea, over 15,000
flamingos have their breeding grounds.
The island of Bonaire can easily be divided into four regions. About a fifth of the island, the entire northwest part, is taken up by the Washington-Slagbaai National Park. There you will find several highways, inland lakes and the highest elevation on the island at 241m. Another fifth of the island is made up of the large salt pans or salt pans with the factories and the flamingo sanctuary. In between, in the middle, is the only larger town, the administrative center of the island: Kralendijk. There is only one other old town center - Rincon - and a few newer development areas around Kralendijk. The fourth region is the small, flat, uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire. It is located just 1.3km from Kralendijk and is a diving paradise.
Belnem
Kralendijk
Lac Bay
Rincon
Salina
The discovery of Bonaire is uncertain. Alonso de
Ojeda, who sailed with Columbus as vice admiral, was in Curacao in June
1499 and probably also in Bonaire. An accompanying ship of Ojeda was led
by Amerigo Vespucci. He is also credited with the discovery. Before
that, however, Caiquetios Indians from the Arawak tribe lived on the
island, and their cave drawings can be found everywhere. They called
their island "bo-nah", flat land. All Indians were deported to
Hispaniola as workers in 1513. Bonaire is Papiamento dialect and means
"good air".
In 1527, the Spanish began colonization under the
island commander Juan de Ampues. Some of the indigenous people were
brought back to the island as workers. They began breeding horses,
sheep, pigs and goats. Rincon is the oldest settlement on the island,
with origins dating back to the 16th century. In the war against Spain,
the Dutch occupied nearby Curacao in 1634 and fortified it as a naval
base. For strategic reasons, Bonaire became a Dutch colony two years
later. As early as 1602, the large Dutch trading houses joined forces to
form the United East Indian Company (VOC). The company was given a
monopoly on trade with East Asia. For the same reasons and with the same
rights, the West Indian Company (WIC) was founded in 1621 for maritime
trade in the west. The Dutch West India Company began to develop the
economy of Bonaire and Aruba in 1639. In addition to salt production,
corn was grown and goats and sheep were bred. Salt production became the
largest source of income. In front of the salt fields, there are four
obelisks on the coast: blue, white, red and orange. They are almost 10m
high and were erected in 1838 as a signpost for the salt ships. In the
17th century, the Dutch made the island the main transshipment point for
African slaves.
Between 1800 and 1816, French and English pirates
unsettled the region, and for a time the island was entirely owned by
the English. However, England had no use for the small island and leased
it, including the 300 slaves, to a New York businessman for 2,400 US
dollars a year. After the reconquest, the Dutch government began to grow
Brazil wood, aloe vera, cochineal, etc. on plantations. After the
abolition of slavery in 1863, agriculture became a loss-making business,
and the government had the land divided into parcels and sold it. In
1870, the saltworks were sold for 150,000 guilders.
As a result
of the economic recession until 1926, many Bonaireans left the island to
work in the oil industry on Curacao and Aruba. The high level of
automation in this industry left them unemployed again in the late
1950s. By this time, however, tourism was already developing on Bonaire,
and the first hotel was opened in 1951. In 1954, the Dutch Antilles
islands became independent. The huge salt pans have been modernized
since 1954 by the Dutch chemical multinational AKZO Nobel. In 1975, the
Bonaire Petroleum Corporation (BOPEC) was built in the north, next to
the national park, a tank farm where oil is transferred from large
tankers to small ships.
The island, like the Caribbean islands of Sint Eustatius and Saba, is a special municipality within the Netherlands. The three islands are collectively known as the BES islands.
Democratic Party of Bonaire (Partido Demokratiko Boneriano - PDB), leader: Jopi Abraham Partido Boneriano Sosial, (Bonaire Social Party - Paboso - BSP) Union Patriotico Bonairano (Bonaire Patriotic Union - UPB), Christian-Democratic, leader: Rudy Ellis
The tax burden in Bonaire is very manageable. There is only a kind of VAT of 6%, but this is usually included in the price. If not, it must be shown separately on the bill, and the tourist tax is US$ 6.50 per person per day for people aged 13 and over.
120 volts - 50 Hz, electrical devices that can only be
converted to 110 volts should only be used for a short time, otherwise
they will be damaged.
In 2005, the cost of electricity on Bonaire
was increased by 70%.
The drinking water comes from a desalination plant, it can be drunk directly from the tap, is tasty and refreshing.
Solar salt is the natural product of seawater, sunshine and wind. The process on Bonaire begins when seawater is flushed into the salt lake, the Pekelmeer, at high tide, which is divided into small, square "salt gardens". From there it is pumped into condensation basins using windmills. During evaporation, the water changes color from turquoise to brown to pink. This is caused by microorganisms. Shortly before saturation, the brine flows into the crystallizer, which is periodically flooded to ensure a constant amount of brine. With even evaporation, which is caused by solar energy and heat, saleable sea salt can be continuously obtained. The entire process from flushing in the seawater to the grain of salt takes 10 months. About once a year, the salt is transported away on a large scale by truck. In a washing plant, the salt is mixed with brine and cleaned over curved grids. From here it is transported to the drying area via a wind-driven double stacking system. Stored in long rows, it is dried by the sun for months. At the end of the process, 2,000 tons per hour are loaded onto ships and shipped to East America and New Zealand for the chemical industry.
By plane
Flamingo Airport (Bonaire International Airport, IATA:
BON). Tel.: +599-717-5600, Fax: +599-717-8607, +599-717-2099 . Runway
10/28, 9449 x 148 feet (2,880 m x 45 m), asphalt. The airport is located
2 km south of the center of Kralendijk. 600,000 passengers are processed
here every year.
Entry requirements
For citizens of Germany,
Austria and Switzerland, a valid passport and return or onward ticket
are sufficient for a stay of up to 90 days. Children accompanied by
their parents must be registered in a passport or have a passport with a
photo. Unaccompanied children require their own passport with a photo.
Departure regulations
The airport fee for international
departures is US$34, for flights to the other Dutch possessions US$6 and
US$2.50 security fee. Children under two years are free. The payment
counter is located at the Maduro & Curiel's Bank at the airport.
Airlines
KLM flies in cooperation with other airlines from
Frankfurt/Main, Vienna and Zurich with a stopover in Amsterdam to
Bonaire. ArkeFly (TUI) also flies from Amsterdam to Bonaire.
Continental Airlines flies nonstop to Bonaire from Houston and Newark
(USA). American Eagle Airlines (from San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Delta
Air Lines (from Atlanta, USA) also fly to Bonaire. Taxis drive from the
airport into the city, and you can also rent a car.
On October 22,
2009, a "Divi Divi Air" plane crashed into the sea off the island of
Klein Bonaire, killing one person.
American Eagle, Tel. 717-7400
Continental, Tel. 717-7447
Divi Divi Air, Tel. 717-2121. *
http://flydivi.com
Island Air, Flamingo Airport, Tel. 717-2004,
717-2008, open: daily from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
K L M, Flamingo Airport, Tel. 717-5600
By boat
There are
currently no ferry connections between the Dutch Antilles islands.
However, Bonaire is a popular destination for cruise ships.
Traffic drives on the right! The maximum speed in towns is 40 km/h,
outside of towns it is 60 km/h. German and international driving
licenses are accepted. The minimum age for renting a car is 21 years,
and the driver must have held a driving license for at least a year.
Rental car owners between the ages of 21 and 22 must also take out
accident insurance of US$3 per day and provide a security deposit of
US$300. There are also rental car companies that only rent to drivers
aged 30 and over! The government charges a tax of US$4 per day plus 5%
of the rental price.
Car Rental Prices
Suzuki Minivan, US$30
per day, US$180 per week
Jeep, US$32 per day, US$200 per week
Honda Accord, US$60 per day, US$360 per week
Honda Civic, US$46 per
day, US$276 per week
Bus, US$50 per day, US$315 per week
Gas
Stations
Gabriela Enterprises, Kaya Industria 10, Kralendijk, Tel.
717-6006, Fax 717-6007
Gas Express, Kaya Neerlandia 32, Kralendijk,
Tel. 717-7171
Mentor, Kaya Korona 107, Kralendijk, Tel. 717-4330
Rincon Pomp Station, Kaya Rincon 80, Rincon, Tel. 717-6366
Taxi
prices from the airport
Belnem, US$10
Bonaire Caribbean Club,
US$17
BOPEC, oil terminal, US$30
Buddy Beach & Dive Resort, US$13
Capt. Don's Habitat, $13
Cargill Salt Company, $18
Club Nautico,
$10
Den Laman Condos, $13
Flamingo Beach Hotel, US$9
Harbor
Village Marina, $13
Kralendijk, US$9
Lac Bay Resort, US$20
Nikiboko, US$11
North Salina, US$12
Playa Frans, in the national
park, US$45
Playa Grandi, US$27
Plaza Resort, US$9
Punta
Blanco, US$18
Republic, Santa Barbara, $16
Rincon, $20
Rode
Pan, South Coast, $20
Roomer Hotel, Belnem, US$10
Sand Dollar
Condos, $13
Sorobon Beach Resort, US$20
Island tour for 2 people,
per Hour 25 US $
The national parks are managed by the STINAPA foundation (Stichting
Nationale Parken Nederlandse Antillen).
Washington-Slagbaai
National Park. Mobile: (599-9) 785-0017, Fax: 717-7318 . The 60 km²
national park, opened in May 1969, is the first of its kind in the
Netherlands Antilles. Originally owned by the colonial government, the
land was sold piece by piece. The northern part, the Washington
Plantation, came into the possession of the Herrera brothers in 1920.
They planted Aloe Vera and Divi Divi until 1960 and initially called
their plantation America, later Washington. Boy Herrera then sold the
plantation back to the government for the symbolic value of 1 guilder,
on the condition that the land be left in its natural state. In 1978,
the Beaujon family sold the Slagbaai Plantation in the south to STINAPA.
Both plantations became today's national park. 145 different species of
birds can be observed at some natural springs, including a large
flamingo colony. There are signposted circular trails of 24 km (marked
green) and 35 km (marked yellow) in length. The European Union supported
the development of the circular trails. There is a small snack bar at
Slagbaai. However, you should take provisions with you. Some of the
trails are so bad that they can only be used by off-road vehicles.
Hunting and camping in the park is prohibited. There is a car park at
the foot of the 182 m high Seru Hobao. From here you can climb Brandaris
Mountain on an old donkey path (marked yellow). It was given this name
in colonial times, when fire signals were given to Curacao here. You
should plan 2½ hours for the journey there and back. There is a small
open-air museum at the entrance to the national park. Here you can buy
an English-speaking guide and trail map for US$ 5.50. The national park
is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry at 2:45 p.m.), but
closed on public holidays. Admission for 1 year: adults 25 US $,
children under 12 free. (Divers have free admission upon presentation of
the receipt for the dive day and a copy of photo ID, snorkelers pay an
additional $10.-)
Gotomeer is a brackish water lake within this
national park. It is one of the few breeding grounds for Caribbean
flamingos. However, rain causes its salinity and thus the number of
small creatures to fluctuate, and so it can happen that the pink birds
find better feeding conditions in the Salinas in the south of the
island.
Bonaire Marine Park. Tel.: 717-8444, Fax: 717-7318. In 1979,
with the help of the WWF, the waters around the island and around Klein
Bonaire were declared a marine park. This marine park extends from the
high tide line to a water depth of 60m (200 feet). It covers an area of
270 hectares. Six employees and four rangers work and monitor the
park. They control the 80 official diving sites and around 50,000
visitors per year. Spearfishing, anchoring and breaking off coral were
banned 20 years ago. Since 1992, the protection of the waters has also
been regulated by law. Divers must pay a one-time fee of 10 US $ to be
allowed to dive in the designated zones. Anchoring is only permitted in
the area between the marina and the customs quay. Garbage or other
objects may not be thrown into the sea. Buying mussels, coral or objects
made from turtle shells is also prohibited on land and is punishable by
law. Information is available from the Bonaire Marine Park
Administration (STINAPA) and Fort Oranje.
Radio Nederland
Wereldomroep. Mini museum with parts of the old broadcasting equipment.
Trans World Radio, Tel. 717-8800. Tours of the transmitter facilities on
request: Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5
p.m. except Wednesday afternoons.
In the waters around Bonaire you can find various species of sea
turtle. The most common are the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), with a
medium-wide head and light underbelly, and the hawk-beaked turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricata), slightly yellowish, with a narrow head and
rough shell. The loggerhead turtle (Coretta coretta), greenish, large,
with a massive head, is found more in deeper waters; the very large
leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) only comes to the beach to lay
its eggs. It can reach a size of 180 cm and a weight of 700 kg.
Sea turtles have always been hunted for their excellent meat. Their
population has declined sharply in recent times. This is only partly due
to heavy hunting, but more due to pollution of the seas, especially
floating plastic waste, and fewer and fewer protected areas of beach for
laying eggs.
Sea turtles are on the "Red List" of endangered
species. In 1991, the Dutchman Albert de Soet founded the Sea Turtle
Club on Bonaire, Kaya L. D. Gerharts 22, Tel. 717-5300 ext. 130, which
has made it its mission to research the life of the animals and preserve
their species. After successfully breeding mussels, sea turtles are also
bred in the Aquaculture Research Center at Lac Bay near Sorobon. This
station can be visited.
Snorkeling and diving. Since the ABC islands are all flat and dry and because there are no high mountains where clouds can rain down, there are no rivers. This means that no alluvial particles are washed into the sea after rainfall. It is so clear here that sunlight can still penetrate at a depth of 30 meters. For this reason, the diving conditions here are the best and reefs can grow around the islands.
Batik fabrics
Wood and leather products
As starters you eat taco, small portions of cheese or ham, tequenos
are fried cheese dough sticks. Tortillas are stuffed corn dough
flatbreads, and pastechis are patties with a spicy minced meat and
vegetable filling.
Callalou soup is cooked on pigs' tails on the ABC
islands, with callalou leaves, a spinach-like vegetable. The Dutch
introduced erwten soep to the islands, it is pea soup. Sopi de bananas
is broth with plantains, sopito is a spicy fish or vegetable soup.
Pork is pork, cabrito stoba is a goulash made from goat meat with bones,
nutmeg and Tabasco, bitterbai are fried meatballs.
Surf and turf is a
mixture of meat and lobster.
Balchi di pisca are fish balls, lobster
is the Caribbean lobster, salmon is salmon (it is being introduced),
krokèchi are fish croquettes. Carcó and concho are the meat of the
trumpet snail, which is used to make soup or goulash.
Funchi is like
polenta made from corn semolina, arepitas di pampuna are small pancakes
with pumpkin and cheese. Bonchi Cuncuna is a pre-Columbian type of bean
that is also known in Aruba and Curacao. Kampuna is a sweet, round
pumpkin that is used in soups.
For dessert you can have Bolo di Rom,
which is rum cake, or Kesio, a dessert made from caramel and merengue
kisses, meringue tarts, and Pudin di coco, a coconut pudding.
Dutch
beer from the Amstel and Heineken brands is brewed in Curacao.
Prices: as of winter 2008/09
Beer: Amstel US$2.25, Balashi US$2.30 -
US$5.75, Corona US$4.50, Heineken US$2.50 - US$6.25
Cocktails US$5.00
- US$5.50
Fruit juice drinks, tomato juice US$2.00 - US$2.60
Coffee US$2.00 - US$3.00
Long drinks US$5.00 - US$9.90
Mixed
drinks US$5.50 - US$7.95
Burgers US$8.75 - US$9.50
Filet Mignon
US$21.00
Fish catch of the day US$19.50
Breakfast US$5.00 -
US$12.00 $
Hamburger US$5.00 - US$8.50
Chicken US$9.50 - US$19.00
Lobster US$30.00 - US$32.50
Lasagna US$14.00
Pasta Bolognese or
Carbonara US$6.50
Pizza US$11.50 - US$12.50
Salad US$8.75
Sandwich US$7.50 - US$10.50
Steak US$20 - US$22
Stew Beef
(Goulash) US$12.00
Soup US$3.75 - US$4.50
Bratwurst, kilo US$7.30
Fish, Mahi-Mahi kilo US$10.00
Ground
beef, kilo US$10.25 $
Pork, kilo 8.40 US $
Simadan - harvest festival from the slave era. It is celebrated from
February to the end of April and includes the harvest of sorghum
(African millet), from which funchi and repa, a type of pancake, are
made. During the harvest, the whole community helps the Kunuku, the
landowner. He organizes a feast with national dishes for the harvest
workers. There is goat goulash, okra soup, beans, funchi and repa. All
guests sing Simadan songs together and dance Wapa, in which everyone
dances back and forth in a row, which is supposed to symbolize the
harvest community. In the past, the Kumuku brought the entire harvest to
the town of Rincon, to a central warehouse, the Magasina di Rey. In bad
harvest years, the poor received sorghum from this warehouse to survive.
The Simadan di Pastor is celebrated at Easter, when the harvest is
blessed by the church. Even after centuries, this tradition is
maintained on Bonaire.
St. John's Day and St. Peter's Day, two
traditional holidays in Rincon on June 23rd/24th and June 28th/29th
respectively, when people play historical musical instruments such as
bamba (drum) and wiri (metal scraper).
The crime rate is generally low. Source:
http://www.bmeia.gv.at/reise-aufenthalt/reiseinformation/land/ueberseegebiete-des-koenigreichs-der-niederlande/
Please keep an eye on your valuables in your room, and under no
circumstances leave them in the car. Depending on the rental company,
there are different instructions as to whether the rental car should be
locked or left unlocked so that it cannot be broken into. This has
happened several times, which is why you should be very careful here.
Even cheap sandals can be stolen from divers' vehicles. It can even
happen that the battery is stolen from a rental car parked in front of
the house at night.
However, due to the increasing drug problem
(the Caribbean islands serve as transit countries for illegal drug
smuggling), in addition to the usual precautions, travelers are advised
never to leave their luggage unattended and never to transport other
people's luggage. With this in mind, all passengers arriving from this
region and their luggage are subject to stricter checks upon entry at
Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport.
When traveling over land, you may
encounter wild animals such as goats, pigs and sheep, as well as a
considerable number of donkeys. For the sake of the animals, you should
therefore adhere to the maximum permitted speed.
Sint Franciscus Hospitaal, 60 beds, Kaya S. Bartola, Kralendijk, Tel.
717-8900, 717-8445. The Sint Franciscus Hospitaal has a decompression
chamber and operates an ambulance flight service to Aruba and Curacao.
There are 13 doctors and four dentists practicing on the island.
International telephone exchange: Telbo Telecommunications, Kaya Libertador Simon Bolivar 8, Kralendijk, Tel. 717-7000, Fax 717-5007.
On Bonaire, telephone numbers are seven digits long and begin with the number 7. There are no area codes. Although the country code is officially +599-7, only +599 is dialed. The number seven is part of the telephone number.