Fast Facts

Banks -- Banks are usually open Monday to Friday from 8am to 3:30pm. RBTT Bank, Kaya Korona 15 (tel. 599/717-4500), is the most convenient facility for visitors, and it has an ATM. There's also an ATM at the airport.

Currency -- Bonaire's coin of the realm is the Netherlands Antillean florin (NAf), sometimes called a guilder. The official rate is 1.77 NAf to USUS$1 (1 NAf = US56¢). However, U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Unless otherwise specified, prices in this section are quoted in U.S. dollars and British pounds.

Customs -- Besides articles for personal use, visitors over 15 are allowed 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 250 grams of tobacco, 2 liters of distilled beverages, and 2 liters of wine.

Documents -- U.S. and Canadian citizens need proof of citizenship; a passport or certified birth certificate with a photo I.D. is required. All others require a valid passport. A return or continuing ticket is also required along with sufficient means to support yourself during your stay. (Maximum stay is 14 days with the possibility of extending the visit to 90 days.)

Electricity -- The electricity on Bonaire is slightly different from that used in North America -- 110 to130 volts/50 cycles, as opposed to U.S. and Canadian voltages of 110 volts/60 cycles. Adapters and transformers are not necessary for North American appliances, but because of the erratic current, you should still proceed with caution when using any appliance and try to avoid usage if at all possible. Warning: Electrical current used to feed or recharge finely calibrated diving equipment should be stabilized with a specially engineered electrical stabilizer. Every diving operation on the island has one of these as part of its standard equipment for visiting divers.

Emergencies -- Call tel. 911 in case of fire or for the police or ambulance.

Hospital -- The St. Franciscus Hospital is located at Kaya Soeur Bartola 2 in Kralendijk (tel. 599/717-8900). A plane on standby at the airport takes seriously ill patients to Curaçao for treatment.

Language -- English is widely spoken, but you'll hear Dutch, Spanish, and Papiamento, the local dialect, as well.

Liquor Laws -- Beer, wine, and liquor are sold in all kinds of stores 7 days a week. It's legal to have an open container on the beach.

Safety -- Bonaire is quite a safe haven in this crime-infested world. But remember, any place that attracts tourists also attracts people who prey on them. Safeguard your valuables.

Taxes -- The government requires a US$6.50- (£3.40) per-person daily room tax on all hotel rooms. Upon leaving Bonaire, you'll be charged an airport departure tax of US$20 (£10), so don't spend every penny. There's also an inter-island departure tax of US$5.75 (£3) if you are flying to Curaçao.

Telephone -- To call Bonaire from the United States, dial 011 (the international access code), then 599 (the area code for Bonaire), and then 717 (the exchange) and the four-digit local number. Once on Bonaire, to call another number on the island, only the four-digit local number is necessary. You can access AT&T Direct on the island by dialing tel. 001-800/872-2881. It's often difficult to make international calls from Bonaire; phone service here lags far behind that on Aruba and Curaçao. Once you're connected to your party, the line isn't always crystal clear. Many hotel rooms don't have private phones. If you want to place an important international call, it's better to go to TELBO, the central phone company for the island. It's at Kaya Libertador Simon Bolivar, next to the tourist office.

Time -- Bonaire is on Atlantic Standard Time year-round, 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time. (When it's noon on Bonaire, it's 11am in Miami.) When daylight saving time is in effect in the United States, clocks in Miami and Bonaire show the same time.

Tipping -- Most hotels and guesthouses add a 10% service charge in lieu of tipping. Restaurants generally add a service charge of 15% to the bill. Taxi drivers expect a 10% tip.

Water -- Drinking water comes from distilled seawater and is safe.

Weather -- Bonaire is known for its warm climate, with temperatures hovering around 82°F (28°C). The water temperature averages 80°F (27°C). It's warmest in August and September, coolest in January and February. The average rainfall is 22 inches, and December to March are the rainiest months. Like all the Dutch ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) islands, Bonaire lies outside the hurricane belt, which comes as a relief to many visitors planning to visit the Caribbean during the hurricane season.