Hi! My husband and I are looking into moving to Bonaire for a couple of years... if not longer. We are just curious to hear from people who currently live there or have moved there recently. What is the average rent for a home? Where are the best areas to live in? What type of jobs are available and what's the average pay? We're going in January to check it out so any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Jobs are pretty hard to come by for non antilleans. Perhaps you should look into buying a going business. Pay is also not close to what you would make in the US. You really need to do a lot of networking and investigating before moving to Bonaire. If you have a skill that is saleable, perhaps it will be easier for you. It takes a real love of the people and the island to make it here. I am sure others will have more to say..

Hi HD,

Tim & I recently moved to Bonaire. We've been living here a little over 3 months now. Not sure about the average rent for a home, since we bought a house, but the websites for Bonaire realtors are easy to find. We live in Santa Barbara & it is a nice area, with plenty of friendly neighbors. Belnem is also nice, as well as Sabadeco. We were looking at a nice house in Antriol, but we were advised against moving into that neighborhood. Our electric bill was the same as it was in FL (expensive) and our water bill was about 4 times the amount we paid in FL.

I can't tell you anything about jobs, but from what I understand, it's hard to get permission to work on Bonaire. It may be easier if you are Dutch - I'm sure someone else can better answer this question for you.

When you come in January to check it out, be sure to visit all of the stores to see what you can & cannot find on the island (furniture, appliances, etc.) This will give you a good idea of what you will need to ship here so that you can live comfortably.

We are very happy we moved here. We like it much better than Florida. The people are very friendly and there is a true sense of community. The biggest drawback is that theft is a constant concern. I think any reports of crime on Bonaire talk are censored unless you have a police report to accompany your statement, so if you want to know more details, send me a private message. Make sure that when you move you will have some type of security system (bars on windows, security service, dogs, a safe, etc.) that you feel comfortable with. We didn't realize how prevalent theft was until we moved here. We were aware that trucks get broken into while people are diving, but home break-ins seem to be common as well. My advice would be to live simply, without a lot of valuables, and remember that they are just things and can be replaced.

We love Bonaire and we do not let crime deter us from enjoying the island. Good luck & have a good trip in January

Hi HD-we retired from Florida and love it here. Leave your jewelry, make-up, and any non-essential material needs in the U.S. This is not a shop-til-you-drop place. This is a place to really enjoy life, the sea and all it's gorgeous creatures, the birds,lizards, donkeys and the wonderful people. This place will mellow you out and teach you patience and more kindness as everyone here will be kind to you.You will learn here that quality of life has more to do with who you are rather than stuff. You can rent cheaply here, food is better than in U.S.(nobody here is dropping from the spinach and lettuce) and less expensive, and everybody I know walks around with a smile. Feel free to email us privately if you like for any specifics.

Jenny,

Since we are moving to Bonaire in the near future, should we be concerned about leaving household items in our home before we actually move there? Obviously I know that valuables are fair game, but what about diving equipment,furniture,etc.???

Thanks,
Teresa

Hi Teresa,

I replied to your private message, but maybe you missed it? I just re-sent it to you.

I'm still a newbie to the island, but I have never heard of anyone getting their furniture stolen. If you are leaving a TV & DVD player or other desirable items in the house, make sure they are not visible from the windows. Same thing goes for BCDs, tanks, etc. Make friends with your neighbors and ask them to check in on your place at random times. I wouldn't worry too much about furniture and appliances. Dive gear has potential to be stolen, but thieves that intend to break into homes probably aren't looking for dive gear. You can buy a "laptop safe" at the paint store for not too much money that you could probably fit 2 regulators in.

Just relax, try not to get stressed out about your move. Most of the thefts I've heard about recently have had to do with video games or jewelry - both things that are usually only in an occupied house. There was a furnished, vacant house on my street for months that went untouched while there were other break-ins in the neighborhood.

Teresa,

First, as Jenny said, we love it here on Bonaire, but home-theft is a problem.

From what I have been told by the victims in our neighborhood the only items that have been stolen were "easy to carry" items (It seems all the thieves come on foot). ie: Jewelry, gaming consoles and games, laptops, etc. I don't think you have to worry about furniture. Dive Equipment, I am unsure, but probably safe as it is probably not as easy to resell.

The most "surprising" or creepy part is that all the break-ins have been done in the middle of the day. Two of the neighbors that have been victimized are almost always home! And the breakins have occurred during the brief time they were out, (grocery shopping, visiting friends) Which means that the thieves either were very lucky with their timing, or were camped out/hidden in the cactus brush waiting for their opportunity. Also notable is that the victims have all had dogs, but the thieves evidently are undeterred and come armed with doggie treats.

We have a safe, I put the things that we absolutely do not want stolen in there and use it religiously. I also scan the underbrush in the empty lots outside our home before I leave.

Edit: I see that Jenny has already replied with much the same thoughts as myself, so I will end it with this. They are only material things and if you were a material-person, you probably wouldn't have decided to move to Bonaire in the first place. So take reasonable care; but don't let the worry ruin the excitement of the move to this wonderful island.

We have just recently bought a house in Bonaire and thought the island was mainly crime free. Is this not just a few cases of petty crime, that happens everywhere when some people get short of money and think theft is a way to earn some extra?? We all live in a world that is full of rape, murder, etc - a few small thefts is nothing really to worry about, is it??

Hi to everyone on Bonaire Talk, we are newbies to the island also - have house but not there until next March.

Thanks to all for the responses. The world is full of crime. My husband and I love Bonaire and have been coming there for the past 12 years. I think with a little effort on our part, we will be fine. Of course, if theft occurs, there is always insurance!
Have a sunny day,
Teresa

Interesting thoughts from all, Dennis you summed up life on Bonaire just wonderfully! I Don't live there yet but have been a visitor since 1986 and wouldn't trade it for any other place in the world!

Hey there, my dutch boyfriend and I are moving to Bonaire beginning of next year to work on a resort. Any comments, advice, tips??
We're pretty excited.

My advice is not to leave your common sense in your country of origin. Don't leave doors and windows open when you are out or in bed unless you have bars at the windows. Don't leave valubles in your car or on your porch.

Protect yourself and your valubles as you would in Europe or the States. The Police force is limited in manpower and resources, don't expect the same service that you are currently used to. If you have anything of value, insure it.

Bonaire is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean but it is not crime free. Take care and you will be fine.

Luckily we're not that fussed about material things, so we probably won't have too much worth stealing, except the basics of course. Do you live there Antony?

Hi Liz.

Yes, I have lived here for two years without any problems. In all fairness, I have learnt by the advice and mistakes of others.

As I said, if you use some common sense as you would anywhere else in the world, you will be fine. We too are not materialistic so I guess that potential thieves would be pretty disappointed.

I am sure that you will enjoy living on Bonaire.

Lived on the island for over 40 years and have seen a lot of changes. But i still sleep with all my windows open (No AC). My home got broken into 2 times between 8am and 1pm in the last year. Al they took was some jewelry and money. All they did was make a big mess in the house. Still have no barr's on the house(don't need them), got my self a dog,who's a little bit aggressive to strangers. and if they want to get in the'll get in.

Have been reading all your comments regarding living in Bonaire.What a wonderful,stress free place it is to live. I lived there for many years and then moved back to the US for almost a year now. I AM READY to move back HOME to Bonaire. Hopefully if all goes well I will be there in the next couple of months. Time will tell. IT IS REALLY the place to live for peace of mind, understanding who you and what you want from your life. Bonaire is hard to beat.
Yes there are some problems living there but nothing compared to other places in the world. Hope to meet all of you that are new to Bonaire when I get there. Keep your fingers crossed that it will be sooner than later.
This is my first time ever posting, looking forward to doing it more often."TC"

Hi TC,

Welcome to Bonaire Talk. You are so right about Bonaire. I just returned and I am missing it already again. Hope you can go back soon.

Hi TC

Welcome to BT, hope you are well. We still remember you taking us to Lac Bay.

Brian & Sue UK

Hi Guys, Thank you so much for the welcome. I do remember our trip to Lac, it was great fun.We can do it again soon I hope. There is so much snow here and so cold. The water pipes in my home are frozen....I have no clue.....Darn I miss the warm HOT sun of my home......

Hey TC. I had heard that you moved back to the states, (was it Alaska?) and wondered if you had lost your mind. I'll look forward to seeing you in Bonaire soon. I'll bring doggie treats!

Hi Bruce
So good to hear from you and maybe for just a short period of time I did loose my my mind...but it is back....Will be good to see you again and will look forward to the treats.When do you think you will be going to Bonaire? Let me know and hopefully I will be there by then.

Hi all. I'm new to the site and am seeking enrollment at the medical school. Not the typical student though I'll be moving down with my two teenaged children. Been told so far that the schools are taught in Dutch so figured we will have to be doing a home schooling program since my kids have only had Spanish and French in middle school so far and they unfortunately do not teach Dutch here in the schools. I'm looking into buying a home for our stay there so we can have a house to go to every year on vacation as well. My common questions and concerns are what neighborhoods are more safe (since I have seen the postings about the increasing crimes and already plan on getting a very very big dog as soon as we get there), are there any English speaking schools for kids in 7th and 8th grades and any other suggestions for someone with little knowledge of the island but excited to be there? Saw the need for english books and since my kids have tons of them, we will be saving them and bringing them with us so they can share with the other kids on the island...Thanks for any help in advance!!

Hi Mrs.Christina!,I think it will not be a big problem for your children to learn dutch or papiamento,you know being they so young.I have a little cousin that moved to the U.S about five years ago,by that time she was ten and did not know any single word in english but she learned pretty quickly at school,now she speaks like an american,that is why I tell you that your children wont have too many problems,well,good luck in your adventure!

Christina, welcome to Bonaire Talk! The schooling system has been discussed at length here on BT, you may want to browse through the local items threads, or do a keyword search at the bottom of this page for "schools." I do have a question, have you been to Bonaire?

The schools on Bonaire are taught in Dutch, not English. Your children would have to know Dutch right off the bat to get going. I do believe that the government does not allow home schooling (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). In regard to safety, most neighborhoods are safe. MOST of the crime is petty, at dive sites however, it is the holiday season so crime is up everywhere. I would get in touch with a real estate agent on Bonaire, they would be the best person to speak with in regard to housing.

Good luck on your venture!

Thanks for everyone's help! Looking forward to being on the island asap!

If anyone is looking for information about moving to Bonaire from UK, I would be happy to share our experiences. We can definitely NOT recommend the firm that we used in UK & would be happy to tell anyone about it off forum. All you need to do is ask.
We also now have experience of getting cats from UK to Bonaire.

We all know about the diving, but which is the best family beach with nice white sand?

Hi Gary,
In my opinion Ole Blue has a really nice beach and small picnic area for lunch. If you go north and turn in a ole blue don't park where everyone parks, keep going on the sand for just a 100 feet or so and you can park in a small area and there is a small concrete table and it is a pretty easy entry to the water. Another place is at Donkey Beach or you can also pay a fee and spend the day at Plaza Resort for their beach area. I prefer Ole Blue myself. It can be the best of both worlds. Lots to see even if you don't dive. Hope this helps. ENJOY

Hello...Can anybody rec. nice places to live near the St James MD School.....thnx!
maybe that allows dogs....

It looks like a while since anyone has posted here but hopefully someone will see this.

I am a Canadian Radio announcer and am curious about radio oppourtunities on Bonaire.

Any feedback will be appreciated.