By Cameron Streutker (BonaireTalker - Post #15) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 2:52 pm: |
I leave in a week for Bonaire for my honeymoon. We are flying American Airlines. we fly from Cincinnati to Dallas to San Juan and on to Bonaire. The following Sunday we are leaving Boanaire and flying with DCA to Curacao for another week before returning home to Cincinnati on American. Are there any potential problems I should be aware of as this is my first time to the Carribean and first time leaving the United States.
|
By Ruth van Tilburg (BonaireTalker - Post #54) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 4:54 pm: |
Be aware that PBD will set in while you're in Curacao, but remember you can fly right back to Bonaire in 20 minutes.
|
By JIM KENNEDY (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #126) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 6:39 pm: |
Just be sure your carry on has all the "necessary dive and honeymoon gear" just in case your check in luggage doesn't make it there for a day or two.
|
By seb schulherr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #646) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 6:47 pm: |
I will add you can rent most dive gear Cameron. Drink plenty of water while traveling, airplane will dehydrate you very quickly, especially if you add alcohol. Only take a few clothes-say 25% of what you think you will need. Don't need much in the way of shoes either. Good thick soled booties are a good idea for shore diving, as are strap back fins.
|
By C Poteet (BonaireTalker - Post #86) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 7:36 pm: |
Cameron -
|
By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6924) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 8:35 pm: |
cameron, congratulations!
|
By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1134) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 8:40 pm: |
Drink lots of water on the plane, ok? Avoid alcohol and wear comfy shoes.
|
By DIVER DEBBI (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #297) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 9:24 pm: |
Travel for the first time out of the country..put tickets and passport and into fanny pack because they will ask you for that info about ten times before you get on the plane..seems like any thick soled shoes are being asked to be removed so be prepaired to remove shoes..always keep that passport and your wallet in front of your fanny pack not your back pocket or open purse..keep clearing ears on the plane..drink alot of water, but not the airplane water, only bottled water, on Bonaire tap water is good...carry on overnight bag incase luggage does not arrive..pack stuff in zip lock baggies..easy to stay organized..stay simple..no good jewelry and don't leave anything in your rental car..oh yeah..and have fun !
|
By Cameron Streutker (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Sunday, June 8, 2003 - 11:40 pm: |
I am slowly getting ready to go thought I wish I were already there. I have our passports, plane tickets, and every voucher for every thing we have booked in a safe place ready to depart. we are going tomorrow to purchase simple gold bands to wear instead of our expensive diamond wedding bands.
|
By John Allen (BonaireTalker - Post #98) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 8:59 am: |
You don't NEED anything nicer than shorts and t-shirts, but some nice casual clothing is good to have. I like linen becuase it's comfy and packs small (and I don't mind wrinkles).
|
By Susan Taft (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #188) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 10:56 am: |
Cameron, let me add congratualations as well. In addition to all of the other advice make two copies of your passport. Leave one at home with someone and carry another copy with you but not with your passport. ATMs in Bonaire are easy so you do not need to take lots of cash. As far as clothes --- simple and few! I take one pair of nice shorts and a few nice tops for evening and then a few pairs of quick dry nylon shorts and tank tops for over my bathing suit. If I am leaving home during a warm season I just wear my flip flops on the plane. I never take any other footwear! Enjoy!
|
By Cameron Streutker (BonaireTalker - Post #18) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 12:08 pm: |
Are travelers checks advisable? Are they widely accepted?
|
By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6934) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 1:30 pm: |
cameron, traveler's checks are accepted, but ended up using cash or credit cards most of the time. you may want to use them though as you will be going to curacao as well. just keep any extra locked up in the room safe so you don't have a lot of cash on you at any one time.
|
By Corney Ann Carter (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #166) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 1:43 pm: |
We take travelers checks and cash them at the bank for guilders as we need them. I am sure you will wish you spent the whole two weeks on Bonaire. Congratulations and have a great trip and please don't forget that trip report when you get home.
|
By Ginny Stokes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #509) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 2:45 pm: |
Cameron, you are going to be crazy about Bonaire! Every time we leave, I see this happen, tho - so here is a tip: upon arrival when you go thru Immigration, the official will give you back a portion of the papers you filled out. This is your Exit Visa, so keep it with your passport. If you don't have it when you check in for your departure flight, you will have to start all over again filling out more forms. Too bad the penalty isn't that you have to stay on Bonaire forever!! :-)
|
By Ruth van Tilburg (BonaireTalker - Post #56) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 2:56 pm: |
Very casual dress is ok here, but is not ok in Curacao-you will not feel comfortable in sandals, shorts/t-shirts in their restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, etc; some places will not allow such casual dress either, especially the clubs. Pls read what I posted under "Accommodation"-I think under the "Buddy Dive Question" near the top, earlier today.
|
By Julia Graves (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #163) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 3:50 pm: |
Check with your bank over charges for travellers cheques and the ATM machines. We get charged a currency conversion from our UK bank at the ATM and pay nothing for the TC's!
|
By christine Hughes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #177) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 6:43 pm: |
first of all let me congratulate you. Secondly I want to say what I am about to say isnt meant to offend anyone but I am speaking from my own personal experience. I wish that I had listen to some people on the board who gave me the advice not to fly dca but me being the bargain hunter that I am saved over 200.00 a ticket flying them but what that airline put my family through I will not fly them again. One important piece of advice that i can give you when you go to check in from bonaire to go to curacao make sure that thier is a plane on the other end last time they let us get on the flight knowing when we got to curaco thier was no plane leaving and put us in a hotel that was horrible and the hotel staff told us if we left the hotel we had to leave our room key with them in case we got mugged that they wouldnt come back to our room to steal our stuff. That being said bonaire is nothing like that and beautiful and thier is not a place in bonaire that I felt my life was in danger. If you cant get a change in flight arrangements just pack in your carry on your dive equipment and bathing suits and a change of clothes that way if they lose your luggage you still will have whats important. I hope that you put your tickets on a charge card because of my horrible experience with dca plus them losing our luggage I complained to the credit card company which happen to be american express they tried to get some compensation from dca because that airline is so disorganised they didnt bother to respond and we got our plane tickets refunded in full by american express. Another suggeston i have while you are packing make a list of what you packed and what it cost so that if it gets lost they will have to pay you back if possible even photograph so you can prove that you packed it. Also another plug for american express credit card company is that they if you charge your airline tickets on thier card and you luggage gets lost and doesnt show up for 3 hrs they give 300.00 per person whos airline ticket is charge to spend on replacement items. But in spite of all this happening we are going back to bonaire because its a beautiful underwater world that it was very worth it. Also a piece of advice i know its your honeymoon but you have the rest of your life to have relations with each other dont spend it in the hotel room spend it in the water later when you get home you realise how much time you wasted when you could of been in the water. THe sealife and corals are just so awesome words cannot describe seeing the fan coral going back and forth and going to a piece of huge coral and seeing the different critters coming in and out. you could spend hours in just one spot looking at the maginficant underwater world that God created in bonaire.
|
By Cameron Streutker (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Monday, June 9, 2003 - 11:43 pm: |
I will have to check out the possible charges for using the ATM in Bonaire and Curacao and see if we need to check travelers checks.
|
By JIM KENNEDY (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #127) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 7:35 pm: |
I agree with Christine about having relations in the hotel room- don't do it...Go under water and have them :>)
|
By Susan R. (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #321) on Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 12:19 pm: |
Take a spare pair of flops, you never know when you'll have a blow out.
|
By Jamie Barber (BonaireTalker - Post #50) on Thursday, June 12, 2003 - 3:32 pm: |
Best advice? Stay 3 times longer than you are planning. Next time you'll want to stay twice that long!
|
By Edward Thielman (BonaireTalker - Post #18) on Monday, June 16, 2003 - 12:07 pm: |
Waw lots of goods advices. Rest me to say, Have a wonderful time on our Dushi Bonaire.I know for sure you will enjoy it.
|
Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites