It has been some time since our vacation to sunny Bonaire and anyone who tells you PBD won't kick in is lying. After I came back from the island I was so busy and cold I didn't have the time to reminisce about the wonderful vacation I had. As soon as the sun came out and things started growing did I start thinking back to the times I had with my friends in Bonaire. Sitting here right now there is nothing I want more than to go back and relive those moments of joy and laughter on one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

Flight:

We took the flight from Cleveland to Bonaire with a stopover in Houston. The flight wasn't bad at all, just uncomfortable sitting in coach. The bags and everything arrived with us and I praise Continental for their service and efficiency.

Arrival:

Stepping off the long flight at a destination we had been waiting to get to for months was oddly underwhelming, granted it was still dark and was also raining. We couldn't rent a car because we were all 19 and check in was 9 am and our flight came in at 6 am so we killed three hours at the airport.

Rooms:

We stayed at a nice little place called Happy Holiday Homes. The rooms were nice, clean and air conditioned. The prices were good and if you needed anything Kitty, the owner, was just next door. It came with two bedrooms each with comfy beds and a full kitchen. Though I should warn people that it is rather hard to cook there because the stuff is so old. Regardless of that the view was nice and it was a very quiet neighborhood.

Rentals:

This was perhaps the most infuriating part of the entire trip and what soured my view of Bonaire till now. When we got our scooters the lady at Rento Fun was very nice and helpful, little did we know what was coming. Now throughout the week we were there my friend and I both fell off our scooters once, his got a scratch where it joined countless others and mine had a square inch piece of plastic break off. Now I knew I would have to pay some sort of damage fee, but never expected the price to be so exorbitant. For his scratch where there were countless others my friend got 70 US and for my little piece I got 170 US. The reasoning being that his would have to be sanded and repainted and for me the entire front of the scooter would be replaced. Being charged more for damages that the rental fee for something they will never fix anyway just made me so mad I couldn’t enjoy my last day there. So I will take this opportunity to warn anyone away from Rento Fun unless you want to get screwed in the end.

Bugs:

The mosquitoes were actually barely noticeable and would only come out at dusk for a bit. I am usually the heavily bitten one and only had maybe one or two bites the whole time. Then again I was wearing cactus juice most of the time so you never know. A word to the wise though, if renting scooters avoid the little section of road between the airport and Kralendijk at dusk as there are so many gnats you have to cover your face to get through.

First Day:

Our first day was actually kind of a bust. We couldn't actually check-in to a room at 9 am, just leave our bags there till 3 or pay for an extra night so we just left the bags and got our rental scooters we went off to explore the island. It threatened to rain all day and sad to say now, we were miserable and homeless till 3. Things began to pick up after our nerves had settled a little after our room was made available to us. We moved in and had a drink (legally I might add) and napped till nightfall. I don't really know why everyone says that Bonaire doesn't have a nightlife because the town was bustling when we pulled in around 7 pm. Fed and happy we went home that night and slept quite fitfully.

The rest:

To be honest after the first day I struggle to pick out certain days and what we did. That first day just stuck out so vividly because it was not that great, which was a stark contrast to the other days we were there. After a few days there we had been snorkeling and windsurfing which were both lots of fun and were starting to get used to the island lifestyle. I think it probably took us 5 or so days to be knowledgeable enough about the island to feel comfortable there. I am sure that people who moved there will tell me otherwise but before those 5 days passed everything seemed so foreign and it was hard to relax when every time you do something later you find out it was the wrong thing to do. One day I remember towards the end, we decided to explore the island by driving all the way around on a sort of photo tour. It was amazing to see how different the east shore is compared to the west. It feels like something from a movie with huge waves breaking and I could just imagine some pirates looking upon this place from “out there” in the deep beyond.

Windsurfing:

The windsurfing in Bonaire is pretty amazing I have to say. We used Jibe city for the rentals and their service was great. The boards and sails were in great shape and Caesar always had some advice to make my technique better and was genuinely eager to help in any way he could. I came expecting some amazing wind which would stay throughout the day, but unfortunately in that regard I was somewhat disappointed. Only my first day there out of 3 was windy and I was a little hung-over so it was tough to get things going. What did it for me was the introduction of freestyle. After watching some kids and Caesar doing moves I could only dream of I practiced on my own asking for advice when I couldn’t get something right. On the whole I was introduced to a new and exciting facet of my sport which I can take back with me to Ohio.

Snorkeling:

The diving capital of the world lived up to the hype even for a bunch of snorkelers. Right now I can’t really remember which sites we went to, but I do remember the Woodwind. Dee really must be one of the most knowledgeable snorkelers out there. She spotted things human beings shouldn’t be able to spot, like camouflaged fish from 25 feet away, which I couldn’t find with her pointing at it. On this guided snorkel we also saw a couple turtles and at the very end a school of fish materialized out of nowhere. Granted it was a bit scary to be completely surrounded by hundreds of these little yellow fish, but beautiful to see in spite of that. The food served was also top notch.

Food:

Speaking of the food, the island was like one big gourmet restaurant. Everything we ate was simply delicious. The places we visited were Casablanca (twice), Pasa Bon Pizza, and La Guernica. They are all great in their own way. Casablanca just had great food and even better service. Pasa Bon Pizza had amazing food, but the service was so-so. La Guernica had amazing food and great service and if you can get a table outside it is great for people watching. From La Guernica I especially remember the one weird thing I tried and loved, which was fried chicken livers.

Overall:

Besides the first day and the “scooter lady,” as my friends and I affectionately refer to her now, everything was amazing on this little island nobody has ever heard of. Sitting here remembering the palms, the sun, the ocean, the people there are no words to describe my experience, but I did the best I could and hope it does Bonaire justice.

If I missed anything let me know.

I would like to make a point regarding your experience with Rento-Fun and scooter hire in general.

Firstly, I would like to make it clear that I used to work as the mechanic at Rento-Fun but I now have no affiliation with the company.

For whatever bizarre reason, many people who have never even sat on a scooter, decide that a good time to learn is thousands of miles from home in a country with basic medical facilities and wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

When I was there, we turned many people away to save them from themselves. Much to their anger.

As far as the damage is concerned, I look at it this way. If on your own vehicle, someone put a scratch down the side, it is unlikely that you would say, "It's OK, just give me a few dollars for a spray can and I will fix it".

Any company would be well within their right to charge the cost of a brand new panel plus shipping, plus fitting but they don't. To be fair, each panel is costed including shipping from Europe and damage is charged at about 20% of the total cost for scratches etc.

When the panel has several scratches, it is removed from service (which is a loss of revenue), the panel is removed, sanded, filled and painted.

It would be easier to bill every renter who did only the slightest damage, the full cost of a panel.

The lady who you are talking about is not the owner, she is the Manager. She does not personally make anything from charging renters for damage incurred and would have no reason to "cheat" you.

You may perceive the damage to be inconsequential but unfortunately so do many others.

I would suggest that maybe you should be responsible for your own actions rather than throwing accusations of dishonesty at local companies and their staff.

"For whatever bizarre reason, many people who have never even sat on a scooter, decide that a good time to learn is thousands of miles from home in a country with basic medical facilities and wearing shorts and a t-shirt."

Too true. I would never rent a scooter because I can't take my motorcycle protective gear with me on vacation! A fall at 10-15mph can KILL you if you have no helmet or even an ill-fitting helmet. Not to mention road rash. To put your scooter cost in perspective, it costs me $250 to replace a side panel on my motorcycle, $140 for the (tiny) front panel. That's OEM wholesale cost, not paying a mechanic to fix it.

Other than that little bit of soapboxing, thanks for the trip report Anton. I especially liked the part about the windsurfing. We may try that on our 'day off' from diving at the end of our upcoming week in Bonaire!

Anton, Glad to hear that even with all the bumps in the road, you all had a great time.

First of all, being only 19, does put a damper on things like car rentals. Because of your age you probably have no clue how much things cost, especially repairs for mechanical & body work on an island that has to import everything. Huge taxes need to be paid on items being imported. These taxes can actually double the cost that you or I might pay for it at home.
You mentioned that you were abel to legally drink. I would hope that you all were resposible and did not drive. As with renting scooters you really could not have a DD.

Second, the next time you take a trip somewhere that you arrive so early in the am, you might want to make sure what time check-in is. Most hotels and small resorts will be most willing to accomadate you, if they know in advance. If there is a 3 pm check-in, that is what it means. If you are willing to pay for an additional 1/2 day or full day, you might have been able to get an early check-in if the unit was available. Do not take things for granted, as most teenagers do.
You say "I am sure that people who moved there will tell me otherwise but before those 5 days passed everything seemed so foreign and it was hard to relax when every time you do something later you find out it was the wrong thing to do." Not sure what you meant by this, just remember life is a learning curve. And you have much to learn, process and enjoy!

Anton, thank you for your trip report. I enjoyed it.