Hi everyone,

If you follow the 'moving to Bonaire thread' you probably know I am moving there this summer (july 3rd!). I'm starting to go through my belongings and trying to decide what I want to bring with me, and what I want to leave behind (and sell at my yardsale). I was wondering if anyone who has moved to island can offer any advice.

Are there any items that you have found incredibly difficult to come across on Bonaire? For example, you would kill for a blender, a toaster oven, electric toothbrush, etc.?

This may be a stupid question, but will I ever need my space heaters? I live in Florida now & in the winter I get cold without central heat. Does the air temp ever go below 60 F, or stay in the 60s all day long? Will I ever need a coat or socks?

So please enlighten me... what do you wish you would have brought with you from the US? what did you bring and never use (crock pot collecting dust?)

Thanks for your help so far and for any advice you can give!

- Jenny

There were a few really cold days last year. It got down to 74! You'll need some cold weather clothing if you plan to travel to colder climates from Bonaire.

Appliances & electronics have improved a lot lately (availability, better prices, selection, etc). Furniture can be really expensive, as well as other home furnishings, like window treatments. I've found that good quality bed linens, pillows, towels, area rugs, etc, are not available. And shoes & clothing selections are definitely limited; athletic clothing virtually non-existant (good sneakers, sport bras, etc). Stock up at Steinmart, Marshalls & St. Armand's Circle before you come.

If you are bringing electronic items (i.e. blenders,toaster ovens, refrigerators, etc.) be prepared to buy transformers for many if not all of the items. Electricity here on Bonaire is on average 137 volts, 50hz (U.S. electric is 120/110 volts 60 hz)...this will fry your electronics without a transfomer and unless you have a frequency converter (50 hz to 60 hz) anything that has a timer in it (i.e. microwave, clock radio) will not keep proper time. Do some homework on this if you don't want to be constantly replacing your electronics.

Jim & Jane are right--we have a huge transformer for our entire house (built that way), but you can buy smaller ones, knock the voltage on them down to 100, and plug surge protectors into them. Bring an old-fashioned wind-up oven timer for timing issues, clocks that run on batteries, etc, because the voltage/hz differences will make built in timers (like on a microwave) inaccurate.

Thanks for the advice so far...

The house is set up for 110 & 220 volt electricity, and from what I understand this conforms to American appliances...? Will I have a hard time finding & buying appliances that work with this voltage on Bonaire? Should I buy small appliances in the states? I thought it would be easier just to buy them on the island so let me know if this is not the case!

How is that store Kooyman? I never went in, but it looked like a home depot or lowes. How is their inventory? Is there anything you would expect to find there, but they don't carry?

In a few weeks I'm driving up to New Jersey to visit my family. I'm going on a shopping spree in Delaware (no sales tax), so keep the ideas coming!

Thanks so much for all your help.

All houses here are set up for 220 and 110 volt, but it is at 50 hz not 60hz...U.S. is 220 or 110 60 hz. Also, the 110 rarely comes in at 110, usually between 125 and 137...sometimes lower and sometimes higher spikes. It is definitely NOT what you are used to in the States. The appliances sold here are very similar if not the same as some of those in the States (but about 1/10th of the selection you will find there).You can also find some European appliances which are 220 volt/50 hz. You will definitely need transformers for your major appliances and any small appliances you use regularly. Just as Ruth does, we also have a transformer for our entire house which converts the electricity to a steady 110 but it still is 50 hz. As for selection in Kooyman and other stores...don't expect anything, be surprised if they have what you want. Been reading your posts and suggest you might want to do some more homework about Bonaire and possibly come down for a quick trip before you move to check out the stores and numerous other things. They're have been some good airfares from Miami to Curacao lately on American. Remember that old Boy Scout motto...Be prepared!

And there's no sales tax on clothing & shoes in NJ--knock yourself out, if you're lucky, all the summer stuff will be out (Memorial Day Sales!).

Technically, our electricity here is 127/50 and 220/50; I see many spikes that hit the 140-150 voltage range. Go figure. I think Japan had the same, and when they sold their old power plants, Bonaire bought them. It's weird. Some things get totally burnt out in days, other things last years beyond expectation.

A scouting trip here before your move sounds like good advice, because the way I'm reading your posts, it sounds like you've never really looked at Bonaire as a possible residence. It's way way different to live here than to visit. Small things can be a pain to find-for example, if you're bringing down a gas dryer, be sure to get the adapter so that it can use LP Gas, not natural gas as is usual in the US. There's nothing here that even remotely resembles a Lowes or Home Depot. Also, if you're planning on using your one-time duty-free import for residents, it's only good for things you've owned & used for awhile--brand new stuff will all be taxable.

A scouting trip is a good idea. I guess when we were there in March, buying the house, we should have checked out the stores a bit more. Instead we went diving in our spare time - I guess we just couldn't help ourselves Unfortunately I don't have time to make it to Bonaire before our move. I'm on a pretty strict schedule until July... Finish classes, pass my finals, drive up north & see mom & grandmoms, go shopping, drive back to Florida, move out of our rental house, drive stuff to Amcar in Miami, fly to Bonaire July 3rd.

I'm moving to Bonaire to conduct research for my thesis. So during the fall semester I'll be making a couple of trips back to FL, so I can pick up any miscellaneous items that we still need & have them shipped from Miami.

I'm definitely not used to a life of luxury or anything like that. I figure we will be roughing it in our house for a while. I'm also assuming that I'll be able to buy some basic items for the house within the first week, like a mattress, a table & chairs, fridge, washing machine. I can probably live without a dryer & just hang stuff out to dry. I'm not too picky & I'm prepared to live simply. Actually I'm looking foward to ridding myself of all the junk that's accumulated here and starting anew.

This is our first home, we have always rented, so your advice is greatly appreciated. I'll definitely be stocking up on sheets, clothes, ink jet cartridges, guitar strings, etc. As far as the electricity goes, I'll just have to figure it out once I get there. I'm assuming the previous owners weren't replacing their appliances every month, so they probably already have some some of set-up installed in the house. I'll definitely inquire about this, and hire an electrician if necessary.

Any advice on buying a truck on Bonaire? We were thinking about a Toyota Hilux, any comments on this model? I definitely don't care about having a nice vehicle, just something that will get me around town for grocery shopping & back and forth to dive sites. Do used vehichles depreciate there as much as they do in the U.S.? Any advice on buying a new vs. used truck on Bonaire?

Assuming that you can buy a mattress here is a bad one. If you can't ship your bed, then at least bring/ship foam mattress toppers (several) to layer on top of what they call a mattress here. Vehicles are very expensive compared to what they are in the US, and finding a good used truck, very difficult. Toyota's are great trucks, parts & maintenance readily available. The heat & salt take its toll very quickly, physical depreciation is rapid, but price depreciation is slow (used trucks can still be pricy-like US$10-15k). I think the truck you mention starts in the fls 50k+ range (US$25-$30k+).

Ruth,

Where in Jersey are you from? I'm from South Jersey, right across the river from Philly.

how bad could the mattresses be? i've never had a problem with the beds in any of the places we've stayed... more than likely they are local mattresses, right?

One place we stayed at ... blue divers... the (fitted) sheets never stayed on the bed. Are the locally available mattresses some weird size, like extra-long or whatever?

if we end up hating the mattress we buy, we'll just move it to the guest house, or one of the spare bedrooms. (and I'll work on getting some foam for my future guests) Then we can buy another in Curacao or in the US and have Amcar ship it. but, like i said, i'm not too picky.

what about pet supplies? should i stock up on my kitty's favorite food & catnip? the only brand of pet food I noticed in the stores was O'Lacy. My cat might turn her nose up at that. I will definitely be getting her at least a year's supply of flea drops.

Down the shore, near Asbury Park.

European mattress sizes are different than US ones; poss explanation for sheets not fitting.

I import all of my cat food (proplan indoor formula) by having PetSmart ship to Amcar. I import frequently for business, so it's not a big deal for me. Pet food import duties are 18%, plus 5%, on top of the food and all shipping costs. The vets here have Frontline for cats-I've found that it's cheaper here than in the US. Go figure.

Being not picky and/or rich makes life here easier.

I worked in a dive shop in Avon-by-the-Sea for a little while. Jersey divers are a crazy bunch!

It's good to know Petsmart ships to Amcar. So basically I can order stuff via internet or phone, provided they are willing to ship to Amcar? Does Rocargo then deliver this stuff to your door, or do you have to pick it up?

Could I go on, say, rooms-to-go's webpage and have them ship stuff to Amcar from their Miami warehouse, then Amcar will recieve it and ship it to me? I understand this might take a while, but is it a possibility?

If I'm going to be buying all new furniture & having to pay import tax no matter what, is there any benefit to buying a container, vs. having the items individually shipped?

Are the shipping prices reasonable? I haven't gotten a quote yet because I don't know what I'm bringing.

Thanks for trying to answer my batteries of questions. In two months I'll be on Bonaire!

If you are going to ship a lot of anything, container shipping will save you a bundle. If you are going to buy a ton of new furniture, ship it to Amcar and have them load it into a container. It should still come under your one container exclusion.

There is a minimum fee of $75 to get things shipped by Amcar/Rocargo. I sometimes pay $80 to Amazon for shipping, so that isn't remarkably high.

Jenny-

My husband and I are in the process of building our home in Bonaire. We are having the same dilemma as you concerning buying or shipping from home. I was able to talk with Maria at Amcar and she was absolutely wonderful in explaining costs, both for shipping "ala-carte" vs. buying a container. Give her a call- she has a wealth of knowledge. In our situation it will be more cost effective in the long run to forego a container and have Amcar ship for us. It is our understanding that if you choose to purchase a container you will pay tax on the value of the container as well.
We will be in Bonaire the week of July 1 to check the progress of our home.

Teresa

Rocargo, Amcar's agent here, or your real estate agent here are the ones who can better answer your questions. Shipping here is very expensive (to me), and there are few choices (not that I'd consider any but Amcar). If you have something sent to Amcar by 4pm on a Monday, it can sail that same week on Thursday, reaching Bonaire the following Friday (8 days). They sail every week. Rocargo's tel: 011-599-717-8922, ext 4 is Patricia--she'll know island info re: customs, etc, that Amcar doesn't know. Rocargo will do your import papers, and deliver to your door, but you must pay extra for that. Every item imported must have customs paperwork done, and there is a base charge (that Kevin mentioned) for gov't taxes, bill of lading, etc, for every shipment, whether it's one item or one container. If you do your "homework" now, you'll potentially save yourself a lot of money, time, and aggravation, etc.

Love Avon-by-the-Sea. I've never gone diving anywhere but tropical areas (Caribbean, Austraila).

I received the following information from Amcar, thought I'd post it here to inform others who may be in a situation similar to my own....

- Amcar doesn't sell containers. you pay for space in one of theirs.

- For shipping you can be charged for either weight or space... don't quote this, but I believe she told me it was about $1.37 per cubic foot. Not sure about the weight prices.

- Amcar will recieve shipments for you from anyone who will ship to them. So you could go online, buy furniture from a store in Miami that offers local delivery & Amcar will receive it and ship it to Bonaire.

- Amcar will hold your items free of cost for 30 days. This way, all of your items can be sent together on the same shipment.

- You must include a manifest of items on the outside of each box of miscellaneous items that you are shipping.

- There is no standard for boxes. I had asked about using the Rubbermaid storage containers as boxes and they said that's fine.

- If you are having new furniture shipped from the store, make sure you tell them it will be shipped internationally. If you are lucky the company you ordered from may pack it up more carefully.

- Their schedule is posted on their website. They sail to Bonaire (from Miami) on Thursdays. The deadline is Tuesday at noon for items you want on the Thurs. shipment.

- It takes just a few days to get your items to Bonaire, where they will be received by Rocargo.

I haven't had a chance to call Rocargo yet. I've tried emailing, but no response.

---
I also talked to a veternarian on Bonaire about what is required to bring my cat on the island:

- The only required vaccine is rabies. He also strongly recommended feline leukemia.

- You must have a certificate of health, issued by a vet within ONE WEEK of your entry to Bonaire.

I'm bringing my cat on AA to Curacao. I booked my tickets online, then simply called to tell them I would have a cat with me in the cabin. There's an $80 charge, which you pay at the ticketing counter, and apparently a limit to the number of small animals allowed in the cabin. So you should book early, then call to reserve a space for your pet.

Divi Divi said bringing the cat on their plane is fine, as long as it is in a container & it can stay on your lap during the flight. They also said to make sure you have all of the paperwork.

Sometimes the wording is confusing--you can actually order your own container from Amcar, if you have that much stuff (besides just shipping some stuff in one of their combined ones). There are different fees, such as for loading it, etc. which you don't pay if you're shipping in the combined weekly container. You don't actually "buy" the container-you rent it. However, there are places where you can buy a container, if you want to have a container on Bonaire, say for storage. Or you can try to resell it here. You'll see them around the island being used for storage; there's even one that's been turned into a house.

Again, Amcar sails on Thursdays--those ships arrive in Curacao usually the following Wednesday, where the containers for Bonaire are off-loaded, and put on the local shipping line from CUR to BON. They usually sail as soon as possible fm CUR-maybe even Wed night, for arrivals on BON on Thursday or Friday. So, it's about 8 days. If all of your paperwork is done and approved by customs here, you can get your stuff on Thur or Fri, but you also may have to wait until the following week.

Be sure that you're not shipping anything that could be considered "hazmat" (hazardous materials), like paint (I wouldn't consider water-based paints hazmat, but shippers do). The ship's captain has the right to refuse any hazmat shipments indefinitely--or at least until there's nothing else conflicting in the container (like pool chemicals, etc).

The wording can be very confusing. When I came here, the container was from Hamburg Sud, who swears that they don't ship to Bonaire. If I understand how it actually worked, Rocargo rented the container from Hamburg Sud and contracted with Amcar to have it delivered from San Jose to Bonaire. I may still have it wrong, though. All I had to do was call Amcar and they fixed everything up.

And as we all know, sometimes 3 or 4 days turns into 3 or 4 weeks because of special circumstances, delays, vacations, etc. Received my "promised" 5 day Fed-Ex in 16 days. No biggie for me, I am on island time, right...

Rona,

I've got you beat , my longest 5 day Fed-ex took 22 days--that one went to Africa (shipper used the wrong code: NA=Namibia, AN=Netherlands Antilles). Usually they just go to Holland. Or sit in Curacao for a week or so. But like you, I'm on island time, I certainly never expect it in 5 days.

Ruth,

It was probably just an example of a hazmat material, but surely I can buy paint & pool chemicals on the island, right?

Speaking of pool chemicals... The realtors told us that a pool service was available for around $100 a month. Is there just one company? Does anyone have any feedback on this?

Yes Jenny, you can buy those products here. Don't know about your other questions.

My favorite Fedex stories--1st, the airco parts sent to the Netherlands instead of here--in JANUARY; the other was a gift of handmade truffles (thankfully in several ziploc'd bags) that went round the world. Still don't know how it ended up in Bombay and Dubai before Bonaire. I was told they were truffles--but how that bag looked...eeewww. Now I make sure that any pkg sent shows "KRALENDIJK" very clearly (as well as all the other stuff)--seems Kralendijk's our unique sign.

yuck - slimy truffles

How do you say "kralendjik"?

is it:

cra (rhymes with bra)- len - djeek ?

I don't know how to say "kralendjik". The way to say "Kralendijk" is roughly crawl-un-dike, with the accent on the "crawl". "Ij" makes a sound somewhere in between the "i" in "bike", "trike", "like", etc. and a long 'a' sound like "race", "face", "trace". If you just use an American long "i" everyone will understand you.

Maybe Martini can insert a sound clip heh heh

Hmmmm.
Just say Playa
Mick

So I was reading in other threads that it is somewhat difficult to find kitty litter? is this something i should ship, or can you find it easily enough by scouting all of the grocery stores during the week?

i'm also going to be getting a dog once I'm on the island, which i am super-excited about. any general advice on adopting a mature dog vs. a puppy from the shelter? I've had a pretty awful experience with a adult dog that I adopted, so I'm a bit wary to do this again.

jenny,
I got an excellent book called Successful Dog Adoption by Sue Sternberg before adopting my 4 year old smooth collie from rescue. The book is very thorough and really goes over observations in behavior that can help you avoid another bad experience. I learned alot from that book and it has even helped in assessing my patients in my day to day practice. I would highly recommend it.

Also... sometimes adopting an older dog is less work because many are already housebroken and out of the chewing phase. "Older" dogs also are less likely to get adopted...

Good luck, I hope you find a great friend at the shelter!

Thanks Becky!

I will check out the book... any advice on managing harmony between dogs and cats? I have a old Siamese who is rather defenseless, and I'm pretty sure she will hate me for months when I bring a dog home.

Not too sure I can help there, my cats still hate me for the collie clown. Just make sure there is a "dog proof" zone for the cat to retreat to. If you do start with a pup at least the cat can "whup him good" from the get go and let him know who's boss. lol!

Many shelters will "cat test" dogs and you might be able to find one that ignores cats.

I love the shape of the Bonairian Corgi! There are many short-legged doggies in Bonaire and I think that they are adorable.

Mare

OOPS! I forgot to post what I had originally thought of.

Bring those plastic soap savers.

I don't think I've found a shower stall in Bonaire with a proper soap drainer. Without a plastic soap saver to lift the soap out of the water, your soap can quickly change to soup.

Mare

Oh! and about the ill-fitting sheets.
I have no idea how that happens but lots of the sheets in bonaire no longer fit the bed. I wind up dreaming that I'm diving and trapped in a kelp forest -- I wake up and my feet are wrapped in the sheets.
Do invest in 'deep pocket' sheets and maybe they will work.

Mare

European mattresses and European sheets are slightly smaller than American mattresses and American sheets (or maybe it's the other way around). If you mix them up, you either get sheets so loose they fall off or sheets so tight they pop off.

lol Mare

thanks for the tip about the soap dish. I ususally use liquid soap but once I'm living on the island, I'll have to take what I can get.

Should I bring a few months supply of vitamins? I never noticed any in the stores (but I never really looked)

RE the sheets try shopping at IKEA for European sheets...

So the mattresses on Bonaire are definitely of the European sizes?

I'm going to ship one mattress from the US, but I'll probably shop locally for beds for the guest rooms.

Nothing on Bonaire is definitely anything. I see both kinds at different places.

Hi Jenny, I got a reg. US style mattress on Bonaire and my US sheets fit it just fine. Now, that was hard to find to say the least. I did get the boxspring at City Shop and I already had a head board. I bring all my linens from the states as the quality is not so good on island IMHO. Same for curtains too, very limited selection there for that. Domestications will ship to Bonaire relatively cheap for some of the items you may find in their catalog, but you must pay duty when they arrive. Good to know, though if you cannot get back to the states and get what you want. Not all catalogs deliver to Bonaire.
If you really want a bed like here in the states, take it with you or order it in Miami and ship it Amcar. It may be hard to find right away.

When you go to a local store on the island & buy furniture, if you can't fit it in the back of your truck, how long does it take to get it delivered?

Thanks to all for the sheets & beds tips. I'm planning on buying the mattress in Miami & sheets when I'm up in NJ.

Just a month and a half to go.... lots of crap to sell, including a car... i'm so excited!

What about VCR/DVD players and TV's, computer and printer? I'm an electronic idiot, so don't have a clue. I do get the part that you need transformers for anything electronic, but do the above items survive with the transformer(s)? I have taped a lot of my old favorites (British shows) and have many tapes and DVD's. I know they don't work on the European products. I'm not moving down in the next few months, but will be moving in the next year or so and would like to start organizing things. You guys are really terrific with your tips and advice!! My brother moved to Aruba with his family 15 years ago but things are a bit different there. Can't wait.

All of my DVD players (three different brands and two different regions) work without modification. Four different VCRs work without modification. Two models of TV work without modification. All of my computers work without modification.

I don't even use transformers on them.

Bless you my child!! Was concerned that nothing would work well there!

hi. What is the duty on bringing a jeep or truck to Bonaire?

So Jenny, you started this thread on May 1 with

"Hi everyone,

If you follow the 'moving to Bonaire thread' you probably know I am moving there this summer (july 3rd!). "

Are you there yet?

Sean, I've heard the duty on a truck is 40%, but if you get residency you are allowed to bring one in duty free within the first 12 months. If I don't have that right, someone on island can probably correct this. :-)

wow, good info, thanks Bruce!

We have many trucks and Jeeps already on island. Might be better to buy one here.

Hi Susan....My impression wa that the cost of vehicles on the island was quite high. If that is the case, and residency would enable me to bring one in duty free, wouldn't it be better to bring one I already own, especially since I know what I got(no problems mechanically)?

I haven't a clue, so I am willing to take any advice offered. thanks so much. Our move is at least 5 years away(barring a lottery win) so I am just starting to gather the information I need... Thanks again, Sean

I just read the saga of Jenny, like Bruce, I am anxiously awaiting to hear how life is going...

Sean, regarding your comments about the cost of vehicles on Bonaire being high... I believe there is a 35% duty placed on imported vehicles as well as the 5% sales tax for a total of 40% uplift in cost. This might be why you thought they were expensive . The present rules (don't know what happens after December 15, 2008) are that if you have your permanent residency permit you can bring ONE car to Bonaire as part of the shipment of household goods. You must have owned the car for ONE year (Customs will check insurance papers, title, and licensing documents to verify the length of ownership).

The good news is that you really don't need much of a vehicle on Bonaire. With speed limits of 40 kph and 60 kph, almost any inexpensive car will do. I'm somewhat amused when I see the newer Toyota and Mitsubishi pickups with the turbo charger hood scoops, etc as most of these vehicles can't legally get out of third gear without exceeding the speed limits .