I have been planning a trip to bonaire for several months now. I work 2 jobs and have been really busy the last few weeks. We just booked our trip and will be staying at Captain Don's. I had heard about the theft concerns at the dive sites and just recently read about the break in's while people are in their rooms. This will be my kids(age 12 & 16) first trip to another country and I want it to be a wonderful experience so I am really getting concerned. Has anyone had their room broken into at Captain Don's? Also what does this resort do to help keep their guests safe? Thanks for any info you can give.

We've stayed at Capt Don's a number of times. In recent years all in the Oasis Cottages. They are 2 br, 2 bath. If you should be in one of those, be aware of the patio door into the main bedroom in particular--keep it locked.

There are phones in those cottages and most other rooms now.

A friend of ours leads trips to Capt Don's, about 70 trips now total. In all those trips, 1 theft occured.

Use the safe, lock stuff up, dive and have fun.

Susan

Capn Don's has a security man watching at night. We have always felt safe there and we are going back in September for our 10th stay. Use common sense as you would anywhere else in the world and you will have a great holiday.

Another factor about Capt. Dons, is that Jack Chalk, the property manager lives on site. I imagine this may be so of other resorts as well but Jack is an especially involved manager. When you get there, say hello to him.

Capt Dons is extremely well managed and not only in the conventional sense but one that is a balance between the island culture and the guests needs.

I have stayed there a dozen times and seven times with my wife. Never any kind of theft or crime problem. The dive operation is also one of the best and the safest.

As for the recent crime problems, to put it in perspective, I think you will be safer on Bonaire than you would be on Cape Cod in my home state. Your kids will have a blast. There is a very nice ice cream place a short walk down the street from Don's and, assuming they have some common sense, I don't think a daylight walk into town would be out of the question either.

In terms of personal security overseas, just make sure you don't do anything stupid, be aware and follow local customs and keep your head down. Don't carry your passport, keep it in the room safe. If you really want to carry it, make a copy of it and take the copy. Don't take any more credit cards or anything else in your wallet or purse than you intend to use on the trip. Don't take excessive amounts of cash - use an ATM. Make sure it's a legitimate one, at the hotel or bank. Don't write your PIN down and carry it. Lose your wallet, your PIN is lost with it giving them free money. It should be memorized. Most important of all, if you feel uncomfortable walking/being somewhere you shouldn't be there. Be aware of your surroundings and don't leave valuables in plain sight. In lots of places around the world you are ok walking at night, but not alone. Prop a chair against the door or something else to make a noise if the door/window opens to wake you up. If you don't have a room safe, you can hide things in your room, just make sure you do it with the curtains closed. With all the posts about problems in Bonaire they are probably minor compared to the number of visitors. If you use common sense you should be fine. Enjoy the trip.

Thank you so much for the information it helps me to feel better. I am originally from crime ridden California and when I do travel those old instincts usually kick in. My children however are from a little town in alaska where we don't even lock our doors. We took up diving to have some family fun and everyone is so looking forward to our trip. I have warned the kids that we will need to make sure we lock things up and as always when we travel to be aware of our surroundings. It does make me feel good to hear that Captain Don's is a well run place. Thank you for taking the time to share your information with me.

Bonaire is really closer to Alaska in safety than a big US city. It was not long ago that you did not need to lock things in Bonaire either. The "Crime wave" must be taken in that perspective.

When you get there, talk to Jack or his wife who also works on the property. They have raised their own children on the island, not too many years older than yours. They can and will fill you in on any precautions you need to take. They are not the sort of people who will hold back information that would contribute to your safety. If Jack says something is safe, you can take that to the bank. So just discsuss with them what your kids want to do.

There is excellent snorkeling right in front of the facility. It does not have a dedicated life guard but it is watched.

Its a wonderful place for a family vacation.