Hi, we will be staying on Bonaire for 3 weeks with our 2 boys (16 & 18). Is there anything to do for them? Does anybody know a place to go for them? (During the evenings, during the day. they'll be diving / windsurfing)

Thanks, Bert

Bert, my suggestion is to just wear them out during the day. We just came back about a month ago. We brought our 14 & 19 year old daughters. One of their only complaints was that there are very few teens there - and, I mean we saw VERY few! If they're not bringing laptops and they're into that, there's several cyber hookups on the island. One by Sanddollar grogery ( I think it was called "Chat & Browse")where you pay for time on internet at reasonable prices. As far as clubs for their age or something along that line, I don't know - didn't hear of any. We did go to the Sunday afternoon into evening festival at Lac Bay with live Salsa music, food, etc. Girls liked that alot because there were lots of locals and good music and dancing. It's outdoors. I hear there's a new bowling alley on the island & there's one movie theatre (but, is it in English? I don't know) Good Luck. Hope you have a fun trip!

The movie theater is in English, but they don't change their lineup of movies very often. Right next door to the movie theater is a shop where you can rent videos and think I saw VCRs there also for rent...maybe DVDs too?

The movie theater has 2 or 3 movies playing per week. 2 different ones each night - one at 7pm and the other around 9pm in the same theater. There is usually a matinee Sunday, sometimes Saturday too at 4pm. Movie are mostly English with Spanish sub-titles but currently there is a Dutch kid's movie.

Gameland is located in the lobby of the movie theater and offers video games, pinball, pool, and air hockey.

Close by is the bowling alley - open afternoons and most evenings.

Depending on when you are coming to Bonaire, Jong Bonaire may be open. It is an afternoon program for local teenagers and visitors are welcome. Most island teenagers speak English and Dutch plus their home language whatever that might be.

The time when most teens-20-somethings are out is when there is a band at either Karel's Beach Bar or City Cafe. Both are open air bars catering to a wide variety of ages & tastes (Karel's more local, City more Dutch). Both will probably have bands and/or DJ's on Fri & Sat nights during July (school vacation here), and probably the first 2 weeks of August (after that, kids go back to school here, so the island really gets quiet). There are also 'theme' nights at Karel's during the week, like Reggae Night, Karioke Night, etc. Drive by in the late afternoon & see what's on the chalkboard for that night. Lots of people of all ages wander between the two bars, along the seafront, hanging at all spots in between--but, this is always a later evening thing to do, from about 10pm - 2am. FYI, drinking age for beer is 18. If they're windsurfing, the local surfer-dudes (also guys in their teens-20+) can probably tell them best what's going on & where.

Earlier evenings: bowling, movies (2 theatres in English, titles change weekly), video arcade (part of cinema bldg). I know it can seem like there are no teens here, but by 11pm on a Friday night, you can only crawl thru downtown because they're all crowding the streets.

Nightlife starts late here. Here's the key: you go out for drinks at happy hour (6-7ish), grab a bite to eat, go home-shower/relax (don't fall asleep!), get dressed up (no shorts or t-shirts), then go out again around 11pm. Ta da!

We've brought our 15 yr.old daughter to Bonaire the past three years. She usually finds "someone" to hang out with at Capt. Don's. If not, she just bugs the Dive Masters!

One of the reasons we stay at a "resort" is that there is more likely someone her age staying there. I highly recommend buying "time" at Chat n Browse for some Instant Messaging back home. It became her evening entertainment...then home to bed as she spends so much time in the water during the day.

I came across a discussion of Jung Bonaire....the teen center in Playa and they have a "visiting teen program" that might allow your kids to get to know the locals and some of their life. Website is http://www.jongbonaire.org/03f_visiting_teen.htm

We will bring a laptop, connect to a local provider, make sure the boys pack more than t-shirts and shorts, they do speak english and we will be staying at Capt Don's. So we will be fine I guess.
Thanks for the info ;)

hi bert

i'm 16 myself and i jsut got back from bonaire i have relatives living there so we knew where to go on friday and saturday we went to citycafe it starts at 11pm there is a band playing than mostly its very nice on sundays we went to lac there is live music there but its more local music i went surfing too i dont know if youre sons already did that bet i didnt so i had lessons i did some bowling its a really beautifull place (nice music) on saturday en friday nights you can also go to karels bar but thats more local music i went to the plaza happy hour they are really nice because you can see a really nice sunset en you can play volleyball at sunday night they play a film on the beach mostly an older one but thats lovely to do and on tuesday you can barbeqeu there i hope this is enough info i went there 3weeks and had a great time

Linda, I've seen pics of your daughter... I highly doubt she's "bugging" the divemasters... lol... god I hate that our little ones are getting all grown up... [sigh]