Bonaire Talk: Currency

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Local Items: Currency Bonaire Talk: Local Items: Archives: Archives 2001- 2004: Archives - 2001-03-08 to 2002-10-17: Currency

By Ben Kershaw on Monday, February 4, 2002 - 9:58 am:

Does Bonaire use a different type of guilder that the Netherlands? I see on the Bonaire Website (InfoBonaire) that the exchange rate is around 1.7, however the current exchange rate for the Netherlands guilder is around 2.5.

I want to convert some money before I leave, but I sure don't want to end up with a pocket full of unusable guilders!

Thanks,
Ben

By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, February 4, 2002 - 10:19 am:

Ben,

I'll be amazed if you find a bank in the U.S. that stocks Netherlands Antillean Guilders :-)

They are different types of currency (Dutch vs. Local).

Just bring dollars. Everyone here takes them. Store rate is usually 1.75 to the dollar.

Bank rate is 1.77 to the dollar (1.78 for traveler's cheques). The banks charge a 1% "license fee" for conversion from dollars to NAF (Neth. Antilles Florins/Guilders) as well.

Going back to dollars the rate is 1.82.

Jake

By Ben Kershaw on Monday, February 4, 2002 - 10:27 am:

Jake,

Thanks for the info!

Regards,
Ben

By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, February 4, 2002 - 2:29 pm:

Hi Ben,

Michael Gaynor just called me, and it appears I was mistaken about the 1% fee - that's if you buy dollars with guilders. It's only a flat fee of 30 cents per transaction when converting from dollars to guilders.

BTW, another idea - use your ATM card to get NAFl from the ATM Machines. The rate I get getting dollars from my checking account in the U.S. is 1.7723 (but I also don't have fees charged for using ATMs that don't belong to my bank in the U.S. - those could impact the final rate).

Jake

By Joanna on Monday, February 4, 2002 - 2:33 pm:

In Holland we don't use guilders anymore, we've now EURO and the current of Euro is 2.2. Joanna

By Jake Richter - NetTech on Monday, February 4, 2002 - 2:41 pm:

Good point, Joanna! Makes for less confusion that way (as a side result)!

Jake

By Ben Kershaw on Tuesday, February 5, 2002 - 11:10 am:

Are Euro's being used in Bonaire yet?

Thanks,
Ben

PS: What a great week - my team wins the Superbowl, they will bring the parade right in front of my office in a couple of hours, then I leave for Bonaire!

By Jake Richter - NetTech on Tuesday, February 5, 2002 - 11:29 am:

Ben,

No store I know of takes Euros (nor Dutch Guilders, which will soon be non-existent), but the banks will certainly trade them for you.

Safe travels!

Jake

By michael gaynor on Tuesday, February 5, 2002 - 12:30 pm:

I did see the cash registers at Consales show the change in Nafl and Euros, which leads me to believe they will accept them sometime soon.

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