Bonaire and St. Eustatius - money, power, and internet

[billt4sf]

Does anyone know what the situation on these islands is for money (is US currency accepted? Are there ATMs?), for power (US plugs or do we need an adapter / converter) and internet (is Wifi available and reliable??)

Thanks,

Bill

 

[CptTightPants21]

Electrical Plug/Outlet and Voltage Information for Bonaire : Adaptelec.com, International Electrical Specialists

USD is the official currency as of 2011

I stayed in Aruba and internet was not a problem (I would safely assume the same for Bonaire)

 

[lmorin]

Can't speak to St Eustatius, but on Bonaire, US dollar is the standard currency. Most places have standard US electrical plugs, but the AC voltage is supplied at only 50 cycles, not the US 60 cycles. This usually will have little impact. AC motors tend to not last as long, but in the shorter term, nothing will be noticed. Battery charging is unaffected. Most places also have some 220 volt circuits as well. Internet availability depends on where you stay. If the place has a reliable connection, then it has a reliable connection. Don't know about ATMs, although I assume they are around because there are plenty of banks on Bonaire.

 

[drrich2]

Bonaire uses the U.S. dollar as official currency.

You can plug U.S. devices in on Bonaire. U.S. power is 60 Hz, 110 volt, and Bonaire power (I linked you a page on it) I believe 50 Hz, 127 volt, so some items may 'run hot.' Also, Bonaire power is said by some to be more likely to fluctuate more than what we're used to in the U.S., so a surge protector is a good idea.

Some devices, including some notebook computers, can handle a range of voltages & frequencies, covering Bonaire's power.

Richard.

 

[diversteve]

ATM | Maduro & Curiel's Bank (Bonaire) N.V. has 10 on Bonaire <- among others.

In case you're staying at a resort that doesn't have Wi-Fi - most of them do now - or at least Internet access in the lobby, bar area etc. - there's always: Chat 'n' Browse: Bonaire's Barefoot Internet and Office Center

The Adaptelec info linked above is wrong. As drrich's link shows Bonaire voltage is 127V/50hz, not 220/240 as stated on the Adaptec site.

We took standard U.S. two prong electronics and they worked fine. Laptop and many video camera chargers are universal voltage. Probably so are most phone chargers. Flash chargers may be a little more fussy so most of the larger resorts or dive operations have transformers to filter the voltage. Often in the shop or other publicly accessible place.

Curacao is where we saw some 220V outlets. But they were clearly marked - and 2 round prongs so couldn't be used anyway.

Never been to Statia...

 

[Damselfish]

another helpful link on power is Electricity Around the World

 

[billt4sf]

By the way, I don't suppose American cell phones would work there? That is probably too much to ask.

 

[diversteve]

Info Bonaire - Telephone - Calling to and calling from

Cellular Phone Service

GSM is supported on Bonaire at European frequencies. Roaming with some carriers, including Cingular and T-Mobile is possible as well and GPRS data services are available for roaming in some cases.

There are three cellular service provides on Bonaire: Telbo (the island phone company), MIO, and Digicel. Telbo and Digicel use GSM, and MIO uses CDMA technology. All three offer prepay phone usage programs.

 

[koksie]

Mio has been bankrupt since 2011, so don't count on them.
All quad-band cellphones (are there still cellphones that aren't?) work on Bonaire and Statia, ATM's are readily available on Bonaire and there are also ATM's on Statia, USD is the official currency on both islands and electricity is 127V. Basically, all your US appliances will work there. Virtually all electronics are imported from Miami, so don't worry.

 

[tracydr]

Check with your cell phone service about a short term international service. You could also Skype with your Internet, or use another Internet message service.