Bad Ending to Otherwise Good Bonaire Trip

[phelana]

I feel so sad reading this post. A vacation memory was trashed. Sadly, where opportunity exists, crime occurs. Bonaire has 14k people last I read. We do have petty crime. I have business ties on other islands and have been a Caribbean specialist for 23 years. This problem is not isolated to Bonaire. I am very sorry for your stress and appreciate you sharing.

 

[The Chairman]

Darren is correct in all that he states above.

WOW!!!​

Would you like to know the secret to Liz's success in life, in business and here on ScubaBoard? SHE DOESN'T PASS THE BUCK!!! She has taken the onus for:

• accepting that it happened.
• figuring out the cause.
• figuring out multiple solutions.
• implementing the solutions QUICKLY!

This is a negative thing that happened at her facility and rather than rant, point fingers and live in denial, she steps up to the plate and knocks out a homer! I know where I am staying when I go to Bonaire! You rock Liz!

 

[jdcpa]

Liz; please allow me to echo Doc's kudos to you for accepting a bad situation and quickly attempting a fix. Your efforts should go a long way toward fixing the problem for you and your guests. You will likely have one of the safest facilities on the island. Kudos to you for protecting your guests!!

I will also echo DandyDon's comments in that we have avoided Bonaire because, among other things, of the theft issues.

One day the theft issue on Bonaire will be resolved, or at least reduced dramatically, and when that day comes, we will gladly go there.

I look forward to that day and Thank You Liz!! for making one of the first efforts to make Bonaire safer.

 

[The Chairman]

I will also echo DandyDon's comments in that we have avoided Bonaire because, among other things, of the theft issues.

Do NOT miss Bonaire due to kleptophobia! That would be the real tragedy. I have YET to encounter theft at Bonaire, though I have had that happen to me at other Caribbean locations. I don't believe that the crime there is any worse than in ANY resort location or even here at home in the states. That being said, I am a frequent traveler and have learned a few things like sleeping with my passport around my neck, as well as other ways to foil would be robbers.

 

[carriemak]

Liz,

Thanks for stepping up to the plate. Fortunately we have been to Bonaire several times and never been victimized!

 

[stortecky]

I know many of you state that crime is no worse on Bonaire. But when I was in Cozumel this winter and asking people on the dive boat what they thought. out of the 5 different groups of people that I talk to there they all comment on how bad the crime was there. And 3 of them stated they would not go back to bonaire because of it. Most of them had been there over 5 years ago when this happened. And maybe things were worse then. But my wife really did not want to go to bonaires after that. I am just bring this up because it is giving Bonaire a bad image and reputation even if it is not that bad.

 

[Rhone Man]

I know many of you state that crime is no worse on Bonaire. But when I was in Cozumel this winter and asking people on the dive boat what they thought. out of the 5 different groups of people that I talk to there they all comment on how bad the crime was there. And 3 of them stated they would not go back to bonaire because of it. Most of them had been there over 5 years ago when this happened. And maybe things were worse then. But my wife really did not want to go to bonaires after that. I am just bring this up because it is giving Bonaire a bad image and reputation even if it is not that bad.

I am not calling you a liar, but I find that one a bit hard to believe. Sadly, you always get petty crime in the Caribbean and it tends to centre around tourists. I suspect it is just a bit worse than normal at present because of difficult economic times. But (this sad incident notwithstanding), I had always heard that Bonaire was much less affected than some other places.

I remember in the Dominican Republic our hotel had guards with shotguns posted at every entrance. And don't get me started on Jamaica or Trinidad...

 

[The Chairman]

I am just bring this up because it is giving Bonaire a bad image and reputation even if it is not that bad.

Reputations are hard to live down but they are not always deserved. It is my belief that the current reputation for Bonaire is nothing more than an urban legend and that a few unscrupulous operators OUTSIDE of Bonaire keep propagating. Don't buy into the lie! Personally, I feel very safe on Bonaire and far less so on some places. However, you won't find me spreading angst or fear about those places, even when bad things have happened to me.

 

[herman]

I agree with Pete on this one. For whatever reason Bonaire gets a lot more negative press and a huge amount of undeserved urban legend on this issue than it deserves. No one says it does not happen, it does but at no where near the rates some would have you believe. Some would have you believe that it happens to everyone and there are criminals watching from every corner. That is simply not the case. I have been to Bonaire every year except 1 since 1999, some times as many as 3 times in one year, the last being mid April. My groups have varied from my wife and I to groups as large as 24 and we have stayed at 6 different places. So far, we have had zero, nada, zilch problems. And I am headed back in July.

 

[DandyDon]

I know many of you state that crime is no worse on Bonaire. But when I was in Cozumel this winter and asking people on the dive boat what they thought. out of the 5 different groups of people that I talk to there they all comment on how bad the crime was there. And 3 of them stated they would not go back to bonaire because of it. Most of them had been there over 5 years ago when this happened. And maybe things were worse then. But my wife really did not want to go to bonaires after that. I am just bring this up because it is giving Bonaire a bad image and reputation even if it is not that bad.

I can see that happening, but then - part of that is because you were polling visitors to Cozumel so the results would be slanted.

I am not calling you a liar, but I find that one a bit hard to believe. Sadly, you always get petty crime in the Caribbean and it tends to centre around tourists. I suspect it is just a bit worse than normal at present because of difficult economic times. But (this sad incident notwithstanding), I had always heard that Bonaire was much less affected than some other places.

I remember in the Dominican Republic our hotel had guards with shotguns posted at every entrance. And don't get me started on Jamaica or Trinidad...

Yes burglaries happen all over, especially in the States - but oddly, not on Cozumel to speak of. I saw armed soldiers all around the Cancun market area hotel I stayed one night in March, hehe - they were housed on my floor, but Coz is just totally different. Not enough crime to be noticed nor require much.

Reputations are hard to live down but they are not always deserved. It is my belief that the current reputation for Bonaire is nothing more than an urban legend and that a few unscrupulous operators OUTSIDE of Bonaire keep propagating. Don't buy into the lie! Personally, I feel very safe on Bonaire and far less so on some places. However, you won't find me spreading angst or fear about those places, even when bad things have happened to me.

Pete, I don't know about the legends? My feelings about crime on Bonaire are based totally on the frequent reports I see here. The 6 suggestions offered by Karelmakov in post #1 are excellent for any travel, but for Bonaire - I'd want to have a good inventory & receipts for everything I took along with good theft insurance. And take some of these...

Swege - Travel Security Hotel Door Stop - Electronic​