Be careful in Bonaire (Burglaries)

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My posts on this thread seem to have gone!

Nice1 LMFAO!!

 

[DiverVince]

I greatly appreciate all of the information that I gather from Scubaboard.com when planning different trips. I was recently engaged and we are planning our honeymoon. We were thinking 1 week in Curacao and 1 week in Bonaire but these posts have made me concerned to say the least. I hope that things are better by the time that we are ready to book which will be soon. Sorry for the bad experiences that many have had. I know that we need to be careful no matter where we go but sounds like this is somewhat of a spree. I definitely won't be writing Bonaire off forever but not sure that I want to deal with these concerns on my honeymoon. Continued information as this situation hopefully gets better would be greatly appreciated by many I am sure.

Gatorchick..As someone who has been traveling to Bonaire for 25 years, and notwithstanding some of the stuff you read on this board, rest assured the island is one of the safest in the entire Caribbean (And I've spent time all over the Carib).

Bonaire is a wonderful place for a honeymoon, don't be mislead by those posters here who have their own agenda and have an obsessive compulsive disorder to consistently bash Bonaire. And you can take this next sentence to the bank..I had my own honeymoon on Bonaire some 25 years ago, and we've been going back ever since.
In life it pays to go out on your own, experience things first hand and then make your decisions, instead of relying upon nameless folks who post under assumed avatars to promote their "hidden agenda".

 

[shortcuts]

Gatorchick..As someone who has been traveling to Bonaire for 25 years, and notwithstanding some of the stuff you read on this board, rest assured the island is one of the safest in the entire Caribbean (And I've spent time all over the Carib).

Bonaire is a wonderful place for a honeymoon, don't be mislead by those posters here who have their own agenda and have an obsessive compulsive disorder to consistently bash Bonaire. And you can take this next sentence to the bank..I had my own honeymoon on Bonaire some 25 years ago, and we've been going back ever since.
In life it pays to go out on your own, experience things first hand and then make your decisions, instead of relying upon nameless folks who post under assumed avatars to promote their "hidden agenda".

I am hoping you aren't refering to me there DiverVince as I'm not trying to bash Bonaire. I'm just trying to get information as I really want to go there. I unfortunately found myself involved in a bit of slanging match. Shame.

Gatorchick I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon. DV certainly ought to know what he's talking about given the experience he has of the area.

Hopefully I will be able to convince myself of the safety and arrange a trip to sample what I am assured is wonderful diving at Bonaire.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[DandyDon]

I got called a Bonaire basher. OH well. I too am sure that the island is very safe for personal safety, but the crap that happened to the OP described in post #1 is discouraging.

Gatorchick, I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon. My suggestions in addition to the usual given for the island are in this post but do be forewarned of all precautions usually suggested.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

@gatorchick: I've been to Bonaire twice. The shore diving is very good. Unfortunately, the incidence of crime seems to ebb and flow over time. Based on a handful of recent reports, it seems as though an organized crime ring is once again targeting divers: stolen tires off of rental trucks, gas being siphoned out of trucks, and break-ins into condos/apartments. Personally, I can live with not leaving anything of value in the truck while I dive. That's not a big deal at all. But the recent reports have convinced me not to go to Bonaire on my next dive vacation.

With so many other wonderful dive destinations in the world, why go to Bonaire now? Why not wait until the government/police get their house in order and do something to increase security for dive tourists? I am definitely in wait-and-see mode. I'm sure others are, too.

You should consider going somewhere else for your honeymoon. What about Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Lembeh, Bunaken, Wakatobi)? Or perhaps Fiji? Maybe a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef? I haven't been to these places, but they are on my lifelong must-dive list. The drift diving in Cozumel is a lot of fun, too. Frankly, I think there's more stuff to do topside on Cozumel (compared to Bonaire). The food is better and cheaper. You can take a side trip to see Mayan ruins. Heck, Hawaii is a well-known honeymoon destination for good reason. Lots of other places to go. Go out there and explore...but consider making a trip to Bonaire in the future once the security situation improves. Bonaire is unique in the utter freedom that you have in scheduling your dives. Just hop in the truck, pick up your tanks, and go dive. It's very much like a choose-your-own-adventure dive amusement park. So sad to hear about what's going on there now.

Have fun on your honeymoon...

 

[pilot fish]

I greatly appreciate all of the information that I gather from Scubaboard.com when planning different trips. I was recently engaged and we are planning our honeymoon. We were thinking 1 week in Curacao and 1 week in Bonaire but these posts have made me concerned to say the least. I hope that things are better by the time that we are ready to book which will be soon. Sorry for the bad experiences that many have had. I know that we need to be careful no matter where we go but sounds like this is somewhat of a spree. I definitely won't be writing Bonaire off forever but not sure that I want to deal with these concerns on my honeymoon. Continued information as this situation hopefully gets better would be greatly appreciated by many I am sure.

You'll want to concentrate on each other and your future lives together, not be on guard constantly to avert being a crime victim. If you let your guard down on Bonaire it could happen, and has. There are just too many other safer and more romantic places in the dive world to chose. At the moment, until Bonaire decides to finally do something about the crime plauging the island, I would, if I were you, go some place else.

I wish I had some way of accessing the number of divers who actually visit Bonaire in a year.

Figures just do not exist to compare this volume of diving tourism, to the actual crime rate,

No BS, just my personal observation, experience, and opinion.

There are some serious reasons why the Gov of Bonaire and their ineffectual police Dept do not publish crime statistics. We would all be more shocked, I' sure if we had those numbers provided. All we have to go on are reports from the many crime victims we hear about, read about here on SB, or know persoanally. I find it very serious and shocking.

Gatorchick..As someone who has been traveling to Bonaire for 25 years, and notwithstanding some of the stuff you read on this board, rest assured the island is one of the safest in the entire Caribbean (And I've spent time all over the Carib). Bonaire is a wonderful place for a honeymoon, don't be mislead by those posters here who have their own agenda and have an obsessive compulsive disorder to consistently bash Bonaire. And you can take this next sentence to the bank..I had my own honeymoon on Bonaire some 25 years ago, and we've been going back ever since.
In life it pays to go out on your own, experience things first hand and then make your decisions, instead of relying upon nameless folks who post under assumed avatars to promote their "hidden agenda".

Gatorchick, it might help you to know that diver vince owns several rental condos on Bonaire so, therefore, is less objective about the crime problem on Bonaire as those of us that have no vested, financial interest there. His Bonaire view is decidedly rosier than reality should dictate.

I am hoping you aren't refering to me there DiverVince as I'm not trying to bash Bonaire. I'm just trying to get information as I really want to go there. I unfortunately found myself involved in a bit of slanging match. Shame.

Gatorchick I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon. DV certainly ought to know what he's talking about given the experience he has of the area.

Hopefully I will be able to convince myself of the safety and arrange a trip to sample what I am assured is wonderful diving at Bonaire.

Good luck and stay safe.

Short, anyone that calls it like it is, like it really is on Bonaire, and has the courage and good sense to properly advise other divers to the crime problems on Bonaire, is called a "Bonaire Basher." That has to tell you what you need to know about them

@gatorchick: I've been to Bonaire twice. The shore diving is very good. Unfortunately, the incidence of crime seems to ebb and flow over time. Based on a handful of recent reports, it seems as though an organized crime ring is once again targeting divers: stolen tires off of rental trucks, gas being siphoned out of trucks, and break-ins into condos/apartments. Personally, I can live with not leaving anything of value in the truck while I dive. That's not a big deal at all. But the recent reports have convinced me not to go to Bonaire on my next dive vacation.With so many other wonderful dive destinations in the world, why go to Bonaire now? Why not wait until the government/police get their house in order and do something to increase security for dive tourists? I am definitely in wait-and-see mode. I'm sure others are, too.
You should consider going somewhere else for your honeymoon. What about Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Lembeh, Bunaken, Wakatobi)? Or perhaps Fiji? Maybe a liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef? I haven't been to these places, but they are on my lifelong must-dive list. The drift diving in Cozumel is a lot of fun, too. Frankly, I think there's more stuff to do topside on Cozumel (compared to Bonaire). The food is better and cheaper. You can take a side trip to see Mayan ruins. Heck, Hawaii is a well-known honeymoon destination for good reason. Lots of other places to go. Go out there and explore...but consider making a trip to Bonaire in the future once the security situation improves. Bonaire is unique in the utter freedom that you have in scheduling your dives. Just hop in the truck, pick up your tanks, and go dive. It's very much like a choose-your-own-adventure dive amusement park. So sad to hear about what's going on there now.
Have fun on your honeymoon...

I agree. Given the ongoing crime problems that Bonaire has, their inability to stop it and seriousness of the break- ins, [ THAT IS NOT PETTY] I would go to another dive/honeymooon destination. Honeymoons are about romance, not about constantly being on guard against crime

 

[pilot fish]

Many thanks to Dandy Don, he's not called Dandy for nothing, for instructing me on how to use the multi quote feature. Who knew?

 

[clafrieda]

Based on my conversations with police and hotel managers/owners, there is a significant increase in burglaries on Bonaire. Does this affect the reef? No. Should this affect the precautions you take on your trip? Definitely (unless you are always extremely careful). If I were simply doing a dive trip, then I would work around these problems. If I were looking for a stress-free vacation, then I would consider changing my plans.

Here are some things we were told by police or hotel owners/managers and things we observed:

1) On Saturday, January 30th, 2010, there were 7 burglaries (including ours) that they believe were related. I understood that number to mean 7 different locations. I don't know how many places there are to stay on the island, but that number is obviously statistically significant.

2) We met three other couples that were also burglarized (I mentioned this before). One of them had met a couple that had their wedding rings stolen. They claimed they lost 20k worth of stuff. I assume that the rings account for most of that.

3) We were told tourism on the island is down 40% due to the economy (edit). There seemed to be that many empty seats going to/fro the island. On, the two previous years' trips the planes were completely filled. In fact, two years ago one of our group got bumped off the flight coming home (another fun story). Obviously, bad economy means more crime. You can donote to Bonaire if you'd like: FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Support Bonaire

4) We always knew to leave the windows down when we park, however, this is the first time we saw evidence of vehicle break-ins. At Andrea II, every parking spot is covered with broken glass. Nobody is even bothering to clean it up.


I am getting some PMs about disclosing the names of the hotels that I know were hit. I am still reluctant to do that, but there are some helpful things I can say:

1) As far as I know, none of the places hit had nighttime security. Those are probably your safest bet.

2) Make sure you don't stay in an end unit. Try to get the units closest to the lobby/office.

3) If you stay in a building with multiple levels, don't stay on the 1st floor.

4) If somebody (dive shop, travel agent, etc.) is arranging your trip, do your own due diligence. No matter how safe they say the island or hotel is, I promise you they are not liable for 1 cent if any of your belongings are taken.

Just stumbled upon this thread from other recent victims:
http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/1022/423541.html?1265853739

 

[pilot fish]

Thanks for the update. This post is very helpful for the potential visitor to Bonaire. As they say, proceed at your own risk. Your posts will help people make more informed decisions on whether to visit Bonaire now or not. I will not!

I noticed in the "support Bonaire" link that zero mention of the rampant crime issue that is infecting the island of Bonaire is even addressed? :shocked2: That raises a huge red flag for me. Why in hell would anyone donate to an island that takes such a casual attitude to their ongoing crime problem?:shocked2: Are they kidding? They are doing nothing to make visitors safe, not even addressing that, or recognizing that it's a problem, AND THEY WANT DONATIONS FROM US??????? They need a course in reality realizaton 101. wow!

Based on my conversations with police and hotel managers/owners, there is a significant increase in burglaries on Bonaire. Does this affect the reef? No. Should this affect the precautions you take on your trip? Definitely (unless you are always extremely careful). If I were simply doing a dive trip, then I would work around these problems. If I were looking for a stress-free vacation, then I would consider changing my plans.

Here are some things we were told by police or hotel owners/managers and things we observed:

1) On Saturday, January 30th, 2010, there were 7 burglaries (including ours) that they believe were related. I understood that number to mean 7 different locations. I don't know how many places there are to stay on the island, but that number is obviously statistically significant.

2) We met three other couples that were also burglarized (I mentioned this before). One of them had met a couple that had their wedding rings stolen. They claimed they lost 20k worth of stuff. I assume that the rings account for most of that.

3) We were told tourism on the island is down 40%. There seemed to be that many empty seats going to/fro the island. On, the two previous years' trips the planes were completely filled. In fact, two years ago one of our group got bumped off the flight coming home (another fun story). Obviously, bad economy means more crime. You can donote to Bonaire if you'd like: FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Support Bonaire

4) We always knew to leave the windows down when we park, however, this is the first time we saw evidence of vehicle break-ins. At Andrea II, every parking spot is covered with broken glass. Nobody is even bothering to clean it up.


I am getting some PMs about disclosing the names of the hotels that I know were hit. I am still reluctant to do that, but there are some helpful things I can say:

1) As far as I know, none of the places hit had nighttime security. Those are probably your safest bet.

2) Make sure you don't stay in an end unit. Try to get the units closest to the lobby/office.

3) If you stay in a building with multiple levels, don't stay on the 1st floor.

4) If somebody (dive shop, travel agent, etc.) is arranging your trip, do your own due diligence. No matter how safe they say the island or hotel is, I promise you they are not liable for 1 cent if any of your belongings are taken.

 

[Mike]

This was kind of funny - from Bonaire talk

Hey Tink , really , on a serious note , from info via another website it appears the old gang from a couple of years ago were released from jail and got things going again.
There are also multiple reports of security guards and police patrolling dive sites on a semi regular basis . I think the authorities are starting to realize they are losing business due to the regularity and predictability of the crimes perpetrated on tourists .

It seems to be a common thing to bash Bonaire Crime on scubaboard , it is like a civil war over there , you need lawn-chairs .

I do think from a few threads I have followed Bonaire is going to get safer , Don't ever think you can leave your laptop in your car while you go for a dive , that wont happen anywhere .
However , one should be able to lock his hotel door and sleep uninterrupted , that gang led by the lady from the Dominican are very brash , hopefully this time they will be locked up more than two years .

Take out a lawn chair , pour yourself a nice cool beverage , sit back and enjoy ... it is a long read.
[URL]http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/greater-caribbean-bermuda/322648-careful-bonaire-robberies.html[/URL]

OOps the dance is called because of snow.. sorry about that the lights are about to go out .. bye bye..

this thread is being closed

Amazing how anybody on a forum online would close threads, nor even care one way or the other because people are discussing crime on bonaire.

How much is the 'protection' fee to protect your favorite dive destination on online forums?

At one time the internet was regarded as the great leveling of the playing field, a great distributer of information. Remember those days?