Bonaire Crime - Our experience - Looking for input to share

[DustyC]

@Ipera - Obrigado for your comments. Muito interessante.

Obviously there is the risk of escalation. Just like a child who does not get punished, and then reaches toward more testing actions, so the assaults can grow in gravity. Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. Who amongst us is willing to risk their lady as the first one? OK, that may be a very distant likelihood, but given:

# the high accomodation and dining cost
# the high tourist/dive taxes
# the police lethargy
# the local "shrug it off"/ protect "us" culture
# the utter indifference displayed to date by the authorities
# the seemingly ingrained nepotism/cronyism
# the poor quality snorkelling viz and backdrops

.... I need to evaluate whether I side with Ipera and others and conclude that I have other very valid options for diving vacations, with infinitely more attractive snorkelling. But having to forgo my Caribbean favourite comes at a cost.

I will wait another week or two to see how the authorities react. I know for a fact that they have received the communications. So far their response has been so indifferent as to verge on the pathetic.

I'm staying in Bonaire in December for less than I get a cheap hotel room for in any major city in the US, The tourist/dive taxes aren't high. $38.50 and $25 are a drop in the bucket. If that's high, international dive travel probably isn't for you.

 

[Pedroinspain]

@DustyC - Ever heard the saying - "It all adds up?". When you only have a few days leave a year then indeed it probably doesn't matter, especially when you are there on your lonesome. Four of us stayed at You&Sea for 14 days - "it all added up".

Tripadvisor restaurant review: "Gross Burger, good fries and insanely expensive.”
Tripadvisor Bonaire review: "WARNING:Expensive destination. If you enjoy spending lots more money than necessary for a good vacation, if someone else is paying, or you are wealthy, then you are in luck."
Tripadvisor forum query: "I know the food is expensive on the island ..."
Yelp review: "Note that you will be paying $12 to 15 for a $8 burger".
Rough Guide forum: Car hire (for a fairly battered truck with leaky doors) is expensive, partly because full insurance is mandatory".
Rough Guide forum: "From own experience and talking to fellow divers, there is no budget hotel accommodation on the island like there is on Cozumel."

You are staying on Bonaire for less than $70 per night? Where? On 8 May I stay at the Tuscany Suites in LV for $63 - scores 8.6 on Booking. My son stayed at ZenYard Guest house in Phoenix. He raved. I believe it was the same price or very close to it.

But the theme of this thread is ..... never mind.
Internation dive travel not for me? Did you read my previous .... never mind.

 

[The Chairman]

In fact it's sat in the back seat of our unlocked pickup every day for over 2 months of diving over the past 2 years... Still have it

That's got to be one fugly hat. Maybe that's the deterrent we've been looking for?

 

[lpera]

Too bad that every Bonaire crime thread becomes a rant fest. It has to do with the crime rates increasing, everyone should bother about this only.

Everyone that has been to Bonaire knows it is a wonderful and unique place and maybe 90% of the people always come back....but that is not the focus here

 

[DustyC]

@DustyC - Ever heard the saying - "It all adds up?". When you only have a few days leave a year then indeed it probably doesn't matter, especially when you are there on your lonesome. Four of us stayed at You&Sea for 14 days - "it all added up".

Tripadvisor restaurant review: "Gross Burger, good fries and insanely expensive.”
Tripadvisor Bonaire review: "WARNING:Expensive destination. If you enjoy spending lots more money than necessary for a good vacation, if someone else is paying, or you are wealthy, then you are in luck."
Tripadvisor forum query: "I know the food is expensive on the island ..."
Yelp review: "Note that you will be paying $12 to 15 for a $8 burger".
Rough Guide forum: Car hire (for a fairly battered truck with leaky doors) is expensive, partly because full insurance is mandatory".
Rough Guide forum: "From own experience and talking to fellow divers, there is no budget hotel accommodation on the island like there is on Cozumel."

You are staying on Bonaire for less than $70 per night? Where? On 8 May I stay at the Tuscany Suites in LV for $63 - scores 8.6 on Booking. My son stayed at ZenYard Guest house in Phoenix. He raved. I believe it was the same price or very close to it.

But the theme of this thread is ..... never mind.
Internation dive travel not for me? Did you read my previous .... never mind.

I can make a trip to Mississippi expensive, then tell everyone that, and that doesn't mean it can't be done cheaply. I've been there. I know it can be done on a budget. I did it. We're staying at Bonaire Exclusief. And it really doesn't all add up. Other items from your list exist almost everywhere on the planet. To each their own though.

 

[boat sju]

Funny, I like Bonaire because it seems rather inexpensive to me. $16.50 for 36 Polarcitas (smaller bottles of course) makes me happy enough. Add in some Kip Tukkie chicken, some Pastechis, Babbejans, Pizza, and ice cream for dessert and I'm set.

Anyway, I think Pilot Fish has been reincarnated.

 

[oldschoolto]

That's because when you talk about crime like on Bonaire, There is very little that can be done.. We could add people at dive sites as I said earlier in the thread... The most effective thing to do is remove the stuff of value, As long as people keep bring and leave stuff in locked trucks... Windows will be broken and stuff stolen... If you leave nothing , Soon the thieves will learn that it's not worth their time to drive up and down the Island looking to make a score... It cost money to travel out to red slave and only get a cold water and a tuna sandwich....

The only thing that will bring down the crime is to get a handle on the drug problem and work for those that want it.. But in the USA, We don't seem to be doing to good at that...

The world has been trying to get rid of crime since we started living in groups... We haven't been to good at it.. Do you have the stomach to live in a world that puts people to death for stealing a pair of sun glasses ? Or live in a world that chops off peoples hands ? Or maybe we should just go back to what they tried in the 1500's through the 1700's of shipping convicts off to places to live among themselves..

The fact that some humans (And other animals) find it easier to steal from others than do the hard work is a fact.. Can't change that.. Like I said before in this thread, I'll not let anything stop me from having a good time..

And we are back to square one...

Jim....

 

[AdivingBel]

If I had it my way, We would all be aloud to take matters in to our own hands and deal out justice as we see fit... But, liberals have a real problem with that...

Jim...I can see your point and I was with you (more or less) until the last line. If you would like to substitute "those that consent to live in civilized society" for "liberals," I could climb back on the train. Thanks.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Funny, I like Bonaire because it seems rather inexpensive to me. $16.50 for 36 Polarcitas (smaller bottles of course) makes me happy enough. Add in some Kip Tukkie chicken, some Pastechis, Babbejans, Pizza, and ice cream for dessert and I'm set.

Not to mention there are many lodging options where you can cook for yourself (self-catering, as they call it). The only meals we eat outside our rental unit are the snack shacks, maybe Bobbejan's, or a splurge lunch at the Kite City truck. We've tried the nice restaurants, and nothing is really worth the price to us.

Off topic? Oh yeah. Crime.

 

[oldschoolto]

Jim...I can see your point and I was with you (more or less) until the last line. If you would like to substitute "those that consent to live in civilized society" for "liberals," I could climb back on the train. If you're headed down the "good guy with a gun..." path, I call BS. That just leaves everybody dead including the neighbor's cat. Please take that c**p to The Pub. Thanks.

I am sorry for my poor choice of words... I do that... I like your " Civilized Society " much better....

Jim....