Help planning my first trip

[riceowls]

We are thinking of making an 8-day trip in February - deciding between Roatan and Bonaire - We have never been to Bonaire, so we are thinking of doing that.
But a few things scare me a bit:
1) Truck rental - is it possible to get one with an automatic transmission?
2) Food -- seems like nothing to write home about - expensive and mediocre from some of my reading.
3) Safety - all those stories about vehicle break-ins...

I hope to get scuba board wisdom and go - it's always fun to dive into new places.

 

[Ray and Pam]

Automatics? probably.
Or, stay at Den Lamen, Sand Dollar, BuddyDive or Capt Dons, they are all next to each other, best house reefs on the island. Dive the house reef and do boat dives especially those to Klein Bonaire for the week.
Rent a vehicle one day and drive the west side north to south to see where you'll be diving on your next trip when you learn to drive a stick.
Food- we bring most of it with us and get a room with at least a mini fridge and uwave, the rest we get from nearby Zhung Kong and occassionally eat at their restaurant and the go box most of the next day . Others will expand on where to go for good food.
Truck breakins happen and have been blown out of proportion for the 20 years we've been going there. More likely at some of the isolated northern sites if you leave the windows rolled up and doors locked. Leave windows down and don't leave anything in the truck you value.
Lots of info here on all these topics.
Been to Roatan 3 times, nice beach and cheap beer.
Enjoy.

 

[rmorgan]

There are excellent restaurants on Bonaire, and some excellent food trucks (particularly Cactus Blue's lionfish burgers, the double-decker bus across from the airport, but also others. Plus, there are full-tilt supermarkets, the groceries are fine, taking the barging-everything-in factor into account.

Seriously--don't obsess about the break-in thing. just leave your phones at home, leave the windows down, and enjoy the diving. (I leave my glasses in the pocket behind the driver's seat and a couple of towels under the seat. 12 two-week trips, so far no problems.)

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Bonaire has become a yearly trip for us. We stay at Den Laman, so, as @Ray and Pam said, we could probably do the whole week without a truck. Personally, while we do dive the house reef a lot, I think you would be missing out if you didn’t rent a truck.

1. We rent an automatic here Home | Prins Car Rental Bonaire. I’ve heard mention of a couple of other places, but these folks have won my loyalty.

2. There is fantastic food on Bonaire. Yes, it’s a more expensive, but food on Caribbean islands is expensive. If you decide go, let us know where you’re staying and you can get a list of really good food that’s close by, and a bit further away. We also hit the grocery stores, Zhung Kong and Van Den Tweel, so it’s not all eating out.

3. I’ve only done 3 trips there, total of 4 weeks, but have never had an issue. Yeah, I’ve heard stories, but no worse than what I’ve experienced in US cities, or trail heads in US national forests. Leave your windows down and don’t leave anything in the truck that you’ll have trouble doing without.

Hope that helps,

Erik

 

[Doctorfish]

There is no better time to learn to drive a stick shift than with a rental.

As mentioned above, the restaurants on Bonaire are diverse, and many are absolutely outstanding.

I would think that Roatan would be more of a worry about safety than Bonaire.

On Bonaire, the crime is petty and avoidable.

On Roatan, I did not feel safe walking out in the evening.

 

[Nettles]

While you can probably find an automatic transmission rental, Doctorfish nailed it when he said to learn how on a rental. Additionally, you have to look around a bit to find places where you'll be in traffic on a hill, so that pesky start up on a hill and not hit the car behind you issue doesn't apply. Further, the drivers in Bonaire are terrible, so the patience level is pretty high. Go for it. Think of it as learning a valuble new skill.

We think the food nowadays on Bonaire is fantasic, a far cry from what it was when the pickings were indeed slim.

As noted above, the vehicle break in stories are a little overblown, though they do happen. It has never happened to us in 26 years and a ton of trips, but we have never had to lock the vehicle to keep something "safe". Like anywhere else that has desperately poor people struggling, there are those who resort to theft. We are grateful however, for a room safe and secure accomodations. IMO property crime is slightly less than most places in the Carribean, but it can (and does) happen.

Personal safety wise, Bonaire is still outstanding.

 

[mbs]

AB Car Rental has automatic trucks. But i assume not a lot of them so if you want one you need to book well in advance. Lots of really good restaurants on the island as well! Crime? Meh. Leave your truck unlocked and nothing left in it that you cannot afford to lose.

 

[arubabob1]

I have been to Roatan 1 time and been to Bonaire 25 times. That should tell you which Island I like. When in Feb are you planning to be there? I wil be there till Feb 12th. Aruba Bob