Hi from Bonaire

[Frank-Paul Janssen]

Hello to all of you,
Since a couple weeks I am a member of Scubaboard and I would like to say hello to all of you. Iam an experienced PADI, CMAS, ANDI and DAN diver and I do live on Bonaire since august 2016. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Frank-Paul.

 

[drrich2]

How do you find living on Bonaire? What do you miss? Is it all you thought it would be?

Might want to update your profile or in other threads people will think you've got under 25 lifetime dives. You could. Lear that in a week on Bonaire!

 

[Frank-Paul Janssen]

Thank you drrich2, I will update my profile although I do not value the number of dives I made in the past. Iam working for the dutch government of Bonaire as a financial advisor and it took me about 6 months to get myself acclimatized. What I know is you either love Bonaire or you hate it.There is nothing in between. I just love the tranquility, the vibe on the island, the climate and the stunning dives I have done so far. You can do whatever you want and there are hardly any rules. So far I do not miss anything, except for my wife and daughter who are still in Holland. What I found disappointing is that the cost of living is 40-45% more expensive than in The Netherlands. Everything has to be imported and often prices are kept high among retailers because of their monopoly position. Cost of living is also high because the island has no major resources for export to compensate the import.

 

[ram04769]

Hi Frank-Paul and thanks for the open invitation. I hope to make it out your way one of these days to experience for myself what everyone is talking about. From what I hear, Bonaire is the dive spot that everyone should visit at least once. Take care and best of luck to you with your career and future dive adventures!
Roger...

 

[oldschoolto]

Hi Frank... Good thing you didn't mention that you dive with me... LoL... Good to see you here on the site..

And anyone needing a buddy or a hand in Bonaire, Frank is a super diver and all around great guy....

See you September 2 , Frank..

Jim

 

[Schwob]

Hi Frank-Paul, welcome to SB and thanks for posting. This might become an interesting thread as there seem to be so many nuances to Bonaire to discover.
I am glad you like to dive, otherwise this position might be a little more difficult over time. I can see how bringing the family over might be a rather big decision (schooling and all and do they all dive ?...)

So many questions, but maybe I "just ask" these - but no hurry and no problem if you can't just answer... some might or might not get involved...

1.) If you care to give this a stab or if happen to know of a site that explains the Dutch connection well (past too, but I am more interested in today) and how sovereign or un-sovereign Bonaire is ... how it works in government... That would be interesting.

2.) How is the tax situation on Bonaire ( Income, property, other)? Does it differ for citizens vs. residents? How?

3.) How do you see the situation in the health care and health care insurance area? How does it compare to what you know from the Netherlands?

4.) Overall, so far, how safe or unsafe do you feel on Bonaire compared to the Netherlands?

5.) Ignoring your "job" for this question: if you were not to speak Dutch, how would you judge might that affect your experience on Bonaire? In other words how important might it be to speak Dutch and or to be fairly well integrated into the Dutch speaking community to like it long term on Bonaire - in your thinking?

6.) Does having or not having a Dutch Passport make a difference in one's standing as a resident on Bonaire? As a person, or property owner or otherwise?

7.) Ditto, but EU Passport?
Is Bonaire even remotely affiliated with the EU thru the Dutch connection - or in no way at all?

 

[gypsyjim]

Hello Frank-Paul.

As a long time "repeat customer" to Bonaire, I agree that the island does seem to be a love it or hate it place.
For those who need masses of people, high drama and theater, big casinos, large shopping malls and such, the island will be a huge disappointment, but for those who enjoy the ocean, diving and a relaxed pace it is almost Heaven.

This Oct will be my 11th, or 12th straight year visiting the island, with 2 trips squeezed into a one or two of those years.

 

[Frank-Paul Janssen]

Hi Frank-Paul and thanks for the open invitation. I hope to make it out your way one of these days to experience for myself what everyone is talking about. From what I hear, Bonaire is the dive spot that everyone should visit at least once. Take care and best of luck to you with your career and future dive adventures!
Roger...

Hi Ram04769, you definitely must come over to see Bonaire. The divespots are incredible and what I most like is the easiness of shore diving. There are 63 dive sites to explore and underwater life is fantastic.

 

[Frank-Paul Janssen]

Hello Frank-Paul.

As a long time "repeat customer" to Bonaire, I agree that the island does seem to be a love it or hate it place.
For those who need masses of people, high drama and theater, big casinos, large shopping malls and such, the island will be a huge disappointment, but for those who enjoy the ocean, diving and a relaxed pace it is almost Heaven.

This Oct will be my 11th, or 12th straight year visiting the island, with 2 trips squeezed into a one or two of those years.

Hi GypsyJim, there are a whole lot of people who are coming back every year to visit and dive on Bonaire. They are telling me that it is the vibe around the island, the stunning shore dives and the variety of underwater, the 63 dive sites which are very easy to access and the beauty of the island makes them to come back over and over again, sometimes 2-4 times a year.

 

[Frank-Paul Janssen]

Hi Frank... Good thing you didn't mention that you dive with me... LoL... Good to see you here on the site..

And anyone needing a buddy or a hand in Bonaire, Frank is a super diver and all around great guy....

See you September 2 , Frank..

Jim

Hey Jim, can't wait to see you back on Bonaire and do some Lionfish hunting together. I saw 10 Lionfish yesterday evening and caught three of them with my new Stinapa ELF.