Money on Bonaire

[O-ring]

What makes the most sense for taking money to Bonaire?

1) Bring a lot of cash (USD)
2) Bring travelers checks
3) Bring an ATM card and get money there

Some combination of the three?

 

[TCDiver1]

IMO, travelers checks are your safest bet. I usually try to only use credit or ATM cards as backups and they are comforting to have along.

 

[mchiapetto]

My number one choice is to use my Visa card. After that, I find it easier to bring cash. The hotels have safes where I can lock it up during the day. But I like having lots of small bills to use for tips (hotel cleaning staff and dive boats) and I find it easier to bring a bunch of ones and fives with me rather than trying to cash traveleres checks to get enough small bills.

 

[bridgenet]

US $ are readily accepted and change given in most shops is US$. Was there last September.

 

[Fred Brown]

Don't waste your money on travellers' checks. Take $100 or so in cash and use your ATM/credit cards when you get there.

Fred

 

[raxafarian]

we took about 200 in cash. Your visa is accepted just about everywhere (hotel, diving, restaurants). There are at least 2 atms that I know of on the main street. One is on the corner by the post office, the other in the middle of downtown. Most prices in the stores.... grocery, drugstore, etc, are in guilders (approx. $1.00 us = 1.75 guilder...... your 20.00 bill US is 35 guilder. Some restaurants price your check both ways. I can't remember, but I think some stores price US... check the price tag, it usually specifies.


Have a great trip!


ps. The atm's are on the major networks and dispense either US or guilder...your choice.

 

[herman]

There is one in frount of the Sand Dollar resort as well.
I carry US $50's and use them at the restaurants to get change. They are large enough to avoid having to carry a larger wad of bills but much easier to break than $100's. The hotel we stay at has small safes in the room which is where I leave most of my cash(and PP's/tickets). I only carry $25-50 and a credit card most of the time.