Bonaire What to Pack

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Bonaire's beaches are mostly made up of pieces of coral, not sand, which can be pretty rough on the feet and toes. A sturdy pair of sandals or shoes that can get wet are best for walking around on the beaches. Coral can be sharp so you really need water shoes here. There are also all kinds of sharp and prickly things around like cacti, sea urchins and shells.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Sunscreen!! You don't need antimalarial treatment for Bonaire (current-2009).

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: If you plan to snorkel you'll want something to wear to protect against the sun. The water is very warm all year so you don't need anything thick. Those sun protective surf shirts and shorts (or pants if you burn easy) are great, but you could just as easily wear anything light that won't drag too much when you swim. When you snorkel from shore you'll probably want something covering your butt so you don't scrape it or tear your swimsuit on the coral.

Miscellaneous: If you forget something there are lots of places that you can pick up food, clothing and everyday items.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Swim wear for the beach or boat trip, a hat to protect you from the sun and a towel for when you get into the taxi to keep the seat dry. If you are going on a boat trip, a hat with a chin strap will keep you from having your hat blow overboard

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Sunscreen is essential, the couple of spots I missed were as red as Rudolph's nose!

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: Snorkeling is a must in Bonaire, we always bring our masks and snorkels with us to warm weather spots as they are already adjusted for us and you don't have to share someone else's spit

Miscellaneous: I have traveled to many tropical destinations and have never come home with so many bug bites. I think this is due to the lack of wind on the south side of the island. Bring plenty of bug spray and anti itch cream.

Luggage and bags: Travel light

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Bring light weight cotton clothing and several swimsuits. Pretty sandals and a pair of walking shoes.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: It is best to bring what you will need because the brand you are used to probably is not available here.

Photo Equipment: The sun is bright so bring a filter for your camera and use 100 speed film or the sun icon on your digital camera.

Miscellaneous: The mosquitos are real pests in the open air restaurants so spray your legs before going out to dinner. Pick a brand that doesn't smell to bad.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Mosquito repellent was quite necessary. Even though it is described as a desert island there can be mosquitos if there has been a good rain. Repeat visitors we were staying with were surprised by the insects as they had not encountered them before. It was difficult to find shops that had repellent in stock. Bring your own!

Miscellaneous: Books. There wasn't a book store on the island that we could find. Maybe some of the larger resorts have some in a shop but if you plan on reading a lot, pack less clothes and more books instead.

Photo Equipment: An underwater camera housing is worth packing if you have one. We purchased it for the trip to Bonaire and we were glad we did. Once we saw the world below water we were completely inspired. It is more difficult to capture an underwater scene than realized. You are moved around by the current and to get in close to a colorful fish you can easily lose track of how close you are to sharp coral and those pesky sea urchins.

Luggage and bags: Use whatever you usually use. If you're flying from the US, keep in mind that TSA's new rules allow only 1 carry-on and 1 personal item to be brought on board (plus whatever you checked). The personal item is typically something no bigger than a purse or a laptop case. And they are clamping down on this, so be prepared

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Think casual. On Bonaire, there really isn't really a need for fancy gowns and tuxes. Everywhere you go, even in the fancier places, you will still see people dressed pretty casually. Pleated shorts or slacks with a nice shirt is about as fancy as it gets.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: You can find pretty much anything you need on the island. It's pretty well supplied. Make sure you bring any prescription drugs with you, though.

Photo Equipment: If you have an underwater camera, definitely bring it! The reef in Bonaire is very beautiful and diverse. You'll have plenty of opportunities for good shots.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: If you're planning on diving, naturally bring your usual scuba gear. As far as wetsuits, I'd suggest a full suit, 3mm or less. The water was 78-79 when we went in January, and after a couple of days of 3-5 dives a day, I was glad I had 3mm of rubber on me. It may seem like bathwater at first, but it catches up with you.

Luggage and bags: I brought one VERY LARGE suitcase and one small carryon. The *only* reason for the large suitcase was to bring supplies to my friends. As the island is so remote and supplies must be shipped (yes, on boats), lots of things are QUITE expensive to purchase. So they gave me a laundry list of things they needed, which I packed in to the large suitcase.

Everything *I* needed fit in to my carryon: Bathing suits, shorts, t-shirts, one dress (for going out) and sandals. And a book.