Kralendijk, Bonaire and Rincón, Bonaire
Bonaire is the second largest of the ABC islands. Still, at an area of only 111 square miles, a large portion of the island can be visited quickly. Also, Bonaire has a small population (around 25,000), so the island feels much less crowded than many Caribbean destinations. Because of the size and fewer people, one of the most popular ways of visiting Bonaire is via a golf cart rental.
Make your rentals ahead so you are not left without a rental option when arriving in Bonaire. For the six of us, we rented three separate golf carts. Once you get your golf cart, you must determine which way to go on the island. As we arrived via cruise ship, our time limits determined which direction we traveled on the island. The two principal recommended voyages are the Northern Loop and the Southern Loop. Both loops have advantages, but we drove the northern loop tour. There were multiple interesting sites along the northern route, including 1,000 Steps Beach, Saliña Goto, The Cadushy Distillery, Rincón, and Bonaire Landsailing Adventures, so if you visit, take a little bit of time to see everything that is along the way. The advantage of a golf cart is that you can stop just about anywhere and go at your own pace, although slower than the voyage would be on a car or with a tour bus.
Also, give yourself extra time. If we had been ambitious, we could have attempted both loops, but with two of our three golf carts gradually losing power as we went around the island, it was best that we completed the loop before getting stranded on the second.
The Dutch drive on the same side of the road as Americans, so there is no minor adjustment to be made while driving other than realizing that you are in a small vehicle that might have less power than advertised. Also, English is one of four widely spoken languages on the island, so don’t be overwhelmed by renting a vehicle in this foreign country.
Finally, be sure to give yourself time to get to the rental agency, checkout, and return your vehicle. If you are coming from the cruise terminal, you need to allow time for a short walk to your rental location. You are in the Caribbean, so many places are on “Island Time,” but the one place not on Island Time is your cruise ship, so give yourself plenty of time to return your rental. A golf cart is a great way to see Bonaire, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see this beautiful island at their own pace.
