Recent taxi experience at Bonaire

[paross4]

Heading to Bonaire in a month or so and have booked a cabana at the Oasis Beach Resort.  We plan to get there and back by taxi from the cruise port.  (It's about 7 klicks per the map)

 

 

Does anyone have a recent experience with taking a taxi in Bonaire?  (short ride, not a tour)  Information (besides the rate chart for long rides/tours) is a bit slim on this topic.  Some posts point out that there are not a lot of them available, and this is a concern of mine for returning to the ship.

 

Any information is appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Katefromupstate]

Hi,

 

This is a great question, and you’re right to make a plan since you’re going to a location that is not walkable from the ship. 

 

When your taxi drops you off at the beach, arrange for the driver to come back and pick you up at a specific time in the afternoon and get the driver’s name and phone number so you can make a reminder call 15 minutes before.  Some of them have cards with this information. 

In the unlikely scenario that you have trouble, ask the reception desk for assistance.  They may have someone eating in the restaurant who’s just leaving who can give you a ride back to the port.  I know this because I’ve given tourists a ride back to the cruise port when they couldn’t get a cab (they thought they could just find one or call one whenever they were ready to leave the beach)  and I’ve also picked up a couple trying to walk back to the ship in the pouring rain.   
 

Bonaire residents are incredibly kind and people will go out of their way to help you.  And since we’re such a small island, it doesn’t take much time to get to the cruise port. 
 

Hope you enjoy your trip!
Kate

[paross4]

Thank you Kate!   That is very helpful. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

It was $5 pp last year to Sorobon beach. Taxis were plentiful at the port.

 

Make arrangements with the taxi driver for the return trip, if this resort is not a very popular destination. 

 

There were return taxis at Sorobon beach, coming by regularly.

[jean87510]

5 hours ago, Katefromupstate said:

Hi,

 

This is a great question, and you’re right to make a plan since you’re going to a location that is not walkable from the ship. 

 

When your taxi drops you off at the beach, arrange for the driver to come back and pick you up at a specific time in the afternoon and get the driver’s name and phone number so you can make a reminder call 15 minutes before.  Some of them have cards with this information. 

In the unlikely scenario that you have trouble, ask the reception desk for assistance.  They may have someone eating in the restaurant who’s just leaving who can give you a ride back to the port.  I know this because I’ve given tourists a ride back to the cruise port when they couldn’t get a cab (they thought they could just find one or call one whenever they were ready to leave the beach)  and I’ve also picked up a couple trying to walk back to the ship in the pouring rain.   
 

Bonaire residents are incredibly kind and people will go out of their way to help you.  And since we’re such a small island, it doesn’t take much time to get to the cruise port. 
 

Hope you enjoy your trip!
Kate

I remember the owner of the Donkey Sanctuary giving my family a ride in her pickup truck back to the port after we could not get a cab back in 2015.  I second the kindness of the citizens especially when we wander about in our rental car.

[3rdGenCunarder]

The photographer on Sea Cow offered me a ride back to the ship since they were going that way. But I wanted to stroll the seafront, so I declined. Bonaire is a friendly island!

[MELSMOM47]

On 1/19/2024 at 5:48 PM, Itchy&Scratchy said:

It was $5 pp last year to Sorobon beach. Taxis were plentiful at the port.

 

Make arrangements with the taxi driver for the return trip, if this resort is not a very popular destination. 

 

There were return taxis at Sorobon beach, coming by regularly.

Do you recommend Sorobon beach. Is it a resort with chairs and umbrellas and food and drink? 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

16 hours ago, MELSMOM47 said:

Do you recommend Sorobon beach. Is it a resort with chairs and umbrellas and food and drink? 

we usually end up going to the beach bar right where the taxi drops you off. It is not very big, so it fills up pretty quickly, but people do leave sometimes in the middle of the day so you can get a better spot. Last time we were there, they roped off a large area for our own cruise's beach break, but before that - the entire beach bar area was available.
 

I think there is Sorobon Beach resort right next to it (to the right if looking at the water), but we never looked closely.

 

 

I believe other people recommend Chogogo resort for fuller amenities, and it's not very expensive for the day beach break option. I think $25 including $10 food credit.

 

[MELSMOM47]

18 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

we usually end up going to the beach bar right where the taxi drops you off. It is not very big, so it fills up pretty quickly, but people do leave sometimes in the middle of the day so you can get a better spot. Last time we were there, they roped off a large area for our own cruise's beach break, but before that - the entire beach bar area was available.
 

I think there is Sorobon Beach resort right next to it (to the right if looking at the water), but we never looked closely.

 

 

I believe other people recommend Chogogo resort for fuller amenities, and it's not very expensive for the day beach break option. I think $25 including $10 food credit.

 

Thank you.