Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Sometimes it only takes one visit to convince people to pack up their bags and move to Bonaire Island permanently.
Susan Davis has lived in Chicago her entire life before taking a diving trip to Bonaire in 1988.
And only four years later, Davis said goodbye to her life in America, and traveled to Bonaire, where she currently works as a bird guide.
Bonaire has more than 20 beaches. Credit: Tourism Corporation Bonaire
“I fell in love with Bonaire,” Davis, who is in her mid-60s, said of her first visit.
She continued, “The day it was time to go home, I remember sitting on the bed and telling myself that one day I will live here.”
And she is not the only one.
In the 1960s, the population of Bonaire was just under 6,000 people. However, the number of residents rose to 15,000 by 2010.
An image of the first lighthouse built on Bonaire in 1837. Credit: Rosie Bell/iStockphoto/Getty Images
More than just an amazing diving destination
Bonaire, pronounced “Bone-air”, is located just off the coast of Venezuela and is one of the three ABC islands: Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
Bonaire covers an area of 111 square miles, or 287 square kilometres, and you can traverse it all in three or four hours.
Most of the resorts are concentrated in the capital of the island, Kralendijk.
Rooms at Delfins Beach Resort are equipped with kitchenettes, which is where the majority of guests stay for a few weeks or longer.
There are also many homes that can be rented on Airbnb, for under $100 per night, many of them.
In the restaurants, the highlight is the local catch, including tuna, barracuda, mahi-mahi, bonefish, and more.
The island is home to a donkey sanctuary, a sea turtle conservation group, a flamingo sanctuary, a coral reef restoration foundation, and more.
Officials are trying to rid the entire island of plastic.
Many single-use plastics, such as plastic cutlery, will be banned in 2022.
Bonaire is known as a popular diving site. Credit: Tourism Corporation Bonaire
Bonaire is considered safe. The US State Department encourages its visitors to exercise their normal precautions.
The weather is warm and the public schools are excellent. The island offers free healthcare to residents.
You will notice that there are no traffic lights, goats and flamingos roam freely.
A view of the capital of Bonaire, Kralendijk, taken from a cruise ship. Credit: Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy Stock Photo
Move to the island
Kiki Meltam decided to move to Bonaire, after visiting the island for five days, in the year 2021.
“People are very friendly… I really found peace here… Island life has changed me in a positive way,” says Meltam, a travel blogger in her early 30s.
And if you have a Dutch or American passport, you can stay in Bonaire for six months a year without a residence permit. And many other nationalities can stay up to 90 days without a residence permit.
It is reported that there are no restrictions for foreign home buyers in Bonaire.
Image of flamingos on Bonaire Island. Credit: Tourism Corporation Bonaire
When Davis first moved to the island, some supplies were in short supply.
She remembers her happiness when she first found mushrooms in the market.
And the prices of most items are more expensive than in the United States or in Europe, due to shipping costs and import duties.
However, Bonaire has a special charm that will make you feel drawn to it.
2023-07-28 12:55:05
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