Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire
Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
In 1993 Dutch Nationals, Marina Melis and her husband Ed Koopman, established a donkey sanctuary on Bonaire for sick, wounded and orphaned donkeys: Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. The primary objective of Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire is to offer a sheltered, protected life to all the donkeys of Bonaire. Our information about the lives and experiences of donkeys is also raising awareness amongst the local community, schools and tourists. At this moment there are more than 400 donkeys living in Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. They are provided with food, drinking water and medical care and have plenty of room and freedom. When a report arrives about a live wild donkey in distress, volunteers are sent to the rescue. Sick and wounded animals are nursed and, where necessary, a vet is called upon to give medical attention. Orphaned foals are raised with a baby bottle. All stallions that arrive at the sanctuary are castrated to avoid expansion of the numbers of donkeys in care. Once the animals are recovered, they are lucky enough to spend the rest of their lives lovingly cared for at Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. In all the years Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire has been active, a lot has already been achieved. Hundreds of donkeys were saved from the streets in miserable condition and were given a safe life in the sanctuary. Too bad there were also many donkeys that suffered from so severe illness or injuries, that they could not be cured. Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire paid for these animals the cost of putting them to sleep by a vet, so at least they were released from suffering any longer.
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Restaurants
130 within 5 kms
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26 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- W&MDeventer, The Netherlands781 contributionsSouth tour 4We stop at the Donkey place. The owner, a very nice lady, gave us some background information. After this, we drove around to see most of the 800 donkeys. During our Island round trip, we saw only a few flamingos. Near the sanctuary we saw a lot of these fellows.Visited February 2023Written 27 March 2023
- jfillmore4Michigan110 contributionsThis is a must do!I’m a huge animal lover. I’ve been wanting to go here for years. The donkeys are so cute. It’s wonderful that they take care of all these donkeys. I was impressed at how big the grounds are. The donkeys have a lot of space to roam, and lots of spots for shade to be in. Climbing to the top of the tower and taking in the views was also nice. We were in a golf cart which was a nice way to get around. It says on their website as well as the pamphlet they give you that you can buy carrots to feed the donkeys in the gift shop, but when I asked the woman she said they don’t sell carrots only feed. However, because we were in a golf cart we couldn’t feed the donkeys. If I knew this we would have stopped at a store to buy carrots and gone to the Donkey Sanctuary first. I feel they should update their website/handouts as having inaccurate, outdated info is unacceptable. Their website should also mention if you want to go by golf cart that they discourage you from feeding the donkeys. We may have been able to park outside and walk in to feed the donkeys. However, it was hot and we didn’t think of that until after driving around. We had to get back to the ship anyway at that point. Plus, that was never offered to us as an alternative despite it being obvious that feeding them was something we wanted to do. Furthermore, the donkeys weren’t as affectionate with us since we didn’t have food. A few came up to sniff our hands and went away when they realized we had nothing. Only a couple wanted scratches/cuddles. They were a lot more interactive with the people in cars who had food. Despite all of that it was still fun and memorable. It just would have been nice to have the correct information going into it.Visited March 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 31 March 2023
- Ramune C2 contributionsFamily smiles and laughsNever knew Donkeys were so adorable. My two teenagers and I (mom) visited the Donkey Sanctuary in July 2023. The donkeys swarm your car and poke their heads into it seeking food and lovin'. They are such incredible creatures. Thanks to the sanctuary, we learned so much about how smart, strong, and emotional intelligent donkeys are. Beyond the swarm of donkeys, we got to see a baby one who was only born four weeks before we arrived there. So sad to hear they were left abandoned when modern technology came to the island and the donkeys' work was no longer needed. But, it's so great to see the work the sanctuary has done to care for them. We highly recommend checking out the sanctuary. We just went as a quick break from the beach and pool. You can spend as little as an hour there or as much time as you want. They also have a nice gift shop, where we purchased some donkey and flamingo stuffed animals for our niece. The prices were very afforable, the quality is great and all the proceeds go to help the donkeys. Thank you, Donkey Sanctuary! We haven't simultaneously laughed in awe and pure joy as a family like that for a while.Visited July 2023Travelled with familyWritten 15 July 2023
- Happy Mamma786 contributionsA fun hour or twoLoved seeing those sweet babies. I’m so happy a place like the sanctuary exists to help all the donkeys in need of food, shelter and special care. Over 800 of them! Bring carrots and stay in your car by the watch tower if being surrounded by these hungry but friendly guys might be overwhelming. They kinda freaked me out a tiny bit, but they were kind and gentle. I preferred petting one on one or from the window.Visited July 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 July 2023
- Rami7 contributionsBest experience in BonaireThis was such a fun and memorable experience for our family. The donkeys were amazingly sweet, curious and affectionate. Rolled the windows down and had 3-4 donkey heads poking in to say hi. We brought carrots to feed them and that was so much fun. This is an absolute MUST do in Bonaire. The staff were also extremely friendly and the grounds are beautiful. Do it and you won't be disappointed.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 21 August 2023
- Stefan GWashington DC, District of Columbia1,067 contributionsDonkeys - donkeys everywhere! Support a good cause!A fun way to spend an hour or so, and your money goes toward supporting these animals. Staff very friendly. Gift shop on site with lots of cool gifts, many donkey-themed, of course. Pay the small entry fee and drive around the sanctuary, stopping if you like to climb a tower and get a look over the entire area. Recommended, especially if you like animals.Visited August 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 22 October 2023
- Diane K89 contributionsGreat excursion in a natural setting to see this cute donkeys. Local crafts.This is our 4th time to the donkey sanctuary. We paid less than 10 dollar admission fee and had so many laughs and such a nice time. The staff are so genuine and caring about the donkeys. The service to help the donkeys is so necessary here in Bonaire. One young donkey had been hit by a car and had a cast on their little leg. One adult female with a baby had a “run in “ with a horrible human being and is under going treatment for intentional injuries. I would recommend this visit to everyone. The donkeys are such sweet beings and your admission to enter the facility is $ well spent to continue this important work. The donkeys were here well before us tourists. Cheers.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 November 2023
- Tracy DBarrie, Canada4 contributionsJust Donkeying Around!The Donkey Sanctuary is a must do! Many thanks to the amazing people that work/volunteer their time to helping these donkeys live a better life. You can buy or bring food to feed them, just make sure it's ok'd by the staff. Definitely worth the time for some great laughs!Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 December 2023
- car0linafamily70 contributionsDonkeys, donkeys, donkeysWe stopped at the Donkey Sanctuary while we were driving our rental golf cart around the southern loop of Bonaire. It was about 10 minutes off the loop and we had plenty of time to see it. Well worth it. We were able to drive the golf cart through the sanctuary and pet donkeys along the way which was fun. It was only $9 per person and we were glad to support their sanctuary. The donkeys had a large enclosure with water and lots of feeding stations. There was a separate area for the older donkeys and another for new moms and young. The staff there were very knowledgeable and we enjoyed learning from them.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 January 2024
- Regina HLexington, Kentucky33 contributionsA lot of donkeys!Fun experience. 800 protected donkeys live in this sanctuary. They check you out for treats, let you pet them, you get to visit the wellness area where babies are housed or donkeys are under care. Walk up the lookout to see more of the sanctuary, all the donkeys and surrounding Bonaire. Drop off a donation to help support them. They do good workVisited February 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 14 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,168 reviews
Excellent
886
Very good
218
Average
47
Poor
9
Terrible
8
Aimster77
Austin, TX220 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
They are doing a great job at the donkey sanctuary and we had so much fun that we adopted a donkey and returned the next day. This is a fun activity for the whole family.
Written 15 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HMZ1968
Cedar Park, TX94 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
What a wonderful place, the entire family loved it! We went through 8 buckets of donkey food and everyone had a blast! We ended up "adopting" a donkey!
Written 14 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tatarzyn
boston21 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
Visited with family and made the drive around the loop checking out the donkeys. The kids loved it, they were cracking up in the bed of the truck, driving around feeding the hundreds of donkeys. The food doesnt last long because it gets spilled and dropped everywhere. The donkeys are just how you would expect.
Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I wouldnt plan on spending a lot of time there, 30-60 minutes just to check it out.
Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I wouldnt plan on spending a lot of time there, 30-60 minutes just to check it out.
Written 26 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
panther-ivor
dundee45 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Wonderful visit to The Donkey Sanctuary - couldn't believe the number of donkeys and how friendly they all were. Well kept rescue with knowledgeable staff
Written 15 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Regina H
Lexington, KY33 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
Fun experience. 800 protected donkeys live in this sanctuary. They check you out for treats, let you pet them, you get to visit the wellness area where babies are housed or donkeys are under care. Walk up the lookout to see more of the sanctuary, all the donkeys and surrounding Bonaire. Drop off a donation to help support them. They do good work
Written 14 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
car0linafamily
Charlotte, NC70 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
We stopped at the Donkey Sanctuary while we were driving our rental golf cart around the southern loop of Bonaire. It was about 10 minutes off the loop and we had plenty of time to see it. Well worth it. We were able to drive the golf cart through the sanctuary and pet donkeys along the way which was fun. It was only $9 per person and we were glad to support their sanctuary. The donkeys had a large enclosure with water and lots of feeding stations. There was a separate area for the older donkeys and another for new moms and young. The staff there were very knowledgeable and we enjoyed learning from them.
Written 14 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy D
Barrie, Canada4 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
The Donkey Sanctuary is a must do! Many thanks to the amazing people that work/volunteer their time to helping these donkeys live a better life. You
can buy or bring food to feed them, just make sure it's ok'd by the staff. Definitely worth the time for some great laughs!
can buy or bring food to feed them, just make sure it's ok'd by the staff. Definitely worth the time for some great laughs!
Written 30 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane K
89 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This is our 4th time to the donkey sanctuary. We paid less than 10 dollar admission fee and had so many laughs and such a nice time. The staff are so genuine and caring about the donkeys.
The service to help the donkeys is so necessary here in Bonaire. One young donkey had been hit by a car and had a cast on their little leg. One adult female with a baby had a “run in “ with a horrible human being and is under going treatment for intentional injuries.
I would recommend this visit to everyone. The donkeys are such sweet beings and your admission to enter the facility is $ well spent to continue this important work.
The donkeys were here well before us tourists. Cheers.
The service to help the donkeys is so necessary here in Bonaire. One young donkey had been hit by a car and had a cast on their little leg. One adult female with a baby had a “run in “ with a horrible human being and is under going treatment for intentional injuries.
I would recommend this visit to everyone. The donkeys are such sweet beings and your admission to enter the facility is $ well spent to continue this important work.
The donkeys were here well before us tourists. Cheers.
Written 16 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefan G
Washington DC, DC1,067 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
A fun way to spend an hour or so, and your money goes toward supporting these animals. Staff very friendly. Gift shop on site with lots of cool gifts, many donkey-themed, of course.
Pay the small entry fee and drive around the sanctuary, stopping if you like to climb a tower and get a look over the entire area.
Recommended, especially if you like animals.
Pay the small entry fee and drive around the sanctuary, stopping if you like to climb a tower and get a look over the entire area.
Recommended, especially if you like animals.
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2newdocs
Harleysville, PA64 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
It is what it is……..what makes this a 5 is the personalities of the donkeys and the kind staff. 2nd time there is 5 yrs. Worth the visit and donation.
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan
Corinna, ME93 contributions
What is the best way to get from Dormio Bonaire Village in the Donkey Sanctuary?
GiniB_11
Statesboro, GA155 contributions
You do have to do a little preplanning in Bonaire. I recommend renting a car (not a scooter or golf cart, will explain below), but if you don't want to or can't do that and you know what you want to go see and when, you can arrange for taxi pickup in advance. Most of the taxis are not busy other than when planes arrive and leave, so the drivers are happy to schedule trips. There's no central dispatch for cabs. They are mostly privately owned vehicles with taxi licenses. They don't have a lot of "on street" business, so you won't see taxi stands full of cars waiting to give you a ride. Any hotel can call a cab for you and they'll come get you pretty quickly.
Now, as for the golf cart, bicycle and scooter rentals. Whoever's brilliant idea to rent out golf carts on Bonaire should be shot. They tie up the roads and the people who live on the island absolutely hate them. When a cruise ship full of passengers rents them and they follow each other out to the Donkey Sanctuary or Sorobon in lines of 20 or 30, it's downright dangerous. Someone trying to get to work to make a living has to either take everyone's life into their hands to try to pass or has to crawl along behind them and risk being late for work. The roads in Bonaire are in notoriously bad shape, and the golf carts swerving to avoid golf-car-sized potholes are scary. Then you add alcohol to the mix and it's even worse. Scooters are almost as dangerous, although at least they're a little easier to pass. Know though that many of Bonaire's drivers either never learned or forgot the rules of the road and may feel no obligation to try to avoid you. Bicycles? Not even if you paid me. The Dutch love their bicycles, and many have tried to turn Bonaire into a nice place to ride, but with the condition of the roads and the skills of the drivers, it is suicidal to ride your bike there. The only dedicated bicycle lane I've seen is on Kaya Korona and drivers completely disregard its original purpose. I've seen it used more as a high speed passing lane than as a bicycle lane.
Rant over.
SparkyCat_13
Maple, Canada12 contributions
We will be on a cruise and Bonaire is one of our Ports. Can you visit this sanctuary without a car and how far is it from the cruise ship terminal. Is this a “doable” excursion? From a timing and no car perspective??
Marina M
Caribbean
Yes that is possible.You can rent a golfkart It will be fun to drive on the usland and it is very easy to go to the Sanctuary.Ask for Debby or Tamara.Good luck and i hooe to see you.Kind regards Marion
j6903
Hartford, Connecticut1 contribution
hi, took a tour of sanctuary offered by cruise line a few years ago and loved it. will be in Bonaire on Sept 26th (RCL Freedom...) but I couldn't find tour. I know you aren't far from the pier. The sanctuary is the main reason I choose this cruise itinerary. I know you aren't far from port. I would like to take taxi to/from port to visit Sanctuary and perhaps get there in time for feeding. Any suggestions?
Nathan_Barnaby
California65 contributions
I walked (along a v quiet road); a taxi shouldn’t be a problem
Roos A
Kralendijk, Bonaire22 contributions
Hoelang is de wandeling door het park heen? En zijn de ezeltjes ook al aan het begin van het park ( dus dat je niet het volledige park af hoeft te lopen )
Marion J
Kralendijk
Sorry voor mijn late antwoord,ik zie deze berichten nu pas.ja je hoeft niet het hele park door te lopen.Het kan gedeeltelijk of met een auto,fiets,scooter of golfcart.
kevininco
Seattle, WA149 contributions
Going on a celebrity cruise will be there in 2 weeks. We there 7am to 5 pm but also looking to do a bike exertion around island that is 4 hours and puts us at TE amo beach? Is that close? You think we will have time for that a d you?
Thank you!!
Marion J
Kralendijk
Hello We are open from 10.00am till 17.00pm.And Ti amo beach is nearby. So it is possible, i think
missycannon031548
Orlando, FL
We had the good fortune to be in Bonnaire last week and took a taxi to the sanctuary. The driver was very nice and came back to pick us up at the designated time. We walked through the sanctuary and almost all of the donkeys are so friendly. If If they don't want you to pet them, they just walk away. God bless you and your volunteers for caring and loving these sweet donkeys....you are their angel. I never knew they lived until around 52 and saw your oldest resident with his one ear up....and one ear down...at 48. I will send donations when I can and plan on coming back when I pass your way again. Thank you Michele Cannon, Orlando, FL
Marion J
Kralendijk
Thank you for your kind words Michelle and you can always follow us on FB. Kind regards Marion
YesITravelALot
Orlando, FL
Hi. Do you know of any tour company that will take a group there. We're worried some of our older members may not like to get so close to the donkeys so a golf cart sounds a bit risky plus we don't like the idea of driving there. We're a group of 15 or so. I read it's $7 to drive thru? Is that per person/child? Thanks for your help and for what you do for the animals :)!
Marion J
Kralendijk
hello the entrance is $7.- for adults and $3.50 for children.You can ask Farid the taxi driver to go and drive thru the sanctuary with your group.When are you coming?because when I now it on time,maybe I can arrange something for you,let me know.
Kind regards Marion
hughes753
Baltimore, MD1 contribution
Checking to see how to get to your sanctuary from cruise ship carribean princess on Feb. 2,2017. How far are you from the pier? Taxi cost approx. Thank you for any advice. Joan Hughes
Marion J
Kralendijk
Hello Joan
It's not so far away and you can come by taxi,I think it's about 10-15 dollars.
Also nice to rent a golfcart at the town pier,so you can do some sightseeing as welland it's fun to go with the golf cart into the driving area.
Hereby a tel;005997778777 and their name is Bonaire Golf cart Rentals. They are on tripadvisor also. Good Luck and have fun,we hope to see you! Kind regards Marion
LADWhitePlains
White Plains,NY140 contributions
Is it possible to take a private taxi to the Donkey Sanctuary as opposed to a ship tour?
Marion J
Kralendijk
Hello ,yes you can take a taxi and do whatever you want to do when you of the ship.Hopefully we see you at the Sanctuary! Kind regards Marion
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Claim your listingDonkey Sanctuary Bonaire - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire
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