Reviews Photography Tour

We had a super fun and educational photography tour with Bas, completely tailored to our wishes. Everything was discussed in advance via WhatsApp. When we discovered that we had forgotten our battery charger, Bas happened to have exactly the right one and let us use his battery and even borrow it again later during the rest of our vacation if needed.

We focused on photographing animals and also visited an abandoned building. Bas gave lots of useful tips about photography and the island. You head out with him alone, so no large group to take into account, which means you have all the time you need for the perfect shot. Also well taken care of with snacks, fresh fruit and homemade iced tea.

In short: a fun, personal and informative tour, absolutely recommended!

On our last morning on the island, my family treated ourselves to a private birdwatching tour courtesy of HopiBonaire and couldn’t have been more happy. Our time on the island was limited, and the only slot that worked was the morning before our afternoon flight. HopiBonaire is a husband-wife team and were amazingly accommodating, even conducting a tour on their ‘day off’ so as to be able to suit our schedule.

My wife is a ‘serious amateur’ birdwatcher and I’m a photographer. Sebastian took our needs into account and worked an itinerary to maximize what we could see while focusing on areas of the island and species we’d not yet experienced. We found him to be easy going, knowledgeable, funny, and a joy to be around.

In almost every category HopiBonaire over-delivered, from the coffee and snacks to the overall tour duration. We were able to linger at spots we particularly liked, and he was quick to stop and pull-over at the merest glance of something interesting. We have been fortunate enough to have been able to do similar tours in literally dozens of natural places, and this experience was right up there and I have no hesitations in recommending.

Just to give a little insight as to who these folks are, during a drive from one of the more secluded spots, Sebastian spotted some errant garbage on the side of the road – stopped the vehicle, collected the trash, and then continued on our way. He genuinely cares about the environment and the island’s natural inhabitants, and I give him the extra nod for that.

If you’re looking for a casual, laid-back, informative, and beautiful scenic tour of Bonaire with a gracious host, look no further.

Thanks Sebastian, for the beautiful bird photo tour on Bonaire. You showed me incredibly beautiful spots, we spotted beautiful birds, and the part off the beaten path was definitely awesome.

The snacks were delicious along the way and everything was well taken care of. I will definitely come back and practice the photography tips you gave. It is a real recommendation to book the tour with HopiBonaire!

We had a fantastic photography tour with Sebastian on Bonaire. After being picked up at our apartment, we drove to several locations to photograph beautiful birds and landscapes. We saw so many amazing things: flamingos, cara caras, and even an osprey.

We had some lovely stops along the way at places not everyone gets to see and were spoiled with coffee and treats, delicious drinks, and fresh fruit salad. It was pure enjoyment and perfectly arranged. If I ever return to Bonaire, I’d love to join again!

We had a wonderful customized photography tour with Bas while we were visiting Bonaire. He was a wonderful guide and gave us a lot of history of the island while we were photographing blow holes and the landscapes of Bonaire. Also got to see and photograph the longest tree in Bonaire.

I will definitely book with Hopi Bonaire the next time I visit – to see and photograph other places on the island. We really enjoyed our time with Bas.

Had an amazing bird photography tour. Sebastian is an experienced photographer who gave us a great tour. He helped me with my camera settings.

With passion and joy, Sebastian paints a beautiful picture of Bonaire and knows how to find the most stunning spots and animals. Along the way, we were treated to tasty drinks and fruit — we didn’t miss a thing. I highly recommend HopiBonaire.

Sebastian, thanks again for the enjoyable tour we had a great time

Hopi means a lot on Bonaire, and I definitely got “hopi” value for my money. A photo trip right through nature on Bonaire with Bas as a guide was amazing. Saw, heard, and photographed so much. Bas knows the island and its nature like the back of his hand — including the places where something is likely to show up.

It was an excellent day, and I’ll definitely come back to Bonaire and book another photo trip with Hopi Bonaire!

Awesome Tour Guide, Sebastian took all of our wishes into account and we saw all the wildlife we desired. He shows you places a tourist will most likely miss.

If there’s one must do on Bonaire, it’s booking a tour with HopiBonaire. From the intro what’s app exchange until the end of the tour everything was well coordinated and flawlessly implemented. It starts with an intial WhatsApp call for consultation so the tour can be tailored to your particular needs.

We chose to do the wildlife photography tour but it was so much more! We got to see marine life land animals and tons of birds. Iguana, donkeys, rainbow parrotfish, turtles, flamingoes, a barn owl, Cara Cara, parakeets and osprey just to name a few. In addition our guide Bas also took us to aww some off the beaten path natural wonders like a blowhole, cactus fields, caves with inscriptions and much more.

The pace was perfect and we had enough breaks in scenic spots to enjoy coffee and cool drinks and snacks. Bas is a photographer himself and we never felt rushed. He also gave us tips and was very accommodating with us looking to find a perfect opportunity and shot composition.

The tour felt like a 3 in 1 tour of photography, enjoying nature and exploring the island. You cannot go wrong with Hopibonaire’s private tour that’s customized by a knowledgeable naturalist and Bonaire local who has clearly invested a lot of time in curating and building the itinerary. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Bonaire.

Bas was a great tour guide for our private tour with photography focus – informative, attentive, set us up for success with our photo taking. He knew great spots and hidden gems – both from an island tour perspective (even in comparison to a separate dedicated island tour we did a couple of days ago) and from photography perspective.

Truck was good, refreshments/breaks along the way were nicely set, everything one could ask for in a tour like this and more!

Living a bit hit-and-run at the moment, so given the breadth of image goals I requested, I was impressed and pleased with Sebastian’s use of four hours. He knew some special off-the-beaten-path spots, and a truly special treat — an Owl living in the cliffs (I forgot the breed’s name!). Sunrise, lighthouse , and a range of birds (we were lucky, and Sebastian was a great spotter). Added bonus: coffee and home-made muffins!

Thanks for a great time and being flexible to make this work for me in my schedule!

If you’re looking to see the beautiful wildlife of Bonaire and learn its history, we highly recommend HopiBonaire. We spent the morning with Bas Ronteltap who took us on a photo tour of the island. Our tour was everything we wanted and more – exotic birds, wild donkeys and goats, historic sites like the plantations, caves, and scenic overlooks.

The best thing is that you can tailor your tour to what fits your interests. A fantastic experience.

A photography day tour: It was in one word, SPECTACULAR.

Bas is an extremely passionate guide, dedicated to his craft. Very helpful and provides a lot of advice that you can use. Knows the most unique spots on the island and their corresponding backgrounds, with room for your own input as well. Witnessed incredibly beautiful spots. Hats off.

And as if that’s not enough, you absolutely won’t miss anything when it comes to refreshments. Coffee with cookies, fruit, freshly made couscous, homemade tapenades, with a drink of your choice or even homemade iced tea. And to enjoy all of this, there were cups, plates, utensils, napkins, and chairs with a little table.

In short, a true recommendation. Regards, Mathé and Betty

What an amazing experience the photography tour was! I was picked up right on time in a comfortable and off-road capable vehicle. The atmosphere was friendly, and I felt at ease immediately.

I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise and received various great tips to capture even more stunning photos. The guide possesses a lot of knowledge and experience in photography, the island, and visiting the right places at the right time.

Every detail was taken care of, from coffee, cookies, and delicious homemade muffins to refreshments. The tour excels in every aspect. Even my broken flip-flops were fixed.

It’s the perfect tour to see a lot of the island, learn, and capture beautiful photos in pleasant company. The price-quality ratio is excellent.

We were picked up promptly by Bas. After safely storing our bags, we got into the car with our cameras at the ready. After a brief discussion about the route to take, we quickly set off.

The first stop was a beautiful landscape overlooking the sea, with a presumably stunning sunrise that was unfortunately hidden behind the clouds. On the bright side, it provided more opportunities with softer backlighting. After receiving some tips and tricks from Bas, we continued to the next stop, the blowhole. We found a nice spot on a dry patch of rock and observed and photographed the crashing waves. It was mostly a matter of patience and keeping our cameras at the ready.

Next, we were taken to a field of melon cacti, where the backlighting created a red glow through the spines, which we captured well. Here, we were treated to coffee, tea, and a cookie. Bas also shared more tips and tricks for capturing the scene effectively. Along the way to the next location, we came across a beautiful lake with some flamingos and adorable goats that had taken ownership of a stone meter box.

We then clicked away at an old plantation and hobbled to the lighthouse through prickly bush paths, riding a cute little donkey. The last stretch had to be done on foot. Here, we positioned ourselves in the shadow of the lighthouse, aligning the sun perfectly behind it. The old house of the former lighthouse keeper was also quite picturesque. We played with shadows and reflections and then enjoyed a refreshing drink and a bowl of fruit. We took a moment to relax on the chairs we brought along. The service was top-notch!

And then, unfortunately, it was already over. We were dropped off back at our accommodation and had to say goodbye to Bas. It was a very successful, incredibly enjoyable, and educational morning. We saw only places we hadn’t seen before.

We did a super fun and enjoyable photography tour with Bas from HopiBonaire. We went off-road with him, which takes you to places you wouldn’t easily find on your own, discovering “things” that you might not come across during a short vacation.

Bas provided us with a lot of information about the island, and the bodily needs were taken care of either! I can recommend a tour with HopiBonaire to anyone who wants to see more of Bonaire.

What an amazing tour we had with Hopibonaire. Completely tailored to our wishes. During our photography tour, Bas took us to the desired locations in search of the animals on our wishlist. And he did not disappoint us. Highly recommended!!!!

We thoroughly enjoyed an excellent private photography tour with a top guide! What a fantastic morning we had. Highly recommended for anyone who loves nature and photography! Once again, thank you Bas for an amazing morning!