Ever since researching the geology of Turks and Caicos as part of my masters thesis I’ve known that someday a trip there was in the cards. Well, no time like the present. Our small family will be there for 8 days in July and we’re trying to finalize accomodations and would truly appreciate the thoughts of those who’ve visited on where to stay and what places and events simply can’t be missed. Maybe it’s someplace you liked, or saw while there and wished you’d stayed at instead? I’ve done a bit of research already of course and have a couple of places in mind but there’s a surprising number of choices and pictures can only tell you so much.
What we’re interested in: we’d like a smaller place, something that’s comfortable and reasonably private with enough there on site to keep us from having to leave very often or do a lot of cooking. Private entry residence, pool, a couple of good restaurants and direct access to a really nice beach would be perfect. For something like that I expect to pay $500 to 1000 a night. Yes, Amanyara sounds lovely but that ain’t happening. We’ll have a car so we can do the occasional trip out as needed.
What we don’t want is a large hotel, anything geared towards singles or small children or a long hallway of doors slamming during the night.
I’m a diver and the girls are snorklers so what sites do you think are best to visit? Any trusted operators?
Is there anything else, whether it be archaeology, history, geology, restaurants or whatever that you’d recommend? Many thanks in advance!
I don’t know about private residences, but my husband and I stayed at the Coral Gardens hotel in Grace Bay at Providenciales. The snorkeling was outstanding! A coral reef is right off the beach and we saw eagle rays and sea turtles and all kinds of cool things out there. The beach was great and the staff was top notch. And all the conch fritters we could eat. There was a conch festival in town when we were there (one Thanksgiving several years ago), so we tried all kinds of conch dishes, all of which were great. I’d go again in a heartbeat!
Spend an afternoon bonefishing, the cost was about $100 about ten years ago. The fishing is good there and the boat ride out to the fishing areas is pretty damn nice too, especially going in in the evening. Snorkeling in Grace Bay was right off our back porch.
We rented a house when we where there. Staying at non-resorts gives you a better feel for a place, in my opinion. It was very nice, but be aware that the local thieves know what houses are rentals and may break in when you go off to dinner or something. It only happened one night, and nothing was stolen, but we didn’t leave high dollar stuff behind. Wouldn’t stop me from going back ( I really liked the place), but travel light when it comes to the expensive items. It was crime of opportunity, we never felt physically threatened. We were on Provo the entire time, I’d like to see the other islands. We did take a trip to iguana island, that was nice.
So you studied the geology of Turks and Caicos as part of your master’s thesis but didn’t do any field work there? You seem to have missed the point of grad school! For future reference, the reason to pick beautiful, exotic places to study as a grad student is to justify someone else paying to send you there!
It’s been a while since we’ve been to Provo, but we had very good luck with both Provo Turtle Divers and Caicos Adventures. Provo Turtle Divers is probably a better choice for an inexperienced or once-a-year diver, whereas Caicos Adventures fits a more experienced diver a bit better. I like to dive with both throughout a week. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Both will pick you up at your hotel, so transportation isn’t an issue.
legalsnugs, most of the ones we’re intrigued by are right near there, Grace Bay, Point Grace, Seven Stars, etc. That’s one spectacular beach alright. We too got hooked on fresh conch at St. Kitts and Nevis and are relishing getting our hands on more.
Dag Otto, that’s what I was looking for, bonefishing. Sounds like a requisite part of the experience and made special by the fact I’ve never done that particular kind before. I wonder if the hotel restaurants regularly cook your catch for you. In Cabo they did that with mahi mahi we’d caught. I’ll look at the private houses while we’re there, have a car and lots of time. I know the wife does not want to cook on vacation though, hence our plan to probably take the resort route. Still, I fully expect we’ll be going back as it’s a very convenient trip from our part of the country. I think we leave around 7:00 and get there at noon. And yes, I definately want to get over to the different islands. The satellite imagery is stunning.
wheresmymind, no, they sent me to Discovery Bay, Jamaica for a month of reef diving instead, the bastards. And really it was after my classwork and while writing on oolites and carbonate diagenesis that I was made aware of just how special T&C really is. I’ve got a sand collection from all the beaches I’ve visited around the world. Those I’ll collect here will surely be among the more cherished.
Thanks, carlb, like many my experience comes in bunches separated by long periods of quiesence. I’ll use those two in the order you suggest.
