Planning a trip to Turks & Caicos
If it's long sweeping beach vistas and crystal blue waters you're looking for, look no further than Turks & Caicos. Nestled just 575 miles southeast of Miami, these picturesque islands lie about 30 miles south of the Bahamas. This island country boasts an average of 350 days or sunshine each year. In just under 3 hours by air from New York, you can be soaking up the nearly eternal sunshine on a seemingly endless white sand beaches in Providenciales. Vacationers seeking exciting clubs, wild nightlife, and dancing til dawn may want to look elsewhere. On the island country of Turks & Caicos, BWI, it's all about relaxation. Visitors to this pristine group of islands will have a wide variety of accomodations and activities to chosse from. But no one will be suprised if you decide not to ever move from your beach chair.
How to Get there
Turks & Caicos is a country comprised of seven islands with total land mass of just 166 square miles. Grand Turk and Salt Cay to the west of the Columbus Isle Passageway are known as the Turks. To the east, Providenciales and the smaller islands of North, South and Middle Caicos are known collectively as Caicos. Several major airlines provide service to the largest airport, in Providenciales. The two busiest US gateway cities are US Airways' Charlotte, North Carolina hub and Philadelphia via American Airlines. Flight time from Charlotte is a quick 2 hours 30 minutes. Airfares to Providenciales for April or May 2005 was as low as $595 RT with 2 stops, $608 on multiple carriers with 1 stop, slightly lower from NYC or Boston.
Where to Stay
Vacationers will find the largest choice of accomodations on Provo, as locals refer to the island of Providenciales. For value and convenience, consider booking your trip through a travel agent. Large travel consolidators such as Apple Vacations offer package air/hotel rates starting at $808 for a weeks stay and ranging as high as $ 2400 for ultra all-inclusive properties. American Airlines and US Airways offer package deals as well, starting at $599 for a 3 night stay. When deciding on a place to stay, consider several factors. Will this be a family trip, or a couples getaway? Looking for an active vacation or a private, romantic getaway?
Are you the kind of traveler who enjoys relaxing and not thinking about the details? You may enjoy the simplicity of an all inclusive resort. If you know that you like to explore new areas and delight in finding new dining experiences, you may prefer not to pre-pay for all your dining within a single resort. While some exotic islands suffer from a dearth of dining options, Provo offers a reasonable variety of casual and fine dining. It's never fun to arrive at an isolated resort, not matter how gorgeous the locale only to fine you have one or two pricey option for dinner the next seven night. In Turks and Caicos, this won't be a problem.
For families, Beaches and Allegro Resorts offer inclusive rates of $1800 to $4400 per adult per week. Children under six can be free or significantly reduced rates. These high end properties provide luxurious rooms or suites, optional kitchenettes and the convenience of organized activities for the kids ages 3-16 at no extra charge. In-room babysitting is available after kid's club hours at a nominal hourly rate ($7-$13/hr). At an all inclusive property, you don't need to worry about where you'll be eating, you never need to leave the resort. In case you are thinking you'd like more variety that one property offers, consider that Beaches boasts 9 restaurants on-site! Parents can relax and soak up the sun, participate in activities without concern for entertaining the kids-it's all provided. Scuba is included at Beaches.
Another option that's especially attractive to families is renting a beach house or condo. Plentiful on the islands, and never very far from a terrific beach, rates can range from $1,000 to $3,000/week. For those seeking extreme luxury, even more opulent accomodations are available. For rentals, find out exactly what is offered. There is a wide range of variability in amenities, including maid service, TV or satelitte service, internet access, in-unit laundry, be sure to check what is included in the rate you are quoted. Many rentals can require additional fees for post-stay clean-up that can add up. Be sure to inquire if the unit is pet or child friendly if you plan on bringing Junior and Fido. Nearly all units have a kitchen, allowing for siginficant savings by eating at home. Being able to prepare light meals at home means spending less on dining out and elimiating the need to find restaurants several times a day.
For couples seeking a more private or romantic experience, consider properties like Sands at Grace Bay, Royal West Indies Ocean Club or Grace Bay Club, just a few of the 37 properties on Providenciales. Salt Cay has only eight hotels or inns. For travelers seeking a more unique accomodation, consider Pirates Hideaway Guest House wher eyou can stay in a charming small inn and get a real feel of the island.
Club Med Turkoise, on Providenciales has just been renovated this year. This location caters to singles and couples, so you will not see anyone under 18 during your stay. As at all Club Med properties, the only thing you need to worry about is whether to play pool volleyball or take a sailing lesson. All activities are included with the exception of scuba diving excursions. While some might find it uninspiring to eat at the same buffet three times a day, the chef and staff flawlessly re-create a unique dining adventure every night. Included with dinner are all soft drinks and red or white wine. The old-style bead necklaces made famous by the Club Med brand have given way to color coded bracelets indicating a guest has purchased an alcoholic beverage plan. Accomodations are comfortable and practical without being overly oppulent. If they were designed to subtly encourage guests The property offers circus school with trampoline and aerial instruction, tennis lessons, sailing lessons, beach activities and more. The abundant activities combines with suprisingly excellent fare to provide a luxury "summer camp for grown-ups" kind of experience. A great option for single travelers, as Club Med offers to match traveler with a same gender roomate with no single supplement when requested. Many opportunities to meet other quests who are traveling on their own are planned. Consider that a week stay can start at under $1000, with low charter airfare from major US gateways, and Club Med Turkoise becomes a very good value.
What to Do/What you'll find
Another big consideration is the type of activities you like to do while on vacation. Long known for spectacular scuba and snorkeling, Turks and Caicos has much more to offer. Provo Golf & Country Club, a championship 18 hole Par 3, 72 rated course offers tee times for guests of many larger accomodations including Beaches, Club Med Turkoise. Greens fees for 18 holes begin at $130, club rental for $20. to $40. Reduced Twilight fees of $90. are available after 1pm in the winter, after 2pm in the summer. On Grand Turk, play a short game of 9 holes.
Turkoise Excursions offers several unique tours. Explore a limestone cavern on Grand Turk complete with stalagtites, or take the Gloworm tour. Any activity you might want is offered by the several local tour operators on the islands. But for true beach lovers, take advantage of their exclusive beach getaway. You're party be taken to a secluded private beach accesible only by boat. Included in your tour are chairs, umbrellas, mask & bsnorkel, and a sumptuous picnic lunch, all in a cooler stocked with soft drinks, water wine and beer. Enjoy the silky white sand and cool blue waters and you'll be picked up at the end of the day-whether you want to leave or not! Tour cost were not available at press time.
For SCUBA divers, there are several PADI recognized shops on the islands. Dive Provo, in Providenciales has a solid reputation and offers a wide variety of dives. The dive staff at Club Med were both fun loving yet obsessively safety conscious with their divers. There are numerous dive sites within 30-40 minutes where you can see an abundance of sea life and spectacular coral reef formations.
If you have never experienced SCUBA, Turks & Caicos is a fabulous place to begin. Most dive shops offer SCUBA certification courses so you can learn to dive on your vacation. PADI certification requires a significant amount of course work and pool excercises, so if you are planning a trip to Turks & Caicos, make the most of your vacation by doing your coursework at home. Begin the process about 3 months before your trip and arrange your certification dives while on vacation. You will then be free to do as much diving as you like.
What to Wear/What to bring
Turks & Caicos can be very casual. Simply pack your flip flops, mask and snorkel and a bathing suit and you have all you need! Resort casual is the accepted dress code, so bring fancy outfits for a nicer dinners out only if you want to. The weather is very stable with an average of just 15 days per year of rainfall. Average temperture in the winter is 80-84 degrees F, 85-90 degrees F in the summer. So make sure to pack lots of light clothing to keep comfortable. You can expect to wear a boathing suit every day Hurricane season is from June to October. You may want to add a rain slicker just in case if you travel during these months. Since the offical bird of the islands is the flamingo, be sure to bring your favorite flamingo inspired outfit!
