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Turks and Caicos: Travel Review
Posted on 3/26/16 at 8:53 pm
Posted on 3/26/16 at 8:53 pm
This is a retro review since I was there in October.
I normally book my vacations around a beach somewhere and not wanting to go to the redneck riviera again I decided on Turks.
This place has good and not so good. The people are very friendly and there is almost no crime, my hotel was far away from the cruise ship docking so I never had to deal with the throngs of day tourists. I also never had anyone approach me trying to peddle goods to me (I hear Jamaica is really bad for this.)
There isn't much to do other than lay on the beach which isn't a bad thing. Almost nothing in the way of night life and things are so spread out that it takes a car or taxi to get to a lot of places. I was next door to a casino but having them where I live I decided not to go there. On Thursday night a ton of the local craftsmen and restaurants gather in on local which is the best way to get a flavor for the whole island. If you travel to North Caicos there is the Flamingo lake, but it is hit or miss if you see them and it's from pretty far away. The snorkling was a let down, the water was clear but not much in the way of marine life to be seen when I went.
Almost everything has to be imported so it's expensive, $75 for a case of Corona. I spent $150 at the market and had three plastic bags and a case of beer. Five days in Turks cost me about the same at my current eight day trip to Thailand and Cambodia.
The hotel was Royal West Indies This was the best thing about the trip as it needed to be with limited other things. Conch and Lobster Pizza was great, staff, ammenities, and room were great. The one thing they are lacking is a runner from the beach to the bar, but it's not too far from the beach so it wasn't too bad.
All in all I would say you can get a similar beach which is the draw for Turks for a much better price elsewhere. The security and lack of crowds and "merchants" are a big plus though.
OTHER HOTEL WARNING: Club Med was next door and at least three couples checked out of there and into the Royal West Indies due to it be old and rundown. I think it's one of the oldest Club Meds.
All pics can be found LINK
I normally book my vacations around a beach somewhere and not wanting to go to the redneck riviera again I decided on Turks.
This place has good and not so good. The people are very friendly and there is almost no crime, my hotel was far away from the cruise ship docking so I never had to deal with the throngs of day tourists. I also never had anyone approach me trying to peddle goods to me (I hear Jamaica is really bad for this.)
There isn't much to do other than lay on the beach which isn't a bad thing. Almost nothing in the way of night life and things are so spread out that it takes a car or taxi to get to a lot of places. I was next door to a casino but having them where I live I decided not to go there. On Thursday night a ton of the local craftsmen and restaurants gather in on local which is the best way to get a flavor for the whole island. If you travel to North Caicos there is the Flamingo lake, but it is hit or miss if you see them and it's from pretty far away. The snorkling was a let down, the water was clear but not much in the way of marine life to be seen when I went.
Almost everything has to be imported so it's expensive, $75 for a case of Corona. I spent $150 at the market and had three plastic bags and a case of beer. Five days in Turks cost me about the same at my current eight day trip to Thailand and Cambodia.
The hotel was Royal West Indies This was the best thing about the trip as it needed to be with limited other things. Conch and Lobster Pizza was great, staff, ammenities, and room were great. The one thing they are lacking is a runner from the beach to the bar, but it's not too far from the beach so it wasn't too bad.
All in all I would say you can get a similar beach which is the draw for Turks for a much better price elsewhere. The security and lack of crowds and "merchants" are a big plus though.
OTHER HOTEL WARNING: Club Med was next door and at least three couples checked out of there and into the Royal West Indies due to it be old and rundown. I think it's one of the oldest Club Meds.
All pics can be found LINK
This post was edited on 8/17/17 at 4:13 pm
13
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:00 pm to DoUrden
quote:
Turks and Caicos: Travel Review
quote:
There isn't much to do other than lay on the beach
Great Review! Booking my flight now...
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:03 pm to DoUrden
We stayed at the Beaches Resort there. We had a great time. You don't go to T&C for night life. It is a place to go relax and enjoy the tropical environment. Now that I've been, I probably won't ever go back. There are many other places to go visit that are similar, some less expensive, some more.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:06 pm to LSUERDOC
Water is awesome to look at. We stayed in a huge house when we went. It was cool, but i prefer somewhere with alot of different shite to do like costa rica. Plus there arent any trees to get out of the hot arse sun.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:11 pm to DoUrden
Went there 5 years ago and I'll agree with everything the OP stated. Great for couples who do not want to do much but relax and get away. Most beautiful beach and water I've ever seen.
Airport hot as shite and crowded as there is no ventilation system. 3rd world airport.
Airport hot as shite and crowded as there is no ventilation system. 3rd world airport.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:18 pm to DoUrden
We stayed at Seven. It was incredible.
Not a night life place but our nice resort had no kids and was quiet as hell. We ate at great restaurants each night, including a 5* one on the property.
Had one drink night out at the local fish fry, but usually just went home after dinner and night capped in the hot tub and went to bed.
Not a night life place but our nice resort had no kids and was quiet as hell. We ate at great restaurants each night, including a 5* one on the property.
Had one drink night out at the local fish fry, but usually just went home after dinner and night capped in the hot tub and went to bed.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:35 pm to DoUrden
quote:
$75 for a case of Corona
If you buy the local turks head beer or the Cuba libre it's normal price which is what we did when we were there in February.
You do need a car which was fine with us. We didn't stay on the beach but with 10-15 min drives we had beaches primarily to ourselves which we loved.
You don't go to turks and Caicos for the nightlife. Most of the time we were wiped out from being at the beach all day anyways.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 9:44 pm to DoUrden
Thanks for sharing. Cost of goods is what has kept is from returning there. You should try Grand Cayman next time. Seven Mile Beach is very similar to Grace Bay Beach. Snorkeling is pretty decent up at the North end of Seven Mile at Cemetery Beach and on the SW side at Smiths Cove.
It is not cheap goods by American standards but nothing like what you see in T&C. Very nice markets similar to a Publix or Kroger and a great mix of blacks and whites. Very educated citizenry. It is laid back like T&C and really just a great place to relax at a beach everyday and dine out. The geography and small size of the island is not conducive to adventurous travelers and IMO is the only thing that keeps it from being the gem of the Caribbean. If you could take the demographics, education level, and economic makeup of Grand Cayman and put it on an island with the geography of St Lucia, you would have the perfect island.
It is not cheap goods by American standards but nothing like what you see in T&C. Very nice markets similar to a Publix or Kroger and a great mix of blacks and whites. Very educated citizenry. It is laid back like T&C and really just a great place to relax at a beach everyday and dine out. The geography and small size of the island is not conducive to adventurous travelers and IMO is the only thing that keeps it from being the gem of the Caribbean. If you could take the demographics, education level, and economic makeup of Grand Cayman and put it on an island with the geography of St Lucia, you would have the perfect island.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 10:07 pm to DoUrden
I'm going to disagree on some things here.
First, if you were on the island where the cruise ship docks you were on Grand Turks. Providenciales, which is where Grace Bay Beach is located is not a cruise ship destination.
There are dozens of salt ponds on North and Middle Caicos and flamingos are everyone. Middle Caicos is also home to some of the most spectacular and beautiful little beaches one can find anywhere in the world.
Yes, it's expensive but this also means the people native to the island have plentiful work and earn a good wage. There really is little to no crime. A case of Corona is $75 if that's what you have to drink but as already noted there are cheaper options.
The restaurants range from good to great to spectacular (Coco Bistro and Bay Bistro among others). There are many great choices for dining.
No the snorkeling isn't great but it's offset by fantastic beaches and water. You can walk all day on Grace Bay Beach and not walk the entire beach. The water is as clear as there is and that mesmerizing color seems to go out for miles (and it does). It's also a breathtaking place for a parasail ride.
First, if you were on the island where the cruise ship docks you were on Grand Turks. Providenciales, which is where Grace Bay Beach is located is not a cruise ship destination.
There are dozens of salt ponds on North and Middle Caicos and flamingos are everyone. Middle Caicos is also home to some of the most spectacular and beautiful little beaches one can find anywhere in the world.
Yes, it's expensive but this also means the people native to the island have plentiful work and earn a good wage. There really is little to no crime. A case of Corona is $75 if that's what you have to drink but as already noted there are cheaper options.
The restaurants range from good to great to spectacular (Coco Bistro and Bay Bistro among others). There are many great choices for dining.
No the snorkeling isn't great but it's offset by fantastic beaches and water. You can walk all day on Grace Bay Beach and not walk the entire beach. The water is as clear as there is and that mesmerizing color seems to go out for miles (and it does). It's also a breathtaking place for a parasail ride.
This post was edited on 3/26/16 at 10:11 pm
Posted on 3/26/16 at 10:15 pm to VABuckeye
I was on Grace Bay which is why I didn't have deal with the cruise ships. Coco Bistro was 1/4 mile from me and it was great. I missed out on the flamingos, guess I was given bad info by someone at the hotel. I did hear about the great small beaches but didn't travel there, another thing I missed.
Thanks for the added info, these threads are to help those that are traveling.
Thanks for the added info, these threads are to help those that are traveling.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 10:50 pm to DoUrden
we had a good time when we went, but did mostly diving.
Posted on 3/26/16 at 11:00 pm to DoUrden
T&C is so close to Miami and much nicer than Nassau or Freeport.
Would return there.
Not many poors.
Would return there.
Not many poors.
Posted on 3/27/16 at 1:10 am to DoUrden
quote:
The snorkling was a let down, the water was clear but not much in the way of marine life to be seen when I went.
Not my experience.
(Tried to post a snorkeling pic but photobucket app is down).
Also Coco Bistro is lovely.
The big selling point to TCI is that you can get there easily/quickly. I was on the beach with a Turks Head Amber by noon the day after my wedding - left MSY at 6am. We stayed at the Gansevoort, which I don't really recommend. It was nice but the restaurants are expensive, it's far from everything, and the staff seemed put out by simple requests (a bucket of bottled waters on the beach). Next time I'll stay at Grace Bay Club.
This post was edited on 3/27/16 at 1:17 am
Posted on 3/27/16 at 2:52 am to DoUrden
That is some beautiful fricking water comrade
Posted on 3/27/16 at 3:52 am to DoUrden
We stayed at Seven Stars last September. I agree it has almost no nightlife, but we really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere. Chilling on the beach all day is what we wanted to do. The water is incredible down there. Some of the best I've seen.
The fish fry was ok. The Island Vibes snorkel deal was pretty neat. We saw a decent amount of fish, but nothing like Hawaii or Belize. Cocoa Bistro was awesome, as were the hotel restaurants. Beer was pretty steep, but we mostly drank the local Turks Head. It was $12 a six pack. The little casino wasn't bad. I won a couple hundred bucks.
We plan on going back someday. It was one of the most relaxing vacations I've been on. The quick flights down there from MSY make it an easy getaway.
The fish fry was ok. The Island Vibes snorkel deal was pretty neat. We saw a decent amount of fish, but nothing like Hawaii or Belize. Cocoa Bistro was awesome, as were the hotel restaurants. Beer was pretty steep, but we mostly drank the local Turks Head. It was $12 a six pack. The little casino wasn't bad. I won a couple hundred bucks.
We plan on going back someday. It was one of the most relaxing vacations I've been on. The quick flights down there from MSY make it an easy getaway.
This post was edited on 3/27/16 at 3:54 am
Posted on 3/27/16 at 7:07 am to DoUrden
We loved it last summer. Food is exceptional. Diving is great! If you are a new diver I highly recommend it. Great diving 10 minutes from shore. 60 feet or less. No current. Hi vis. More technical wall dives off the West coast. Also take a day trip to middle Caicos with a local guide. We will be back.
Posted on 5/8/16 at 3:11 pm to VABuckeye
Leaving for T&C a week from tomorrow for 8 days. We are staying at a villa on Grace Bay Beach (West end).
Some good information in this thread. Any last minute tips/suggestions/dining recs?
Also, for those that went to Coco Loco, did you make reservations ahead of time? I have it on my dining list, but it doesn't look like they accept online reservations. I guess I just haven't gotten around to calling them, if it's even necessary.
Some good information in this thread. Any last minute tips/suggestions/dining recs?
Also, for those that went to Coco Loco, did you make reservations ahead of time? I have it on my dining list, but it doesn't look like they accept online reservations. I guess I just haven't gotten around to calling them, if it's even necessary.
This post was edited on 5/8/16 at 3:13 pm
Posted on 5/8/16 at 4:26 pm to TigeRoots
Coco Loco is OK, not something I would go to twice. I stayed in Grace Bay and a car is good to fully explore the whole island. That honestly can be done one or two days.
Or do nothing other than the beach (as is suggested here) and the beach & water there are truly beautiful.
I biked some there and the shadiest part of the island of Provo was not shady.
Coyaba Restaraunt there was the best meal I had on the island, it's fairly expensive.
(Like Brennan's in NOLA.) Reservations recommended I seem to recall.
Coyaba
Bon Voyage!
Or do nothing other than the beach (as is suggested here) and the beach & water there are truly beautiful.
I biked some there and the shadiest part of the island of Provo was not shady.
Coyaba Restaraunt there was the best meal I had on the island, it's fairly expensive.
(Like Brennan's in NOLA.) Reservations recommended I seem to recall.
Coyaba
Bon Voyage!
Posted on 5/8/16 at 5:29 pm to soccerfüt
Thanks! I like the look of Coyaba, will check it out.
Posted on 5/9/16 at 7:48 am to VABuckeye
quote:
Bay Bistro
Just confirmed reservations here. Thanks for the recommendation.
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