vineyarder

I'm not sure if this post is entirely appropriate, but since PE, HCC, ER, etc., all have homes in Provo, it seems fair...

We are headed to the PE Platinum property on Grace Bay for 8 nights over Xmas; anyone have any suggestions on activities, specific tour operators, restaurants, etc.? We are planning to do a scuba 'resort course', as well snorkeling, and are thinking about getting in some fishing, sailing, go to the 'iguana island', and maybe the glowworm sunset cruise (since we will be there over a full moon). Any other teen-friendly activities? Any feedback, suggestions, etc.?

Steamboat Bill

I think you will have a blast visiting the Turks and Caicos as I was there with my family in June and really enjoyed it. There are a variety of “Things to do in Provo” magazines and you may want to call the resort and have them mail you the latest copy. These magazines list various activities and restaurants. Here is a link to one of them www.WhereWhenHow.tc

First of all, the island itself is unimpressive and not that scenic, but the water and beaches MORE than make-up for any lack of palm trees or mountains. The airport is a little third world and I advise renting a car “off-site” as you will save money as compared to the airport locations. Most companies have a free shuttle to an off-site location 1/2 a mile away and you will easily save 20% (I learned the hard way using Budget). I am not sure you can avoid the baggage handlers, so bring plenty of cash for tips. Driving on the left side of the road is always fun and there are no traffic lights on the islands, only roundabouts and potholes.

Most of the action for tourists is in the Grace Bay area and the rest of the island can be explored on your own. That said, Grace Bay really deserves its reputation as an awesome beach as it is extremely nice and the water is so crystal clear blue. We actually enjoyed simple days of waking up, having breakfast, and spending a relaxing day on the beach and doing nothing. You can walk up and down Grace Bay and there are several decent places to stop for lunch or dinner. Most restaurants are casual and do not have dress codes. We bought groceries and had many meals in our own place.

You should also check out The Regent Palms (Exclusive Resorts) property as this place has an awesome spa and several nice upscale restaurants. Also visit Villa Renaissance (High Country Club property) and check out their pool. Try to visit Parrot Cay….as I hear this place is one of the top resorts in the world (we missed that one). You might even want to tour Beaches, but this place reminds me of ClubMed for families and is very crowded.

Snorkeling is great here and our favorite was Coral Gardens Reef off Grace Bay. Another highlight was a day trip on a yellow boat located at the beach in front of the Alexandra Resort (I can’t remember the name) but they took us to a reef to find sand dollars (dozens of them), then to the shallows to find conchs, and then to a deserted Iguana island to relax. We did a group trip with a few other families and it was very inexpensive ($70pp) and included drinks and snacks. You can do the same trip as a private trip and it is about $1,000 for the day. We heard many Exclusive Resorts members reserve them for a private charter, but we didn’t mind sharing the trip with a few strangers.

We visited the Caicos Conch Farm and took the tour…pretty interesting, but not a must-do trip. If they still have conch pearls there…buy one as they are 2-5x the price anywhere else. The kids enjoyed learning about the conchs.

There are two main dive charters and I think they are equal. My brother went on one (Dive Provo) and said it was a fantastic experience.

Don’t forget to buy some Cuban cigars (Cohibas) as they are plentiful here. I think the best prices were in the IGA Graceway grocery store off the main highway. There are very little shopping opportunities for the wife and kids (hooray).

I recommend a day to explore some of the other parts of the island, but take a good map (like the one attached to this thread) as there are no signs to mark the roads and it is very easy to make a wrong turn. You must visit the Chalk Sound as this color of the water is incredible…which reminds me…try to get a window seat on the airplane as you fly over chalk sound on your decent to the airport to get a better view. I also recommend a drive to visit the Yellowstone Club property in Emerald Cay as this place defies description (marked as Silly Creek on the map). I went to Sapodilla Bay (and got a flat tire) and did not like this area as much as Grace Bay. Be careful as there are tons of potholes on the island (take the mandatory car insurance as they pay to fix flats).

The restaurants are not world class, but are pretty good. Prices seemed high to me, but these are the islands after all. One weird thing happened to us when we were thee….the entire island ran out of Diet Coke and only had Diet Pepsi (not my favorite). I was lucky and found some Diet Coke at a hotel and bought their supply (12 pack) and was happy. Hemmingway’s on the beach (at the Sands) is pretty good for lunch. You MUST visit "Da Conch Shack", a quintessential locals spot on the beach away from the tourists that is the polar opposite of fancy. This place looks like they built it from driftwood and found objects, but the cracked conch and rum drinks were great….possibly the best I have had. We also liked Coyba, and Gecko Grill.

We also heard this company was pretty good - Big Blue Unlimited, the Turks and Caicos Islands' only eco-adventure company. Big Blue specialize in small group exploring and learning about the Islands. Take guided kayaking, hiking, bicycling, and snorkel trips or hire a kayak and enjoy the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve -Link-> Big Blue Unlimited, scuba & eco adventures, Providenciales,

If you have any other questions, I will try to help you out, I have attached the BEST map of the area for you.

Attached Files

ProvoMap.pdf (2.36 MB, 26 views)

vineyarder

Thanks so much! Very helpful, and definately the best map that I've come across!

LTTravel

Bill gave you the lowdown. Not much else to say. Just remember Turks is a very quiet island. No night life, not much to do but the water is phenomenal. The Somerset is right next to the Regent Palms. Though I did not tour it, it looks very nice and almost as nice as the Palms if not as nice and is newer. The food prices are high, even the grocery store prices. Some things may be double or more than what they cost in the states. There are several IGA grocery stores around. We went to the Iguana which is a steakhouse near the Villa Renaissance. It was OK and a bit expensive, but the local papers had a coupon for one entree free with the purchase of another, so you may want to check it out. With that offer, it is reasonable. We also went to Coco Bistro. A very nice restaurant with good food. Many say that is one of their favorites. The food was good and upscale, but a bit expensive. For casual we went to the Tiki Hut. The food was awful except for the ribs and burgers. It is by a marina and a fairly popular place for drinks. My family got grossed out because of roaming cats, which I was told is common for restaurants around the marina. I have not been but also heard that da Conch Shack was good. I also heard that Caico Dream Tours was nice for the snorkling and conch, which the captain will make a salad out of during the tour. Enjoy and let us know how the Somerset is.

Steamboat Bill

I look forward to your review of the PE property in Turks and Caicos.

I would classify the cracked conch special and rum drinks at Da Conch Shack as "Excellent"...just don't expect a fancy place with gourmet service, valet parking, and table linen. They will even give you as many free Conch shells as you want as compared to buying them for $25 from a roadside tourist trap.

TravelGuy

I'm at the High Country Club Villa Renaissance property in Turks & Caicos this week. I love the sugary white sand and the turquoise blue water! The HCC property is outstanding and MORE than I expected!

I'd recommend calling Todd at Grace Bay Car Rentals for a rental car. His price for a full-size was $276 for a week (plus 10% tax) and he offers airport car pick-up or they will pick you up at the airport and take you to the car. Todd spent about 20 minutes with us making notes on a map of some of the better kept secrets of the island. If you're familiar with McCurley's car rentals in the Caymans, Todd's service is similar but better!

Let me know if I can answer any questions while I'm here.

RAM

I stayed at the PE Platinum Provo property for three nights over the summer. If you have any villa-specific questions ask away. We loved it. The Somerset is very laidback. The beach is superb. The actual villa is perfect, right on the water (you are literally steps away from five bodies of water between Grace Bay Beach, the villa patio jacuzzi, and the three connected pools).

We didn't rent a car (though you certainly should with an 8-night stay) and found that there were plenty of things to do in the area. Within Somerset there is a fancy restaurant (that was closed for refurbishment while we were there) and the pool bar. You are literally next to the pool bar, and one time we just used it as an ad hoc room service eating in the outdoor patio to make the most of the view.

The Palms is right next door, considerably larger and with a ritzier pool bar eatery and standalone fine dining restaurant. If you go the other way (East instead of West) you have another popular eatery (Grace's Cottage, I think), but our favorite was just past that, Hemingways. Since we had our kids with us, we needed a casual, open-air tropical vibe and it fit the bill with surprisingly tasty eats.

We didn't go on any excursions, though there were always providers trolling the beach offering banana boat and parasailing. It's a 20-30 minute walk West, but the Coral Gardens snorkeling area had a wide variety of fish (and the villa has plenty of snorkel gear).

I just loved that villa. Magical trip moment -- when our 13-year-old son who loves to grill was flipping burgers on the gas grill outside on the patio, and the Jimmy Buffett CD that's in the villa kicks in with "Cheeseburger in Paradise" just as my wife and I were admiring the shoreline and how quickly our son has grown up.

And I don't know if it's important to you, but the Wi-Fi signal was strong (I feared it wouldn't be since the villa is at the edge of the property). Like most of the PE properties, the photos look great but the actual property is even better.

Steamboat Bill

The Wi-fi at the High Country Club property (Villa Renaissance) unit #105 was strong enough that I could surf the web on my laptop while I was sitting on a beach chair by the ocean and by the also pool.

Very cool surfing the net while in the surf.

vineyarder

And with the new XL and XXL Ziploc bags, you could probably surf the net while snorkelling next time...

vineyarder

RAM - thanks for the info; our escape planner said the villa has 2 sets of snorkel gear, so we were going to bring 2 so we would have a total of 4; did the villa have more than 2 sets?

RAM

Things can always change, but there was enough snorkel gear for at least four people over the summer. I can't recall the brands, but there were at least two sets of high-end snorkel gear in the closet by the foyer and there were at least another two masks and snorkels (no fins) of the more mainstream plastic variety in a big crate in the back with all of the pool/beach toys.

If you do go on an excursion they will no doubt provide plenty of snorkel/scuba/snuba gear. And keep in mind that there isn't much snorkeling worth doing in the immediate Grace Bay area since the water is shallow and seethrough. It's not until you head out to Coral Gardens, past the Stepford Wivesesque Beaches resort, that you would need it (unless you drive out to other snorkel spots).

DCTraveler

Does anyone know where the HCC T&C property is in relation to the PE Platinum at The Somerset.

LTTravel

About 1-2 miles east

Steamboat Bill

Looking at a map and out towards Grace Bay, the HCC property is to the right and is a very nice walk on beautiful sand and crystal clear blue waters.

Desties

Grace Bay is beautiful, isn't it? And one can always take a break at Hemingway's walking between the two properties.

LTTravel

As I remember it is a bit of a walk from the Somerset to Villa Renaissance. You may have to take a couple of breaks.