Tim Ingersoll
Contributor
Just returned from a trip to Providenciales February 2-9, 2005. It was colder than normal. I mean it was cold enough to wear a light jacket at night. It was cool enough that you were uncomfortable lying on the beach during the day due to the wind. The wind was also coming from an unusual direction meaning that most of the week was spent diving at french Cay with limited vis (max. 75 feet) and cooler than normal water temps (78 degrees). Cooler than normal water temps meant fewer sightings of the big stuff I love.
When I arrived and checked in for my three tank the next day I was informed that the Caicos Cat was on the reef and no dives for Thursday. Bummer. . .had to spend time with the family! Anyway it turned out that the captain had missed the cut at Southwest Reef by fifty feet and hung the boat on the reef. No one was hurt but it sure wasn't a good day for Fifi! He took it remarkably well and spent three days and two nights out on the reef removing everything he could to lighten the boat including siphoning off all of the fuel and then waiting for the highest high tide (4:00a.m.) to use lift bags delivered from South Caicos to lift off the Cat. He succeeded after several grueling days.
In the meantime he cut a deal with Dive Provo and put us on one of their boats for the next few days. The diving was all at French Cay which is ordinarily one of the hot spots. As I said earlier, it was so-so by TCI standards due to factors beyond anyone's control. It surely was not representative of what I have come to expect.
The last day Fifi was back and we went out on his little boat Hercules with Asa as DM. That boat is small but very fast. He took us to a couple of his favorite spots in the boat channel between Provo and West Caicos. Finally! A whale was spotted from the boat, sharks on both dives and a couple of eagle rays in the abyss for good measure! That was more like it. Overall Fifi made the best of a bad situation and made sure that his divers could dive with a quality outfit and boats.
We stayed at the Sands. Nice for families and the rooms have kitchens for cooking and wahser/dryer for laundry. Look for a air/hotel package and don't pay for an "ocean view". The garden view is just as nice. We got a one -bedroom suite with a pull-out sofa sleeper for the kids and it was perfect. No complaints whatsoever.
The restaurants are expensive. No two ways about it. We ate at Aqua, Coco Bistro and Caicos Cafe. All highly recommended and very expensive. We also ate at the Tiki Hut at Turtle Cove Marina . . quite nice, very good food and inexpensive by Provo standards (try the pork chop). Danny Bouys was okay.
We discovered a road that goes out to the "Pirate Caves". This is a bluff with carvings from 19th century sailors who were shipwrecked on the island. We also checked out new beaches on Long Bay and Taylor Bay. I am not a beach person but the kids really liked them. Lastly, wee did an excursion from the resort to Iguana Island on Little Water Cay with snorkeling and shell collecting. I found it a little pedestrian and the snorkeling was awful but the kids really enjoyed it and they got out on a boat for the day.
You really need a car to get around for at least a few days (shopping, groceries, etc.). We rented from Avis right at the airport. You can also arrange for a rental car to be delivered to your hotel/resort.
Overall a good vacation but surely not representative of what I have come to expect from Providenciales. I am going back to try the diving in the summer/off-season.
When I arrived and checked in for my three tank the next day I was informed that the Caicos Cat was on the reef and no dives for Thursday. Bummer. . .had to spend time with the family! Anyway it turned out that the captain had missed the cut at Southwest Reef by fifty feet and hung the boat on the reef. No one was hurt but it sure wasn't a good day for Fifi! He took it remarkably well and spent three days and two nights out on the reef removing everything he could to lighten the boat including siphoning off all of the fuel and then waiting for the highest high tide (4:00a.m.) to use lift bags delivered from South Caicos to lift off the Cat. He succeeded after several grueling days.
In the meantime he cut a deal with Dive Provo and put us on one of their boats for the next few days. The diving was all at French Cay which is ordinarily one of the hot spots. As I said earlier, it was so-so by TCI standards due to factors beyond anyone's control. It surely was not representative of what I have come to expect.
The last day Fifi was back and we went out on his little boat Hercules with Asa as DM. That boat is small but very fast. He took us to a couple of his favorite spots in the boat channel between Provo and West Caicos. Finally! A whale was spotted from the boat, sharks on both dives and a couple of eagle rays in the abyss for good measure! That was more like it. Overall Fifi made the best of a bad situation and made sure that his divers could dive with a quality outfit and boats.
We stayed at the Sands. Nice for families and the rooms have kitchens for cooking and wahser/dryer for laundry. Look for a air/hotel package and don't pay for an "ocean view". The garden view is just as nice. We got a one -bedroom suite with a pull-out sofa sleeper for the kids and it was perfect. No complaints whatsoever.
The restaurants are expensive. No two ways about it. We ate at Aqua, Coco Bistro and Caicos Cafe. All highly recommended and very expensive. We also ate at the Tiki Hut at Turtle Cove Marina . . quite nice, very good food and inexpensive by Provo standards (try the pork chop). Danny Bouys was okay.
We discovered a road that goes out to the "Pirate Caves". This is a bluff with carvings from 19th century sailors who were shipwrecked on the island. We also checked out new beaches on Long Bay and Taylor Bay. I am not a beach person but the kids really liked them. Lastly, wee did an excursion from the resort to Iguana Island on Little Water Cay with snorkeling and shell collecting. I found it a little pedestrian and the snorkeling was awful but the kids really enjoyed it and they got out on a boat for the day.
You really need a car to get around for at least a few days (shopping, groceries, etc.). We rented from Avis right at the airport. You can also arrange for a rental car to be delivered to your hotel/resort.
Overall a good vacation but surely not representative of what I have come to expect from Providenciales. I am going back to try the diving in the summer/off-season.
