Provo, Turks & Caicos

[bubba105]

I should have asked earlier but it snuck up on me. The bride & I will be going to T&C Nov 29, for a week, staying at Ocean Club, diving with Provo Turtle Divers, with 14 other friends. That part is written in stone. I've read here about renting a car, what are the ups & downs? Also, any restaurant recommendations, must dos & things of interst would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Richie

 

[BTravlin]

I should have asked earlier but it snuck up on me. The bride & I will be going to T&C Nov 29, for a week, staying at Ocean Club, diving with Provo Turtle Divers, with 14 other friends. That part is written in stone. I've read here about renting a car, what are the ups & downs? Also, any restaurant recommendations, must dos & things of interst would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Richie

We really enjoyed Coco Bistro. Good food and a nice atmosphere in an outdoor palm garden. Many other good restaurants supposedly but this is the only we tried as we were just coming and going quickly while doing the Turks & Caicos Explorer II.

Our quick impression was the rest of the island doesn't seem to have too much to offer. It seems like it's taking on a Caribbean version of Disney World for the wealthy vibe. Very little true island character. Most of it seems to be new shopping and new restaurants.

I hope you find out I'm wrong. Have a great trip!

 

[ZippyBoy]

There are some great way off the beaten path beaches that are only accessible with a car (with high ground clearance). The conch farm is an interesting diversion as is the national environmental center down by turtle cove. There are also two beach access snorkel sites. The more famous is Coral Gardens, the more difficult to get to is Smith's Reef by Turtle cove. We always get a jeep wrangler...and moronically expensive (about $700 for a week), but gives us the flexibility to do stuff without having to wait on the cheap bus or taxis (which aren't that cheap) or get to areas where they will not go (Pirates Cove).

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I would definitely reccommend a car. The posts above are very insightful. I especially like the Disney land for the rich comment. Its right on point. I first started going to TCI in the early nineties and it really has changed dramatically in the last decade or so. It really is starting to look like a Florida beach with high rise condos shadowing everything.

As to a car. The island is not pedestrian friendly. Very few sidewalks and narrow roads. Ocean Club is located in an area with several restaurants within walking distance. I would highly recommend Coco Bistro and Caicos Cafe for high end dining. Both are within walking distance of Ocean Club and offer wonderful if pricey menus. There are two car rental places that have offices right at the airport for easy pickup and drop off. I think they are Hertz and the other escapes me. There also several independent car rental places that you can arrange through your resort. Overall I think you will not regret spending the money for a rental car. Its nice to have and makes the experience on island much easier.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Turtle Divers are top notch with very well laid out boats. Turtle Cove Inn and the restaurant right behind TD are good, But as with all restaurants, they are expensive!!!! $14.95 for a pitcher of Ice Tea NO REFILLS! The whole Island is expensive! 13 to 15 for breakfast 12 to 20 for lunch and around 30 for dinner! Per person!!!! Watch for the speed bumps and the cheapest transportation are the Mopeds! The Conch Framer is cool and the little local restaurant near it is not too expensive, but I am not sure the locals want tourists there, not all that friendly among the patrons! Here are some pictures of the area! Make sure and get to Spanish Anchor! Two Tanked Productions HD & SD Underwater Productions and video services

 

[James Bond boat entry]

You can buy a day pass to have dinner at Club Med and catch the show. I worked there for a short period of time and found the food pretty good, cost unknown.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Great pic. I have the same one framed on my wall.

 

[bubba105]

Great Pictures. BRING BUG SPRAY!!! My God!!! Very Good diving but BRING BUG SPRAY!!!


HOLY SH&T Bugs are nuts!!!!

 

[BTravlin]

So how is it other than the bugs?

 

[bubba105]

With a less than 3 hour direct flight from NYC, this place is an easy destination. 5 minutes thru customs. Provo is beautiful. The beaches are pristine. Expensive, by Caribbean standards, a case of Bud Light in the IGA supermarket was $42. Get duty free liquor at the airport. We got cold cuts & breakfast stuff, to help keep the price down, from the well stocked, very American IGA. Dining out, good, fresh seafood. Since I'm from NYC, prices were about the same as Manhattan. We stayed at Ocean Club, in Grace Bay, a very nice Condo rental, great beach. We upgraded from a Studio Deluxe to a Junior Suite for $210, definitely worth the money, for the extra room & full kitchen. We never cooked dinner in the room, but, if you're looking to cut your total price there are plenty of possibilities for dinner in. There are propane BBQ's for use by the guests. We didn't rent a car, but, should have. Cab rides are expensive, 4 people to the Conch Shack was $100 round trip.

The diving was good, nice reefs, some big stuff, reef sharks, eagle rays, turtles, nurse sharks. Very nice corals, especially black coral, which you don't get to see everywhere. Lots of very big sponges, in great condition. Good numbers of all the Caribbean fish species & the macro stuff. Bring your UW camera. Water temp was about 78, which, since I'm a pansy, is a little chilly. A 3mm full suit fits the bill for most people. I used a 3mm full suit with a 3mm vest, which kept me warm. We dove with Provo Turtle Divers, a very good, friendly, safety concious operation, who require all divers to use a computer, which I do anyway, but, some may have a problem with the computer thing. They put no limits on our dive times. They picked us up at the hotel. Nice, large boat, 42 feet, there were 16 of us & for the last 2 days we picked up 2 additional divers & we had plenty of room on the boat. We dove Grace Bay once, NW Point 3 times (different sites), West Caicos one day, Pine Key (Cay?) one day & French Key one day, for a total of 10 dives.

Once the bite bumps go down, I'll remember this as a very good dive trip & I'll go back, with full strength DEET.