What to do in Turks & Caicos besides diving?

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divebrasil

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Hi, I am going on a liveaboard in turks and caicos and I am trying to figure out if it's worth staying one day on land before returning home. We check out from the boat at 9am and I can either fly back the same day or stay at a hotel and fly back at 3pm next day. Things seem to be pretty expensive there, from hotel, to cabs, food and drinks.

Is it mostly about the pretty beaches there? Do you think it's worth sticking around? And if yes, do you have suggestions of things to do when you only have 1 day?

If you have done a liveaboard there did you fly the same day or stayed a little longer?

Thank you so much for the feedback.
 
What island will you be on?

provo:
Conch farm: interesting for the hour or so that it took.

beaches: the sand is like talcum powder.

if we go back it will be on a lob. I can't speak to activities on the other islands.
 
Either boat gives you some time on Provo. We were on Explorer.

We flew out early Sat Am and arrived on Provo at noon. They picked us up and took us to Salt Mills Mall and our luggage on to the ship. So we had lunch/walked around for a few hours while waiting for other divers on a later flight. Then the van picked us up and took us to the boat around 4PM. When another group found out there's no hard liquor on board, they got a cab back to town to get some. Explorer is moored in a south side marina next to nothing except the Police dock. There looked like there had been a store there once. We didn't sail till 4AM and while at the dock, the WiFi works.

On the return you arrive back around noon. They'll either let you stay on the ship - clean gear, pack etc. - or arrange a ride into town. Everyone else goes to town for dinner - there's no meal/staff on board. The crew all went also except for one person they left behind to watch the ship. I chose to go into town, saw the beach, walked around the Grace Bay area a little more then met everyone else for dinner. It's an extraordinarily nice beach if that is of interest.

A couple on our boat rented a hotel room for Friday night also so they left - but met us for dinner. Afterwards there was a band at Danny Buoy's the place the crew suggested for dinner - decent food, outdoor patio but not a great view - we had drinks with a few people - then most returned to the ship. At the bar I found out the casino picks up free so I did that. Won my crew tip back...then around 2AM the casino driver took me all the way back to the ship for free/tip. Everything seemed pretty expensive but I don't recall being shocked by dinner/drink prices.

The next morning we got off the ship at 9AM and went to the airport. They ask you to leave then so they can prep the ship - you settle up the day before. It's a very old, very small airport. We even had to wait for the counter people to show up - around 11 - then went thru security and sat around till our 2PM flight. The coffee shop has wi-fi. So I spent about 8-10 hours total in Grace Bay. I thought it was enough but I also wanted to get home on Sat to have Sunday free.
 
The airport should be finally finished with the remodeling. Not sure if it will do anything for the chaos that happens in peak times. We came back from GT early, had to wait2 hours for the AC gate to open then just went inside. Even at 10:35, no seating downstairs so we went to the upstairs balcony. by noon it was full and a trip to the washroom wasn't easy.

The year previous we spent a week on Provo and our our last day we drove around and went for lunch at Las Brisas. The food was OK but the view is stunning. The week was spent diving. showed up at Dive Provo 8:30, got back around 4pm.
 
Hi,

What island will you be on?

I will be in provo

Either boat gives you some time on Provo. We were on Explorer.

and I am doing the LOB with Explorer. I am arriving the day before departure, Friday, in the afternoon, then I think we need to be on boat at 3pm on Saturday. As far as return, the itinerary doesn't give an exact time, says there are 2 dives early in the morning and then we go back to provo. Maybe that's enough time for a quick trip to the beach.

I thought it was enough but I also wanted to get home on Sat to have Sunday free.

That's what I am thinking, spend Sunday with the wife and daughter.
 
I am arriving the day before departure, Friday, in the afternoon, then I think we need to be on boat at 3pm on Saturday. As far as return, the itinerary doesn't give an exact time, says there are 2 dives early in the morning and then we go back to provo. Maybe that's enough time for a quick trip to the beach.
You'll return Friday about noon. Have Friday afternoon to go back up to Grace Bay - the purser sets it all up on the boat ride in - dinner suggestions, things to do that afternoon etc. They have a regular driver with a van and he'll make one run then come back for anyone who wants to clean up before dinner. Each trip is $10pp.

It's possible we did the dawn dive Friday morning then one after breakfast also - it took at most 2 hrs. from French Cay to the marina - so there's time to clean gear, exchange photos/contact info etc.

In our case part of our group had other arrangements for dinner on a different part of the island so they did their own thing while the rest of us plus crew met in Grace Bay for dinner that night. And one couple left the boat as they were staying on in a hotel for a couple nights. They leave a crew member on board but since the boat docks next to the police dock, there's probably very little chance of theft. The captain told us once they threw out a fax/printer and whoever found it carried it back on board to ask if they could have it.

So we had all afternoon and evening Friday there as well b4 returning to sleep on the boat (they don't serve dinner on board) b4 departing at 9AM Saturday.

What to expect - not my trip report - Mike was on the boat about a year before us. Saudio's Trip Reports The one thing that's changed is they want you off the boat by 9AM so they can clean/prep for the next group - you're no longer able to stay on deck. All of us took the shuttle back to the airport which was too early but there's not a lot of other options.
 
So is it worth staying an extra day, because there really isn't anything else to do besides R&R on the beach. Really there's not. The beach is that nice, so it depends. But like mentioned b4, you do get to spend the afternoon on the beach at your leisure. I always rather get home to my family before going back to work Monday.
 
Go on vacation, and do something besides diving? huh. Odd concept that :gas:

Hehe...In Hawaii I can Surf as well! Maybe that's why I keep going back.

I prefer to pad liveaboard trips on the front-end so I am time-zone adjusted, well rested, and ready to dive. It also gives you some wiggle-room for late flights and lost baggage.

That's no bad idea. And that's why I am going one day earlier, but yes, would be ideal to spend extra day first.
 
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