Grand Turk vs. Salt Cay

[mgoers]

Doing some (last minute) planning for a trip late May/early June...my husband and I dive Bonaire every winter and then try someplace new every summer. Working on the someplace new!

I was looking at Turks & Caicos, both Grand Turk and Salt Cay. There was one package through Salt Cay divers that had an option to do four nights on Salt Cay (@Tradewinds) and three nights at Grand Turk (@Bohio). Are the two different enough to make it worth splitting a trip and doing a bit of each? Or recommendations of one island over the other? Salt Cay mentioned if we did the whole week there we could arrange for one day (for $50) to go to GT to dive some sites there.

We are not really too concerned about what there is to do above water. Went to Little Cayman last May and loved diving every morning with Conch Club Divers and reading a book in my hammock on the beach every afternoon. Looking for good diving with small dive groups and a nice place to relax in the afternoon, or walk/bike around and explore a bit. Usually just make a sandwich for lunch and go out for dinner each night, but doesn't need to be fancy.

Or just going back to Little Cayman is an option as well...how does the diving in T&C compare to Cayman?

 

[Hoag]

I have never been to Salt Cay, but I did spend 10 days at Bohio last March. I loved it! It is a cool little resort, with great diving literally in their backyard. (You can actually see the mooring buoy for "The Anchor" dive site from the Bohio's beach.) The resort is clean and the food is good. When you look at the prices for dinner, they may look expensive, but there is enough food for two people or for one person for 2 meals. (The rooms all have a mini fridge so there is no problem with taking a "doggie bag" one night and then bringing it back the next night to have them warm it up for you.)

The diving at the Bohio is easy and good. It is typical of diving in the TCI. Sandy flats leading up to a wall that drops of into the abyss. Last spring, there were very few Lionfish but a lot of turtles! It was not uncommon to see a few turtles on every dive. Perhaps because the Lionfish population was so low, the rest of the reef fish populations were much like what was seen in the Bahamas 20 years ago. The dive op is essentially concierge service. You look after your mask, fins, snorkel & camera, and they will look after everything else. Your gear will be rinsed and hung up to dry.

The owners of Bohio are a couple ex-pat Canadians named Tom & Ginnie and within a day or so, they will make you feel like you are family.

If you are looking for a spot with a "rockin' night life" (and it appears that you aren't), then the Bohio is not going to give you that. During the day, do not be surprised when you find the beach as a "home for the day" for people off of one or more of the cruise ships. This was no more than a minor annoyance though since the "Boat People" are restricted in where they can go, and certain areas are reserved for hotel guests.

I can highly recommend Bohio! I would go back in a heartbeat.

 

[PatW]

I have been to Salt Cay. I believe there are 70 residents. While I was there, I think I met three quarters of them. It is an interesting little island.

It is really an out island. Places to eat are limited. Your choices are limited. Typically, you order dinner at lunch time so they can thaw it out. If you want to eat breakfast or lunch in your room, you can ask Debbie to lay in the supplies you will need when she goes to Grand Turk. Do this before you arrive. Also, you need to reimburse Debbie.

You need to be tolerant. Accommodations are clean but it is not luxurious. Food is decent but not that fancy.

I have been all over the Caribbean and in no place else do you fit into the community like Salt Cay.

It is a cultural experience.

 

[mgoers]

I have been to Salt Cay. I believe there are 70 residents. While I was there, I think I met three quarters of them. It is an interesting little island.

It is really an out island. Places to eat are limited. Your choices are limited. Typically, you order dinner at lunch time so they can thaw it out. If you want to eat breakfast or lunch in your room, you can ask Debbie to lay in the supplies you will need when she goes to Grand Turk. Do this before you arrive. Also, you need to reimburse Debbie.

You need to be tolerant. Accommodations are clean but it is not luxurious. Food is decent but not that fancy.

I have been all over the Caribbean and in no place else do you fit into the community like Salt Cay.

It is a cultural experience.

We're cool with clean and simple for food and accommodations.

What did you think of the diving? It mentions on the Salt Cay Divers site that the package includes shore diving...did you do any shore diving while you were there?

 

[Ray and Pam]

We love Bonaire also that is our favorite type diving.
We went to Grand Turk for two weeks about 3 yrs ago. I was really disappointed with the diving, the topography was awesome, the vis and the amount of fish were disappointing. The DMs are the hardest working anywhere. There are no piers allowed except for the cruiseship of course. They have to buoy the front of the dive boat and anchor the back of the boat to shore with an anchor due to the constant heavy surge.
Have you tried Cozumel, Dominica, Barbados or Grenada? Haven't make it to the little caymans but they are on the list.

 

[mgoers]

We've been to Bonaire (several times), Virgin Gorda, Florida Keys, Roatan, and Little Cayman for diving. Before we were divers we went to Puerto Rico, Grenada, Vieques, and St. John but just for snorkeling.

We decided to give Salt Cay a shot next month. We are diving with Salt Cay Divers, with plans to go over to Grand Turk one day. We plan to try out some shore diving as well. So we'll see how it goes! I'll report back how it compares.

 

[PatW]

The diving is good. Some sites are very good. You can snorkel off shore. I did not try any shore diving. We did three boat dives per day. We rented a house about half a mile from the dive shop.

It is a bit of a haul out to the wall. It is nothing in the skiffs. You could shore dive but it would be pretty much looking in the shallows. Shallow dives can be good.