It’s been a hot minute since I have posted here but I am excited to be back to share about our recent family vacation to Turks and Caicos. This was my first time flying since COVID began and ironically, we were in Turks for spring break right before everything shut down in 2020. I was not sure how difficult the travel requirements would be under the current situation, but honestly it wasn’t too bad. We had to have COVID tests prior to traveling, submit a travel request to Turks and Caicos before departure, obtain travelers insurance and complete COVID tests before returning home. If you plan on doing any international travel, my biggest tip is to read the fine print. Only certain labs are approved for testing and I watched someone turned away upon arrival in Turks because they used the wrong lab! Can you imagine?!?! (Currently, CVS and Walgreens are approved testing sites with TCI.)
From Houston, we flew direct on United and our flight was a little under 4 hours. Window seats are an added bonus on this flight because the views flying into Providenciales airport are AMAZING! This marked our 3rd trip to Turks and let me tell you, the water there is gorgeous. I am not a fan of water I can’t see through. The water in Turks is so clear and the prettiest shade of light blue.
Car rentals are available at the airport. Depending on which company you use, you may pick up your car onsite or you may have to shuttle down the road to the car rental office. This time we rented our car through ACE and it was much quicker having it onsite at the airport. One thing worth mentioning is they drive on the left side of the road there. Some rental cars have steering wheels on the left and some on the right. If you think driving on the left side of the road is weird, imagine driving on the left side of the road from the right side of the car. Definitely check beforehand if you have a preference on which side of the car your steering wheel is on.
On our first trip to TCI, we stayed at Beaches resort and the second time we rented a villa with friends. This time we rented a villa 1 from Sing a Song Villas. Sing a Song villa (in the Turtle Tail/Cove area) consists of 3 beachfront rentals, each with a pool and private beach access. Getting to our villa from the airport was super easy and about a 15 minute drive. You can see all the amenities on their website but we truly had everything we needed. The property is designed in a way that all 3 villas have privacy and their own beach access with cabanas. Another nice thing about the design was all of the pools were positioned in a way that they were private from the other villas.
The Turtle Tail area is a very quiet, private spot (which I loved) but there is not much action on the water in this area. Situated in the water off the beach are three islands that you can kayak, paddle board and even walk to depending on the tide. We rented jet skis and they delivered to the villa which was super convenient. On the property was the coolest giant chess board and sand volleyball court. The shallow water here would make this area great for young kids and the privacy would make it a great honeymoon/couples trip. Because we have two teens, we did venture out and about to keep busy.
Warning, groceries in Turks are expensive because everything has to be imported. There are two main grocery stores and both are easily accessible from the villa. I did not know this until recently, but you can bring certain food and drinks in your luggage. You can read more about that here. You also have the option to arrange for groceries to be delivered prior to your arrival through the property manager Jose. He was great at getting back to us quickly and suggesting places to eat and things to do.
Most nights we did dinner out but I would be failing you if I didn’t warn you that dining out in Turks isn’t for those in a hurry. Service isn’t fast in most places. “Island time” is definitely a real thing here, which might have been a nightmare with younger kids. The nice thing is many of the restaurants are beachfront, so you could easily take the little ones for a walk on the beach to keep them busy while you wait.
Some of the activities we did were golfing at Provo Golf Club, in villa massages with Lotus Spa, jet ski rentals, and shopping on Grace Bay Road. You can also rent a day pass to Beaches resort, which would be tons of fun for younger kids. To get a feel for the local food and culture, there’s also a weekly fish fry every Thursday.
One of the best things about Turks and Caicos besides the insanely beautiful water, is that there’s an area for everyone. For the resort life and walking distance to many shops, restaurants and bars, Grace Bay is the area to stay. For beach rentals with privacy and the feeling of having the ocean to yourself, Turtle Cove/Turtle Tail area is where it’s at. Long Bay beach, close to Grace Bay is another great area for vacation rentals. Here you will typically see a little bit more action in the water and is a great place to watch the kite surfers.
I honestly cannot say enough about how much we enjoy time spent in TCI. Whether you’re happy sitting on the beach reading a book all day or an adventurer who loves water sports, you can do it all here. Missing it already!
*One side note about the airport in Turks, if you can avoid traveling home Friday-Sunday, you will miss the busiest days. This airport is very small and seating is limited. If you do depart on a busy day, know that you may have a hard time finding seats while waiting for your flight. Many times we have had to scatter about and sit separately, which would be hard with little ones.
Here are few popular places to eat in TCI
Coffee Spots
Lemon 2 Go
Beans and Leaves
Breakfast
Shay Cafe
Caicos Bakery
Island Scoop
Lunch/Dinner
Coco Bistro
Da Conch Shack
Hemingways on the Beach
Mr. Grouper’s
Hope this has helped, thanks for stopping by!