Turks and Caicos Trip Recap

16 Jun Turks and Caicos Trip Recap

Stunning turquoise water, vibrant sea life, and calm Caribbean waves—what’s not to love about Turks and Caicos? Whether it’s next up on your bucket list or you’re still in the early stages of research, check out travel agent Rachel Henne’s recap of her recent vacation spent on this beautiful island!

1. Which resort did you stay at in Turks and Caicos?

I visited Turks and Caicos and stayed at Beaches Turks and Caicos! Turks has approximately 40 islands total, but only a few are inhabited. The Beaches property sits on Providenciales or “Provo” per the locals.  The island isn’t very big, but has great eateries, a shopping district, and excellent snorkeling. I toured three other properties while on the island: Blue Haven, Alexandra and Beach House. These three resorts are currently European Plan style properties (not all inclusive), but are making the switch to all-inclusive beginning in January 2018.

2. Describe the beaches, pools, rooms, and amenities at your resort.

Beaches Turks and Caicos – I can’t say enough positive things about this property. From the attentive service to excellent dining we enjoyed every minute of our stay. Rooms are located in one of four villages which are all strikingly different.

The Key West Village was very quiet and catered to more of an adult atmosphere. There were three restaurants in this section and I would recommend it to anyone who loves personalized service. All rooms offer club service amenities which include an in-room mini bar and concierge assistance for booking reservations or excursions.

The Italian Village was the most family friendly and upgraded section of the property. The main pool with a large swim up bar is located here and all of the restaurants are modeled after a European theme. This section is for families with a large budget as it is very expensive.

Next was the French Village which was great for families as well; however, a bit more modest in price. This section is near the waterpark and most removed from the beach. I liked the balance of activity and relaxation offered in this section.

Finally, the Caribbean section is the most basic when it comes to appeal and is great for the budget conscience traveler. I don’t want to be mistaken: Turks is highly expensive; however, if you are wanting to go and do it in the most cost effective way then the Caribbean Village is for you.

All guests staying at Beaches have full access to the entire property. This is definitely a beach destination! The water and beaches are some of the best I’ve seen in all my travels. I loved that you could see everything in the water and that the waves were calm which make it easy to swim in the ocean. If I had to choose a drawback it would be that Turks is a destination that does not offer adult only properties. I prefer the adult only atmosphere when I travel and will be sure to point this out to clients so that I can set their expectations appropriately.

3. Which other properties did you tour?

Blue Haven – The property sits right next to the marina and has a very secluded beach area. I noticed that the resort was very quiet as there are only 40 rooms total. This would be a great fit for the traveler that wants to completely disconnect from it all. Those seeking activity and interaction will not get that here. Since the resort is not all-inclusive I checked out a few of the menus. Although the food looks amazing, it is highly expensive everywhere on the island. Most meals were $30-$40 for lunch per person. There is a little market across the street from the resort; however, goods are priced pretty high in there too. I found the island to be expensive all the way around.

Alexandra Resort – The resort sits on Grace Bay and is located directly next to Beaches Turks and Caicos. This resort was more lively than Blue Haven and Beach House, which I liked. The others were a bit quiet for me. The rooms were really nice offering full kitchens and some have multiple bedrooms. For clients that don’t enjoy all-inclusive style resorts this would be a great option due to the location and amount of activity offered.

Beach House – This is a resort for the boutique style traveler. There are only 20 rooms at the property and a high level of personalized service. With only two restaurants the property caters to the quaint and quiet traveler. All of the staff that I met with couldn’t have been more friendly. The resort sits on Grace Bay and has a stunning beach.

3. How long were you there? Would you recommend more or less time to future travelers?

I was on the island for six nights and I felt that it was the perfect amount of time. I think I would have been fine with five nights just the same, but I wouldn’t go any shorter or longer than those two. There isn’t much to do on the island besides shop at the Salt Mills. This is more of relaxing destination with great beaches and watersports.

4. What was your favorite part of the trip?

My favorite part of the trip was that I could actually get in the ocean without fear! The water was so incredibly clear that I felt comfortable enough to wade into the ocean. I’m usually more of a pool person because the ocean scares me—not in Turks! The water is so calm and you can swim out really far while still seeing the bottom clearly. It’s truly breathtaking!

5. Did you learn anything new about the area?

Even as a travel agent I honestly didn’t realize how expensive goods and services were on the island. Usually you can find local eateries for decent prices, but everything I came across was extremely expensive. The most valuable lesson I can share with my clients is that they should not go to Turks on a budget. The extras do not come cheap especially if you opt out of the all-inclusive resort.

All images have either been provided by the travel agent or are licensed under the Creative Commons.

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