Jill

My fiance and I are trying to decide on a honeymoon destination and we have narrowed it down to Turks and Caicos and St. Kitts/Nevis. Is there more to do in Turks than snorkeling/diving. Also, which hotel do you recommend...Ocean Club vs. Sands at Grace Bay vs Allegro? Thanks in advance!

Dave

Jill...I have been to both islands. I was in St.Kitts in 94. We stayed on the north coast near the Jack Tar. While swimming on our beach was not the best due to the high waves, there are a number of nice beaches within a short car ride. There is a wonderful fort (Brimstone Hill) that is well worthwhile seeing, especially if you have an interest in the history of the caribbean. A tour of the island takes about 2 hours. It is lush in places with mountains in the middle. The Ottley plantation is worth stopping at. The restaurants are plentyful and great. For an outing you can take a catamaran over to Nevis. Good snorkelling along the way. I was in TCI last Feb. TCI is a different island, it is flat and dry. I didn't real find much of historical interest other than the pirate caves and the Carib Indian caves on Middle Caicos. Other than swimming and snorkeling, you can go to 'centre' island or the Port of Call for shopping, play golf, bicycle or take a tour to another near by island. Grace Bay is astounding. The white talicum powder beach contrasted against the bluest of torquoise I have ever seen is enough to make a grown man giggle. I am not familiar with the hotels you mention. I stayed at the Comfort Suites. While not on the beach and not all inclusive, it is a great place. The Port of Call 'plaza' is next door with 3 good restaurants. The food was pretty good at all the places we went to. I guess if I wasn't going to be 'honeymooning' all day I would probably chose St. Kitts for the variety of activities.

ddoherty

Hi Jill,<BR>I love Turks and Caicos. We vacationed there 2 years ago and we can't wait to go back. As for things to do...there really isn't too much. If you enjoy laying in the sun, tropical drinks, relaxation, snorkeling and fine dining then this is the place for you. If you are looking for something w. all of the above plus more, I would suggest some where else. We stayed at the Allegro, when we go back we will not be staying there. My choice would be the Grace Bay Club, it's gorgeous.<BR><BR>From what I have heard about St. Kitts, I do not think that it sits on Caribbean waters. I think that it's located on the Atlantic. So I would check w/ a travel agent. Especially if you have your heart set on the turquoise waters of the caribbean. <BR><BR>Good Luck!

doofus

Jill,<BR><BR>Doherty must have slept through geography class because, of course St. Kitts is in the Atlantic AND the Caribbean. The east coast of St. Kitts is the Atlantic side and the west coast is the Caribbean side. However, Turks and Caicos are not in the Caribbean at all, they are only in the Atlantic.<BR><BR>There is turquoise water in St. Kitts, just not to the extent that it is in T&amp;C because SK is volcanic in origin, therefore, darker sand beaches.<BR><BR>Personally, I think Sk is a honeymoon destination, especially if you stay at one of the plantations. My fav is Ottleys. SK is lush and green w/mountains, while T&amp;C is flat and scrubby. You need to decide which you would prefer for your honeymoon. Good luck and congrats.

Carm

Jill, just returned from T&amp;C yesterday. AMAZING and ROMANTIC. We snorkeled, went Deep Sea fishing, ate wonderful meals, did a sunset cruise. You can golf also but we didn't b/c we didn't want to lug our clubs. I have not done much traveling in my life but my sister has been to sooo many places and she would go back to T&amp;C in a heartbeat. The best beach she has ever seen! We stayed at the Sands...highly recommend it. Avoid the Ocean Front Studio and you will be very happy with your accomodations. Any questions? Just ask. Avoid the Allegro!! Met a couple who was staying there and they were soooo unhappy with it. They had many complaints, plus I went to see it, it is a train wreck. They ran out of food at one point...duh! Grace Bay Club is beautiful but pricey, not sure if you have a budget, we did so the Sands worked for us. Ocean Club is right next to Club Med which gets Loud at night. We walked the beach at night and heard the megaphones going strong!