acloudangl

Hello all,

I am looking to go to T&C sometime this year. My dates can be flexible. We desire 1. best beaches 2. snorkeling (but we are willing to walk/car to the best spots) 3. nice accomodations 4. not too too expensive

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

virginia

pretty much all resorts are directly on grace bay beach. cheapest time of year is may 1 thru dec 15th excluding thanksgiving.
2 good off beach spots - one in front of coral gardens resort one - smiths reef at the west end of grace bay beach near turtle cove marina. more snorkeling at malcolm road beach but it's almost an hour drive and you'll need a 4 wheel for clearance to drive out. the beach is worth the trip ...

most accomodations are condo style so if you plan to do some meals "at home" that can save you money.
to suggest specific hotels you'll need to tell us specific budget, but yoiu might look at royal west indies, the sands or tiny sibonne.

blamona

Could you give us a little more information about your tastes and budgets?
There is really no bad place to stay in Provo, the main island. they just have different services, different price points with amenities, different personalities.

not too expensive is subjective, so a budget would be appropiate. All the beaches are gorgeous, not an ugly one there--and some of the best in the world. Snorkeling with most access is the stretch from Windsong to West Bay Club, with no car needed.

There are resorts that serve you on the beach, some are self-catering, some have good people watching, some more popular with children, some are quiet and boutique. A good start is Fodor's In Focus: Turks and Caicos, which has reviews of all places, price points and personalities of the different ones. Do keep in mind, the prices are average for peak season in it, there are currently tons of special promotions going on at most resorts--including free nights or some dinners, spa or excursions, which truly save money.

acloudangl

Thanks!!

As for tastes, we do like a a more modern, nice accomodation. We would like to spend >5,000 if possible. We would like to go to a place where there are not a lot of kids....Does that help at all? Any hotel gems?

blamona

All hotels are nice there.
how many nights? and does $5000 include air?

acloudangl

6 or 7 nights....i would love some recomendations where hotels were 4000$ and with air bdget was 5,000 and how much nicer the resorts would be if for 5,000 air wasnt included.
THANK YOU!!!

freewoman

I just booked another trip for us to Grace Bay. We love it there. Be aware there is absolutely nothing to do on that island tho. Just a great, relaxing vacation with gorgeous water and wonderful restaurants. We always stay at the Sibonne. Not the Ritz, mind you, but it works well for us. We like the small boutique hotels and the Sibonne only has about 30 rooms. No kid programs and so no kids to have to deal with. It was the first resort on Grace Bay so it is old, but my main criteria for a resort is clean rooms, no bugs and the toilet facilities have to work properly. Sibonne fits the bill on all of these and as an added bonus it has a quiet, uncrowded beach to relax.

There are a lot of reviews out there stating that the staff is rude and uncaring. I have to wonder how these people treat the staff because we thought they were always charming and courteous. No problems whatsoever . . . love it there and can't wait to get back . . . 4 more months.

Whether you stay there or not, be sure to visit the restaurant there and have the conch chowder. Best I have had anywhere!

albee622

We just booked the new veranda scheduled to open in February....with special promo's and air six nights came to under 5000...all inclusive.

PandyB

I'm hesitant to try any all-inclusive especially in a soft-opening. There are just too may good restaurants on Provo to limit oneself to one resort. do report back on Verandah. (Still wondering why the resort is called this when the Verandah on Antigua is very popular.)?

TPAYT

acloudangl----here's my take on TCI. After going to 20+ islands, it is our favorite. The beach at Grace Bay is stunning, gorgeous water, pure white sand.

For many years we were into snorkeling and this won't be your favorite. There are a few spots, but not up to par with St. John or the BVI's.

It is expensive for accomodations. Try www.VRBO.com to find a good deal. Our favorite place is www.oceanclubresorts.com Ocen club West. Another good place is www.royalwestindies.com You can find some of these condos for less on VRBO.

Yes, there are alot of gorgeous condos on that beach, but the price is high.

The restaurants are mostly expensive(as in most of the Caribbean), but having a condo and a great grocery store helps. There are some low key places that are budget friendly and we alternated them with the high priced places.

albee622

Sister property is in Antigua.....although I love Antigua I dont like the location of the Veranda on that island....my TA recommended this new property and she too feels "soft openings" are not the way to go BUT I'M DESPERATE TO GET AWAY!! I'm also not "used" to paying full "high season" prices as we always travel during the spring and summer months...did I say I'm desperate to get away! She also found Turtle Beach Club in Barbados which is coming in under 5000 for seven nights....and on top of that we looked at Country Country in Jamaica which I wasn't thrilled about but the price was awesome! I really liked the Jamaica Inn which looked good for a girlfriend getaway. Through all this planning, my first choice for a Feb getaway was Harbor Island but i know the water will probably not be as warm as we would like so we started looking at other islands further south. We have to make a decision by next week so I will be racking my brains all weekend!

Hi Blamona!! I owe you and fellow T&C friend's a trip report from my glorious/luxurious/perfect vacation at the Regent Palms over the summer....I just started working on it....=) !!

ilandgrl

I totally agree with Freewoman regarding Sibonne. One of the best vacations we ever had we spent there. Beautiful quiet beach..walking distance to great restaurants and the onsite restaurant is terrific. we found the staff to be friendly and very helpful...You get what you give, right??