Planning a surprise trip for my husband's 50th birthday in early Feb. We love to snorkel. Can't decide which would be better. If Cat Island is it worth spending some time in Nassau on the way? Thanks

Been to both (assuming by the T&C you mean Provo). They are both very different islands.

Go to Cat Island if you are seeking a very seculded, undeveloped and uncrowded destination. There are no shops to speak of, very few places to eat (mostly local food and no upscale dining at all), no significant night life. The beaches, however, are first rate. You can visit a different one every morning and afternoon for a week and never see another person. If you are a seasoned island traveler you might find Cat Island interesting alternative to the typical island vacation but if you are relatively new to island travel you are apt to be disappointed. If you choose Cat Island, staying in Nassau for a day or two will seem like you are visiting a big city.

Go to Provo if you want a greater choice of places to eat (beach bars to fine dining), want to socialize with others, like to engage in water sports, take excursions, etc. The beaches here are also very nice and you can find many areas that are uncrowded. There are a number of very nice "condo" type rental properties where you can find first class accommodations at reasonable prices. The T&C are still relatively quite when compared to places like St. Thomas and St. Martin.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the help. I do want to be seculded but I'm also pretty hyper and like to be doing something all the time so it seems like Provo would be better for us.

Have been to Provo 14 times and think you would enjoy it more than Cat Island.
would be happy to answer any questions and offer advice re restaurants, snorkeling, what to do ets. You can e- mail me at [email protected]

We celebrated our 25th anniversary at the Turks & Caicos Club

http://www.turksandcaicosclub.com

Great place for a surprise birthday, too. 21 suites, large suites with private balcony and four poster beds, right on Grace Bay Beach and near the snorkeling and gourmet restaurant with food that competes with any top restaurant in NY. The staff, including Lorna and Alvado, were so gracious. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for all the helps. Provo has definitely won. Now does anyone know about swimming with the whales in Grand Turk or Salt Cay. It seems like Feb is the time for them.