Provo Trip Report
 

We returned last week from 12 wonderful days on Provo, TC. Reading the trip reports posted by others on this forum was a great help in our planning, so I thought I would return the favor in hope that others might benefit from our experiences.
The travelers
There were 8 of us on this trip: my wife and two daughters (20 and 17), my wife's sister and her son and daughter (21 and 18), my mother-in-law, and me. We have been traveling together at Christmastime for the last 10 years, and always to someplace warm. Previous trips have included Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, St. Croix, Puerto Vallarta, and Tortola BVI.
Getting there
My wife, daughters and I flew from Houston, and the rest of our group from Boston. We all connected through Miami and made the last leg of the trip together. We arrived on the island about at 8pm and took almost an hour to clear customs (long wait for our bags to arrive). Based on other posts I have read this is pretty normal for Provo, but by the time we got our rental cars it was about 9:30 and the person that was supposed to meet us and lead us to the villa was nowhere in sight. So...we headed out on our own. We got lost a couple of times, but eventually found the house, thanks to my wife who had foreseen this possibility and gotten rough directions from the rental company ahead of time.
Accommodations
We rented a 5 bedroom house called Moonshadow through TC villas. The house is located on the south side of the island on a small jut of land known as Ocean Point. It is perched high on a bluff facing Sapodilla Bay, and has stairs leading down to a small dock at the water. At high tide the water is deep enough for swimming off the dock. Behind us and within walking distance, was Taylor bay with a mile long beautiful white sand beach that was almost deserted most of time we were there. There were also very nice tennis courts available for our use within walking distance of the house. The layout of the house accommodated us well and its location was wonderful, but the house is beginning to show its age and upkeep was not what we thought is should be. Screens did not fit the windows well, showers were mildewed and the floor needed a good mopping (which my mother-in-law addressed right away). Mostly these were minor things, but the house was more expensive and not nearly as nice as houses we have rented on other islands. I realize that may not be a fair comparison because I believe rents on Provo may be higher due to the current popularity of Provo and availability of non-stops flights from many cities in the US (but not Houston). We enjoyed our stay very much, but would look for another property if we were to return in the future.
The island
Provo is very different from the steep and lush islands we are used to visiting. Provo is flat and arid with scrubby vegetation. It is also very dusty. This is not to say that it isn’t beautiful, just different from what we were used to. Unfortunately, the entire east half of the island seems to be under construction, and I am afraid the whole place will soon be one big resort. Although the most of the development is nicely done and beautifully landscaped, it is all artificial and sustained by aggressive irrigation. I enjoyed the island most when we were away from the resorts – especially the far western end of the island which remains mostly undeveloped. Here we got to see Provo in its more or less “natural” state and could best appreciate its original beauty. Much of this part of the island can be explored by car, without the need for 4WD (we stopped short of the deeply rutted road to Malcom beach) and I highly recommend taking the time to explore this part of the island.
The beaches
With their crystal clear water and brilliant white sand, the beaches are indeed spectacular. According to Conde’ Nast Traveler magazine, Grace Bay beach is "the best in the world", and it certainly is beautiful, but we actually preferred Taylor Bay beach for its quiet atmosphere and smaller crowds (in fact no crowds at all), and of course it’s proximity to our rental was a plus too. Taylor Bay is shallow for a long way out, so you have to walk a good distance before it gets deep enough to swim, but the shallow waters are a fun place to toss a football or just float around on an air mattress. It is also a great for spotting rays. They seemed to show up an hour or so before sunset on most days. We didn’t see a lot of them, usually one or two each day, but they are so beautiful to watch that each sighting was an event for us. We also found the occasional live star fish or sand dollar which was interesting since none of us had actually seen a living sand dollar before, only the shell they leave behind.
I’ll post more over the next few days with details on restaurants and excursions.

Nice report. Thanks. Sounds like you found a really nice spot.

Peace, Greenie

i love taylor bay beach too. is that not the softest sand you've ever felt!
can't wait to read the rest of your report.
i am so surprised that moonshadow was not up to par. mr moog's houses are ususally first rate.

There is lots to do on Provo. Here are some of the highlights from our trip.

Glow Worms
One evening we took a boat ride to see the glow worms. Typically a few nights after a full moon, a most unusual phenomenon is reported to occur in the waters surrounding these islands. “ Just after sunset the marine worm Odontosyllis enopia performs a sparkling mating ritual. The female releases a pulsating luminescent egg mass, and the glowing male does a zig-zag dance until he encounters these egg masses. The male then punctures the egg mass and darts around inside causing an even brighter green glow.” At least that is the way it was explained to us. Unfortunately, the worms did not cooperate, even though Sunday was a full moon and Tuesday should have been a perfect night to see them. Captain Bob said it was the first time in the 18 years he had been operating tours that the worms had failed to perform. Captain Bob tried playing romantic music over the boat's stereo system and one guy on the boat suggested sprinkling Viagra in the water, but I guess the worms just weren't in the mood. I felt bad for Captain Bob, because he had to make good on his money back guarantee, and even though we didn't see any glow worms, we still enjoyed a nice sunset cruise. So I tipped the captain at least enough to cover the food and drink we consumed and a portion of his fuel costs.

But that's not the end of the story... the following night just before sunset, my daughter and I walked down to the dock in front of our villa and waited. After half an hour we were just about ready to give up when my daughter thought she saw a small green spot glowing in the water. Then I saw something too. We called to the others and everyone ran to join us. Soon there was a sparkling light show in the water all around the dock. It didn't last long - maybe 3 to 5 minutes tops - but we probably witnessed about 100 encounters. The males are about the size of a single grain of rice but glow as bright as the LED lights on a piece of electronic equipment, so they are very easy to spot in the water. The egg masses are between golf ball and base ball sized and are transparent with a softer glow, that is until they are punctured by the male. Then they sort of explode like a miniature fireworks display. It was really neat to see, and I am glad we took the time to look for them.

Snorkeling
Rather than book a snorkeling excursion, we rented snorkeling equipment at Dive Provo ($10 per day for mask, fins and snorkel) and explored two of the reefs on the north side of the island. The first was Coral Gardens reef. It is close to the hotels and is only a few yards off the beach, which I suspect makes it one of the most popular snorkeling spots on the island. Unfortunately, this popularity has had a negative impact on the reef and much of the reef is in very poor shape. I believe fish here are used to being fed as well, since they seemed to approach us rather expectantly when we entered the water. The good news is that efforts are being made to reverse the impact that visitors have had on this reef. Most of the reef is actually roped off to keep swimmers out, leaving only a small portion of the reef to explore. Hopefully these efforts will be successful in saving the reef.

The second spot we tried was Smith's reef. It was further from the hotels but still very easy to get to. We parked near the Turtle Cove marina and walked along the beach for about half a mile to reach the reef. The reef was small (less than 50 yards long) and an easy swim from the beach, but very beautiful and loaded with fish - definitely worth the small effort required.

Kayaking
We rented kayaks from Big Blue and explored a couple of nearby islands. Pushing off the north shore of Provo, we only had to paddle about 200 yards to reach Mangrove Cay. It’s not really an island so much as a shallow spot in the ocean where the Mangroves have taken hold. It was fun drifting deep into the openings among the mangroves. Sooner or later, each passageway we tried would narrow and come to a dead end and we would have to turn around and try another. The water varied from 2 to 6 feet deep and we could see lots of fish and even a small nurse shark followed us for a while.
Leaving Mangrove Cay, we paddled about a mile across the channel to Little Water Cay, a 116 acre Nature Reserve also known as Iguana Island. Little Water Cay is uninhabited by humans, but home to more than 2,000 Rock Iguanas. Pulling our kayaks onto the beach, we were met by a ranger who provided us with a short tour and pointed out the differences between male and female iguanas (the males have larger bodies, a spiny crest and big jaws, while the females have a small dainty head with a more flattened appearance). He also pointed out several nesting burrows and explained the tagging procedures used to monitor each individual and track the total population. After the tour he pointed to a trail and invited us to follow it to the other side of the island. It took about 20 minutes to reach the other side, but eventually we emerged from the thick brush onto a beautiful deserted beach. We all enjoyed a cool swim and then relaxed on the beach until a large male iguana showed up and began bobbing his head and hissing to let us know it was time to leave his territory.
When we got back to our kayaks the beach was crowded with the boats of tour operators and the ranger was busy with a large group of people. We were very lucky to have timed our visit just right to avoid a crowd like this. We pushed back into the channel and headed further north to another secluded beach on the island where we enjoyed the picnic lunch we had brought with us and then decided it was time to head back. Returning across the channel we passed a large ray. This was by far the largest ray (easily 5 feet across) we saw on our trip, and it was beautiful to watch him glide right by us.

Horseback Riding
My daughter and niece are accomplished riders and wanted to take a ride while on the island. We booked with Provo Ponies for a morning ride at low tide so they would be able to ride on the beach. Both girls had a wonderful time and said the folks at Provo Ponies were great fun to be with. They rode with a small group of riders (total of six guests I believe) that included riders of all levels, even one who had never ridden before, but their guide made sure that everyone had a good time by allowing the more experienced riders the freedom to go at a faster pace.

I’ll post restaurant reviews in the next few days.

I am really enjoying your review. You really packed a lot into this vacation!!

Wonderful trip report, we are off to Provo February 16 to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We booked all 7 nights on Grace Bay. I am now considering a few nights in a more deserted area like Parrot Cay??
Thanks for some good ideas!

We were also there when you were and enjoyed your report. We stayed in a villa in Cooper Jack where the Haitian Immigrants ran aground and caused quite a stir the Saturday after Christmas. We too enjoyed staying away from the more crowded Grace Bay--loved Malcolm's and the West End area which is only now available by car. Interested in seeing the rest of your report.

Having a villa is great because you don’t have to go out for every meal, but sampling local restaurants is part of the fun too. Here are some of our favorites.

Conch Shack
Located right on the beach along the road to Blue Hills, this is a great lunch spot. They are also open for dinner, but I liked being there during the day to enjoy the view and watch the staff harvesting our meal right out of the ocean. We had conch strips, cracked conch, conch fritters and conch chowder. Everything was delicious, but I liked the fritters most of all.

Tiki Hut
This was our favorite restaurant on the island. It is located in the Turtle Cove Marina, and offers a BBQ rib and chicken special on Tuesday nights ($12.99 I believe). We came back two Tuesdays in a row because we enjoyed the BBQ so much. On our first visit, most of us ordered the combo dinner which includes both chicken and ribs. The chicken was good, but the ribs were outstanding. On our second visit we all ordered ribs. The conch chowder at Tiki Hut was also the best we had anywhere on the island.

Coyaba Restaurant
We wanted someplace special for New Year’s Eve and got just what we were looking for at Coyaba. Next door to Caribbean Paradise Inn, this upscale restaurant offers excellent food, an elegant island atmosphere, and impeccable service. It was by far our most expensive meal on the island, but worth every penny (easy for me to say since my mother-in-law picked up the bill!)

thanks for the great information. We are going to the Turks the first week of March. This will be very helpful! Did you have a guide when you went snorkeling or did you just do it on your own? My kids are very excited to snorkel. However, I want to make sure it is safe.

tuleppy - for smiths reef or coral gardens no guide will be necessary. all excursions come with a guide.

for kids safety:
- tell them Never to touch or stand on anything but sand. this keeps them and the coral safe. and that you can swim With the rays and turtles but not chase/harass them.
- if you are concerned about them staying afloat find a snorkel vest like this one (which is adult size):http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/AKNSV...%3d0%26Hit%3d1
it can be blown up as needed with just a puff or 2 of air. they can play with this in shallow water so they get the hang of it.
- be sure to get masks that fit perfectly. any leak at all will ruin the experience. they will love it when you teach them to spit in the mask to keep it clear. the store will explain, but mask should stick to face without the strap on if you breathe in. (a new mask should be cleaned with crest toothpaste) a baffled snorkel is more expensive but if kids are little might be a good idea.
- don't go to smith's until they get the hang of it. water entry is tiny area ( marked by rock carin on beach), there is more current, the water is deeper, reef is not marked and is shallow in some spots, and it is near a boat channel.
- early am is most calm water and fish like to feed first thing
- tell them to listen to parrot fish and others gnawing on the coral. they make a little crunchy noise.
- there are some excellent fish id books available. they'll want to know what they've seen and they might enjoy marking off each of their discoveries. there is an outstanding one called Reef Fish: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas by Paul Hunann which we take on every trip.
have a great trip.

Thanks for the tip on the website! I am going to purchase the snorkel vest for my kids. Great idea! I am trying to decide if I should get snorkel equiptment for them as well. $10/day for three kids plus us could add up quickly if we want to do a lot of snorkeling. Thanks for the info!

I have been reading that there is a lot of construction going on in the Turks. Is this true? Is it going to be noisy? We were in St. Barths last winter and there was a lot of construction. We did not like that at all! It sucks when you pay all that money to relax and be in peace and tranquil surroundings and come upon bulldozers and cranes ruining it for you.

Anyone been to the conch farm? Is it worth a tour? What is your favorite excursion?

do check around your area for a dive shop. if you can buy masks at home you will get ones that fit well. all other equipment can be on line or at the shop which ever has the better price. sometimes ppl carry their own mask and snorkel and rent fins.
there is construction but you won't hear it on the beach.
i assume your kids are pretty young. they might enjoy sopadilla bay beach a/or taylor bay beach. both on the south side of the island. driving you turn on the chalk sound road. sopadilla is maybe 1/2 mile on the left. taylor another 1/2 mile or so past that.
sbb is small but very nice and picturesque. very nice for swimming and fairly shallow. tbb is about a mile long, extremely shallow for a long long way out and perfect for little ones. also taylor has the nicest sand on provo.
if the kids are over say 10 they might like the conch farm. it's not terrificly exciting. takes about 40 mins. it's hot - take water.
if they will eat conch go to 'da conch shack' a short ways out the blue hills road. they actually go in the sea to get the conch and open and prepare all for you to watch. http://www.flickr.com/photos/am_le/3...7594470714781/
& http://www.flickr.com/photos/7955072@N05/526291187/

the tour to middle caicos to see the caves is fun.
or how about a family picnic or a deserted cay... you can all be pirates. and will not need jack sparrows methods to get you off your deserted island.

here's a good map: http://www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com/map.htm

We've rented several times at the Aquamarine Beach Houses (www.aquamarinebeachhouse.com) on Grace Bay and loved it. 4 houses are right on the beach near the Turks & Caicos Club. It's a wonderful property right on the beach with swimming pool,tennis court, and daily maid service. John and Paula make you feel like part of the family (I wish!). Anyway, it's a great place for a group to rent as much space as they need.

Marvelous trip report. Thank you so much for posting such excellent information.