turks and caicos
Jun 11th, 2009, 07:00 AM
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turks and caicos
My husband and I just returned from our 2nd stay at the West Bay Club. I must start off by saying that we are well travelled, and stay at places that are always rated 4 or 5 stars. We have been to many Caribbean Islands and stayed at lovely resorts and seen lovely beaches BUT if you want a gorgeous beach and stay in a beautiful resort with lots of room, great amenities (bathrobes, moulton brown products etc) with huge terraces and the most fabulous ocean views - you really should check this place out. The service was outstanding, the food was great - we had no complaints whatsoever. I know we will return again. You can not go wrong....
Aug 5th, 2009, 02:44 PM
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we are considering staying here in Dec-Jan with our 2 young children. How dangerous do you think the huge terrace would be? Is it a low railing? The facility looks amazing, so we may jump on it. We have never been to T&C so I'd love your opinion on restaurants close to this resort. I've heard about the one next door (Bagatelle?) and Somewhere on the Beach (which appears to be down the beach some)...any others?
Thanks so much.
Thanks so much.
Aug 5th, 2009, 02:57 PM
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also, as background, i'd like to say that we tend not to like to stay in overdeveloped high traffic areas. we were looking at renting a private villa on the island, but so many of the pools open directly out from the living room, that i didn't feel safe (i.e., kids could easily open sliding doors while my back was turned). i am also looking into this very late for holiday travel (so i have been reminded by so many nice people 
that my choices for villas are somewhat limited). West Bay appealed to us in that it was beachfront, but not part of that mobbed grace bay scene, which my dh will not like at all. we are fine with driving to dinner etc too, i just wanted to know what, if anything, was close by. sorry for the longwinded message.
would love some honest, helpful advice for a family with young kids looking for nice/high end accomodations. thanks.
that my choices for villas are somewhat limited). West Bay appealed to us in that it was beachfront, but not part of that mobbed grace bay scene, which my dh will not like at all. we are fine with driving to dinner etc too, i just wanted to know what, if anything, was close by. sorry for the longwinded message. would love some honest, helpful advice for a family with young kids looking for nice/high end accomodations. thanks.
Aug 6th, 2009, 06:48 AM
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dwsl - look at www.bellasurmer.com
near turtle cove marina - so totally away from hubbub.
walk to smiths reef for best off beach snorkeling on provo.
walk 15 mins/drive 4 mins to 5 restaurants.
pool very nice & IS separated from house. note the pics - #14 shows small path from house towards steps up to pool deck. if you walk past pool steps there is a medium size sandy yard then directly onto the beach.
beach is normally all but deserted, has fairly gradual sandy entrance. i think this house could work nicely for your family - hope it's available.
when you search provo villas if you can find one on sopadilla bay beach that you like, i think that location would suit you. it's maybe 15 mins drive to grace bay beach area. kid friendly beach - waist deep or less for quite a distance out. very picturesque spot with small yachts often moored out in the bay. no nearby resorts - maybe a dozen or so villas on this beach. on map its near chalk sound.
fyi chalk sound area has tons of gorgeous new villas but you can not swim in the sound - its brac water.
if you don't find a villa, you might look at turks & caicos club. same vicinity as west bay club, however the resort is probaly more adult oriented - not hedonism or anything like that just no kiddie pool or activities planned around little ones. http://www.turksandcaicosclub.com/
if none of this works out for you read this post re virgin gorda:
kellybeaches on Mar 20, 08 at 09:33 AM
Hi Georgiatraveler,
We stayed at Caribbean Wind on Mahoe Bay in Virgin Gorda with 2 other couples and 2 children who were under 1yr at the time. I specifically looked for a pool that the kids couldn't just "fall" into, and this villa had it. It has a stone wall about 2 feet high all the way around so if the kiddies want to get in, they really have to try. This was our favorite Caribbean place we've been to (and we've been to a lot). The villa was gorgeous, well maintained, very private, the beach was private (at the most about 5 other people on it at any time), beautiful sunset views, nice little shops for the women (although no golf-not sure if the guys would be okay with that?). There are some great restaurants, and the island is small so you can rent a car and see the whole island. Definitely check out the Baths. The water overall on all the beaches is very calm and perfect for the little ones. Caribbean Wind is set up so that the bedroom (with king bed) is connected to another bedroom (with 2 twins) which is in the main part of the house. Then there are 2 other large bedrooms each with kings with a separate entrance (note that you can rent pack’n’plays or cots if needed for the kids). There's a large bbq grill too. I think this would be perfect if it fits into your budget. Here are my pix to it:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...fromshare&Ux=0
And here's the link to the site:
http://www.caribbeanwind.com/
georgiatraveler on Mar 20, 08 at 09:17 PM
kellybeaches,
Great post, thanks so much. Definitely what we are looking for. How hard was it to actually get there? # of connecting flights, etc.
BTW, great slide show. Your daughter is a cutie pie!
Thanks!
kellybeaches on Mar 21, 08 at 09:40 AM
Hi Georgiatraveler,
Glad I could be of help. Getting there was a bit of a pain, but if I went again, I would get there differently. We flew out of Philly to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then caught a puddle jumper (Air Sunshine-which is the only airline that flies into VG) there. We had a really bad experience with customer service both ways with Air Sunshine and under no circumstances would ever fly with them again. With that being said, there are people on this board who haven’t had any problems with them. Maybe we just caught them on 2 bad days? Although the locals call them “Air Sometimes” and in my opinion I completely agree with them. Anyway, the way I would go if I did it again would be to fly to San Juan via American Air, then take their smaller connecting flight American Eagle (so they’ll transfer your bags for you and you won’t have connection issues) to Tortola. From Tortola you take a short ferry ride (I think the ferry rides are very nice and relaxing) over to VG. Another option would be to fly direct to St. Thomas and take a sea plane over to VG, but they have a very limited schedule. I think your best bet is to go through Tortola, unless you want to risk it w/Air Sunshine. If you do, make sure you get to the gate AT LEAST 2 hours before your boarding time, even if they tell you otherwise ahead of time, and even if your party is taking up the whole plane, or else they’ll charge you full price of your tickets again and make you sit for hours not letting you bored while you watch your plane sit idle on the runway. No fun-especially with small kids.
Anyway, I realize I didn’t answer your question about medical facilities. Our friend had a situation and had to go to the clinic on the island while there. She said they were very friendly and helpful.
One thing you may want to do if you go is bring down some frozen meat/fish. We were there over memorial day week and the boat bringing food to the island hadn’t come yet (the end of the month they tend to run out of food as the boats come in once a month) so we had a hard time finding anything fresh food wise. The restaurants were all very good and had fresh food-it was just the food stores were running out. Do check out Leverick Bay BBQ-live music, great buffet, lots of fun!
Oh, and you can rent a car with the car seat installed. It worked out well for us.
Sorry for the book. Let us know what you end up going with!
near turtle cove marina - so totally away from hubbub.
walk to smiths reef for best off beach snorkeling on provo.
walk 15 mins/drive 4 mins to 5 restaurants.
pool very nice & IS separated from house. note the pics - #14 shows small path from house towards steps up to pool deck. if you walk past pool steps there is a medium size sandy yard then directly onto the beach.
beach is normally all but deserted, has fairly gradual sandy entrance. i think this house could work nicely for your family - hope it's available.
when you search provo villas if you can find one on sopadilla bay beach that you like, i think that location would suit you. it's maybe 15 mins drive to grace bay beach area. kid friendly beach - waist deep or less for quite a distance out. very picturesque spot with small yachts often moored out in the bay. no nearby resorts - maybe a dozen or so villas on this beach. on map its near chalk sound.
fyi chalk sound area has tons of gorgeous new villas but you can not swim in the sound - its brac water.
if you don't find a villa, you might look at turks & caicos club. same vicinity as west bay club, however the resort is probaly more adult oriented - not hedonism or anything like that just no kiddie pool or activities planned around little ones. http://www.turksandcaicosclub.com/
if none of this works out for you read this post re virgin gorda:
kellybeaches on Mar 20, 08 at 09:33 AM
Hi Georgiatraveler,
We stayed at Caribbean Wind on Mahoe Bay in Virgin Gorda with 2 other couples and 2 children who were under 1yr at the time. I specifically looked for a pool that the kids couldn't just "fall" into, and this villa had it. It has a stone wall about 2 feet high all the way around so if the kiddies want to get in, they really have to try. This was our favorite Caribbean place we've been to (and we've been to a lot). The villa was gorgeous, well maintained, very private, the beach was private (at the most about 5 other people on it at any time), beautiful sunset views, nice little shops for the women (although no golf-not sure if the guys would be okay with that?). There are some great restaurants, and the island is small so you can rent a car and see the whole island. Definitely check out the Baths. The water overall on all the beaches is very calm and perfect for the little ones. Caribbean Wind is set up so that the bedroom (with king bed) is connected to another bedroom (with 2 twins) which is in the main part of the house. Then there are 2 other large bedrooms each with kings with a separate entrance (note that you can rent pack’n’plays or cots if needed for the kids). There's a large bbq grill too. I think this would be perfect if it fits into your budget. Here are my pix to it:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...fromshare&Ux=0
And here's the link to the site:
http://www.caribbeanwind.com/
georgiatraveler on Mar 20, 08 at 09:17 PM
kellybeaches,
Great post, thanks so much. Definitely what we are looking for. How hard was it to actually get there? # of connecting flights, etc.
BTW, great slide show. Your daughter is a cutie pie!
Thanks!
kellybeaches on Mar 21, 08 at 09:40 AM
Hi Georgiatraveler,
Glad I could be of help. Getting there was a bit of a pain, but if I went again, I would get there differently. We flew out of Philly to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then caught a puddle jumper (Air Sunshine-which is the only airline that flies into VG) there. We had a really bad experience with customer service both ways with Air Sunshine and under no circumstances would ever fly with them again. With that being said, there are people on this board who haven’t had any problems with them. Maybe we just caught them on 2 bad days? Although the locals call them “Air Sometimes” and in my opinion I completely agree with them. Anyway, the way I would go if I did it again would be to fly to San Juan via American Air, then take their smaller connecting flight American Eagle (so they’ll transfer your bags for you and you won’t have connection issues) to Tortola. From Tortola you take a short ferry ride (I think the ferry rides are very nice and relaxing) over to VG. Another option would be to fly direct to St. Thomas and take a sea plane over to VG, but they have a very limited schedule. I think your best bet is to go through Tortola, unless you want to risk it w/Air Sunshine. If you do, make sure you get to the gate AT LEAST 2 hours before your boarding time, even if they tell you otherwise ahead of time, and even if your party is taking up the whole plane, or else they’ll charge you full price of your tickets again and make you sit for hours not letting you bored while you watch your plane sit idle on the runway. No fun-especially with small kids.
Anyway, I realize I didn’t answer your question about medical facilities. Our friend had a situation and had to go to the clinic on the island while there. She said they were very friendly and helpful.
One thing you may want to do if you go is bring down some frozen meat/fish. We were there over memorial day week and the boat bringing food to the island hadn’t come yet (the end of the month they tend to run out of food as the boats come in once a month) so we had a hard time finding anything fresh food wise. The restaurants were all very good and had fresh food-it was just the food stores were running out. Do check out Leverick Bay BBQ-live music, great buffet, lots of fun!
Oh, and you can rent a car with the car seat installed. It worked out well for us.
Sorry for the book. Let us know what you end up going with!
Aug 6th, 2009, 01:09 PM
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Hi! Thanks Virginia for recommending my post on Caribbean Wind. That is a great villa w/small kids.
DSWL, we're renting the villa below next May and will have small kids with us as well if you want to see if it's available for your dates. I'm not sure how many couples you have going? It's 4bdrm/4.5 baths. It's not directly on the beach as Caribbean Wind is, but it's a short walk to a remote beach. www.villahappybay-stmartin.com
The great thing about any of the villas on the french side of St. Martin is they all must have pool alarms for kids per law so we were told. This villa also has a pool fence that you can insert into the deck around the pool as well. Let me know if you have any other questions about travel/villas with little ones.
We also rented Andantebythesea.com in St. John which was good for small kids as the deck has a door with lock so you can't get to the pool deck unless an adult unlocks it. It's not on the beach though.
good luck!
PJafrica, do you have any pictures you can share? I'd love to see them-it sounds like you had a great trip-thanks for sharing!
DSWL, we're renting the villa below next May and will have small kids with us as well if you want to see if it's available for your dates. I'm not sure how many couples you have going? It's 4bdrm/4.5 baths. It's not directly on the beach as Caribbean Wind is, but it's a short walk to a remote beach. www.villahappybay-stmartin.com
The great thing about any of the villas on the french side of St. Martin is they all must have pool alarms for kids per law so we were told. This villa also has a pool fence that you can insert into the deck around the pool as well. Let me know if you have any other questions about travel/villas with little ones.
We also rented Andantebythesea.com in St. John which was good for small kids as the deck has a door with lock so you can't get to the pool deck unless an adult unlocks it. It's not on the beach though.
good luck!
PJafrica, do you have any pictures you can share? I'd love to see them-it sounds like you had a great trip-thanks for sharing!
Aug 13th, 2009, 01:55 PM
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thanks everyone. villa happy bay looks great. we're big fans of the french carribean (we go to st barths every year but usually without the kids for 4 nights) and that looks like it could be a doable trip with children. nice villa. i will file it away.
right now we are trying to decide btw virgin gorda (villa isn't that nice), a place in punta mita (villas at porta fortuna) and west bay club in T&C. i know they are all very different. but we are going during the holidays (premium i know) due to my husband's schedule. he also wants to play tennis daily so before i book i have to find someplace for him to play. and we want somewhat nice accomodations, good dining options and kid friendly. i know its not going to happen
back to looking. thanks for everyone's advice.
right now we are trying to decide btw virgin gorda (villa isn't that nice), a place in punta mita (villas at porta fortuna) and west bay club in T&C. i know they are all very different. but we are going during the holidays (premium i know) due to my husband's schedule. he also wants to play tennis daily so before i book i have to find someplace for him to play. and we want somewhat nice accomodations, good dining options and kid friendly. i know its not going to happen
back to looking. thanks for everyone's advice.
Aug 13th, 2009, 05:35 PM
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Glad you like Happy Bay. We can't wait to go! I would say for this trip to go somewhere that has a direct flight. Although we loved VG, it's pretty difficult to get to, and with small kids, you might want to wait on that island and go somewhere easier to get to for this trip. Hope that helps you narrow it down some. good luck!
Aug 13th, 2009, 06:05 PM
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one more thing-we were looking at this villa too, in Riveria Maya. Check out the tennis court in the center of the villa! This could be a good option for you, depending on how many couples you have going and your budget (it's 7 bedrooms).
http://www.caribbeanway.com/villa-page/ind/110391.asp
And here are 2 more in Anguilla with tennis courts.
http://www.caribbeanway.com/villa-page/ind/109270.asp
http://www.caribbeanway.com/villa-page/ind/105333.asp
http://www.caribbeanway.com/villa-page/ind/110391.asp
And here are 2 more in Anguilla with tennis courts.
http://www.caribbeanway.com/villa-page/ind/109270.asp
http://www.caribbeanway.com/villa-page/ind/105333.asp
