Hi There

I have just started to plan an Island trip in Winter '04 to celebrate my 30th bday with some friends. Fun! It's my dream to go to Turks & Caicos, but I need some cost-cutting advice. The flight from Boston alone will be very pricey! Recommended accomodations? Restaurants? How to get the most bang for my buck?

Advice on other islands you may think may be better for my Island Quest is certainly also appreciated. thank you!

Terra

TCI is a very expensive destination food-wise, so that will eat up (pun intended) a lot of your budget.
The Comfort Suites there is not on the beach, but right across the street from the beast beach on Provo and a VERY nice property.
There are some delicious and relatively inexpensive local rests. on Provo - Mackie's, Where It's At, Bugaloos, Smokey's, etc., and you could stay somewhere that has kitchenettes to avoid having to eat breakfast out.
For a couple of other price-conscious suggestions, I'd say the Mayan Riviera (Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Akumal - look at locogringo.com) or the Dominican Republic.
Airfare to and prices there are very reasonable, and there are beautiful beaches.

Dianna is correct T & C is not a cheap place but you do not have to eat at the most expensive restaurants or stay at the most expensive resorts. I would also recommend Comfort Suites - we have not stayed there but checked it out the last time we were there because we may stay there at a future date. It is a very nice property, nice pool, very clean looking, very friendly staff who welcomed us to look around a bit. They serve free muffins and coffee at breakfast - so unless you require a large breakfast - you can save some money there. Comfort Suites is located beside the Ports of Call shopping area which has a convenience store and some restaurants. It is only a short walk to the beach ( and I believe Comfort Suites supplies loungers for their guests on the beach). Hey Jose's is another reasonably priced restaurant. You might want to enquire if Comfort Suites has fridges in the rooms - buying lunch fixings and soft drinks at one of the grocery stores would save a lot of money. Another reasonably priced hotel is Turtle Cove - it is on the Marina and about a 10 minute walk from the beach (good snorkeling at that stretch of beach - Smith's Reef is offshore). Turtle Cove is small, friendly and family run - we have stayed there and I would defintely return - some rooms have fridges. It too is located near several restaurants - the cheapest of which is probably the Banana Boat. Overall the best way to save money on Provo is to find accomodation not directly on the beach (btw - all beaches in the T & C are public - so access is NOT a problem). It is possible to vacation here and not break the bank.

Hi Landwlkr,

I agree with both Diana and JMM that Comfort Suites sounds like the best bet for you. And I also agree that while T&C is expensive to eat out all the time, you can do it on a budget.

We are heading back to T&C for our second time July 1. We loved our vacation so much last year. I have a ton of info that can help you with planning a budget conscience vacation. Feel free to e-mail me and I will give you all the info.

Definitely try to go, though. The beaches are unbeatable.

One question for you. What is your budget? I know you mentioned that airfare is pricey from Boston (We fly out of Logan as well). You should look at vacation packages with hotel and airfare combined. You will save $$ that way.

I am not a pro by any means when it comes to T&C, but I am a pro on saving $$$. E-mail me and I will help you!

Denise

My wife and I stayed at the Comfort Suites (TCI) in February 2002. It is a very nice place with great staff members. Are rooms were ideal and kept clean by staff. They do provide a simple breakfast of croisants, muffins, orange juice etc. The Ports of Call next door has 3 fairly good restaurants..Calico Jacks, Lattitudes (Thursday night is rib night) and the Bare Foot Cafe. We did't find them expensive. Now, Grace's Cottage was expensive as was Hemmingways. However, both provided execellant food and service. The CS does have 'dedicated' lounge chairs at the beach. We never had a problem getting chairs. Grace Bay itself we rank as one of the top 3 beaches we have ever been to (Grande Anse in Grendad and Cane Garden Bay on Tortola being the others). I would not hesitate to go back. Wonderful friendly island with some interesting excursions.

Hi Everyone.

Thanks for your great replies! Definitely good advice. I am glad that I can do T&C on a budget, but only wish I could stay somewhere more unique than the Comfort Suites. Well, maybe for my 40th!

Denise, where would I find a good and reputable vacation package? I am always wary of "package deals".

Also, is Jan/Feb a good time to go? Is it warm enough, or would I need to go further south?

thanks!
Terra

Hi Terra,

I don't blame you for being weary of differnet internet sites, for buying vacations but I certainly wouldn't be weary of package deals! They are simply hotel and airfare combined.

A few good sites to try are:
www.expedia.com
www.orbitz.com
www.cheapcaribbean.com
www.Discount-All-Inclusive.com (this one is especially good...very good deals here)

Also, be sure to check travel agencies. What we did was found an awesome deal on the internet, printed it out, and brought it to Liberty Travel who then matched the price exactly. This was great because we got the good internet rate with the benefits of a travel agent. I felt safer this way, because I know my tickets will come and if I have any troubles, I can call my agent.

The following are travel agencies that I have used with great success.

www.libertytravel.com
www.vacationoutlet.com

One more thing I forgot to mention, I think JMM mentioned it, Comfort Suites have fridges in all their rooms. YOu can go to IGA grocery store for food (obviously it is more pricey than the states) Also, many people who post here will call have a negative opinion on this, but we plan to bring some food with us, such as coffee, sugar, cereal, snacks, a bottle of wine, etc. Obviously we wont bring perishable foods but we plan to bring these items in our carry on.

I saw a post where people who said they bring food from home were insulted, people said "When you are on vacation, you shouldn't have to worry about money" "Thats ridiculous to bring food" etc, etc. Ignore these posts. The way I see it, we will eat dinner out and an occasional lunch but I would prefer to spend my money on excursions. To each his own!! I strongly believe everyone has the right to have whatever type of vacation they want. Some spend oodles on food, while others are restrained by a budget.

Oh, another though...Sibonne Boutique Hotel is directly on Grace Bay and is reasonable. Comfort Suites is a short walk to the beach, but they do have lounge chairs and umbrellas for guests, from what I understand. I did not stay at Comfort Suites, but we did go to POrts of Call where this hotel is located and it seemed okay. I honestly have never read a negative thing about it. Obviously it is a budget place but if you expect that going in, you should be fine.

Be sure to check this site, under hotels for reviews of this property. Other good review sites are:

www.caribbeanonline.com
www.tciforums.com
I have a ton more but they are in my favorites and the exact web site escapes me. Type "Turks Caicos hotel reviews" in a search engine for a lot of web pages.

You can do T&C on a budget, girl! I will be more than glad to give more info if you need it.

Denise

Hi again,

Also try
www.usairwaysvacations.com
www.aavacations.com

They offer packages directly from the airlines. Don't be afraid of packages. This is where you will save the money.

Denise

Hi. I just go back from my Honeymoon on TC and had a great time. We stayed at an All Inclusive. I wouldn't recommend that route. We had a wonderful time and the hotel was great, but we felt trapped because we spent extra money to eat and drink there. Don't feel bummed about the Comfort Suites. They are very nice and an easy walk to the beach. There is a great magazine you pick up called something like "How, Why, and Where" and there was one on the airplane on the way down. They usually list what restaurant is having what special when. I recommned a special trip to Danny Buoy's for their cheese cake tower. We called it the "Dick Cheese". You'll know why when you see it. It was excellent. I would also suggest renting a car. Budget has good prices and good vehicles. You can do that at orbitz or expedia. I would have a car for as much as long as you can afford. If you can only get a car for one day, make it the last day you are there. That way you can drive yourself to the airport and avoid a taxi ride. A taxi will cost you between $7 and $10 per person (one way) where ever you go. They do not divide the cost amongst a group. For instance if the ride will cost you $7 to go alone, it will cost you and one other person $14 to go to the same place at the same time. Again, I would recommend a car ahead of time. Than you wont feel like your shelling out cab money everytime you want to go somewhere that isn't within walking distance. Maybe no car the first couple of days and a car the last couple. You get the drift. Anyway...anymore q's email me at [email protected].