sherrie

Trying to decide if Turks and Caicos will be a good choice for our vacation in 2008 with teenage son, 16. Last year's vacation was to Hawaii, Maui and Big Island. We hope to visit the Caribbean in the summer of 2008. I love what I've read thus far of the Turks and Caicos Islands, but having not been there before, I'm wondering if there will be enough outdoor activities to keep our teenager active. He loves hiking, snorkeling and the ocean in general. My DH and I started looking at Turks and Caicos as a get-away for just the two of us, but our son has other ideas. He doesn't want to be left behind. So, to all you experts, do you think Turks and Caicos is a good choice for a family of three or should we look at another Caribbean island? We're mainly looking for beautiful beaches for snorkeling, good accommodations, good food and the ability to explore the island a bit. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Fraggle

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say...

I visited Provo in January; I had a great time, but I did say to my boyfriend--- "I wouldn't go here with anyone but you."

To be honest, I think your son might get bored. It's a nice trip if you're looking to get away quickly with a significant other. While the beach was pretty amazing, I was no overly impressed with the rest of the island. We rented a car and did go exploring. While we enjoyed our stumble on a little conque shack eatery, we didn't unearth any great discoveries (though did see some gorgeous houses on one end of the island.) That said, we did not take many excursions; perhaps if several of these were booked for your son he'd have a fair amount of adventure. Hopefully another poster who has taken a teen will chime in.

sherrie

Yeah, my husband and I started dreaming about the trip for just the two of us, just spending time on the beach. But, my son chimed in, and since there aren't too many teenagers who actually want to go on vacation with their parents, we thought we wouldn't want to miss out on being together. Thanks for the reply.

Momburd

We have visited Provo twice with our son...he was 12, then 14 at those times. WE stayed both weeks at The Sands and we all enjoyed the condo and the beautiful beach. We spent most of our days either swimming in the pool or ocean, snorkeling and walking the beach. We rented a car as we snorkeled around the island, went to a different restaurant each evening for dinner, plus we explored the island. (the island is small and not very scenic, but we enjoyed the beaches) If your son needs to be entertained with movies, fast food, shopping, and much more than "sand" he could be bored. There were few people with teenagers when we vactioned there....the week of Easter Sunday. We did see teenagers but they were at the Beaches resort which is crowded, but has activities for their guests. We loved the beautiful beach and the quietness. Great place to relax, read novels and enjoy the beauty of nature.
I laughed when I read you e-mail, as our 16 son wants to go to Belize this summer so we can do more snorkeling!

ajax_1

We have been taking our three children to T & C for years. They are now 18, 17 and 13. Our 18 yr goes diving or fishing almost everyday. We stay at The Sands because there is a great chance of other kids there to hang out with. T & C is really all about the beach and water activities during the day, drinks, dinner, and a little music at night. You know your son, if he will really need to be entertained other than what has been said, you might want to look at another island.

blamona

All my nieces and nephews (ages ranging from 4-14) are totally enamored with T&C-the all agree it was the best time ever.

They snorkeled every day in front of coral gardens. Went on banana boats. We did a 1/2 day excursion with Sail Provo. All agreed each day got better than the last.

My daughter's babysitter, whose 16, also came with us-she loved it. With her, we did banana boats, and 1/2 excursion with Caicos Dreams Tours, where we dive for conch, learn how to clean them, and end on a gorgeous beach.

other fun things, you can rent a high clearance vehicle and head out to Malcolm's Beach, just the ride is an adventure.

Also, consider the Palms, it gets lots of families, so a chance for a 16 year old to make friends. On the excursions, he will also make friends.

The fact that a 16 year old wants to go (even though you planned it for yourselves) should indicate that he's easy to please!

All of the kids totally feel in love with that gorgeous water.

sherrie

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like Turks and Caicos could be just what we want as long as schedule a few excursions. I'll check out Caicos Dream Tours. Thanks again.

lizziea06

Just got back from a trip to TCI on Sunday, and I'm in mourning. Such a beautiful beach, and the diving was amazing. We stayed at the Somerset, and loved every minute of it.