# Caribbean Vacations Forums > Bahamas, Bermuda and Turks & Caicos >  >  Looking for Info on Turks

## NHDiane

A very close friend of mine has her heart set on visiting Providenciales, Turks and Caicos this September and has asked me for some guidance.  Unfortunately, my last trip there was many years ago and I'm not much help.  So, I figured I'd throw it out here and see what any of you might be able to provide for up-to-date info.  Here's what she and her fiance are looking for.. ON the beach, at least one on site restaurant/bar, pool, excellent/quality accommodations. They aren't into many activities, just want a great spot to sun and relax.  Any help would be appreciated.

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## PIRATE40

Can't help with the places, but remember that recently two Americans were "set up" by a baggage screener placing a single bullet in their carry ons and resulted in jail time/ fines.....

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## Tammwi

Hey NHDiane.  We have been 7 times in the past 4 years.  What is the budget?  While it isn't SBH, we do enjoy PLS and it is a very easy trip from our home in Dallas.

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## NHDiane

> Hey NHDiane.  We have been 7 times in the past 4 years.  What is the budget?  While it isn't SBH, we do enjoy PLS and it is a very easy trip from our home in Dallas.



Hey Tam - Thanks, sounds like your info would be much more up to date than mine.  Budget is pretty flexible - she/they tend to go more for the higher end places to stay and enjoy a really nice meal out too.

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## NHDiane

> Can't help with the places, but remember that recently two Americans were "set up" by a baggage screener placing a single bullet in their carry ons and resulted in jail time/ fines.....



I guess I either forgot about this or never heard of it...got any on-line links to the incident??

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## NHDiane

Well, guess who's going to Turks??  After spending time with my friend discussing her trip, my husband came up with the idea of tagging along with them so we're heading there for a short trip in September.  We have been trying so hard to get a trip to SBH put together but all we have is 4 days and that just won't do..just not enough time. I can't believe we're missing another year without being on that isle.  :Frown:  So, flights to and from Turks takes half the time and since we're craving the sight of white beaches and palm trees this is as close as we can come.  We're booked at the Seven Stars resort and it looks fabulous.  The last time we were on the island was 20 years ago, for our honeymoon, so this will be special for us.  Tammwi?? or anyone else,.. Got some suggestions for "don't miss" restaurants, etc.?

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## BBT

> Well, guess who's going to Turks??  After spending time with my friend discussing her trip, my husband came up with the idea of tagging along with them so we're heading there for a short trip in September.  We have been trying so hard to get a trip to SBH put together but all we have is 4 days and that just won't do..just not enough time. I can't believe we're missing another year without being on that isle.  So, flights to and from Turks takes half the time and since we're craving the sight of white beaches and palm trees this is as close as we can come.  We're booked at the Seven Stars resort and it looks fabulous.  The last time we were on the island was 20 years ago, for our honeymoon, so this will be special for us.  Tammwi?? or anyone else,.. Got some suggestions for "don't miss" restaurants, etc.?



NHDIANE perhaps there is a Turks online forum where you could be a poster and get some valuable info

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## andynap

Tripadvisor

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## BBT

Just remember that Sept. is the heighth of hurricane season.

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## NHDiane

Yes, there are several forums I've hit up, one being Trip Advisor....but, I only use those as a guideline as I don't have the "insider edge" I do with this group. I value opinions here (well, most of them anyway)  :Big Grin:   Bob, we always travel to the Caribbean in the middle of hurricane season mainly because rates are so good. And, it was the only time we could get away from work.  Our month for SBH trips is usually October.  For the last 25 years, we have only experienced two trip interruptions and/or rebooking and consider ourselves among those that roll the dice and win.  Sure hope the streak continues.

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## BBT

> Yes, there are several forums I've hit up, one being Trip Advisor....but, I only use those as a guideline as I don't have the "insider edge" I do with this group. I value opinions here (well, most of them anyway)   Bob, we always travel to the Caribbean in the middle of hurricane season mainly because rates are so good. And, it was the only time we could get away from work.  Our month for SBH trips is usually October.  For the last 25 years, we have only experienced two trip interruptions and/or rebooking and consider ourselves among those that roll the dice and win.  Sure hope the streak continues.



Yep October is far better for missing hurricanes  than September.

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## JEK

> Yep October is far better for missing hurricanes  than September.




peakofseason.jpg

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## Peter NJ

Di please look up my good Rasta friend Stanley Roots...He plays Reggae/Soca all over the island...He always played at Ship Ahoy for Reggae night back in the day before he moved out of area...Hes really good.

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## Tammwi

NHDiane,

Sorry I am so late responding....life has been a whirl since we came back from SBH on Tuesday. So glad to read that you are going to Turks and Caicos. We have love it there...not our SBH but my second love!

Grace Bay Club is awesome for hotel as is Gansevoort and Beach House. All have fab restaurants. 
The Villas are more "condo style" than SBH. We love Villa Renaissance, The Regent and Pinnacle. Westbay Club is another favorite.

We always check a soft side cooler with cheeses, booze and various snacks. Several friends of ours throw in frozen steaks, poultry etc in if they plan to do dinner in. Groceries can be stupid prices there although both IGA's are very nice and have everything you need. Shopping is exactly like home and isnt near as much fun as SBH. Since Match became Marche, I have been going to L'Oasis to play the cheese guessing game. The premiums on liquor in PLS are shocking at times. Beer is up to $42 a case and wine is almost double of US prices. The big wine store on the Leeward Highway has the best selections. As I have status on American, we dont pay to check bags so I always throw the zip cooler into the bags and save a few $$ on the essentials such as Grey Goose and Makers Mark.

As for dining:

Coco Bistro is the absolute best. This is our second night/last night spot always. Reservations are a must and Stewart/Stephen will confirm via email. Really spicy unique Caesar salad is beyond yummy

Bay Bistro is our second favorite and Clive is a brilliant chef. This place is at a funky old motel but do not let it scare you. The coffee rubbed ahi is to die for.

Las Brisas for lunch one day. Out on the salt pond and the pool looks straight out of my Big Fat Greek Wedding. The food is fantastic and we always do several tapas and wine for lunch. The Brie with honey is a must! Wouldnt venture out there at night. Kinda scary roads and not well lit.

The Vix in the Regent shopping area has one of the best burgers I have ever had. I am generally not a burger girl on an island but it really is awesome!

Caicos Cafe is another favorite. My husband could eat their Escargot every day!

Chinson Grille Shack has the best jerk chicken. Dont let the atmosphere scare you! Great for Takeaway!

Magnolia has a beautiful view and a very interesting wine list. Tracy is a lovely host and reservations again are a must.

The tasting menu at Beach House is a culinary adventure that you should not miss.

Le Bouchon opened just as we were leaving in April but our chef friends said it is great.

Our favorite beach bar is Somewhere cafe.... great Tex Mex and awesome drinks. WE ADORE the staff there and Amy the owner is an amazing pastry chef so have some dessert.

Pizza Pizza is our first night "Andy's" The pizza is really great but the place is void of a character like Andy, the service is bleh and for some reason they always play the weather channel on the TV at the bar. They deliver too...

Last but not least, we discovered Baci this trip at the marina. Really good...been there forever but somehow we missed it.

Skip the Conch Shack.... not worth the drive or hype. Bleh at best. Bugaloos is better but still again not worth the drive.

There has been a recent wave of crime but still a very safe island. I dont wear my jewerly like I would in SBH and you just have to be smart. Walking on the beach at night has been where most of the incidents have occured but there is also a woman/child out towards Las Brisas that pretend to be distressed and when the car stops, 2 men jump out and car jack.


Hope this helps. You will love PLS and the commute time from the states is so easy. We have a direct on Saturday out of Dallas for 4:50 or a quick connection through MIA so we have been frequently the last couple of years.

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## VW

NHDiane just like you and with busy schedules we were not able to schedule a St Bart trip this year.  So we are headed to Turks also.  We are leaving on July 31.  We have never been to Turks and like you said the flight time is much shorter than going to St. Barts.

Tammwi thanks for posting the detailed restaurant information.  It will sure come in handy for us.

We are traveling with my son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and other son.  

Val

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## amyb

Sounds like you have planned a nice getaway, Valerie.  Enjoy

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## Tammwi

Ya'll enjoy PLS.  We always have a great time!  If you need any other info, let me know.

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## VW

Thanks Amy.  Looking forward to a long over due getaway.

Thanks again for the information Tammwi.

Val

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## NHDiane

Tammwi - thanks so much for all the info.  We'll consider it all, but since we're only at the Seven Stars Resort for 5 nights (we added one) we will have to jam a lot into those days. It will be interesting to return after all this time and we're happy that we can at least get away for this "short version" vacation.   You mentioned a recent wave of crime, is there any police presence on the island??  Peter, your friend Stanley sounds like someone I would love to meet so I'll keep my eye out for spots where he may be performing.

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## Tammwi

Police presence is definately around.  Seven is just down from our house at Villa Renaissance.  Just be mindful and not flashy.  From Seven, you can walk to almost all the places I mentioned with ease.   Enjoy!

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## Tammwi

Police presence is definately around.  Seven is just down from our house at Villa Renaissance.  Just be mindful and not flashy.  From Seven, you can walk to almost all the places I mentioned with ease.   Enjoy!   You can normally find Standley at Somewhere

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## VW

Tammwi,
We are staying at the Somerset.  Where is that in relation to everything?
Val

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## NHDiane

> Police presence is definately around.  Seven is just down from our house at Villa Renaissance.  Just be mindful and not flashy.  From Seven, you can walk to almost all the places I mentioned with ease.   Enjoy!   You can normally find Standley at Somewhere



Thanks. I'm happy to know that you at least can spot the police and they are around.  I never take any of my expensive jewelry pieces on vacation, not even SBH.  It's just something I've chosen not to do over the years - not necessarily due to crime, but that's part of it.  I've seen too many instances where things are lost on the beach, in the water, or just left behind when traveling home.  I've got some fakes that I wear when I want to bling it up in the islands  :cool:

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## VW

Well, for a number of reasons and family commitments we did not make it to St. Bart this year.  Then a week freed up with our schedules and within a month we were able to plan a trip to Turks and Caicos.  There were 6 of us my son, his wife, and a year and a half granddaughter, my other son, husband and myself.  We stayed at the resort called "The Somerset".  Very great accommodations, 3 bedrooms each with its own TV and bath, living room, dining room, kitchen, and balcony. 

Upon arriving we took a taxi to the resort at the cost of $14 a head, $84 without tip.  And it was only a 10 minute drive.  Our agency said we really did not need to rent a car since everything is within walking distance.  However, once we checked in we felt we needed a car.  First, we like to explore the island and second, to get to the grocery store.  Many people use bikes to get around the island and that is what we did to go to IGA upon arrival. The distance was a little over a mile and we just purchased the basics for the next morning.  But even with the basics we had about 7 bags.  We put some of the items in a backpack and the rest of the bags on the handlebars. It would have been another $10 a head each way to the grocery store.  So add another $40 to what we spent to get to the resort we decided to rent a car the next morning.  We were able to take the car to the airport for departure and just leave it in the parking lot and give the keys to the attendant.

Well, the prices were a bit on the high side at IGA.  Here are some of the things we purchased and the prices: oranges $2 a piece, one tomato $3, a lb of coffee $10, bacon $10, half gallon of juice $6.50, and the real bargain was a 6 pack of Heineken $17.99 Corona about the same.  You can buy a case for $68. We found that going to the Wine Cellar you can save about $10 a case.  I think the Heineken was $55 a case for cans.

Places that we ate at were:
Hemingways-on the beach a lunch and dinner place.  We had lunch there since it was close to our resort on 2 days.

Mango Reef for dinner - we enjoyed this for dinner.

Bella Luna-the food there was excellent.  They also have a pizza place attached and we ate there one night.  Pizzas are small about a medium size pizza back home, so we orderd 4 pizzas.

Caicos Cafe-great

We wanted to eat at CoCo Bistro but were unable to get a reservation so we ate a Bay Bistro instead.  We were a little disappointed here since it got great reviews.  2 had great meals and 3 of our meals were not that good.  2 of them were on the special for the night too.

Sharkbite-for lunch one day after exploring the island.

We basically stayed at the resort most days.  One day we went to Taylor Bay but it took us a while to find it. We met a family that said this was their second day looking for Taylor Bay.

We felt very safe on the island.  I think I saw a police car only once.  It was different driving on the other side of the road but you get used to it rather quickly.  My son and I were chosen to get a pat down search at the airport.  When I asked why we were so lucky, she mentioned since we printed our boarding passes at the resort and they did not issue them it did not go into the computer for the random choosing of people.

We did have a great time just reading, relaxing, and going to the beach.  it was perfect for the little one when it was nap time.  So now I can say I went to Turks just like I have been to Mexico.  Would I go back I don't think so even though the beaches are great and the water crystal clear.  It isn't St. Bart.   
I do have my St. Bart trip planned.  We will be going in April of next year during my spring break.  Since I am a teacher I need to plan trips around the school calendar.

I would love to plan a short trip to St. Bart in November since we have 5 days off but United does not fly out of EWR mid week then.  Guess I just dream until April.

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## NHDiane

VW - thanks for this report.  It appears that all that I have read agrees with your assessment that things are very expensive on this island. Was a bit surprised at the taxi fares though.  We have a car rented for our trip in September - how did you find gas prices??  I fear that I, too, will compare it to my beloved SB.  There's no getting around it and I fully expect that it will not live up to it. We haven't been any other place for many years now.  IMO no place can compare for what we are looking for in a vacation.  But, with just six days (two of which will be half taken with travel) we decided to return to the place of our honeymoon many years ago.  Beach, reading and relaxing are at the top of our list too but do enjoy a good evening meal so I've been trying to get a few ideas before leaving.

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## VW

NHDiane,  I know what you mean about going back to your honeymoon place.  We were considering going back the the Bahamas this year for a big anniversary but chose Turks instead.  The gas was $6.00 a gallon.  When we went to fill up before the airport it only took 3 gallons and my husband said that can't be right, we had used a half a tank of gas.  But it was right.  It only took the 3 gallons.  

You know what I found interesting - when you get your check for dinner, some places add the gratuity and it is only 10%, others leave it blank for you to fill in.  And the place that only charged 10% was one of the better restaurants.  The restaurant around the pool 15%.  Also there is a 12% tax added too.

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