A Client Confidential: Turks and Caicos

Turks and Caicos has become one of the most popular vacation destinations in the Caribbean, and I have received a number of requests to help clients plan their visits. One of my clients recently returned from Turks and Caicos and had a wonderful time, so I thought it might be helpful to highlight some common questions.  Graciously, my client has also offered to provide her input regarding her experience on the island.  See Client Confidential below for her input.

1.    Where are Turks and Caicos?

Turks and Caicos is part of the Caribbean and is a British owned territory.  It is comprised of 40 islands/cays and is east of Haiti and Dominican Republic.  Providenciales and Grace Bay have the most resorts and attract a large number of tourists every year. 

2.    What is the weather like?

o   June – October, the average temperature is 85 – 90 degrees.

o   November – May, the average temperature is 80 – 84 degrees.

o   Hurricane season runs from June 1 – November annually.

3.    What is the best time to travel to Turks and Caicos?

The most popular times of the year to visit Turks and Caicos is December – April.

4.    What airport do I fly into?

Most flights fly into Providenciales International Airport and require a connecting flight from Pittsburgh.  It is also a cruise port for some cruise lines.  It is about 15 – 20 minutes away from the Grace Bay area.  See more regarding the airport below.

5.    Are there all-inclusive resorts there?

Yes, there are both all-inclusive resorts (large and small) and non-all-inclusive resorts.

6.    Should I drive?

Driving in Turks and Caicos can be difficult.  There are many round abouts and they drive on the opposite side of the road (it is a British territory after all!).  Drivers can be a bit erratic and often don’t follow traditional traffic rules. Depending on where your resort is located, you may be able to walk, take a taxi or I can book transportation to tours and other activities before your trip. 

7. Is it safe?

Turks and Caicos is one of the safer islands in the Caribbean and they have one of the lowest crime rates.

8.   Do you need a passport?

Yes, as a United States citizen, you need your passport for entry into Turks and Caicos.  Your passport expiration date must be valid 6 months after your return date.

9.    Other considerations.  As you may have seen in the news recently, some visitors have had issues because they carried either drugs or firearms into one of the Caribbean Islands.  This may seem obvious, but always thoroughly check your luggage to be certain you aren’t taking anything illegal when traveling internationally.

Client Confidential

Seven Stars Resort

 The Seven Stars Resort is a 5-star resort that is not an all-inclusive but does include Breakfast.  Here is what my client has to say about the resort and Turks and Caicos in general.

 The resort was ultra luxurious.  It is on the smaller side with 5 – 6 low rise buildings.  The accommodations were like mini-condos.  They had big bathrooms, kitchenette, large bed and a balcony.  We were on the 3rd floor and we prefer to be on a higher floor.  We got fresh water daily which I appreciated.  The resort overall was very clean and was a nice quiet retreat.  This isn’t a party environment.

 Beach and Pool:

The hotel was right on Grace Bay and the beaches were gorgeous – white sand and beautifully colored water.   There were two pools – one very large heated saltwater pool for everyone.  This wasn’t crowded at all and had wonderful views of the beach.  In addition, there is an adult pool that is cool and refreshing with lots of lounge chairs that are super comfortable (I fell asleep in these often).  You can also take drinks into the adult pool. 

 Service:

The service was excellent.  The servers at the buffet were friendly and helpful, room service was wonderful, the front desk was really helpful. We were greeted in the lobby upon our arrival with rum punch and a cold compress to cool off.  The greeter answered our questions and took us to our room to get us settled. We used the concierge and she was also helpful and great to talk to.  Overall, it was the right mix of providing service when needed without too much unwanted attention.

 Restaurants:

Our favorite was the Deck, which was on the beach.  It is a very low-key environment with a casual menu and a bar.  They offered entertainment at night here, which was fun.

 The breakfast buffet was incredible and they put out a variety of options including an omelet station, fruits, local specialties and desserts to name a few.  Some of the selections changed daily.  The restaurant was very clean. 

 The other restaurant that we enjoyed was the Farm.  This restaurant has a hip décor, heathier food and a hydroponic garden that they cook from.  They have a bar and comfy outdoor seating with outdoor games such as cornhole for guests to enjoy.  This is a great place for lunch or cocktails.

 Seven is their upscale dinner restaurant.  We did not eat here but did have cocktails at the bar. The bar was very cool and we enjoyed watching the bartenders create really fancy drinks.  We did hear from other guests that the food was great.

 There were some local restaurants that had very good food.  The Coco Bistro had very good food and you could walk there from the resort.  You do need a reservation.  Also, Caicos Café had good local food such as chicken curry, conk and yucca.  The ambiance wasn’t as nice as Coco Bistro but the service and food were great. 

 Proximity to Other Activities:

We went into town where there are lots of restaurants, bars and shops.  You can walk or take a taxi.  There are also many resorts in that area that offer restaurants and bars.  There is a grocery store about 5 minutes away.  The prices are expensive but not that bad. 

 Other Comments:

The airport is very small and not very nice. It doesn’t have much seating and no AC.  If you have to be there for a long period of time, it is not great.  They do have an airport club that starts at $75 per person (https://www.vipflyerslounge.com) that offers AC, food and drinks among other services. 

 I was worried about the drinking water and the quality of the food but everything was great. They gave us Yeti water bottles and there were filtered water dispensers all over the resort. 

 I felt really safe walking around Turks and Caicos but we did not venture any further than the downtown area.  I did hear that the Southern islands had much more crime.

 The driving is really crazy here and unregulated and they drive really fast!

 There are additional fees.  At the hotel there is a 12% Hotel and Tourism Tax and a 10% service fee added to all food/restaurant services.  

*As a side note, when dining out, you should check if you bill includes a 10% service fee.  If the service was good, it is recommended that you tip an additional 5% so your total meets the traditional 15% tip.