Provo, TCI trip report

[TCB]

Just back from Provo after a great week of diving and R&R. Based on the recommendations of everyone on the board, we dove with Fifi and the crew at Caicos Adventures. Add me to the list of folks on SB who wouldn't dive with anyone else in Provo!

All of our diving was at French Cay or West Caicos. Dive sites included Rock n Roll, G-Spot, Tons of Sponge, Gorgonia Reef, The Anchor, The Gully, and Sugarloaf. This was our first experience with wall diving and we loved it. Swimming out over the lip of a reef at 50-70 feet and looking down into the blue towards 7000' is breathtaking. We saw several sharks, eagle rays, & a couple of turtles, but missed the manta that our DM (Oli) and another diver saw. :sad_2:

The crew from Caicos Adventures was great. Fifi was at the dock each morning with Poochie (the terrier) in tow and was our boat captain on Wednesday. Our favorite day was Thursday when we did the three tank trip with only eight divers on the boat. Oli was our DM for most of our dives and did a geat job of finding the big fish! Other crew members we met during the week were Liz, Lil, Steve, Pete, Rich, and Asa. (hope I didn't forget anybody) All did a great job!

Provo itself was just what we wanted: beautiful ocean views and a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere. We stayed in a villa in the Turtle Tail area and barely heard another soul while there. We had great meals at Hemingways, Iguana, and the Sharkbite.

While there are several other Carribean destinations we'd like to try, we will definitely be making a return visit to Provo!

 

[AggieDiver03]

I'm assuming you rented a car. How are the roads? Do you need 4wd to get around? I'll be going in August and would like to drive around the island.

 

[kallardnyc]

TCB,

May I ask what villa you stayed in? We, also, are heading down in August and staying in Best View Villa at the tip of Turtle Tail on Bristol Hill.

Cody,

What week are you going? Diving with CA too?

 

[AggieDiver03]

TCB,
Cody,

What week are you going? Diving with CA too?

I'll be there Aug 4th-11th, haven't decided who I'm diving with yet, probably Ocean Vibes.

 

[TCB]

AggieDiver - we did rent a car - a 4WD, in fact, although I never actually put it in 4W. The main roads are paved and are fine, but the side roads are rough. You don't need 4WD to drive on them, but be prepared for a bone jarring trip. I think the only place you really need a 4WD is if you want to get to Malcom Beach on the Northwest part of the island. We didn't get up that way, but we enjoyed being able to explore other parts of the island. Some of the rental cars we saw were SMALL, so think about how much dive gear and other bagage you'll have when you make a reservation.

kallardnyc - We were at the Ocean Palms villa. One of the best things about staying in turtle tail is that the south dock that CA uses is on the same road. It took us about 2 minutes to get there in the mornings.

 

[AggieDiver03]

thanks for the info TCB, I'd like to be able to go out to Malcolm beach actually, so I think we'll go for a jeep or something similar.

 

[wanderlustgal]

Whoa! Were we on the same boat? I did the 3-tank on 4/27 and the 2-tank on 4/30 and 5/1. Oli was my DM all three days... he was great but had us chasing after eagle rays one day that wore me out. Did see about 6 reef sharks on one dive... ton's of sponge I think it was.

 

[wanderlustgal]

thanks for the info TCB, I'd like to be able to go out to Malcolm beach actually, so I think we'll go for a jeep or something similar.

Jeep is needed to get to Malcolm's Beach. FYI its not the secluded beach it once was. Since our visit last year some resort has gone up where the Tiki Huts were for that game show. Lots more people out there whereas last year we had the place to ourselves. So much construction going on on the island from last year. We stayed at the Royal West Indies and last year you could see all the way down the beach with only low-lying resorts. Now they've got mammoth ones going up, its a shame. And far more people on the dive boats than last year.

 

[AggieDiver03]

This may be the resort you are talking about on Malcolm, http://www.amanyara.com/ (have to click on amanyara link). It sounds like a dump at $5k/night

 

[wanderlustgal]

This may be the resort you are talking about on Malcolm, http://www.amanyara.com/ (have to click on amanyara link). It sounds like a dump at $5k/night

Yep that might be it. Its quite a trek getting out to Malcom so I have no idea where the entrance to that "dump" might be. They certainly haven't improved the roads out to MB any in the year since I was there last.