Turks and Caicos

[Lateralus]

We stayed in a one bedroom suite at the Royal West Indies the last time we were on Provo. The RWI is right on the gorgeous Grace Bay Beach. This was before the 2017 hurricane smashed the island but I understand that the RWI has been repaired/rebuilt but I haven't been there recently.

Having a suite with a kitchen and a washer/dryer would be nice when traveling with a small baby, and I imagine they will be willing to provide a crib for use during your stay. When we were there they had an adults-only pool and a family pool so that might work well for your group.

Restaurants can be expensive on Provo, so being able to prepare some simple meals and then go out for a special meal is a nice option.

We rented a car on Provo and it was very helpful with exploring the island, visiting places to eat, and buying groceries.

We stayed at Ports of Call for a night after we got off the Aggressor and it was very nice and more economical than many other options but we wouldn't want to stay there for several nights - we prefer having a kitchen. Also, it is located in a nice area, close to some restaurants and shopping, but it is not on the beach - which would be nice for a family vacation.

Just an FYI, Provo is very expensive IMO. I think that it is just about as expensive as Grand Cayman even though they use the USD as currency in the T&Cs. A lot may depend on the time of year you will be traveling and you might was to look for some kind of airfare and hotel package offering - or ask a Travel Agent to research the best options. They may charge a fee but it's usually not bad and worth it - at least to me.

If you are doing land-based diving then be aware that the best sites like West Caicos and French Cay are distant from Provo and you will be spending much of the day in a boat. There is some decent diving closer to home, but it may not be the best. We have done some land-based diving from Provo but we prefer a liveaboard - but that won't work for a family trip.

I am not aware of any shore diving around Provo, the reefs are rather distant and they start a little deep. The walls and corals are not as beautiful as I have seen in some places further South, but nice and healthy (at least they were before the hurricane) and you will see lots of large animals like sharks, rays, and turtles.

One more comment, I think that the water is rather cold especially in early winter and spring - similar to Florida and the Bahamas but it warms up in the summer and fall.

Let us know what you decide and have a great trip!

We have the Southwest Companion Pass so we used points to get the air travel so nothing was spent there. My wife has a corporate discount that has specials to T&Cs lodging also, so we will be able to save there also.

I spent a week in Grand Cayman and thought that was the most expensive trip ever. Even more than a Santorini trip I did in April. I think every 2 tank boat dive was around $220. One was $270. Just crazy expensive.

I think we are either going to stay at the Windsong, Sands or Bianca Sands.

 

[Lateralus]

Just spent a week there in June. Ports O Call is economical and clean. Not on the beach, but a stones throw across the street. 50 feet away from Ports O Call is Dive Provo. Great staff, great dive op. Grocery store is very close. Had a fantastic week there ! Yes, go to French Cay, was amazing. The 2 dive spots were Rock n Roll, and G-Spot. The boat ride there is stunning as well, as long as the conditions are favorable. I'll go on record and say that Turks & Caicos is more expensive than Grand Cayman.

I'll have to see if T&C's is more expensive than GC. GC was one of my most expensive trips ever. And that is including a Santorini, Greece and Kona, Hawaii trip I did this year as comparisons.

The diving was just outrageously priced. It isn't worth diving GC if you are renting equipment on each dive. Add Nitrox to that. I don't even want to think about how I spent.

 

[Lateralus]

What other non-scuba stuff do you guys recommend I do in T&C's besides lounging on the beach?

 

[KathyV]

We have the Southwest Companion Pass so we used points to get the air travel so nothing was spent there. My wife has a corporate discount that has specials to T&Cs lodging also, so we will be able to save there also.

I spent a week in Grand Cayman and thought that was the most expensive trip ever. Even more than a Santorini trip I did in April. I think every 2 tank boat dive was around $220. One was $270. Just crazy expensive.

I think we are either going to stay at the Windsong, Sands or Bianca Sands.

Who did you dive with on Grand Cayman? If you paid that much for a two-tank boat dive then you really got ripped off!

Two-tank guided boat dives on Grand Cayman usually run between around $120 to $140 USD (with $12 to $15 extra per tank if you use Nitrox) and you can usually find cheaper packages if you sign up for multiple days of diving.

See the links below for some examples. And shore diving is a bargain on GC, around $15 per tank.

http://www.ambassadordivers.com/rates

https://www.oceanfrontiers.com/rates-price

https://www.sunsethouse.com/dive-prices

https://www.divetech.com/boat-diving

 

[caydiver]

We have an op in GC and everyone’s pricing is basically in the same ballpark. One might charge more for rental gear or whatever but it all really evens out. I am guessing that the pricing of US$220 was for 2x2T not 1x2T. Dives to The Kittiwake have a mandatory gov entrance fee which is passed along. O2 also has an additional costs. Who did you go out with??

 

[Lateralus]

We have an op in GC and everyone’s pricing is basically in the same ballpark. One might charge more for rental gear or whatever but it all really evens out. I am guessing that the pricing of US$220 was for 2x2T not 1x2T. Dives to The Kittiwake have a mandatory gov entrance fee which is passed along. O2 also has an additional costs. Who did you go out with??

I went with a few providers. I think I dove with 4 different dive Ops. Maybe I'm not recalling the price right but I do remember being pissed off how expensive it was and how much pricier it was than anywhere else I have ever dove.

 

[KathyV]

I went with a few providers. I think I dove with 4 different dive Ops. Maybe I'm not recalling the price right but I do remember being pissed off how expensive it was and how much pricier it was than anywhere else I have ever dove.

Apparently you've never dived in Hawaii!

Sometimes there are reasons to go out with multiple GC ops like "I want to dive the East End on Tuesday and do the Kittiwake on Wednesday afternoon" but if you are planning multiple days of boat dives on GC, you are better off arranging a package in advance with a single dive op that is convenient to your location. The price per tank usually gets cheaper with extra days of diving, and it is just easier and more comfortable to dive with the same op over several days IMO.

 

[KathyV]

What other non-scuba stuff do you guys recommend I do in T&C's besides lounging on the beach?

Take a drive out to Da Conch Shack to enjoy some delicious cracked conch!
Da Conch Shack – The Best Beach Restaurant in the World!

Visit Chalk Sound National Park and enjoy nature - I have never seen water that color anywhere else:
Chalk Sound National Park | Visit Turks and Caicos Islands

 

[caydiver]

Well if you stuck to one you would have had a better price. For instance we don’t make guests do a package that may or may not work out for them. They are here to get away from scheduling. We just offer a discount when they come more than one day. Other small ops do the same. That way there is no pressure on anyone. In our case one day with a 2T is $120 any more than one day is $105 for 2T including the first day. Super easy no hassles, no long term planning for guests, no figuring out additional costs or refunds if plans change for us. There are still plenty of us who are not going to nickel and dime.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Since the subject of food has come up, my favorite place was Mr. Groupers. Native cuisine (Jerk, conch, plantains, rice n peas, etc). Place was packed, "reasonable prices", friendly local staff. Ice cold Red Stripe