hi guys n gals, im tryin to plan a vacation to turks and caicos aug 10-17ish. im looking around for a good deal but am confused. in your opinions is an all inclusive plan worth the extra money. i dont need to eat like a king but something better than high school cafeteria food would be nice. also, what websites do u guys go to for travel deals, ive tried travelzoo and it is ok but it seems like theres always a catch. i did find an all incl deal to the royal antiguan in antigua(d'uh) for 7 days , A.Inc, for 1000 bucks flight included but from the posts ive read it seems the diving is a little stinky.
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Damselfish
Contributor
Depends on your definition of worth. Could be cheaper to eat on your own, probably will be if you eat at "local" places, do deli/burger/pizza/fast food stuff, or have facilities to roll your own. (Of course, depending where you're staying, this all might be easier if you have a car, and there goes part of your cost savings.)
If you compare all-inclusive against eating the same place or similar ala carte, well then all-inclusive may very well be close or cheaper.
Then there's the issue if you want to eat the same place all the time - might be convienient and good, might be convienient but lousy. You might prefer to be able to try different restaurants.
Diving included with major all inclusives like Breezes tends to be badly rated, even in a good destination.
If you compare all-inclusive against eating the same place or similar ala carte, well then all-inclusive may very well be close or cheaper.
Then there's the issue if you want to eat the same place all the time - might be convienient and good, might be convienient but lousy. You might prefer to be able to try different restaurants.
Diving included with major all inclusives like Breezes tends to be badly rated, even in a good destination.
Tim Ingersoll
Contributor
TCI info:
1) Eating out is expensive in TCI. The restaurant options are varied from conch shacks to five star gourmet but are generally quite expensive. Unless you have the money or are renting a villa with kitchen and cooking a lot for yourself I would think that an all-inclusive is your best bet. By the way there are some awesome restaurants. Coco Bistro and Caicos Cafe are two that leap to mind but there many, many more.
2) IMHO (eight years of visits) the best dive operation on the island is Caicos Adventures. If you dive with an all-inclusive like Breezes you will be settling for third best.
3) Check out cheapcaribbean.com They sometimes have some good deals for TCI.
4) You should definitely consider a car. Providenciales is pretty spread out. Think about renting for one or two days to see the island. Make sure to check out the abandoned movie set at Malcolm Roads - best beach in the Caribbean and usually completely deserted.
5) Antigua diving is for the birds. Went once, would not consider going back if it was about the diving.
Let me know if I can help.
1) Eating out is expensive in TCI. The restaurant options are varied from conch shacks to five star gourmet but are generally quite expensive. Unless you have the money or are renting a villa with kitchen and cooking a lot for yourself I would think that an all-inclusive is your best bet. By the way there are some awesome restaurants. Coco Bistro and Caicos Cafe are two that leap to mind but there many, many more.
2) IMHO (eight years of visits) the best dive operation on the island is Caicos Adventures. If you dive with an all-inclusive like Breezes you will be settling for third best.
3) Check out cheapcaribbean.com They sometimes have some good deals for TCI.
4) You should definitely consider a car. Providenciales is pretty spread out. Think about renting for one or two days to see the island. Make sure to check out the abandoned movie set at Malcolm Roads - best beach in the Caribbean and usually completely deserted.
5) Antigua diving is for the birds. Went once, would not consider going back if it was about the diving.
Let me know if I can help.
cduffey
Contributor
I did some research on TCI, as we were hoping to go this summer. Airfares during our time frame went out of sight, so we decided to opt for Roatan instead. I found a resort called The Beach Club that offered a deal that included a car for a couple of days and a few meals for the week. The rooms had cooking facilities, I think. That might be a good compromise for you -- you could cook or choose your restaurant a few days, and eat at the resort a few days. They do have a dive operator onsite, but it does not have to be included in your price. We've never been to TCI, so I can't personally recommend this resort, but it might be worth checking out.
thank you for all your responses. we've decided on goin to t n c stayin at the allegro for 8 nights for $1200 all incl, flight incld, and also travel ins. i think that thats a real good deal. now im looking for a dive operator. caicos adventure has highly recomendded by alot of you out there so i contacted them and they said they would do 7 days/14 dives for $500. i contacted them about maybe giving us a little better discount bc we are 4 people going but they said no. Dive Provo is about the same price but said they would take us on a night dive or 2. Is this expensive? also i believe that both of these operators pack 25 people on their boats. can anyone recomend a dive operator with smaller group sizes?
My wife and I just did Club Med Turquoise on Provo last November and the diving was FANTASTIC. The accommodations were a little shakey, it's an older club, but all in all it was a nice trip. The island is beautiful and peaceful and the Club has lots of stuff going on every day besides diving so there is always something to do. It was all inclusive but our price was well below the going rate because we both work in the airline business and get discounts at Club Med so I couldn't tell you the price.
If you've never been to a Club Med before it's an experience you'll never forget.
Scott
If you've never been to a Club Med before it's an experience you'll never forget.
Scott
Tim Ingersoll
Contributor
TCI is the land of the rental villa. You might consider that as an option.
metaldector
Contributor
I did the Club Med about 7 yrs ago, and found it very nice. The diving was good, and often. I think I did 17 dives in 5 days. Night diving was included. A different group of people dive everyday, but I buddied up with a guy from LA for several dives. When not diving there is plenty to do, and the food was plentiful and good. The dive operation was clean, well run. You could leave the village and dive with another operator if you wanted for an additional cost. Hope this helps. 
Allinclusive are good if you don't want to worry too much about where to eat,if there aren't too many places out to eat or getting there is difficult or if going out to eat is expensive. Also if you drink alcoholic beverages.
Club Med in Turks and Caicos had excellent food and a decent scuba program
Club Med in Turks and Caicos had excellent food and a decent scuba program
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