Kids and adults alike will enjoy the latest addition to the Grace Bay Beach area - a brand new park. Located on the western end of our famous stretch of sand (next to the Wymara/Gansevoort), the park is a product of public/private partnership in TCI.

It includes a native botanical garden, a children’s playground, voleyball court, shaded picnic areas and a crafts village. It’s a perfect place for an outing or BBQ with the whole family and its right on the beach - 950 linear fee to beachfront to be exact, and the entire park sits on six acres.

Right across the street is the TCI National Environmental Center, which is also a neat attraction to pay a visit to. The Centre has exhibits and information on all sorts of wildlife and plants that can be found in TCI, both on land and in the water.

Both the park and the Environmental Center are within walking distance of the resorts on the western end of Grace Bay Beach (Beaches, Coral Gardens, Turks & Caicos Club, West Bay Club and Wymara/Gansevoort) and a short drive from anywhere else in Grace Bay.

The Gansevoort Hotels in New York City’s Meatpacking District and Miami’s South Beach are unique types of places that combine hot and cool at the same time. For sure, they attract the beautiful people in both locations, whether it’s for restful accommodation in the sleek modernistic rooms, or to see and be seen at their trendy lobbies, bars and restaurants.

Now, visitors to Turks & Caicos can partake in the cool/hot ambience, as the Gansevoort by Wymara opened its doors this week. To clarify on the name issue, Wymara is the name of the development that occupies the far western end of glorious Grace Bay Beach, and the real estate available as part of that is branded as such. But late last year Gansevoort came on board as the management company for the hotel, adding to the boutique line of hotels in other cities (which will soon include Chicago and Toronto). So you can expect all the neat Gansevoort touches in terms of the service and amenities, in addition to an eye catching architectural style that the Wymara developers pulled together. It’s also part of the Preferred Hotel Group, which puts it in elite company.

Gansevoort offers stunning ocean view rooms of various size (up to 3 bedroom penthouses), with top of the line finishings and well appointed kitchens and spacious living areas. The 91-room property sits on a very nice stretch of Grace Bay, within walking distance to Coral Garden reef (best snorkeling on the island) as well as close to Turtle Cove Marina and The Player’s Club casino. There’s even a brand new kid’s park next door. There’s a small beach bar and the property also features as signature 7,000 square foot pool with ‘lounging islands’ that are very, well, cool.

Last week we had a chance to preview the Bagatelle Restaurant which offers indoor and outdoor dining by the pool and hip sunken bar. Bagatelle (which also has a restaurant next door to the NYC Gansevoort) is run by the well known One Restaurant Group, operators of several restaurant and clubs in New York. The food, service and ambience were all fantastic and it’s a great addition to the TCI dining scene even if you aren’t staying there

As an added attraction, the folks from Exhale Spa are operating the spa, bringing their unique style of fitness and relaxation techniques to the Gansevoort in Turks & Caicos. They have special retreat packages available with well-known trainers and instructors visiting from their more than a dozen other locations in the US.

Check out some of the introductory rates available for the Gansevoort and prepare to be impressed.

The Turks and Caicos Islands, best known for its crystal clear turquoise waters, beautiful white sandy beaches, delicious sea food cuisines and friendly people. This is the place I am proud to call home. People always ask – Why come to the Turks and Caicos? Why not choose the Bahamas or Jamaica as a vacation destination? What does Turks and Caicos have to offer?

With miles and miles of beautiful beaches, we were awarded to the have the BEST BEACH in the world. It is a blessing to have easy access to such a natural beauty unlike other persons.  People travel every year, across the world just to relax and untwine on our beaches.  To make this destination a wonderful island vacation, as I would call it, it wouldn’t be complete without things to do at the beach. Surrounded by one of the most extensive coral reef systems in the world, we offer a number of water sporting activities to enjoy our “Beautiful by Nature” waters. Snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, parasailing, windsurfing and much more can make a vacation here to the islands an unforgettable one.

A very unique thing about the Turks and Caicos is that unlike the other Caribbean countries, we have something different to offer on all of our inhabited islands. Providenciales is the most developed island where you will find the infamous Grace Bay Beach and world class accommodations. Grand Turk has a lot of culture where you’ll find salt ponds still standing, donkeys, horses and cattle still wondering the streets like the days of the Bermudian Salt Rakers. South Caicos has the most protected and finest natural harbor of all the islands. Dolphins, manta rays, turtles and even humpback whales can be seen on the island of South Caicos. North Caicos has miles of lush land and high hills making it a great place for bird watching and rock climbing. These are just a few things that make Turks and Caicos different from other Caribbean countries.

Beautiful beaches, unique islands and great food make my place of home a wonderful vacation destination.

Turks and Caicos Islander

Angelica Lightbourne

at #2. Nikki Beach Hotel, Provo, Turks and Caicos
Ultra luxury and exclusivity are found at the Nikki Beach Hotel on Turks and Caicos. A gated 432-acre playground, the hotel features one- and two-bedroom suites, the signature Nikki Club and the world’s first eco-friendly yacht marina. Relaxation takes on new meaning as you wade in the infinity pool or lounge on one of the surrounding opium beds.

by Erica Walsh - TRAVEL CHANNEL.COM
Nothing says vacation like crystalline blue waters, white-sand beaches and luxurious indulgence. That’s why we’re counting down the 21 best destinations in the Caribbean, where vacation is a lifestyle.

April 13, 2009 10:00 AM, Children’s Park, Lower Bight Road, Providenciales

Handmade kites in the Turks & Caicos Islands - The Annual competition and beach party organized by the Turks & Caicos Tourist Board, held every Easter Monday on the beach at the Children’s Park in the Bight on Providenciales. Everyone is welcome. Activities include an Easter Egg Hunt and games like Egg & Spoon; Tug-O-War; Sack Race and Three-Legged Race. In addition to island music, and lots to eat and drink on sale by the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club and the National Trust.

Prizes and trophies are given for the Largest Kite; Smallest Kite; Most Artistic Kite; and Best Overall Kite. Application forms and rules for the Kite Flying Competition are available at the Tourist Board Office in Provo.

Club Med Turkoise, Turks and Caicos invites guests to experience a week of live rock ‘n’ roll performances with “Turkoise Rocks” April 18 – 24. The music-filled week will hit a high note with featured guest DJs and live bands including Big Head Todd and the Monsters and special guest Hazel Miller among other performers. Turkoise Rocks represents the first in a series of affinity weeks that Club Med will offer throughout 2009.

Famous for their rock and blues melodies, Big Head Todd and the Monsters’ latest hits have spent a record 85 weeks on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.  The band has shared stages and studios with music legends such as BB King, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews and Hootie and the Blowfish and has sold more than one million records.

“Again Club Med redefines the value of an all-inclusive with a series of affinity weeks, including Turkoise Rocks, a line-up of renowned bands and DJs,” stated Sabina Sicuso, vice president of marketing. “The event allows guests and devoted fans the opportunity to see the artists perform in an intimate atmosphere while enjoying all the benefits of a Club Med vacation.”

Live concerts will take place nightly at Club Med Turkoise’s shore-side theater as part of Club Med’s all-inclusive package.  “Turkoise Rocks” is available for booking now at a rate of $225 per night, per person, based on double occupancy. 

“We are going to have a blast,” said lead singer Todd Park Mohr.  “Club Med Turkoise offers such a stellar setting, and there is really no better opportunity for us to get to know our fans.”

Club Med Turkoise is situated on Grace Bay beach on the island of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.  The resort offers 70 acres of Caribbean beach front property, panoramic views of the talcum soft sands and a variety of exceptional coral reefs.

For more information on Big Head Todd and the Monsters and tour dates visit www.bigheadtodd.com.

If you’re looking for the true spirit of the Turks & Caicos Islands, head for the hills (Blue Hills) and pay a visit to Dick Been’s ‘Three Queen’s Bar’ in the heart of Blue Hills.  Drive almost to the end of the main strip along the turqouise water and you can’t miss it (actually, you can miss it as the sign is tough to find).  Ask anyone walking along the route though and they’ll tell you where it is. 

Dick’s Three Queens Bar (also the home of the world’s only CONCH FESTIVAL) offers the authentic flavour of the islands and is complete with a very clean sit down restaurant serving up tasty local dishes, lively music, great beachfront ambiance, a fully stocked bar, an ongoing dominoes tournament, and all the action and all the conversation you need to catch up on local gossip, hear both sides of the politcal table on the islands, and how to solve the world’s problems.

For an earful and eyeful of fun and drinks and to experience the true essense of the TCI, visit Dick’s Three Queens Bar in Blue Hills, Providenciales.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos — Just a few feet off the powdery white sand of Grace Bay Beach, the swank set of this island south of the Bahamas has gathered to launch yet another gleaming five-star condo/resort development.

Women in flowing sundresses sip champagne while lounging in white cube-shaped poolside pavilions. Gift bags emblazoned with the resort name — CAYA, a sister property of the posh Grace Bay Club slated to open in 2010 — hold bottles of Grey Goose vodka. Fireworks light up the night sky as Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now booms from the sound system.

Click here to read the article on USA Today

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 8th

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands; Friday, March 6th, 2009 –Daylight Saving Time has an early arrival this year. The annual time change officially occurs at 2am, this coming Sunday, March 8th, when clocks are set one hour ahead to 3am.

To this end, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government Information Service is informing the public to take care of setting their clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday, March 7th, ensuring that they will be on the correct time when they wake up on Sunday, March 8th.

This year, 2009, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 8th and ends on November 1st.