Our friends at Brilliant started a new tradition here in the islands - cruising around to a bunch of different companies to video and shoot the team(s) dancing around in Santa Hats - this was as much fun to do as it is to watch.  Check out the DiscoverTCI team (under company name Wired Island - close to the beginning).

Dancing Santa Hats in the Turks & Caicos Islands from Brilliant by Tropical Imaging on Vimeo.

At DiscoverTCI, we always get the question on the phones, so where is a great place to go and get some local Turks and Caicos food?

Here are our suggestions:  Three Queen’s for sure and the best part is trying to get Dick, the bar owner, to smile. Seriously, it’s a great place and worth the ride through the scenic and authentic Blue Hills area. Also, home of the Conch Festival: www.conchfestival.com on Nov 28 of this year. Hole in the Wall gets high marks for authentic island style food. Ricky’s (Flamingo’s), Club Sodax and Caribbean Delight also right up there. Middle Caicos Cafe in Back of the Veranda and also rocks.

Conch Shack http://www.conchshack.tc is a classic and must-do down here, favourites include the Curry Conch (wonderful flavours including a lovely blend of coconut milk and spicy curry), Conch Fritters and Cracked Conch.

Wondering what Cracked Conch is?  Have a look at this video clip for how they make it!

Turks & Caicos Islands’ leading photo/video company launches new “people photography“ website

Tropical Imaging has been the Turks & Caicos Islands’ leading photography and video business for the last thirteen years - but people still can’t get their name right!

Tropical Imaging CEO, Andy Mann, commented: “With so many business in the Caribbean having ’tropical’ in their name, we felt it was time to re-brand ourselves so as to stand out from the crowd - and also to better reflect how our customers are ’Brilliant’ - with a new logo and website - www.brilliant.tc - for the ’people photography’ side of our business”

Tropical Imaging will continue as the overall company name, but it’s expected that clients looking for photo and video coverage of their wedding, or a family portrait or romantic or boudoir photo session in Turks & Caicos, will increasingly look for ’Brilliant’.

“Many of our customers come here for destination weddings - that’s a big part of our business - so making it easy for potential customers to find us online is critical” added Andy. “The new website will be a big part of that. ”

Visit http://www.brilliant.tc for more information

When is the best time of year to visit the Turks and Caicos?

Honestly, all year round is great. We get a bit more rain in the spring (April/May) and toward the end of the year, but not enough to change vacation plans. Hurricane season is technically June to November, but ‘peak season’ is September and October. With today’s forecasting capabilities, most storms can be predicated up to a week or so in advance with decent accuracy. It’s hottest here in August and September; it’s coolest in January and February. It’s most crowded here from Christmas through Easter (although never real crowded) and the week after New Years is traditionally a slow one. It’s least crowded in September and October and in fact some resorts and other businesses close during that period. Summer is a nice time with generally calmer waters – and lower hotel rates. Some major events on our calendar are Christmas and New Years; a Summer Festival usually at the end of July, and the annual Conch Festival the last Saturday in November. Bottom line, come down any time and while we don’t have the traditional four seasons of northern climes, we do have a bit of diversity.

 

Why is stuff so expensive there?

Well, it’s not that expensive. But visitors do notice higher prices for things like gas, food and other day to day consumables. The main reason is we have to import everything so you have to consider shipping costs for everything. Plus, we don’t have income or property tax here; the main income generator for the government is import duty, which assesses a duty on just about everything that comes in. So those two additional expenses make our prices a bit higher than a ‘mainland’ city or town. Quit your bitchin’ – you’re on vacation.

 

So should I bring my own supplies?

I wouldn’t be bothered. The stores here have just about everything you need and the prices aren’t that bad (compared to the cost of checking extra luggage these days!). IGA is the supermarket mecca here and it’s just like being in a modern store back home.

 

What are you favorite restaurants?

That’s a tough one – there are so many great places, and it really depends on what you’re looking for, your budget your desired atmosphere, who you’re trying to impress, etc.

 

In no particular order we can recommend these non-hotel based restaurants: Opus, Fairways (at the golf course), Coyaba, Coco Bistro, Caicos Café, Lemon, Bella Luna, Iguana, and Baci. Add in Yoshi’s if you are hankering for sushi and Bankok Express if you want Thai.

 

Inside the resorts are great restaurants, too: Anacaona at Grace Bay Club; Mango Reef at Royal West Indies; Hemingway’s at The Sands; Parallel 23 at The Palms, Grace’s Cottage at Point Grace; O’Soleil at The Somerset; Somewhere on the Beach at Coral Gardens; Atlantic Bar & Grill at West Bay Club; and Bagatelle at Wymara/Gansevoort.

 

More casual places would be Danny Buoy’s, Sharkbite, Tiki Hut, Pizza-Pizza, Fresh, Jimmy’s Dive Bar, Salt Mills Diner, Flamingo’s (Ricky’s), Fairways.

 

Good local food can be had at Hole in the Wall, Bernie’s, Tasty Temptations, Harbour Kitchen, Da Conch Shack, Horse Eyed Jacks, Sailing in Paradise, and Three Queen’s.

 

C’mon I only have a week!

Ok, for the best fine dining: Opus, Coyaba, Coco Bistro.

 

For casual lunch or dinner: Hemingway’s (outside on the beach), Tiki Hut or Sharkbite (on Turtle Cove Marina), Salt Mills Diner (inside in a/c).

 

For a true local experience: Three Queen’s or Hole In the Wall

 

To really impress a date when the budget is not an issue: Anacaona or Grace’s Cottage.

 

What about nightlife?

TCI is not known for its wild nightlife but if you know where to go, you can have a good time. The weekend bar scene in Grace Bay consists mainly of Danny Buoy’s, Calico Jacks (Ports of Call) and Vino Tiempo – you can walk between all three. Thursday through Saturday nights are the best nights. Big games or matches – UK and American – draw good crowds at Danny Buoy’s, too.

 

The casinos are open late – Player’s Club and Casablanca (which is right in Grace Bay). Both have full bars and sports on the tube even if you’re not a gambler.

 

The bars at Mango Reef and Hemingway’s are fun to hang out at and catch up on the local gossip. They both shut down by 10 or so most nights, though.

 

Ricky’s on the beach between Club Med and Ocean Club East has live music some Sunday afternoons, and is generally a cool place to hang out during the day.

 

Try a night pass at Club Med – it includes a pretty decent buffet style meal and a show, plus a lot of party-happy guests, many of them French!

 

In Turtle Cove, Sharkbite draws a good crowd on Friday afternoons for Happy Hours, with live music. Big sports hangout, too. Tiki Hut can get going at random times, too. And is a good place to watch the boats come and go from the marina.

 

Sibonne/Bay Bistro sometimes does a full moon party on the beach.

 

The Palms has been showing concerts on the big screen on its lawn on Saturday nights. Kinda fun.

 

Occasionally big name Caribbean music acts appear at Williams Auditorium downtown. Look for signs on the highway and plan on a late night. The downtown clubs can be fun, but rowdy. Cameos and 2005 are among the most popular for those preferring a Latin influence.

 

There’s always Bingo on Sunday nights – at The Tropicana Supper Club (which also has an occasional oldie performance – recent acts include Peaches and Herb (“Reunited”) and Percy Sledge (“when a Man loves a Woman..”) .

 

Should I go to the Conch Farm? The Hole? Iguana Island? Cheshire Hall Plantation?

Yes (but call first). No. Yes (but you need a boat). Not so much.

 

What about the Morman Tabernacle Choir?

Wrong Provo.

 

Can I use my phone/ATM/laptop/drivers license/money down there?

Cell phone: yes, but beware of big roaming charges from your carrier at home. Better to buy a pre paid SIM card from a local TCI carrier if you just want to make local calls (Digicel, LIME or IslandCom). Use Skype for international phone calls – much cheaper!

 

ATM card: most will work at Scotia Bank machines (branches on Leeward Highway and Grace Bay)

 

Laptop: There are a lot of WiFi networks on the island – in bars, restaurants, and in hotels so you should be able to connect fairly easily.

 

Driver’s License: Yes, you need a valid one to drive here but you don’t need a locally issued one if you are just visiting.

 

Money – US dollar only, senor. Bring your Benjamins. Major banks will exchange major currencies. Most places take MasterCard and Visa; Discover and Amex not as much. Travelers cheques accepted widely and exchangeable at the banks.

 

Can I buy beer on Sundays?

Not officially but a few local shops will sell you a six pack to get you through the day. Bars and restaurants are open on Sunday.

 

Should I rent a car or use taxis?

Depends on where you are staying and what you want to do. If you are in the Grace Bay area and are planning on doing routine beach stuff, maybe a little diving, fishing or golfing, you can probably get away without a car. The dive shops will pick you up at your resort, as will the casinos. You can walk a lot of places here, and taxis are easy enough to get (albeit pricey if you use them every day).

 

Rent a car if you want to explore the island or if you are staying on the south side of the island, or in northwest point area.

 

Can I learn to scuba dive/water ski/kite board/windsurf when I am visiting?

Yes.

 

There are several scuba shops here which can do full certification classes (PADI) or resort certification which doesn’t get you an official C Card but is a good way to get your feet wet quickly, so to speak. Try taking your class work for full certification before you come here and just do the check out dives when you get here. Just make sure you do a PADI course at home.

 

Water Ski – Nautique Sports has everything you need to get started, including expert instructors. Fun outfit.

 

Kite boarding: For instruction and rentals try these guys: www.kiteprovo.com. By the way, the beach on Long Bay is where the cool dudes hang – and glide – these days.

 

Wind surfing: Check out: www.windsurfingprovo.tc. They do wind surfing and Hobie Cat instruction from Ocean Club.

 

 

How easy is it to get to the other islands from Provo?

Pretty easy. To get to North Caicos and Middle Caicos, there is a ferry that runs several times a day from Leeward/Walkin Marina in Provo (just past the Conch Farm) to Sandy Point in North Caicos. From there you can rent a car (suggest making reservations in advance) or grab a taxi for a tour of North and Middle, which are connected by a causeway. Another alternative is to hire a tour operator and go by private boat. Several of them will do land/sea tour of North and Middle, plus you can see Pine Cay and Fort George Cay along the way (good sea shelling and nice places for beach picnics), do some snorkeling or fishing and get an expert tour of places like Flamingo Pond in North or the caves in Middle.

 

To get to Grand Turk, South Caicos or Salt Cay, take a local flight on Air Turks and Caicos. They fly several times a day and any of these islands can be seen in a day trip.

 

West Caicos is uninhabited but a major resort is planned there (an in fact 75% complete, although looking for some financing). Right now the only reason to go there is to dive the great wall dives there, and most dive shops go there although Caicos Adventures is recommended as West Caicos specialists.

 

How is the crime situation there – is it safe to go outside my resort?

Turks and Caicos is a very safe island, but any standard. We have petty crime like anywhere else, so use your common sense when going out, or at the beach. Don’t leave valuables unattended or in an unlocked car. The Grace Bay area is safe day and night and increasingly well patrolled by local police. Resorts typically have 24 hour security. Still it’s always best, anywhere, to try to avoid dark areas and walking into unknown areas alone. TCI’s crime rate remains one of the lowest in the Caribbean.

 

What’s going on with the Government down there?

Turks and Caicos has for many years been a British Overseas Territory, similar to Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Jersey and a few other remnants of the old British Empire. By and large these territories govern themselves with locally elected officials, and a London-appointed Governor oversees things at arms length.

 

However, recently the UK Government conducted an investigation (called a Commission of Inquiry) into allegations of corruption here in the TCI. The investigation resulted in a report which recommended that the UK institute direct rule for a while here. So, now the Governor is in direct control, although advised by a group of influential locals. It’s something of a controversial move but generally is seen as a way to restore good governance. This situation shouldn’t last more than two years.

 

In general this has little to no effect on visitors to Turks and Caicos. In fact, the Governor is committed to ensure an even a higher degree of security and policing for tourists visiting us here. So relax, the sun is still shining on the beach and Turks and Caicos is still the same safe, friendly Beautiful by Nature vacation spot it always has been.

Cheshire Hall is one of the key historic attractions on Providenciales. The 200 year-old ruins of this former cotton plantation are striking against a backdrop of modern day Provo, as the island is known locally.

The building ruins have been carefully preserved by the National Trust and offer spectacular views of the island.  Standing somber and still, you’ll discover ruins of the plantation’s Great House and several outbuildings, along with circular structures that held tools of the cotton industry, including a cotton gin and cotton press. The Great House is on the breezy rise of a hilltop, overlooking much of western Providenciales and a valley below, which was likely once used for raising food crops or livestock.
Much of the Cheshire Hall site is lush with the native plants such as Guinea Grass, Cow Bush, Bull Vine and Torchwood trees, to name a few that carpeted the area centuries ago. The bush is also home to butterflies, birds and lizards, all noticeably flitting, flying and crawling by as you wander the trails.

Who built Cheshire Hall?
Loyalist Wade Stubbs, originally from the village of Gawsworth in the English county of Cheshire, received a grant of 860 acres on North Caicos. Here he built the Bellefield Plantation, later christened “Wade’s Green.” His holdings grew and Wade soon convinced his brother Thomas to leave Cheshire County and seek his fortune in the Caicos Islands. Thomas Stubbs settled on Providenciales (then known as Blue Caicos) and named his plantation after his home county.

Thomas Stubbs left England and moved to Providenciales in the early 19th century, where he named his plantation Cheshire Hall after his home county. By 1810, Thomas had given up and sold the hall to his brother Wade. A cornerstone at the ruins is inscribed “W. Stubbs 1810″ to mark the transaction. The plantations survived for about 30 years before soil exhaustion, drought and the hurricane in 1812 destroyed them.

Before he died in Grand Turk in 1822, Stubbs’ plantation included thousands of acres and 384 slaves. On the night of 9 September, 1800, 14 slaves escaped in a small boat. He offered a reward of US$500 for their return, but there is no record indicating if they were ever found.

Guided Tour Information
Guided tours of Cheshire Hall are offered Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4 PM at $5 per person.  For reservations, call The National Trust at (649) 941-5710 or (649) 231-1172.  For more information on Cheshire Hall, visit http://www.nationaltrust.tc/Heritagesites.htm

The day finally reached when my bud Mike, General Manager from Northwest Point Resort arranged a day to take me out on his jet ski to discover some of the more popular cays (islands)  off of the main tourist island of Providenciales.  I’ve been waiting for this trip to see some of these smaller islands from the water since arriving on island 10 months ago, and couldn’t wait to get my blood pumping while going mock speed on the flat, crystal clear and turquoise waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mike had been out on them the day before, and kept them over at Caicos Marina and Shipyard out in the Long Bay area of the island (about a 10 minute drive away from the main tourist drag of Grace Bay).  We pulled up to the dock and there they were, two beauties, shinning and ready to rock and roll.  I had the red one and Mike the yellow.  We tossed our snorkel gear in the dry hull of the seadoo, and headed to load them off the trailor with the truck.  After just a few minutes of intense training (just kidding, learning to drive those things is a breeze), we left the marina and set out to the open water.  Driving these powerful machines is quite an experience, and even though it was my very first time, I got the hang of it pretty fast.  Simple, use your thumb to engage the gear to go faster, and yank the plug if you want to stop the engine.  Having the power to go as fast as I wanted was quite envigorating, and could’t believe what an awesome time I was having.  To top it all off, when you look around, as far as the eye could see, you see at least seven shades of turquoise, gorgeous!

Mike decided to cut through one of the channels, and went past the Conch Farm - past a beautiful home on the waterfront (previous home of Micheal Missick), and stopped to talk about where we were just before the turn in to the marina in front of Nikki Beach Resort From there, we headed to Pine Cay and drove right past the Meridian Club Resort where I just had to stop for a moment to take in the pure beauty all around me.  Threw my lifejacket off and jumped right in - this is what dreams are made of!  After a quick rest there, we headed past Fort George’s Cay, where apparently there are cannons (originally setup to protect Loyalist plantations in the Turks and Caicos Islands) still lying on the ocean floor in just a meter of water.

We then passed the infamous Dellis Cay and saw the buildings that are currently under development.  This entire island is being developed and will be managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotels; one bedroom apartments start at $1.7 million here and homes start at $6 million - I’ll definitely have my place there in a few years (NOT!).

Up next was Parrot Cay  - This private island resort with a luxury yoga-centric hotel is where Keith Richards, Bruce Willis and designer Donna Karan have villas — land here begins at more than $2 million an acre!  We threw anchor (in the sand of course) just between Bruce Willis’ house and the new house that is currently being constructed for Donna Caren when Mike told me of his story when he was out snorkeling out by the small reef there and Bruce came on his kayak to checkout what was going on and to ask how the snorkeling was.  At the same time, I looked out and saw someone else snorkeling afar and wondered to myself hmmmmm could it be?  Nawwww… Saw some pretty cool stuff at that reef, but didn’t see any big critters, Mike who frequents there all the time mentioned that he saw some Mantas just a few weeks ago.

On the way to North Caicos there was sightings of a small turtle who fluttered off when the jetskis came close and a baby dolphin; kept on going until we could see in the distance the 130 foot long causeway that links Tobby Rock in North Caicos to Pine Barrel, Middle Caicos.  Unfortuntely, the tide was out making the water too shallow to get the jet skis across safely, so we turned around for a rest at Mike’s favourite hangout spot in North Caicos called Pelican Beach Hotel - we were greeted by the female bartender from the Dominican Republic who pours a mean coconut rum and coke and then met the man himself, Clifford.  Clifford and Suzie Gardiner has been running the Pelican Beach Hotel for over 25 years now!  They’ve built up a strong following from people spanning the entire globe and are very proud of their hotel and restaurant, but most of all the personality and personalized Caribbean hospitality that they bring to the guest experience.  We shared some stories about Obama, Cliff’s cousin Micheal Missick (former premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands) and passed the time having some laughs and some drinks.  Mike’s and Clifford’s friend Mark, who runs a reliable Auto Rental company on the island happened to past by and sat down for a drink with us, only to find out that it was Clifford’s birthday that day!  (hmmmm, as I’m writing this, I’m wondering why we didn’t sing him happy birthday?).  Anyway, we had some burgers, and Clifford took me around to show me some of his rooms and agreed that Pelican Beach Hotel would be an excellent fit for Discover TCI, I’d definitely recommend this hotel to people wanting to visit the island.

After a load of fun, Mike and I were on our way back to Provo, got a bit choppy on the way back, and I, in trying to keep up with Mike, decided to put the pedal to the medal (actually, my thumb to the gear) and give it all that it’s got, full speed!  Bump, bump, bump, man was it ever a rush!  Stopped off one last time in front of Parrot Cay for a dip in the turquoise and headed back for Provo.

All in all, this was one of the most fun days I’ve had since arriving here in the Turks and Caicos Islands 10 months ago, it was a perfect day of great weather, scenery, relaxation, adrenalin, hospitality and much more.

Hats off to Mike, thanks again buddy, the memories from today will last a lifetime!

Looking for the best spots for casual hangout in Providenciales (Provo)?  Get the inside scoop by Discover TCI local experts

Danny Buoys - Irish pub. Sports. Fun crowd. Live music once or twice a week

Ports of Call - Calico Jack’s upstairs. Jimmy’s Dive Bar downstairs. Live music on Fridays.

Salt Mills Diner - Live music on Fridays. Decent food at big bar.

Sharkbite - On the marina - casual sports bar. Live music occasionally.  Eat/drink on patio on the water. 

Da Conch Shack and Horse Eyed Jacks - Next door to each other on the beach in Blue Hills (transportation needed). Live music from time to time (Fri and Sat nights). Fun outdoor bars. Watch them catch the conch right off shore.

Nikki Beach Resort - up tempo spot. Outdoor bar and pool bar. Killer techno style DJ. Lively. Late night Fri/Sat and Sunday afts.

Hemingway’s at The Sands - Beach restaurant and bar. Fun spot to hang on the beach during the day. Live music Tues, Thrs. Fri. Not open too too late.

Club Med - all inclusive resort but night passes can be purchased for dinner, after dinner show and nightclub. Can be fun. Has a late night bar on the beach (Sharky’s).

Bar at Grace Bar Club - Infiniti Bar on the beach. Fire pits and cool music.  Upscale. Next to Anacaona Restaurant.

We live and work here in Provo and (finally) took the opportunity to try out Mark’s Lemon Cafe.  Many of our friends have already tried the food there several times over, and had such amazing things to say. 

The ambiance of the place is incredible and definitely like nothing else that exists on the island, we really felt as though we were at a themed restaurant back in Canada, or, the real thing.  As you are walking in, there’s a short pathway filled with lovely tall and potted plants, then waking in to the restaurant itself, there are lots of earthy type colors, and long couches that back up against the wall with middle eastern looking pillows, the entire ceiling was draped with white shear, and the hexagon terra-cotta looking tiles (with finely designed mexican tiles in the middle) was all what made the Restaurant very special. 

Service was really good as well, and, like many other posts, Mark was out and about, greeting everyone and telling his story, very personable.  Food turnaround was very quick as well, which was great as we were really hungry. 

The food itself was delicious, we got the chickpeas dish and meat dish for appetizer (can’t remember the exact names, shame on me!), and had the chicken on basmati rice with the tatziki for the entree.  Everything was excellent!  For desert, we had the Ginger Cheesecake, a recommendation of Mark’s and we were in heaven!

Well done to Mark, a young entrepreneur (many of us in Provo) who took a chance to open this new gem in Provo in the middle of a global downturn, Lemon will definitely be on top of my recommendation list for family and friends coming in.