Tar Heel Travels

Best Tropical Vacations
Living is easy and the drinks are cheap in the Turks and Caicos

By Bill F. Hensley

Although far from being a household name, the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean have come a long way as a travel destination in the past 15 years. Now, thanks to a few more air flights — including direct service from Charlotte — this archipelago 600 miles southeast of Miami, north of Haiti, is fast becoming one of the world’s hot vacation spots.

The white, sugary sand beaches and sparkling turquoise waters of the island group, which covers 170 square miles, have been here all along, but no one knew it until Christopher Columbus dropped by for a brief visit in 1492 enroute to another discovery he called “the new world.”

This is one of those casual, laid-back places where the uniform of the day is a T-shirt, shorts or swimsuit, and sandals. Don’t even think of bringing along jackets, ties or fancy dresses. It is a lush, tropical land of stately palm trees and colorful hibiscus, where watersports rule supreme. Visitors come to scuba dive, snorkel, fish, swim or enjoy a plethora of boating activities. Others, however, simply lie on the beach or around a pool, soak up the rays, sip a cool drink and read a good book. There are no crowds, and no one is in a hurry.

The touristy island in these British West Indies (there are 40 in the Turks and Caicos group but only eight are inhabited) is Providenciales, which measures 28 miles long and seven miles wide at the tips. The British Crown Colony island is called “Provo” by the natives, known as “Belongers.” Descendants of African slaves, they were brought to the islands to work salt ponds and cotton plantations. Though ruled by the Brits and driving is on the left, the U.S. dollar is the official currency.

On Provo, there are about two dozen resort properties, an equal amount of restaurants, and an interesting variety of shops and boutiques. Since everything must be shipped in, there are few, if any, bargains in accommodations, cuisine or wares and costs run on the high side.

In addition to hotel and resort accommodations, there are a number of attractive rental cottages for extended stays. The peak travel season is December to May, although the year-round climate and humidity are mild and enjoyable. Temperatures range from a low of 65 to a high of 95 with September and October considered “off months.” The islands are cooled by delightful trade winds.

The highly regarded Grace Bay Club is one of the island’s top resorts. A small, luxury beachfront hotel, it is surrounded on three sides by a garden and has 21 suites that serve a select clientele from around the world. By next year, the property will be enlarged, adding 34 suites and another restaurant. Amenities include a gourmet restaurant, full-service spa, tennis courts, swimming pool and whirlpool.

One reason for the hotel’s popularity is general manager Martein Van Wagenberg, a genial Dutchman who makes it a point to learn every guest’s name and table-hops around the restaurant at night chatting with clients and serving their needs. A one-man chamber of commerce with eight years on the island, he is a treasure chest of information and assistance.

Most resorts on Provo offer scuba/snorkeling lessons and equipment, bicycles, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, windsurfing and powerboats. Avid golfers will find all the challenges they can handle at the island’s only course, the well-manicured par-72 Provo Golf Club in the Grace Bay area. There is water on 12 holes, so bring along plenty of balls for this Karl Litton creation that stretches to 6,641 yards from the back tees.

At night, visitors lounge in oceanfront bars and sip tropical drinks with fancy umbrellas, linger over a casual fresh seafood dinner (be sure and try the homegrown conch), or seek a place to dance. For the gamblers, there is a casino that offers blackjack, poker, roulette and slot machines. Cigar lovers will be delighted to know that authentic handmade stogies from Cuba are plentiful — but expensive — since Castroland is only a short hop to the southwest.

On the 2 1/2-hour flight back to Charlotte, the plane was filled with suntanned travelers still in their beach togs and burdened with bottles of rum and tequila from the airport duty free shop. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would cope with the low-40s February temperature in North Carolina, or the snow-covered environs of Buffalo and other frigid northern cities.

But they didn’t care. They had basked in the warmth of a tropical island, caught a bone fish or two, explored the underwater depths of a coral reef, strolled a pristine beach, dined on red snapper, and conquered a difficult golf course. They would spread the word among friends and extol the virtues of a vacation in the Turks and Caicos, a new destination that is now an old friend.

For more information, visit www.turksandcaicostourism.com.

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