Grace Bay - Providenciales - Turks and Caicos 2009
Getting To Providenciales International Airport (PLS)
Flying into Providenciales is very easy. Delta Airlines flys in from Atlanta. American Airlines fly's in from Miami and Boston. And U.S. Airways fly's in from Charlotte, Boston, and Philadelphia. WestJet and Air Canada also provide service from several gateways in Canada.
Arrival at Providenciales International Airport.
The nice thing about the Providenciales Airport, is that it hasn't lost its old world Caribbean gateway charm.
Step trucks still wheel up to the side of the plane to allow travelers to get off the plane. It was a nice feeling not having to wait until everyone got off and we were able to get off the back of the plane.
The minute the doors of the aircraft open, you are hit with the humid warm air that instantly lets you know your in the tropics, and vacation has begun.
Immigration and Customs took no time at all and soon after that, we were greeted by our representative from Turtle Tours, the ground transportation provider. Turtle Tours
There are plenty of taxis available right at the airport, but they are expensive. Our ground transportation was arranged, but based on the price of the ground transportation versus the cost of a rental car, next time we will just pick up a rental car at the airport for the whole trip. The exception to this would be for those who are staying at Beaches Turks and Caicos. Ground transportation is provided and Beaches maintains a desk at Providenciales International Airport just after you clear Turks and Caicos Customs and Immigration.
Pickup from Turtle Tours
Getting a first look at the island from road level is always so much fun. The ride over from the airport took about 5 minutes. Once you exit the airport, you are greeted by the first roundabout welcoming you to Providenciales.
A short ride up Leeward Highway and a few roundabouts later and we turned left towards the coastline and into The Bight Area and Grace Bay.
Up on the hilltops, we got our first look at the strikingly blue water of Grace Bay.
Shortly later, we arrived at Coral Gardens on Grace Bay.
Coral Gardens on Grace Bay
Arrival at Coral Gardens leads you into a private parking area with plenty of space for a rental car should you decide to roam about the island, which we highly recommend. Coral Gardens provides everything you need to make your stay a enjoyable one, including amenities such as a full kitchen in every suite. The spacious one and two bedroom suites are detailed with antiques, wrought iron and wicker. The Oceanfront "Grand" one and two bedroom suites are right up front and closest to the water and are have very large terraces. These 1975 plus sq. ft. two bedroom suites have very nice bathrooms, fully equipped kitchens, dining rooms, walk-in closets, washer and dryer and all the modern amenities. The one bedroom suite has the same amenities and is over 1720 sq. ft. in size.
Condo 4204
All of the condos are privately owned and wonderfully decorated in island style. The condos that face the water have floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that slide into the wall and out of sight creating that outside living space that you can spend hours on reading a book or simply looking out into the water. Cool ocean breezes in the evening make the terrace a great place for a little nap too. Our Condo, number 4204 had a main living area with a flat screen TV, comfortable furniture and a kitchen appointed with everything you need for a week or two of relaxation. for a small fee, the staff can stock your kitchen with all the essentials to get you started.
Our master bedroom was located on a elevated area and could be blocked off for more privacy. It also had its own bathroom. Our terrace had views of the ocean, gardens, and one of the pools.
Coral Reef
The coral reef in front of Coral Gardens is spectacular. We spent many hours drifting over the area in front of the protected zone. Sea Turtles and smaller Sting Rays frequent the reef. Just be careful not to stray into the clearly marked protected area of the reef. The beach staff goes to great lengths to keep watch over this area. What makes it nice, is you have a bit of a large circle you can snorkel or dive around. We saw many people heading out to dive the reef area straight from the beach. There was also a night dive that took place during our stay.
Somewhere Cafe and Lounge
Located on the beach, right in front of Coral Gardens, this restaurant / bar serves up very tasty Tex-Mex style food and has a large compliment of liquors that will meet most peoples needs. There is also an upstairs area that provides a wonderful view of the coastline and its a great place for nighttime drinks with friends.
Mark Anthony is one of the bartenders there and he has a great sense of humor. On friday nights you can often catch live entertainment.
Driving on the wrong side of the road
Our rental car was provided by Avis. It was a very easy process. Michele at the front desk of Coral Gardens called Avis and shortly thereafter, a car showed up and I was transported over to the Providenciales office near the new Graceway IGA. It was inexpensive and we were able to explore quite a bit of the island by having our own car.
Horse-Eye Jacks
This was one of the first places we wanted to visit after we rented our car. Situated in the Blue Hills area, Horse-Eye Jacks is just a short drive away from all the Grace Bay resorts. It's a open air restaurant bar with great views of the sea. At Horse Eye Jack’s, authentic Caribbean cuisine is their specialty, featuring fresh local fish and lobster (in season). They have an awesome bar there and its a very popular night spot that boasts a very large outdoor palapa. The bar top is made of spiral pieces of conch shells and beach glass embedded into the laminate surface. The menu is very diverse and will appeal to most everyone’s tastes, casual and inviting just like the carefree, laid-back island atmosphere. Everything from soups and salads (there’s even a lobster bisque) to burgers, sandwiches and wraps.
Da Conch Shack
Located just next door to Horse-Eye Jacks, Da Conch Shack is a great place for a afternoon snack and great live entertainment in the evening. The best way to describe this place is that it has a funky little beach bar vibe, but they in a very hip and inviting way. Sometimes you can catch Stanley Roots serving up live reggae music. Da Conch Shack has a sampler platter that I highly recommend. The cracked conch was my favorite by a longshot. And the Rum Punch!!! Be careful...they have the mix down to a science. The Rum Punch doesn't seem like its got much alcohol in it, but once you get a couple in you, it's obvious.
Beaches Turks and Caicos All Inclusive Resort
Just about 250 yards down the beach, is Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa. This place is the ultimate family vacation spot. Beaches Turks and Caicos features the Shadow Lounge. This is a games room where Tweens & Teens can hangout. Beaches has a Large air conditioned X-BOX Games Garage and a partnership with Microsoft. All of the latest X-Box Games can be found on the 30 plus flat screen game consoles located inside the garage. Pool tables, tie dye, scavenger hunts, bonfire & more are part of the program. Beaches Turks and Caicos also has a huge waterpark and the kids also have their own club. Beaches Club Liquid is a state of the art nightclub style facility where the kids can hang out with their friends and learn to scratch like the pros at Beaches DJ Scratch Academy. DJ Sctatch Academy was founded by Run of RunDMC.
They added a new activity to its ever-growing list of watersports, turning a day or night on the water into a luxury cruise. The resort’s newly acquired custom-designed catamaran, the Kitty Katt, debuted the week of March 17th, offering exceptional features and amenities and delighting guests with up-close encounters with fascinating marine life.
The new Kitty Katt is the only catamaran of its kind in the world, and was custom-designed for Beaches Resorts, especially with families in mind. Engineered to the highest safety standards, top features of the Kitty Katt include a spacious deck to grandly accommodate a number of guests; a fully stocked kitchen, where mouthwatering meals and snacks are prepared and served by professionally trained chefs; a kids soda and juice bar and kids buffet; space to accommodate special appearances by Sesame Street characters and a live video feed to plasma-TV monitors located right inside of one of the pontoons.
The live-feed offers amazing up-close-and-personal underwater views of the deep blue sea and all its inhabitants. Best of all, the Kitty Katt comes complete with an eight-foot tube slide off the stern, so guests can splash down into the sparkling Caribbean Sea.
Beaches Turks and Caicos has 16 restaurants and 13 Bars - something to appeal to anyone's tastes. And for those with special dietary needs, the Head Chef will personally sit down with you at the beginning of your trip and help plan your meals.
Silver Deep Glass Bottom Boat and Conch Diving Trip
Captain Pringles was our boat captain for our trip to Little Water Cay, otherwise known as Iguana Island. The Turks and Caicos National Trust operates the island and provides guided tours on the island. After that, we went snorkeling for conch and the crew made a outstanding fresh conch salad.
JoJo the Dolphin
JoJo is a Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin who has been living the waters of Grace Bay since 1980. He is one of the few dolphins around the world who voluntarily interacts with human beings in his own natural habitat. JoJo is very curious and if you go on a water excursion, be sure to watch for him. Much loved by the islanders, the government has proclaimed JoJo a National Treasure, with a specially appointed warden to protect him.
If You Go to Turks and Caicos - Heres some usefull links to guide your research:
Where When How Magazine
Somewhere Cafe and Lounge
Da Conch Shack
Windsong Resort
Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort & Spa
Coral Gardens
Horse-Eye Jacks
