Blogs from Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, Central America Caribbean - page 2

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The boss wanted to spend a couple of weeks in provo. I got to walk Provo's stunning beach and do a dive or 2. Our boat dives are short because my buddies get cold pretty quick so I only don't really have time to take many shots. I saw my first hammer head in one of those dives. It came up from the deep blue checked the 4 of us out from like a ft or two away and then continued its journey. It was an amazing experience. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera that day. I remeber a dive site called "The Amphitheather. Very cool.... read more
Triple fin blenny
Blue stripped goby


I think I’ve decided that February is the best time to take a beach vacation. This seems obvious I guess, but this winter the snow, slush, rain, cold rain, hail, winter extravaganza that I’ve gotten to experience in Atlanta, Minneapolis, New York, etc. lately has been a lot of cold, boots, puffy jackets, layers, scarves, gloves, hats, and other nonsense that I’ve been glad to not think about for the past week. I started to get a scratchy throat/cold a couple of days before we left town – just what every girls wants on her way to vacation! The day we left I felt pretty badly, and was just hoping for the best when we arrived in Turks & Caicos. It worked – by the next morning I felt considerably better, throat not aching, other symptoms ... read more
"our" ocean
view of house & pool
hanging in the pool


Arrived yesterday at Providenciales (Provo) in the Turks and Caicos (TCI) and have good internet at the Marina. Terry's wife, Tuss, says that I need to include more "human interest" items. But, I will give a brief update of the itinerary before trying that. We left Emerald Bay on Grand Exuma on Saturday and made an uneventful passage across Exuma Sound to a small island called Rum Cay. This is one of the Bahamas "Out Islands" and you know you are not in Kansas anymore. Terry called the marina several times on the radio with no response. Finally, another marina guest responded and said that "Bobby" the marina manager was out surfing but to come on in as he was certain there would be a slip. We worked our way up to the fuel dock with ... read more
Entering Marina at Rum Cay
Safely Tied Up at Rum Cay
The "Office" at Rum Cay


Big thanks to Colin for taking us at 5am to catch our early morning flight from Dallas via Maimi to Providenciales. We arrived in Provo (Providenciales) late afternoon, the first thing that seemed a little strange was the short drive to our hotel, the Caribbean Paradise Inn, the taxi drove on the left with the steering wheel also on the left. After being in Texas where they drive on the right with the steering wheel on the left, opposite to us, we now feel total confused. We had decided to stay at the Caribbean Paradise Inn based on tripadvisor reviews, it was as we expected, small, only 16 units, but comfortable and our room very clean and with a good air conditioner. We are a 5 minute walk to the beach through the large resorts, we ... read more
walking to the beach
Our hotel, Caribbean Paradise Inn
Gift from the hotel a bottle of french Wine


I awoke at 7am and went to the beach for some more snorkeling before I would leave this beautiful island. The water was very clear and calm. I stayed out there for about two hours before returning to the hotel to get ready for my trek to the airport. I caught a taxi to the airport at around 11am and was there within 15 minutes. Check in and security was quick and painless. The airport is very small and there is not much to do except sit and wait. The time flew by though, and soon I was on Delta 510 to Atlanta. I was in coach seat 26D on the MD-88 aircraft. There was nobody sitting next to me so I had lots of room to stretch out. I admired the view of the clear ... read more
Provo from the air
Turtle Cove
Turtle Cove


I had been trying to visit the Turks and Caicos for a few weeks now but full flights kept it from happening. I had a hotel credit at the Turtle Cove Inn that I had to use or lose by this week, since our flight goes to seasonal status on Saturday, which means there will only be one flight a week until the winter time. I tried to get on a 6am flight to Atlanta but it was full. No big deal, as there is a flight at 7:10am that will get me there in time. I cleared for that flight and was seated in first class seat 1C. It was a quick flight from Indianapolis to Atlanta, aboard Delta flight 687, an MD-88 aircraft. Once in Atlanta, I had about an hour to connect. The ... read more
Bight Beach
Near the Marina
Where to?


Providenciales, or Provo as everybody calls it, is the westernmost island in the Caicos Island chain as well as the tourist center of the Turks and Caicos. Due to all its recent development, it is downright cosmopolitan (by island standards). Posh mega-resorts line Grace Bay, a beautiful white sand beach that runs the entire north coast of Provo for miles and miles. And there are lots of great restaurants and shopping centers to support the over 100,000 visitors annually. But besides the beach and tropical climate, the main reason people visit Provo is for the renowned scuba diving. Due to its geography and geology, the Turks and Caicos have some of the best wall dives in the world. So we were super excited to go out there and check it out. We were blown away by ... read more
Scuba Diving
Grace Bay
Beach


I'll start by stating that I've adjusted my entry dates based on my actual visits to these locales... so my apologies for a bit of backtracking. In future, I hope to be more current with my postings now that I've discovered this site! The first time I had the pleasure of visiting this lovely island was in November/December 2001. I was searching for an all-inclusive vacation with lovely water and unlimited windsurfing that catered to adults only (my age at the time... 28). The travel agent (yes, still frequently used in 2001) was very kind and helpful and assured me it would be a terrific fit. Wow, did she ever set the bar for making me a happy camper! As you can see from the pictures, this location is exquisite. Let me briefly backtrack a bit ... read more


My wife and I just returned from a three night excursion at Wymara’s recently unveiled Gansevoort Turks & Caicos, a clear contender for the title of TCI’s hippest spot. Our journey began with a direct flight that departed Philly mid-morning, and arrived in Providencia, TCI in about 3 short hours. Twenty minutes later we were poolside - cocktails in hand - as the warm relaxing trade winds circulated. Our senses were further stimulated by the resort’s mellow soundtrack of ambience music, piped softly throughout the grounds and beachfront by an array of outdoor speakers. The day’s transition from the cold crowded Northeast to this ultra-luxe Caribbean destination was both surreal and heavenly. Provo Island’s decade-long building boom has indeed resulted in some comfortable vacation properties. Sadly, however, most of these resorts are informed, from an architectural ... read more


After six trips around the world in just over two years, Elise and I finally chose a home. How did we decide? Where did we end up? Well, lets start with the master list -- over the last year we have considered: Vancouver, Canada London, England Bali, Indonesia Las Vegas, USA Los Angeles, USA Cape Town, South Africa Singapore, Singapore Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Vancouver -- I have lived in Vancouver before and it is one of my favorite cities in the world. The rain is a bit much for me. Another consideration was that Elise, who is English, wanted to have the option to work, particularly if I would still be traveling and speaking around the world from time to time. Visa requirements made this challenging. London -- Wow. Never again, I think. I love ... read more




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