Providenciales, North Caicos and Middle Caicos
This trip really was a bucket list trip for us. It turned out to be much more than we expected.
We had alway been very interested in visiting Turks and Caicos, after all why not experience Grace Bay, the #1 beach in the world?
The cost of living in Turks and Caicos is very high, (check out food costs here http://www.gracewaysupermarkets.com/savings ) so it was with great excitement that we discovered a brand new listing on AirBnB that offered a first time discount enticing enough that we went ahead and booked it.
Only problem was the listing was on North Caicos and not on the world famous Grace Bay beaches of Providenciales (Provo).
Oh well, time to be adventurous!
First we booked five days in Leeward on Provo (Maddy’s Cottage) and then twenty five days on North Caicos (Ms B’s in Whitby) followed by five more days on Provo (Island Eye ).
Arriving in Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) by air is breath taking for first timers.
The colour of the water is magical, indescribable blues that just seem to put your soul at ease as your lips curl up into that little self satisfied grin that everyone else just seems to hate.
The promise of the beaches was definitely fulfilled. We have been on some nice beaches but nothing like this. Picture those dreamscape beaches that you have seen in movies or magazines and you start to get the idea.
Warm blue skies and warm welcoming turquoise waters fill out the fantasy. Great swimming, snorkelling and sightseeing were our main budget friendly activities but there is a wide variety of island adventures awaiting all ranges of ages and income levels.
This page is about the experience and the spirit of our visit. To see more detail about the beaches, click here, the beaches Turks and Caicos
Because we were travelling on our own and not part of a resort package we will not comment on the amenities afforded by the many resort hotels but we did appreciate the fact that the resorts do abide visitor parking and beach access.
This is not completely out of the kindness of their hearts but more to the point that in Turks and Caicos the beach belongs to everyone and no-one can bar you from being there. Just ask any local, or as they refer to themselves “belongers”.
Providenciales, the main island, more commonly know as Provo encompasses astounding beauty amid first world amenities.
Most of our time on Provo was spent getting to the beach and to the next happy hour without getting killed. No there is not a huge crime problem but there are some very interesting traffic patterns. One, drive on the left, it is amazing how easy this is to forget. The reminder that you are on the wrong side of the road is usually in the form of a vehicle bearing down on you seemingly from out of nowhere. If that doesn’t get you back onside the screams of your passenger surely will. Couple that with the worlds most adamant speed bumps, swarming traffic circles and the reversed steering column controls and you will start to understand how difficult it is to sight see. It is easy to spot other tourists with similar anxieties as it is a dead giveaway to see, on seamlessly sunny days, their windshield wipers come on as they vainly attempt to find the right turn signal.
But we did survive. It is almost necessary to have a car rental as many of the eateries and attractions are well spread out. There is the prerequisite core in the tourist zone with everything you really need but we like to get around a bit, even at the risk of unfamiliar traffic.
We quickly discovered that conch (pronounced “Konk”) is the most prevalent local dish. It is the innards of a large mollusk and is usually chopped and deep fried in as many variations as imagination affords but can also be had fresh on the beach in the local version of ceviche. A bit chewy but delicious, Tastes a whole lot better that it looks! It is also a lot more affordable than a lot of the many seafood dishes available here.
A cold beer and conch ceviche at Bugaloo’s should not be missed.
We had also heard about a “to die for” dining temptation called Coco Bistro that also offered a food truck type service called Coco Van just outside their main establishment. Our budget steered us there. Wow, Wow Wow, do not miss! I had the tuna tartar and for the first and only time in my life I actually did not want to finish my dinner. Not because I was full but because I did not want it to end. You must go!
Shark Bite in Turtle Cove and the Somewhere Cafe on Grace Bay are also worth your time and money
Provo fit the bill, now on to North Caicos.
North Caicos
Remember those old B grade scary movies where someone asks directions to the castle and the bartender/cabdriver recoils in fear and says “you are going where?”
It was kinda like that when we told locals that we were going to North Caicos.
It got even worse when we said we would be staying for a month.
“Do you have enough food?” they said, and “what will you do all day?” they asked with concerned looks on their faces.
It was enough for us to make an extra trip to the grocery store and stock up on some essentials. Well worth the effort in the end but fear not you can get all you need on North.
As soon as we boarded the ferry to North we knew this was going to be different.
Each person that came aboard smiled and wished everyone else there a good afternoon. Try and remember the last time you witnessed that kind of greeting from total strangers.
To hear those greetings offered in the most respectful but casual way made us feel appreciated and comfortable.
The people of Provo are wonderful. Welcoming, friendly, accepting and helpful yet all of these traits, as we were about to see, were amplified on North Caicos.
You don’t have to know me to say hello!
One day back home, while waiting for my car to be fixed, I thought I recognized a lady as she was walking past. I said “Hi, how are you?”
As she turned to look at me, I realized my mistake, this was someone else altogether and no-one that I had ever met before.
As I was apologizing and explaining my mistake, she interrupted me by saying “You do not have to know me to say hello” A quick smile and she was on her way.
She made me feel OK about my mistake and way beyond that, made me feel as though it was alright to be mistaken on occasion and even more importantly, that it was alright to be myself and be more open with others.
I have always tried to remember that encounter when I am feeling less than enamoured with my fellow human beings.
North Caicos made us feel that way a lot.
There began a sense of being more human again. We felt more aware of our own place in the world. There was a growing innate sense of the confidence and the freedom to be more expressive. We began to feel more comfortable about ourselves. We began to feel at home.
At home is how we felt while visiting North Caicos. Everyone was helpful and more than willing to show us around or offer valuable advice about their Island. More than that they were genuinely interested in who we were, why we had come and what we wanted to do.
Soon after MS B had given us the welcome tour and had gotten us set up with our car (oh yes a car was included and you will need one here) we ventured off to get a few things. First stop was for drinking water.
There is no real town here, yes clusters of homes along with a few small shops that qualify as villages but most services are spread out a bit. You go to Whitby for one thing, Bottle Creek for another and often just kinda somewhere in between.
One grocery here, couple of miles on another, gas just down the road and so on. So it was with some degree of accomplishment that we discovered the local water supply in behind the liquor store and fishing charter shop.
It was there that we were approached by a lady that asked who we were, what we were doing and how long we would be on “North” among other queries.
At first the line of questioning seemed a bit much but upon learning that we would be there for nearly a month and that we were not just day trippers, the conversation changed. This lady who knew nothing about us until a minute or two previous was now chatting to us like we were family.
Through it all we became assured that we were going to be treated well here and that the foreboding concerns of those on Provo about our visit to North were of little substance.
This lady did
impart some fine advice indeed.
“Act like you belong” she said. And so we did.