HOW TO GET THERE : Providenciales is served by several major airlines. We flew American, with a terrific deal through reduced frequent flyer awards.
WHERE TO STAY: We stayed at the all-inclusive Allegro Resort on Provo's Grace Bay Beach. Other all-inclusive resorts, condos, hotels, and small motels are available. Grace Bay's beautiful beach is now our favorite. The sand is cotton-white and the warm, pristine water is a beautiful clear aqua blue.
WHAT TO DO: This is a premiere scuba diving area with extensive coral reef systems and wall diving. PADI dive companies are readily available.
A mini snorkeling trip is a must & will combine visits to some of the other islands. Our snorkeling tour was each. Expect to see jumbo sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, and even humpback whales. We saw many and also went to Iguana Island, the protected home to the nearly extinct rock iguanas. See hundreds of the huge iguanas on a short supervised walking tour for a entrance fee to this national park.
ABOUT THE COUNTRY: The natives here are delightful, friendly, and very proud. They live very simply and there are few cars on the islands. They are relaxed (who wouldn't be in this paradise) and love to strike up a conversation and visit.
WHERE TO DINE: We ate all but one of our meals at the hotel. We dined one evening at the Anacaona, located at the Grace Bay Beach Club Resort. Romantic and pretty, but costly ( for two), service and the food were average. I understand most all restaurants on the island take advantage of beautiful beach view. There is a grocery store on the island, carrying mostly US & British products. We were told the prices were very high by other tourists. Conch is a local specialty -- it is served in some fashion at each meal. Lobster is abundant, along with local dishes of grits, and peas and rice.
Provo, as the natives call it, is paradise! This is now our favorite destination, one we will return to often. The beach is not to be believed, and it will be a trip you will treasure for a lifetime.
Quick Tips:
WHEN TO TRAVEL: Travel during the off season. You can find great deals at all-inclusive resorts in the fall and on the airlines. We've heard it’s quite busy here in the spring, but during late summer and fall it is very quiet. We took our chances and arrived on September 11th just in time to meet the hurricane. The hurricane turned elsewhere and we had seven days of absolutely perfect weather.
WHAT TO WEAR: Pack light, after you see the beach, you won't want to wear anything but a bathing suit. With the exception of perhaps two restaurants, very casual attire is acceptable everywhere.
PHONE SERVICE: Long distance calls from the islands is very expensive. We paid for a call that lasted a few minutes. Be sure to take a phone card if you need to call home.
SHOPPING: There are a few local spots to hit up for locally made baskets, jewelry, and gifts to take home. Turtle Cove has a selection of delightful boutiques. They often set up local bazaars, be sure to ask your hotel. Our hotel hosted one, with locally made items. US dollars is the most widely used currency.
Best Way To Get Around:
TAXIS: Plenty of taxis wait at the small airport. Our dinosaur taxi fare was each way. There are few cars on the island, most of the few cars and taxis have seen better days. A few hotels offer free shuttle service to the hotel -- be sure to check.
CAR RENTAL: Car rental places are most privately owned. Be prepared to drive slowly and on the left side of the road. The roads are in horrible shape. We heard disappointing stories from two couples about their vehicle rentals. They each had difficulties with the cars breaking down, and the price.
OTHER WAYS TO SEE PROVO: Take a boat tour, the tour company will pick you up and return you to the hotel. It's also a great way to see the island. We took a taxi, (boy, was it a junker), on a tour of island. Our driver was delightful and very informative. We traveled for about 90 minutes and our bill was plus a tip. You'll see traditional Caribbean villages. A few of the hotels offer a shuttle service, check to see if it is complimentary, most are not.
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