RestaurantsSomewhere on the Beach- We had chicken quesadilla, grouper seared, grouper ceviche, fish tacos and hamburger, chips and salsa—all good. It was my husband’s favorite ceviche of the trip. My Father did not like the seared grouper (but I’m not sure he realized…Read More

Restaurants
Somewhere on the Beach- We had chicken quesadilla, grouper seared, grouper ceviche, fish tacos and hamburger, chips and salsa—all good. It was my husband’s favorite ceviche of the trip. My Father did not like the seared grouper (but I’m not sure he realized how it was prepared when he ordered it!). Nice atmosphere, ok service.

Pizza Pizza- We had the following pizzas- seafood, cheese and pepperoni, veggie- good pizza, kind of NY style, better than I expected—but note that it doesn’t have the full menu that the other location does—we went to the one very close to the West Bay Club. We ate there instead of ordering it in the room. Another night we tried to order it for delivery, but just kept getting a busy signal and gave up.

Da Conch Shack- We had conch fritters, conch soup, grouper fingers, fried grouper, fries, peas and rice, mac and cheese—I did not like the fries but my family did (thicker cut fries with skins). Really liked the fried fish and conch fritters! Favorite conch fritters of the trip. Loved the location on the beach and there were also some great photo ops.

Upstairs— We had to wait an hour and a half for our food— that is just too slow and they gave us a 15% discount and offered us free dessert. We did not take them up on dessert because we didn’t want to wait for it! The burgers were very good (aside from them putting sauce on mine that I asked for on the side and it not being cooked like I asked). My sister had pizza which was just ok. Cracked conch was great but the conch salad was not very good. Liked conch fritters at Da Conch Shack better than the cracked conch here.

Tiki Hut for ribs and chicken night- My favorite meal of the trip. I had the chicken and both that and the mashed potatoes were delicious. Family had the ribs which everyone enjoyed. My sister had the pizza which was just ok. Husband also had conch salad and it was just ok. The food came out pretty quickly. We were a bit early for our reservation, but they kept seating walk ins ahead of us. It could have been because we were a larger party, but still annoying. We were seated a while after our reservation time because they were waiting for the people at our table to leave. I couldn’t figure out why they just couldn’t give us a different table as there were some open.

Magnolia’s- the shrimp tempura was great. The special of manicotti was just ok (sauce was too sweet for my taste). Chicken dish was my sister’s favorite of the trip. My Husband had the app of tuna tar tar (he loved that), shrimp, mozzarella with balsamic and veges, and spring rolls. Onions soup was also good. They had happy hour specials from 4-6 with wine for 5 or 6 dollars, well drinks 5 dollars and select beers were $3. Warm bread was delicious as was the chocolate cake and banaoffee dessert. It would be nice if they would start serving dinner earlier at this time of year so the sunset could be enjoyed during it. We did go early at 5:30 for drinks—but that was still a little late for sunset. Our dinner reservation was when they opened for dinner at 6. Great service at this restaurant.

Las Brisas—we sat on the gazebo right on the water—that water color is amazing! Best view for sure. Service was pretty fast. They had my kind of fries (thin and crispy!). Chicken tenders, burger, chicken sandwich and crab cakes were all good, Conch fritters and fish ceviche were good, but not the favorite of the trip.

Mango Reef- This restaurant had a great ambiance, right on the beach at the Alexandra. NaDa played that night. The staff were very friendly and the service was efficient. We had the coconut shrimp, wings, tenderloin, salmon, thai tuna salad and mango and scallop salad. Warm chocolate cake and crème brulee for dessert. All were delicious!

Atlantic Bar and Grill (at West bay Club)- I did not eat there, but my family did—they had chicken tenders (good), burger (just ok), chicken sandwich (good), and pizza (ok). The food in general at the restaurant was fine, but nothing special.

Coco Bistro- Loved the ambiance here eating under the palm trees outside. It was just my husband and I that night. Unfortunately, my husband didn’t feel well so he didn’t really enjoy his food. He had the conch two ways and lobster bisque. I had the ribeye. It was good but not anything special. But the crème brulee for dessert was wonderful! Overall the restaurant did not live up to all the hype for me.
Close

This is a delightful half-day cruise that packs several different activities into one great trip. A large van picked us up at our resort and took us to the marina, where our captain, a Provo native, and his 12-year-old son greeted us warmly with rum…Read More

This is a delightful half-day cruise that packs several different activities into one great trip.





A large van picked us up at our resort and took us to the marina, where our captain, a Provo native, and his 12-year-old son greeted us warmly with rum punch.





About 12 of us enjoyed this fun excursion which first took us by the island of Little Cay to see the endangered species of rock iguanas, which are the only ones still remaining. A walking tour is given by an employee of the small national park where we saw thousands of rock iguanas of all sizes merely inches away from us.





Our next excursion took us too the huge coral reef where we snorkeled in the warm, clear water. Silver deep supplies all the snorkeling equipment and life jackets are available. If you don't know how to snorkel, the captain will teach you, and if you don't wish to snorkel, you can sit on the boat and enjoy the rum punch. The coral reef had an abundance of brightly colored tropical fish, sea turtles, sting rays, and we saw a large school of barracudas.





On our way to our next stop, the captain delighted in pointing out sights and homes to us on the island of Pine Cay that belonged to such celebrities as Oprah Winfrey, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others.





Our last island stop was on the island of Fort George Cay, which actually was the sight of a very old fort. This uninhabited island had beautiful powder white beaches with an abundance of sand dollars, conch, and large sea shells which we all enjoyed picking up as souvenirs. If you plan to collect a lot of shells (and some of them are very large) you may want to take some kind of bag or container to put them in.





On our trip back to Providenciales, our captain went out of his way to drive alongside a school of nurse sharks and huge stingrays in the shallow water. When we thought it couldn't get any better he headed out to the deep water where he located and we watched a mother and baby humpback whales broaching and frolicking in the water!





Silver Deep offers many different excursions involving a variety of activities, but we really enjoyed this one, which seemed to have a little bit of everything that everyone could enjoy! Even our van trip to and from the marina was an island tour. Be prepared to have a fun day and don't forget to take sunscreen and a camera!



Close

All I can say is a horrible cheer-leading camp! We arrived at Club Med to be greeted with nice cool down clothes an a fruity drink while the G.O.’s (the employees are known as Gracious Organizers) went over a few things we us the G.M.…Read More

All I can say is a horrible cheer-leading camp! We arrived at Club Med to be greeted with nice cool down clothes an a fruity drink while the G.O.’s (the employees are known as Gracious Organizers) went over a few things we us the G.M. (Gracious Members). The drinks were great but I just wanted to head off to the room. So we (my cousin Dawn and I) and one of the G.O.’s headed off to the rooms. Each group of people were lead to their room by a G.O., while walking the G.O. started explaining the accommodations and meals and so on! So with the mindless chitchat our G.O. initiated she proceeded to ask us where we were from, well we are from the US specifically Pennsylvania, she DUMBFOUNDLY asked us where that was, stunned we replied "where are YOU from?" She was from Montreal, Canada, and she really had no idea where NY, PA any of these US States were. We left that conversation alone. So we enter our room, to much dismay these "Newly renovated" rooms were probably as big as my bathroom at home. They had 2 single beds and not much room at all. So I kick back the comforter to find some lovely back hair on, what are meant to be, my clean sheets. The room was not very clean and the air-conditioning was horrible. In order to get a breeze in the room you were forced to open the window, and when you did tons of bugs crawled in…YUCK! Totally discussed I grabbed my bikini and headed to the beach, tops optional. We sit down on the lounge chairs where two G.O.’s offer us some fresh fruit, which was DELISH, unfortunately this is the only time we were served anything on the beach. Oh well, the bar was just a short walk away from the beach, no biggie. After spending all day flying and the remainder of our day relaxing on the most amazing beach I have ever laid eyes on, we are off to dinner. Unfortunately, there is so much FORCED friendliness that it just makes you sick, at first your are like "WOW, everyone is so nice and friendly and this is awesome", but by day three you try and avoid them! It's not a genuine friendliness, and is entirely forced and fake. Most of the G.O.’s are young and good looking, and word around the village is they are with a different man and women every time a new batch of G.M.’s come into the village, which is quite nasty. We head to dinner for the first time where we were forced to sit with a bunch of people we didn’t know, made me quite uneasy at first. I’m totally friendly but flying all day I just wasn’t down for the small chitchat! We were faced with the same dilemma the next morning at breakfast where we were joined by a male G.O. with the worst table manners, slurping his milk out of his bowl, flinging cereal everywhere, horrible. We ask him if he has to sit with G.M.’s at every meal, he replied "yeah and I f**king hate it. We looked at each other in dismay. I can’t say much for the dimwitted, rude staff, and their fake friendliness. Talk to one of them without their G.O. uniform on and it’s a whole other ball game! So we quickly found this quiet area out near the bar and sat there every morning for breakfast. For lunch we headed to Sharky’s (the other bar at the resort) to enjoy the live band entertainment and cold local beers! This was the most fun this pace had, the man sung both in French and English which was new and interesting to me! While listening we could see the G.O.’s practicing the acrobatics and watch daring G.M.’s test out their skill, or lack there of.

To celebrate my 24th birthday my cousin graciously purchased me an hour massage at Club Med. My massage was wonderful; it was done in a little hut overlooking the wonderful beach with the beach breeze flowing through the linen drapes, relaxing and peaceful. My massage girl was very pleasant and nice and did a fantastic job.

Club Med had its own Snorkeling boat that went out two times a day free of charge, which I enjoyed more then the afternoon ho-down that was going on pool side. They had daily "shows" with the same music over and over again. The pool definitely needed an upgrade and there was no hot tub at all. I guess this place is great if you are an old odd single person, but it definitely wasn’t my style.

The nightlife was horrible, poor taste in music (not dance music), couldn’t get the crowd dancing, the locals were more entertaining then the music, the only good part about the nightlife was the drinks were free! The whole time we had G.O.’s that were off duty talking to us just for us to get them free drinks because they have to pay. There was nothing appealing about this nightlife except the four lone slot machines hidden in the back, behind the big screen TV where me and a few of the girls found ourselves night after night with our own bottles of wine pumping endless money into these machines making our own party and enjoying ourselves!

This resort is far from luxury and not very accommodating. The G.O.’s at the help desk were not very helpful at all. They charged us $50 for late check out, our plane didn’t leave until late we had no other option but to pay it. They lost our luggage bringing it to the front for out taxi ride to the airport, they were unwilling to bring us fresh towels the last day, I guess because we were leaving. I had to hunt down housekeeping and beg for towels. My personal experience was not a good one. I don’t know if it was the mostly French crowd that was there, or the time of year we went but that resort is horrible.

The food was alright, the drinks were cold and free, the beach was topless, (no tan lines!!), the water was clear, the barracuda’s were huge, and the shells were pure white and the sun was shining! Overall Love Provo, would definitely go back but would never stay at another Club Med again in my life.

Michael and I wanted to have our wedding virtually stress free, far away, and on a beautiful beach with turquoise water (We've been spoiled by Destin, Florida's beaches). We kept running across wonderful reviews online about the Turks & Caicos Islands, which mostly claimed that…Read More

Michael and I wanted to have our wedding virtually stress free, far away, and on a beautiful beach with turquoise water (We've been spoiled by Destin, Florida's beaches). We kept running across wonderful reviews online about the Turks & Caicos Islands, which mostly claimed that it was a Best Kept Secret and that it wouldn't remain that way much longer...It was a perfect choice for a weddingmoon (destination wedding) or just a relaxing vacation.

Our wedding coordinator, Beatrix Neuhaus, made things absolutely beautiful and organized—gracefully. http://www.wherewhenhow.com/Weddings/JustMarried.html.

We stayed at Ocean Club East. http://www.ocean-club.com/. It has a wonderful poolside restaurant/bar (great food and drink) that has organized "Rum Punch Nights" and a friendly staff. OC East is near the end of the long island, so it feels more secluded. They provided free transportation into town, but we liked the walk and weren't in any hurry to get anywhere fast. These people are definitely on island time, and we adjusted after a couple of days. The people of Turks & Caicos were so friendly and kind to us while we were there. Especially, Jamo at Ocean Club Resort East, who made us feel so welcome, always, and our favorite girl on the island, Leona, at Calico Jacks whose smile was contagious.

Make no mistake, Malcolm Beach is an oasis of calm and relaxation, but getting there and back can be quite an adventure. You'll need a 4WD vehicle, a map, and some nerve, especially if the weather has been bad. My partner and I headed out…Read More

Make no mistake, Malcolm Beach is an oasis of calm and relaxation, but getting there and back can be quite an adventure. You'll need a 4WD vehicle, a map, and some nerve, especially if the weather has been bad.

My partner and I headed out of town to find what we had been told was the best beach on the island. The map was easy enough to follow, but when we drove up to the dirt road entrance, we were sure we had made a wrong turn. Surely this boulder-strewn, extreme-driving course was not a path to tranquility. We drove past thinking that the right road was a little farther on. We returned to the proper route shortly and quickly determined that this must be the place. The map was right. The beach was ahead somewhere. We determined to push forward.

The 45-minute drive was downright hysterical at times as we jostled about left and right, avoiding rocks and ruts as best we could. At times, the only reason I knew we would ever reach the beach was that there were a few jeeps coming back from there. If they could get there, surely the road was passable, no matter how challenging it looked.

The prize at the end of this obstacle course is a sweet stretch of soft, light sand and sparkling turquoise waters. Few folks feel the need to have this much adventure when Grace Bay is so close to their hotels, so Malcolm Beach is often nearly deserted. It is so private, even the shyest folks can go topless or skinny dip in the warm ocean without so much as a second thought.

There was a small surf the afternoon we spent at the beach, though it was too small for anything in the way of sporting activity. In fact, Malcolm beach seemed like a retreat from all activity, and probably not the best place to go if you want to play beach volleyball, for example. No, this place is all about serenity.

There are some tiki hut-style "ruins" at the end of the beach. These are the wooden framed huts left over from a French reality show of some years ago, or so we were told. These planks and beams are being reclaimed by the beach and the green vegetation nearby and make for some lovely photographs.

A few things to consider when heading out to this wonderful place: no bathrooms, no services, and no lifeguards. It's as natural as a beach can be, so be prepared. Bring lots of water, a picnic, and some trash bags. Sunscreen is a must, as the rays are intense here. And it wouldn't hurt to bring a little first-aid kit, especially if you're bringing youngsters. Remember, the bump-n-drive to the beach is the same on the trip back, so plan to leave some daylight for the road.

This beach is regularly quoted as one of the top ten in the world, and I have no problem putting it right at number one. The beach is public, so you can literally walk from end to end with no impediments. The sand…Read More

This beach is regularly quoted as one of the top ten in the world, and I have no problem putting it right at number one. The beach is public, so you can literally walk from end to end with no impediments. The sand is like talc, it is so soft and fine.

Most of the hotels have beach chairs and umbrellas or other sunshade for their guests, but this does not stop walkers from taking in the water’s edge and shelling along the way. You can even stop in at many of the hotels for a meal or drink, as most are open to the public.

The water is a fantastic turquoise colour that really is hard to believe.

We were there in late April, when the sun set at approximately 7pm. I would recommend starting your walk heading east, and then turn around to finish your walk by following the setting sun. We were not alone, but at no time did the beach feel crowded.

The water is always warm and fairly calm.

Down in front of Coral Gardens, there is opportunity to snorkel right from the beach. There is lots to see by just swimming out a little ways.

There are a couple of tour operators along the beach from where you can take a banana boat ride or parasail. These act ivies are non-intrusive to those just hanging out on the beach.

You will need sunscreen - as a family of three, we went through four bottles. The sun is intense, and unless you are under a shade structure provided at your hotel, then you will get burned.

We did two tours with Captain Bill, a friendly and talkative transplanted American (Rhode Island) who has been on Provo for approximately 20 years. He was well informed about the local history, such tales of the pirates, and could also give details of the…Read More

We did two tours with Captain Bill, a friendly and talkative transplanted American (Rhode Island) who has been on Provo for approximately 20 years. He was well informed about the local history, such tales of the pirates, and could also give details of the occupants in the mega-houses that dot the coast.

The tours leave from Sposdilla Bay, which is off the beaten track and gets you closer to more of the natural and secluded areas of Provo.

The first tour was the Glow Worm tour. For some reason, 2 to 4 days after a full moon, the glow worms mate and create a fantastic light show dancing on the water.

The tour provides you with snacks - the curry dip was fantastic - and drinks, including a potent rum punch, local beer (Turks Head), and soft drinks, all with or without an extra shot of rum!

The start of the tour takes you past huge holiday homes of the rich and richer, out to Turtle Rock, a rock formation off-shore that really does look like a turtle from the right angle. Boating to the glow-worm passion pit, allows you to take in the sunset, and if it is clear, the famous green flash, but we didn't see it.

The boat is comfortable and has an upper viewing deck and washroom facilities, which were needed with the rum punch flowing.

Captain Bill is quite a character and has a ton of stories to tell.

This is the most beautiful water I have ever seen. If you love swimming or wading in water to your neck and being able to see clearly around you, this is the place for you. The Beaches Resort was absolutely splendid. The grounds…Read More

This is the most beautiful water I have ever seen. If you love swimming or wading in water to your neck and being able to see clearly around you, this is the place for you. The Beaches Resort was absolutely splendid. The grounds were well manicured and very colorful. The resort was very spread out, and the new section was a totally different style than the original. The new section was referred to the French Village and mimicked a small French village. There is a large swimming pool with a swim-up bar, in this part of the resort and the children’s area is close to this section as, well. The main pool is near the lobby, and this is where most of the daily activities take place i.e. pool volleyball, trivia games etc. There is also another large pool close by, but closer to the beach, it has the large waterfall, which you can swim trough. This pool also offers a swim up bar, but it was closed for remodeling while we were there. They have a photographer who comes around during the day and take pictures as you are enjoying yourself at the pool or on the beach.

Their staff is very courteous, and they will make a special trip down to the beach or anywhere you’d like to have your pictures taken (they run $10 per picture).

Beaches Resort offers lots of water sports; we spent a lot of time on the Hobie Cats -- they were a lot of fun. You can sail out to the barrier reef that runs along the coastline of the island. I did find this was the only vacation I’ve been on where I had no desire to travel off the resort property -- it was absolute heaven! We spent 90% of the day on the beach in the water; it is by fare the clearest and most beautiful water I have ever seen. Make sure you get snorkel equipment (included in the all-inclusive package) and snorkel the Fire Reef that is down the beach from the resort. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see Jo Jo, the local dolphin, swim by. My husband was swimming for his scuba diving certification and Jo Jo swam right by the group and underneath one of the guys ahead of him. It was a trip we will never forget.

There's no need for Match.com down at Club Med Turkoise -- just go eat! It's no wonder so many singles come to Club Med. During the three designated mealtimes, there is actually a roped off section of the dining room for those looking to meet people.…Read More

There's no need for Match.com down at Club Med Turkoise -- just go eat!

It's no wonder so many singles come to Club Med. During the three designated mealtimes, there is actually a roped off section of the dining room for those looking to meet people. After you have filled your tray with goodies from the buffet (Note: all meals at Club Med Turkoise are buffet style), proceed to the "Singles" dining room where, Club Med Matchmakers, ahem, I mean hostesses will seat you at a table of other GMs (Gracious Members, as Club Med visitors are known). It's a win-win situation. If you hit it off with your tablemates, so much the better. If not, there's always the next meal! Okay, so I may have had to suffer through a meal or two trying to avert the affections of some horny specimens from New Jersey. But by my second dinner, I started meeting guys who at least I wanted to join for a drink later at the bar! ,p> Of course, it always helps that beer and wine is free with every meal . . . Although, I can't vouch for the quality of the mealtime booze. My recommendation is to save your drink tickets and go for the bar drinks after dinner.

While the food selection is adequate, and there is substantial variety in the daily menus, don't go expecting four-star cuisine. Remember, you're at an all-inclusive resort and there's a reason it's BUFFET style. But, treats like the chocolate and white-chocolate bread and the seafood-laden Grand Buffet dinner make Club Med dining enjoyable -- even if that Marketing Executive from Toronto didn't float your boat.

Beaches is an all inclusive resort for families in the Turks and Caicos islands. This vacation was paradise. Let me start by saying that Beaches is a top notch all inclusive. You arrive at the beautiful resort where the lobby is grand and classy. They…Read More

Beaches is an all inclusive resort for families in the Turks and Caicos islands. This vacation was paradise.

Let me start by saying that Beaches is a top notch all inclusive. You arrive at the beautiful resort where the lobby is grand and classy. They bring you champagne or sparkling soda as you arrive. The staff is friendly and helpful. The acres of grounds are beautifully landscaped.

The most wonderful thing about the vacation (besides the tropical beauty) is that you never have to carry a purse or wallet. All-inclusive means "all" inclusive. You are not even allowed to tip. Even drinks are included.

There are six pools and four have swim-up bars in them. The beach is pristine and you can walk right up the beach and snorkel right from the shore. The sand is white and the water is crystal clear.

The food is plentiful and great quality with nine restaurants to choose from. The food is around the quality of food on a cruise.

They have activities catered to the kids going all day long and into the evening. They have a restaurant that the kids love with open soda fountains, endless nachos, burgers, chocolate chip cookies, and all kinds of great kids foods.

One pool even has water slides. All the water sports are included as well. You can take the boat out to snorkel, learn to scuba dive, go out on water bikes, and many other activities.

My family and I loved it so much we are going back this year. We went in June and the weather was perfect. It really was relaxing and wonderful.