Hello, agents! I’m excited to share some highlights from my recent FAM trip to Providenciales (commonly referred to as Provo) in the Turks & Caicos Islands. If you’d like to jump straight to my beach and resort photos, visit my slideshow on Flickr.

The journey to the Caribbean on American Airlines was smooth and uneventful, and we touched down at Providenciales International Airport (PLS) ready to enjoy a wonderful FAM trip in one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful settings. The airport is clean, and our experience obtaining our luggage was an easy one. There aren’t many shops inside, so if you want souvenirs you should purchase them from one of the small shopping areas on the island. Speaking of shopping, be advised: there aren’t many shops on the island. So if your clients are big shoppers, I wouldn’t suggest Turks & Caicos.

From the airport, we were escorted by private van to The Regent Palms, the resort at which we would be staying. For the information of your clients who wish to take a taxi to the resort, it is approximately a $20 ride, plus tip, and it takes about 10 minutes from the airport. Then, they can rent a car at The Palms should they choose by contacting Concierge and requesting that one be delivered to the resort. The cost of a car is approximately $230 for six days and gas on the island is $4.65 gallon. However, the island isn’t too big and even with one day exploring the beaches and another day driving up to the Marina, I only paid $20 at the Texaco before returning the car. And I strongly recommend having a car on this island. More information for your clients: driving is on the left, and there are no stoplights, only roundabouts.

While at The Palms, I stayed in a One-Bedroom Oceanview Suite. For me, the location of this resort is the best selling feature. It sits along Grace Bay Beach, which is not only the most highly regarded beach on the island, but also best beach I have ever been to. My favorite activity was lounging in the beach cabanas agonizing over the tough decisions people are faced with in paradise. Should I move my lounge into the shade of the cabana? Should I order another cocktail of the day? Should I cool off in the crystal blue bathtub? Where is my flotation noodle so that I can continue to lounge while I’m in the water?

The beach is unreal. The color of the water is nearly impossible to describe. I consider it comparable to the famous multicolored waters of Bora Bora. I also still can’t get over how warm the water was and how peaceful the beach experience was. Since we visited during low season, I really felt like we had a private beach experience. Most of the hotels and restaurants were closed. However, to me, that was a plus because I enjoyed the seclusion.

Although I’m a beach girl, I also enjoyed some pool time at The Regent Palms. The gorgeous infinity pool looks out onto the crystal-blue Caribbean and includes pool pods that are located along one inside edge. If you haven’t heard of these pods, they are truly the best way to lounge at the pool. Approximately 6' to 7' in diameter, these cushions lined with a circular terry-cloth towel allow you and a friend (or two, or three) to get comfy while reading—or taking a well-deserved nap! If you get hot, just sit up on the edge of the pod and continue reading while splashing your feet in the water. There is a limited supply of these pods, so they are in high demand. Speaking of which, a note of warning: if your clients like the pool area to be quiet, this is not the pool for them. So make sure they love the beach if you’re going to recommend this resort as a place to stay. With a swim-up pool bar and music playing, there is always something going on around the pool.

As you will see in my photos, the rooms at The Palms are very well appointed. I especially loved the wainscoting detail in the bathrooms and the crown molding throughout the unit. Also, the marble floor, dark wood furnishings, and ample seating in the living and dining rooms create a very nice ambiance. On the downside, the view from my bedroom looked out onto the parking garage, but the ocean view from the living room definitely made up for it.

The Somerset is another gorgeous property that we offer on Grace Bay Beach. The resort was closed while we were on island. I did, however, walk up their beach steps to take a look at the drained-out pool and surrounding property. I was really impressed with the Somerset buildings and pool design and I think that, by comparison, The Palms might suffer from being so close to a resort so new and clean as The Somerset. But The Palms is still elegant—just not quite as fresh as its new neighbor.

For the only site inspection of our short visit, we traveled to the private island of Parrot Cay. The boat transfer departs from Leeward Marina, which is a fast-growing area of the island. The ride to Parrot Cay takes about 20-35 minutes, depending on which of two types of shuttle boats are used. The larger boat has a 25-passenger capacity, while the smaller boat only allows about 15 passengers but reaches the island more quickly.

Once you arrive, you are met and driven either to the main building or to your villa rental via golf carts. The property is very private, and you can’t see much more than the pathway in front of you. The grounds of the property are also verdant and lush. Even when the property is filled to capacity in high season, we were told it doesn’t feel that way because the layout of the property is geared toward maximum privacy. And I agree. You really feel like you’ve escaped to a private island.

We did not see the rooms in the main building. Instead, our site inspection consisted of a visit to the one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas as well as one of the private residences. The décor of the villas could have used some color as it was very “natural.” Light, white wood, and white accents were the main colors throughout. My personal preference for more color left me feeling like the rooms could use a little something extra. That being said, I know neutral colors work for lots of vacationers. Some of the units have garden showers, which is a nice touch.

Being on a private island means all dining occurs on property. The food is amazing, but not cheap. For lunch, my tuna carpaccio salad was $32. However, it was also outstanding (a perfect balance with the thinnest tuna, diced mango, avocado, argula, and ginger miso vinaigrette), and the coconut sorbet with a thin, crispy pistachio cookie gives me plenty reason to want to return. Delish!

I was most impressed with the three-bedroom private residence that we walked through. Each of the three units in this category is individually-owned and decorated differently. We had the pleasure of inspecting “Villa Lucky,” which happens to be owned by Christie Brinkley. It turns out she has great taste! I fell in love with an inlaid, mother-of-pearl armoire, filled with sea shells she has collected over the years from the beach that is just steps away from the residence’s infinity pool. Nothing at Parrot Cay felt new, but established luxury, along with privacy and escapism, is part of its wonderful appeal.

While I could go on and on about my trip, from my incredible snorkel experience to my to-die-for dining experiences, I’ll conclude with the following facts and tips that will help you decide if this destination and these accommodations are right for your clients.

Long story short, I highly recommend this destination to many types of travelers:
• Honeymooners (The beauty, luxury, and privacy of this area of Turks & Caicos make it very romantic.)
• Water enthusiasts (This destination is for divers, snorkelers, boaters, and people who love fishing. Parasailing and any other kind of watersport you can imagine were also prevalent.)
• Family travel – (I noticed many families when I walked by Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa, another luxury resort that is among the properties we represent.)
• Groups of friends traveling together (When I take a vacation to TCI, I plan to bring a couple of friends so that we can all enjoy the destination together!)

A few more random notes:
• The official currency of Turks & Caicos is the US dollar.
• English is the primary language, but you’ll hear other languages from the locals.
• PLS is the airport code, and it is a short 1 hour, 15 minute flight from Miami.
• Coral Gardens has amazing snorkeling and is only a 20-minute walk away from The Palms.
• The Sands, Point Grace, Grace Bay Club, and Royal West Indies are all along the amazing Grace Bay, but really the prime location is at The Palms, The Somerset, or Beaches.
• The grocery store is large, clean, reasonably priced, and full of all the items your clients will want to stock in their condo or villa’s fridge. There is a minimum $25 to use a credit/debit card at the grocery store, and cash back is not available. However, there is an ATM at Ports of Call (one of the very small shopping areas).
• We ate at Sharkbites, Coco Bistro, Mango Reef, Iguana’s, Calico Jacks, and Parallel23. If you want more details on these restaurants, contact me.

If you are interested in seeing more of my photos (these are more candid), check out them out on Flickr. Be careful, they’ll make you jealous, and you’ll need to begin planning a vacation for yourself right away!

My Bio
Sarah Carroll began her career with Creative Leisure in 1999. After spending a few years chasing around fare and schedule changes within the Flights Department, she moved into Resort Operations. Recently, as Operations Manager, Sarah has been managing the Creative Leisure Resort Operations team as well as the Villas of Distinction Guest Arrival Concierge and Villa Accounting departments.

When Sarah isn’t in a meeting, she can be found enjoying the numerous picnic spots in Sonoma County (with a nice bottle of wine, of course!). Email Sarah