UltimateMama’s family loves fun in the sun so going to Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean was an absolute delight. We decided to forgo one of the ritzy hotels (Grace Bay Club, Gansevoort, Parrot Cay) and even some more moderately priced hotels (Seven Stars, Alexandra) for a two bedroom condo with kitchen at the Villa Renaissance. We took a unique taxi service that we had previously arranged from the airport directly to a grocery store, stocked up on food for the week (including ice cream, popsicles, breakfast goodies, lunch items, and more), and arrived at the condo with plenty of time to hit the pool and beach. During the week UltimateMama took a short stroll to Graceway, a local grocery store. UltimateMama has a bit of advice for those who do not rent a car while in Turks and Caicos — the taxi fare can be outrageous — make sure you are clear of the cost of transportation before getting into the taxi. Another piece of UltimateMama advice is to bring all of your own snorkeling equipment (masks, snorkel, fins).
After a morning of tennis, our girls were able to go to Iguana Island, snorkel, and eat conch salad with Caicos Dream Tours. Great fun was had on the boat’s slide by UltimateMama and daddy too. Seeing the dolphin JoJo was a real treat!
The crystal, clear blue water is breathtaking but so is the food (seriously)! Make all reservations in advance of your trip. We dined at wonderful places with our girls, including:
Infiniti at Grace Bay Club (we also roasted s’mores late at night)
Magnolia was one restaurant we missed on this trip but will definitely hit next time due to rave reviews from friends.
For more snorkeling fun we took the kids (and our underwater disposable camera) to Smith’s Reef, right off the beach — we got there via taxi. The colorful fish were amazing and playful, even in shallow waters!
UltimateMama’s family had their ultimate adventure riding horses on the beach with Caicos Corral. Although it is pricey, it is a once in a lifetime experience that our kids will never forget.