Turks & Caicos (or TCI) remains one of the Caribbean’s best – The News Star

Dianne Newcomer| Monroe News-Star

They call themselves TCI now. Located about 750 miles from the Florida coast and south of the Bahamas, a chain of40 little islands sit warming in the Caribbean sun. For most of my career as a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service, they were known as the Turks & Caicos, but, today, they are referred to as TCI.

Now, as much as I do like their new tourism slogan: TCI --Beautiful by Nature--it is still hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Yet, like my clients Sarah and Kyle Dennis, who have just returned from a vacation week in the islands, it seems old William Shakespeare got it right when, in "Romeo and Juliet," he proclaimed, " A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." No matter whether you say Turks & Caicos or TCI, thisisland paradise remains one of the Caribbean's best!

"Getting to TCI was so easy--flight connections from the Monroe Airport were excellent. We only needed to show proof of being fully vaccinated, " said Sarah Dennis, "and we were headed to the stunning villa you had reserved. About the only problem we encountered was that Kyle was a little challenged with the car rental at first. Driving an American car with the steering wheel on the left on the wrong side of the road took a little getting used to. Luckily, the roads are good and the traffic was light."

"The only place we had ever been in the Caribbean was St. Barth's and Grace Bay was definitely different. Palm trees sway in the breeze, waves crash on talcum white sand, and, the bluest of blue ocean makes it picture perfect for a family vacation, but the quiet was deafening. You get the feeling that TCI is the last outpost in the Caribbean, and it took a little getting used to a place not yet infected by tourism. We soon found the sense of peace and calm so very soul-soothing, not at all like the glitz and glamour of St. Barths!

Now, don't get me wrong, I loved the chic resorts that looked like they are right out of a design magazine as well as the beaches and nightlife of St. Barths. Its St. Tropez French Riviera vibe makes it a place where you go to see and be seen, but this is quite unlike Turks & Caicos. There is no doubt that TCI can hold its own as an elegant and exclusive Caribbean destination, but its laid back vibe has more of an R&R (rest and relaxation) feel to it. In other words, instead of star watching, our evenings were spent star-gazing the skies!"

We could have laid on the beaches of Grace Bay from sunrise to sunset, but when there is windsurfing, snorkeling, diving, strolling, fishing, surfing, tennis, shopping and dining to be done, beach life can get busy. For the first couple of days, we started with breakfast in the villa, but that was before we discovered several of the pedestrian-friendly breakfast spots on the main strip of Grace Bay. Lemon 2 Go with their Vanilla Latte soon became our morning ritual; we went so many times that we filled a punch card and enjoyed two free drinks!

Beach life quickly turned us into foodies. The kids loved the fried plantains from a food truck called Rooster TFC (btw, that stands for Turks Fried Chicken) but Da Conch Shack with their conch salad and rum punch should be on everyone's list for lunch! For dinner, we were spoiled a couple of nights with private chef dinners, but TCI has so many inviting little spots that we thought it fun to venture out and try them. For anyone who loved the Tamarin in St. Barths, OPUS is a must to tell your Monroe Travel Service travelers to enjoy.

Surprisingly, one of our favorite excursions was a guided eco-kayaking trip through the mangrove shallows. We spotted and, with the help of our guides, learned about lemon sharks, sea turtles and conch. In addition to teaching us about life in the deep, they also encouraged us to take in the local culture at the island's Thursday night Fish Fry.

The kids insisted we try it, so, if anyone is looking for a real taste of island life, then, I recommend this weekly event. Think of it as a nighttime farmer's market, but with food, music, and crafts set up in tents. Locals meet, dance, drink rum punch in cut-out pineapples and eat. The celebration ends with a junkanoo parade involving a whole lot of singing, dancing and a big drum blasting as everyone jumps and wiggles around. What a crazy night and another fun memory from our TCI vacation.

Definitely seems like a trip to TCI turned out to be a perfect family escape for the Dennis family of West Monroe. Instead of staying at BEACHES, the most deluxe all inclusive family vacation spot on the island, or at one of the many gorgeous resort properties on Grace Bay, we rented a 3 bedroom villa on Providenciales--or "Provo" as we in the travel business are encouraged to call it--which proved to be an excellent way for this family to vacation.

So, folks, if you are looking for a great toes-in-the-sand getaway, maybe the laid-back vibe of the Turks & Caicos/ TCI should to be on your travel radar. The islanders, who call themselves the "belongers," believe they are lucky to live in a place that time (and the crowds) has forgotten. Yet, as a travel agent, I would say we are the lucky ones. TCI is one of the few places so quiet and peaceful that we can go and forget time!

Dianne Newcomer is a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service. For help with your next vacation, whether a resort, cruise or tour, please call 318 323 3465 or email INFO@MONROETRAVEL.com and one of our travel experts will be happy to send you away!

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Turks & Caicos (or TCI) remains one of the Caribbean's best - The News Star