I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to go to Turks and Caicos. Ever since I was a kid and would see the Beaches Turks and Caicos commercials, I wanted to escape to the magical island of turquoise waters and adventure, where everyone seemed to be happy and having a good time. Little did I know that one day I would experience a luxury vacation with two of my best friends.
You may not immediately think of Turks and Caicos as a girls trip destination, since it’s mostly marketed to families and couples, but we couldn’t have picked a better spot. This was my third girls trip I’ve taken; first in Thailand, second in Chicago and now third in Turks and Caicos. I believe that everyone should take a girls trip with their friends at some point, if it’s doable and affordable. It makes your friendships more interesting, your bond tighter and your experiences more fulfilling. Since we left this incredible place, we have not been able to stop talking about it. Between the privacy, tranquility, peaceful atmosphere, adventure, white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, activities, conversations and laughter, it was truly a memorable experience that has brought the 3 of us even closer.
Turks & Caicos Girls Trip Travel Guide
The Turks and Caicos Islands have some of the best beaches in the world and attract tourists from all over, looking to dip their toes in these crystal clear waters. The islands are a British Overseas Territory located in the Atlantic Ocean and are considered a part of the Caribbean region. It’s an ideal beach destination for the United States, especially the east coast, as it’s a quick flight to get there. While you do need a passport to get to Turks and Caicos, they don’t require a visa to enter the country, at least for a vacation (under a 90 day stay.)
To get to Turks and Caicos, you can fly directly to Providenciales Airport (PLS) and then take a flight or boat to any of the other Turks and Caicos Islands from there. If you decide to stay in Providenciales as most people do, you can rent a car or take a taxi to get around. Note that there is very limited service on the island and therefore there are no Ubers! Turks and Caicos very much operates on traditional means of transportation. The official currency of Turks and Caicos is USD which also makes it super easy for US travelers. They have plenty of ATMS available as well if you need to take cash out. Not every taxi accepts cards, so I would plan to have both, just in case.
When it comes to the weather, it simply will not disappoint (unless you travel there during hurricane season, but we’ll get into that.) Generally, you can expect blue skies, sunshine and warm oceans. The average temperature for Turks and Caicos is between 85 and 90 degrees which is absolutely perfect for beach weather.
Best Time To Visit Turks and Caicos
While there is no set time that is “best” to visit Turks and Caicos, the most popular time to visit is between December and April. The temperatures are warm, there is little to no rain and it’s an excellent time for kiteboarding, surfing, windsurfing, whale-watching and any other type of water-sports you enjoy. While this is the most popular time to visit it’s also the most touristy and expensive.
May to July is also a great time to visit as temperatures get warmer and activities like stand up paddle-boarding, kayaking, snorkeling and diving become more popular during these months. Prices for visiting the island typically start to drop then too.
August and September are typically the hottest months of the year, the least expensive and the least touristy. My friends and I traveled here mid-August and we experienced perfect weather with 2 small patches of rainfall during our 6-day trip. We absolutely loved the remote setting and couldn’t believe how quiet it was. It was as if we had our own private island at times.
October and November are the heaviest months of rainfall with the most mosquitos. While all sports activities are extremely enjoyable during these months (as long as the rain isn’t terrible), I would categorize these months as the least ideal to go.
Things to Do in Turks and Caicos
Do Nothing on the Beaches
Obviously, this is what everyone comes for. There is seriously nothing like slipping your sandals off, feeling the gentle breeze, walking barefoot through the sand and being amazed by the bluest and clearest waters along the horizon. You can’t help but feel breathless, amazed and thankful all at the same time. I swear this atmosphere just makes you forget everything. All your worries, all your problems in your head and all your stresses back home. Nothing matters but this and it’s truly incredible to experience it.
The waters are varying colors of blue and turquoise, have little to no fish near shore with a couple of large rocks on the bottom floor here and there. It’s the most comfortable swimming conditions I’ve seen (and I’ve definitely seen the worst through my travels.) The waves are mostly calm except when a boat cruises by and the temperatures allow you to stay in the water for a long time. I could go on about how perfect it is, but I think you get it.
Depending on where you stay, you’ll always be able to find beaches and coves to explore.
Providenciales offers incredible beaches like Grace Bay, Malcolm Beach, Long Bay, Sapodilla Bay and Taylor Bay. The beaches are where you’ll spend most of your time and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Each is beautiful in their own way. What I love about Turks and Caicos is that there’s something for everyone whether you like to lay around and do nothing or go on adventures and do water sports.
It should also be noted that you don’t have to be a great swimmer to come here even though most activities revolve around the water. The waters are very calm and make it easier to swim and hangout in the shallow end and all the tour-guides make you feel super comfortable and safe when doing activities, whether you decide to get in the water or not. I really love this aspect as it puts no pressure on anyone and allows you to enjoy your trip on your terms.
Go on A Snorkel Journey
This was one of our highlights of the trip. Snorkeling! If you’re a good swimmer, I highly recommend doing one of the snorkel tours and if you aren’t you can still enjoy the tour and not go in the water. We booked our adventure through Island Vibe Tours and it was an incredible experience. For a half day snorkel tour we spent 4 hours on a luxury boat with a large group where we cruised the waters, went snorkeling at the reef, explored another island with the bluest waters I’ve seen and got to go down the boat slide and jump off the top of the boat into the water. They also served wraps, chips, water and unlimited rum punch (the official cocktail of Turks & Caicos.) The price is $112 per person and so well worth the price based on everything you get out of it.
Kayak Through the Mangroves
Kayaking is a popular activity in Turks & Caicos. It’s a great way to get a workout in, spend time on the water and see the wildlife. I really love the concept of this activity and if you love to kayak, I recommend doing it. The day that we went had choppy waters and a bit of drizzle so it was a lot of work to paddle during the 2-hour tour. We saw a ton of sea turtles and jelly-fish which make the tour itself worth it, but it was extremely tiring. We went with Clear Bottom Adventures for our tour and had a great experience with the staff! They were knowledgeable on the area, had chips and snacks for us in the kayaks and were super laid-back. I just think next time I would opt in for kayaking that requires less physical work – haha.
Take a Sunset Cruise
This is always a good idea. While we didn’t take advantage of the sunset cruise during our stay, many others did and it looked like an incredible experience, based on the sunsets we saw from the shore. Most cruises last from 1-3 hours and offer alcohol, non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, chips and cookies for the ride.There’s a plethora of charters to choose from whether you want to join a public cruise or book a private yacht. Check out the options here.
Where to Stay in Turks and Caicos
Leisure in Paradise Airbnb
We loved our Airbnb! It’s perfect for 3-4 people and offers a remote and private setting in a beautiful town with other Airbnbs, small private hotels and is just a 3-minute walk to the beach. The Airbnb hosts were so helpful and were on-call during our entire trip, by text! They were so eager to help and make sure our stay was comfortable and fulfilling. While we had a private room, bathroom and screened-in porch, there was another unit above us being rented which was totally fine. We barely saw the other people and felt as if we had the place to ourselves most of the time. The owners live on the other side of the Airbnb on the first floor and have dogs that bark every once in a while but it honestly made us feel safer being there and the dogs were adorable!
The room itself has a little kitchenette for small things like a microwave, a mini-fridge and coffee but they had an outdoor kitchen in the community area next to the pool with a grill, stove, oven, sink and all kitchen essentials. The pool was like a little oasis with so much greenery. We had access to scuba gear, boogie boards and towels that we were free to use anytime we wanted. It was a great experience. If you’d like to book the Airbnb we stayed at, you can do so here.
Ocean Club Resorts
There are tons of resorts to choose from on Turks and Caicos and while I could list them all, I only personally stayed at Ocean Club Resort, Ocean Club West to be specific. This resort was perfect for all of our needs. It was clean, spacious, charming, had great pools, an excellent restaurant and the best part, it was right on the beach. The Beachfront condo-style property on Grace Bay is not only conveniently located on the beach but is also within walking distance to all the shops and dining options.
It’s definitely and ideal location and allows you to walk to other resorts for dinner as well. The staff was friendly, the rooms were more than satisfactory and the atmosphere was beautiful at all times of the day. It’s also one of the more affordable resorts on the island, so we really felt we got a good deal staying here.
The only downsides to this resort is that the rooms are actually owned condos so every room is a little different and not all of them are in the best shape.
Ours was great and I don’t have a single complaint as we had everything we needed, everything was working properly and we had an amazing ocean-front balcony. I would just keep in mind that not every experience will be that way, based on the reviews I read. Another downside for me personally, is that the resort had no architectural beauty to it, that I’m used to seeing in other resorts. No impressive lobby, no archways or interesting decor to look at. That’s definitely not a necessity, but something I look forward to at resorts.
Overall, the resort was great and we enjoyed our time. I wouldn’t go as far to say it was my favorite, but the staff, rooms, restaurant and beach-front were all amazing.
The Food in Turks and Caicos
I wish I had more to say about the food, but it really wasn’t a highlight of our trip. For our 3 days at the Airbnb, we made all our meals and only had 2 meals by the water at the hotel. I will say though that the food we did eat was amazing. We tried The Seven Stars Resort restaurant called The Deck and ordered the chicken Thai curry with basmati rice and the chocolate lava cake with chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. It was incredible.
The second dinner was onsite Ocean Club West at Solana. Here we ordered the sushi, coconut shrimp and watermelon margaritas. Another delicious meal with a great atmosphere, tiki torches and insane colors in the sky as the sun set.
Overall, THE food to eat when you come to Turks & Caicos is conch fritters. There are several different conch-inspired dishes here, but conch is a Turks & Caicos delicacy. Other popular meals to enjoy include lobster, ceviche, local snapper and blackened/jerk chicken or fish. Obviously, you can’t go wrong with the seafood, but even if you want to order steaks, sushi, burgers and wraps, it’s all fabulous.
Tips for Traveling to Turks and Caicos
Rent a Car
If you plan to just stay at the resort and spend time there and at the beach, then you probably don’t need one. But if you pan to stay at an Airbnb, want to see more of the island and do a bunch of activities, I highly suggest renting a car. The taxi prices are extremely expensive and are calculated per person as opposed to distance. A one-way destination that’s 10-20 minutes away ranges from $16-$28 per person while renting a car starts at around $36 per day. It’s absolutely worth it. Do note that they drive on the left side of the road as that will be a big adjustment for those used to driving on the right side.
Negotiate with Taxi Drivers
Most of the prices for getting around with taxis are a rip-off. Thankfully, you can negotiate with them. They will usually be more lenient on prices if you use them more than once and/or tip them. Many of the drivers are friends with locals and tourism hosts, so you will likely have suggested drivers given to you and you can just text or call them when you need a ride. Some of the taxi drivers offer package deals too where they will offer a fixed amount to drive you around for the duration of your trip. Again, renting a car is smarter if you plan to use transportation often.
Bring Bug Spray
Oh my. Probably my biggest piece of advice. I was covered in mosquito bites by the time I left the island. While you aren’t overwhelmed or annoyed with bugs much, there are the classic “no see-ems” that bite you during the day and the larger mosquitos at night. Highly recommend brining bug spray or buying it when you’re there, it’ll be a game changer.
Pack Travel Sunscreen for the Duration of Your Trip
The sun, as you may know, is very intense here. I always like bringing a few travel-size sunscreen bottles from home so I can throw them in my bag and keep them on me at all times AND save money. Sunscreen on islands is so expensive for some odd reason and if you bring just a carry-on it’s likely you won’t be able to bring the large bottles home with you. I have a few suggestions of sunscreens I like, including ones that are reef safe for snorkeling.
Split Your Stay Between An Airbnb & A Resort
Most people head straight to the resorts for an island trip, but when you’re going for several days and with girlfriends, I recommend getting an Airbnb and a hotel for both experience and to save more money. The Airbnb allowed us to get that more remote setting with privacy, flexibility and the ability to cook our own meals. If you don’t already know, food in Turks and Caicos is very expensive. While you can find cheap eats anywhere, a nice meal by the water can range anywhere from $70-$80 per person as entrees typically go for $30-$50, plus drinks, appetizers and/or desserts.
After 3 days at the Airbnb, we made our way to the hotel to get a new atmosphere and experience the resort-life (my personal fav.) It’s a great way to enjoy your vacation with luxury pools, waterfront views, beach chairs, umbrellas and delicious meals.
Consider Going During Off-Season
One of our favorite parts of the trip was the fact that barely anyone was there. This is the way to do it. If you want those remote beaches, peaceful walks and freedom to do what you want without worrying about anyone being around, then going during off-season is key. Going during off-season has it’s downsides like worrying about rain, but for an island that sees such little rainfall year-round, it’s worth the risk if you ask me.
Set Expectations Ahead of Time & Leave the Drama at Home
Before going on a trip with your best friends, I would advise not assuming that everything will be perfect. Being friends doesn’t always correlate to travel buddies, so it’s wise to set expectations up-front. This includes voicing your opinions on what to do, what activities you like best, what your budget is, what you don’t like when traveling, what you aren’t interested in, etc. We organized all this by putting our thoughts on a spread-sheet so we could all be aligned ahead of time.
I think another piece of advice when traveling with friends is to have an open mind, be intentional and considerate throughout the trip. It’s tough to be with the same people for several days. Understanding that you don’t operate the same way, may need a break or may be in a “bad mood” is all okay. I think the more grace you give, the better the experience. Of course, it helps to have good friends. My friends and I understand each other very well and over-communicate everything. All in all, we had an incredible experience and have grown closer because of it. We already can’t wait for our next trip!
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