55. Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands caught our attention recently as a quick and easy holiday away. Taking Jet Blue from New York, it was only a three hour flight to the British overseas territory. Known as an offshore financial spot and for tourism, surprisingly it wasn’t that busy in Providenciales. It’s the third largest island of the lot. Mind you, there is a population of around 50,000 across the 40 islands and 170 square miles. It’s interesting though as there’s no public transportation. Walking, biking, owning your own car or taking a taxi is best. Regardless, the climate was a warm 70s with relative humidity and a constant cool breeze.

We stayed at Zenza Boutique Hotel. It was located away from the noise which made for a calm atmosphere. For lunch, we popped by SharkBite next door for authentic cuisine. The local beer is Turk’s Head where there are four varieties including I Soon Reach (light), I Ain Got Lie (lager, our favourite), Gon Ta Nort (amber ale) and Down Da Road (IPA). And it seems that conch and grouper are popular as they were available almost everywhere. We opted to do as the Romans do. It was simple and delicious as expected. We tried to spot the national symbol, a Brown pelican and discover Island feather plant since not found anywhere else in the world but weren’t as successful this time.

The afternoon was all about the five mile long Grace Bay Beach. Such a natural beauty with crystal clear water and palm trees all around. Then dinner, we loved the restaurant Coco Bistro. Set in a garden grove, it’s a nature lover’s dream. The catch of the day was Blackened Mahi accompanied by Jasmine rice, red curry, broccoli, fried plantain, mango chutney and potato sticks to enjoy. We definitely recommend and would return once more.

The next day, we slept in. Once up, we adored lunch at Ricky’s Flamingo Cafe. There were no flamingos but a chill laid back vibe. Yummy cracked lobster with a caesar salad was great while watching the waves. Of course, we eventually went for a swim at the gorgeous Grace Bay beach.

Later on, we dined under the stars at Infiniti Restaurant & Raw Bar at Grace Bay Club. As it was my birthday, we started off with celebratory champagne, Veuve Clicquot. It was an elegant and exceptional meal. There were creative cocktails and delicious dishes. For a small plates, we liked the green organic kale salad with macron almonds, avocado and pecorino. Then it seems great minds think alike. We both ordered the chili crab spaghetti featuring lime, basil and heirloom tomatoes. In all, we loved the upscale ambiance and wonderful customer service. Perfect way to end our last night.