Whether you are planning a honeymoon, babymoon or much needed getaway, Turks & Caicos should be top of your list. Follow along as I share about our recent babymoon to Turks & Caicos and a few tips and tricks we learned along the way.
1. Where to stay
We stayed at the Shore Club on Long Bay, and I'd highly recommend. The more populated area of resorts is in Grace Bay -- where you'll find options like the Ritz -- but the Shore Club provides the most private experience. The grounds and architecture are island perfection but with an elevated, elegant feel.
There are three levels of room options -- garden view, partial ocean view and ocean front. We opted for the partial ocean view and were very happy with it. To upgrade to an ocean front was almost double the price but with the partial ocean view we had a private porch facing the ocean. The last picture is of our private porch. The only thing we missed out on was seeing the ocean from our bed -- but we survived.
There are also private villa options that have 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and a private pool. We added it to our list of places to travel with other couples.
2. What to do
It's a luxury resort so first and foremost plan to lay back and relax. This isn't going to be your most active vacation but there are still some adventure seeking activities to do.
The Shore Club has complimentary kayaks, paddle boards and several Hobie Catamarans. My husband grew up sailing so we spent a lot of time sailing along the coast of Long Bay. He even taught me how to sail! The water is smooth, completely clear and shallow so you could go out pretty far and still feel comfortable. It was like sailing on glass. If you aren't comfortable sailing, they have someone that will go with you so you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Jet skis are very popular in Long Bay. You'll find several stands along the beach that offer jet ski tours or hourly rentals. There's an abandoned ship a couple miles off shore that you can jump off and the best way to get there is by jet ski. Being 6 months pregnant, I opted not to risk jet skiing but it's on my list of things to do when we go back.
Something else that's on my to-do list for when we go back is the floating tiki hut bar. While it's not too far off shore, jet skis are the preferred way to get there and again, didn't want to risk it. Apparently, known for the drinks and not so much the food so plan accordingly.
I saved the best for last. Kite surfing. If you have ever wanted to learn how to kite surf, this is your time. The smooth, shallow water with limited motor boats (minus the jet skis) makes Long Bay one of the world's greatest destinations for kite surfing. Throughout the day you'll find professionals and beginners gliding along the crystal clear ocean. It's beautiful from the shore and again, something I added to my list of things to do when I'm not the size of a whale.
3. Where to eat
The resort has two nice restaurants and a few other pool side eateries. The Almond Tree restaurant has an Italian flair and is situated under large, tropical trees with string lights. It's romantic. I recommend the pizzas but there are lots of options on the menu.
Sui-Ren, the Japanese restaurant at the Shore Club, was the best meal I had while on the island. The setting is again outside, under sting lights with a beautiful water feature that adds to the ambience. The service was great and the sushi was incredible. They had several options that were pregnancy safe and a selection of mocktails to accompany dinner. The Molten Lava cake with warm matcha crunch ice cream still makes my mouth water thinking about it. 10/10.
The most popular restaurant off the resort for tourist is Coco Bistro. It's a 10 minute taxi ride from the Shore Club and tucked just off Grace Bay near the row of resorts. It's intimate, mostly outdoors and has great service. The food is Caribbean style with a selection of fresh fish and creative dishes.
We ate lunches at the poolside bar called Sea Grapes where your bottom half is literally in the pool. The food is typical bar food but everything tastes better in the water.
Breakfast is included at The Shore Club. It was a breakfast buffet and fresh juice!
4. Where to shop
So, it's not really a shopping destination. I'd recommend doing all your shopping ahead of time. Prices on the island are more than in US (especially when shopping in the resort gift shop) so you'll fair better to pack what you need. Here are a few of things that I packed and loved.
Dinner outfits
My white dress and gold earrings are no longer available so I'm linking similar ones. The bracelet is a David Yurman look-alike so I could wear in the water and didn't have to worry about losing.
Poolside wear and accessories
Leisure/work out clothes
I also love these Susan Shaw earrings. I wore them poolside and to dinner.
Tip! The frozen strawberry mojito was my go-to drink. You can get it virgin!
5. How to get there
One of the most attractive things about Turks & Caicos is a direct flight from most of the East Coast. From Charlotte the direct flight was only 2 hours and 15 minutes AND it's Eastern Time Zone. We left at 9am and were on the beach by 1pm.
I don't recommend renting a car. Turks & Caicos is a British colony and has influence from Europe as well as America because of it's close proximity to Miami. Because of that some cars operate with the steering wheel on the left and some on the right. On top of that, cars drive on the "wrong" side of the road. As an American driver, it was more than I wanted to handle on my own. We took taxis everywhere. From the airport it's about a 15 minute drive to the Shore Club if you have a private car. If you take shared transportation, it can take longer. I recommend asking the driver if they are making any stops.
We're already planning our next trip and hope to go with friends once baby #3 is old enough to leave. I hope you find this post helpful as you plan your next trip or just need a little inspirational nudge to getaway. It was everything we needed for a long weekend vacation in paradise!
