Beaches Turks & Caicos: 10 Things to Know Before you Go

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10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

For the past 15 years, visiting Turks & Caicos (a string of islands located in the Caribbean, about an hour’s plane ride away from Miami) has been on my bucket list. For over a decade I’ve been dreaming about the white sand beaches, stunningly clear aqua ocean, famous reefs, and incredible hospitality. When I was invited to attend the Social Media on the Sand conference in Turks & Caicos mid-October, I simply could not resist. While this trip was not free, my family and I enjoyed a discounted rate in order to experience Beaches while I attended the conference. We were all very thankful for the experience and I’m here reporting back about our findings, and whether it’s possible to take two young kids out of the country on a business trip and still survive. 😉

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

The conference was run by Beaches Resorts and BSM Media— my first event with both, and WOW, I was blown away by the teams from both brands, the sponsors, the activities, and even the Sandals CEO, Adam Stewart. But I bet you’re here to learn about Beaches Turks & Caicos, so here you go: 10 things to know before you go to Turks & Caicos (I’m happy to tell you more about the conference, too– ask away in the comments!):

1. You will be treated like royalty from the moment you arrive. Warm towels when you step off the shuttle. Rum punch (or just punch, if so inclined) as you check in. Personal tour on the way to your villa. Stocked fridge. Daily housekeeping, nightly turn-down. Surrounded by lush foliage, clean towels an arms-length away, cool drink in your hand– it will be easy to forget you aren’t members of the royal family. When you get home and back to reality, don’t be surprised if your kids wonder why there’s no towel sculptures on their (unmade) twin beds. 😉

Me, upon checkin:

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

2. Arriving in the airport in Turks & Caicos is not like arriving in Philly.  It’s a different experience for sure, and the kids LOVED it. First of all, they don’t have a jetway at the Providenciales airport. They have stairs that pull right up to the plane. It felt very exciting to deplane that way, but it’s something to keep in mind when traveling with young kids. The airport is Small with a capital S– a few doorways serve as the ‘gates’. You’ll deplane and go through customs, wait by the belt for your luggage, then go through the checkpoint and either declare items (or not). Then out the door where transportation awaits! It’s a good idea to have some snacks on hand if traveling with kids or even adults who get low blood sugar. {wink!}

PS- the water really is that color, and the reef makes for some incredible snorkeling adventures. This photo was taken as we were flying home, just imagine how it feels to fly towards that glowing turquoise water!

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

3. There truly is something for {almost} everyone. Beaches is a perfect place for multi-generational vacations because there is simply so much to do. In additon to Camp Sesame and the water sports (mentioned below), there’s also a pool for every mood. There’s the French pool which is super luxurious and relaxing, the Italian pool which is fun with music pumping, the Pirate waterpark with waterslides and a lazy river (we had to drag my kids away each time we went), and even the adult-only pool in the Key West Village. Plus about 7 more pools– they were everywhere, so lovely and relaxing! Teens and the young-at-heart can party at Club Liquid, they have an X-Box Lounge and Jungle Room with games too. Plus activities set up all around the resort at various times of the day for all ages, and parties at night–while we were there, a Sesame parade, Beach Party with fireworks, Chocolate Buffet… oh my, can I go back? Like, right now?

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos
One word to win over this guy: TRAIN. Yes, they have a train! Check out this smile as he rides around the resort in style!

The only reason I mention it’s for {almost} everyone is because I can’t see my mom enjoying it as much as, say, a trip to Scotland. She isn’t a pool or beach person, she’s happiest browsing art galleries and antique shops or taking nature walks. But I can safely say Beaches has something for almost everyone else. 😉

4. Camp Sesame and the babysitters are AWESOME. Take advantage! My husband and I haven’t taken a solo vacation since we’ve had kids. We aren’t against it, we just don’t have anyone to watch our little monkeys while we’re gone. Which is why Beaches is such a blessing! We dropped them off one morning at Camp Sesame, where they proceeded to forget all about us. Literally. We went to pick them up and it took 5 minutes before they even noticed we were there– can you blame them, when we were competing with this?

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

 

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

(huge thanks to Iristocracy for those awesome Ted Baker sunglasses!)

That night, we had a babysitter from Camp Sesame come to our room after the kids went to bed. It only costs $15 an hour, which truthfully is what we can expect to pay around here too. My husband and I snuggled by the ocean-facing outdoor fireplace with champagne, then went to the Chocolate Buffet, then the pub, and would have hit the pool or hottub if I hadn’t been so exhausted. It was a wonderful night in paradise, and our kids didn’t even wake up or notice the sitter (but if they had, they would have recognized her from Camp Sesame, so no worries!)

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

5. Put your money away. Really. Meals. Drinks. Camp Sesame. SCUBA. Snorkeling. Towels. Robes. Drinks. Dessert. Activities. Transportation. Did I mention drinks? It’s all included.  At first we tried to tip but it’s simply not allowed. It was incredibly liberating not to worry about tips the entire time. Not for the concierge, the waiters, the cleaning staff, anyone. If you receive excellent service (which you will!), you can show your appreciate with high survey scores when you return. You’ll start to recognize the staff and by the end don’t be surprised if you’re wishing people goodbye by their first name. If you see Leighton at the bar, tell him I said hello. Trust me, you’ll remember Leighton (be sure to click ‘play’ on this video!)

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

The only extras to budget for are off-resort excursions, photo reprints, items from the gift stores, and add-ons like character breakfasts and nightly tuck-ins with the Sesame Characters. We opted not to do the character extras because the kids saw them all the time at Camp Sesame and around the resort, so there was no need for our family. Also babysitting, if you choose to have a private babysitter.

6. You can be as busy or as relaxed as you want. My biggest regret is not taking advantage of the (FREE!) water activities. They have snorkeling, SCUBA, sailing, paddle boarding, surfing, and other water sports if you wish. We simply ran out of time. But if (WHEN!) we go back, I hope to do some snorkeling and paddle boarding. The SCUBA trips are state-of-the-art with everything included. They even have a full day, two dive tour. FOR. FREE. Beaches has unique programs for kids too, getting them in the pool with gear as young as 8 years old in their innovative kids’ SCUBA programs. If those don’t rock your boat (ring your bell?) they also offer incredible off-resort excursions with their Island Routes program, one of the only things that’s not included in your package. This seems more like it’s for people who’ve been there before and are ready to kick it up a notch. 🙂  On our one free day, we dropped the kids off at Camp Sesame (see above) and moved from beach to the French pool to the waterslides for some adult fun!

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos
fireworks at the Beach Party

7. Your glass will never be half empty. Truth be told, I enjoy a cocktail or two once in awhile (or, a few times a day while on vacation apparently, ha!) And the Beaches bars were totally top-notch.  Since alcohol was included, I was expecting watered down or limited drinks. NOPE. They can make just about anything, any time, using top-shelf liquor. I loved the mojitos, pina coladas, rum punch, mimosas… I’m by no means a lush, but boy did I enjoy those drinks! Our room’s fridge came stocked with champagne, beer, juice, and sodas (plus they delivered milk for the kids, WHAT?! YES!) There were also FULL bottles of spirits such as vodka, rum, and whiskey in our kitchen in case you wanted to mix something up yourself.

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

I’m thankful that alcohol abuse is not an issue for either my husband or I (though it may sound like it here, I promise, it’s not) but it’s something to be aware of if someone did have issues. I was expecting to see a few people who may have over-indulged, but again, it didn’t happen while we were there. That being said, it *may* become a problem in about 15 years judging from how much this crew loved the swim-up bars (that’s a virgin daquiri, I swear!):

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

8. Meals: You can eat anywhere, as many times as you want, almost any time. The only restaurant you’ll need to make reservations for is Kimonos, so if you plan to do that make a reservation your first night to avoid disappointment.

Kimonos, where the chefs entertain while they cook! It’s a bit loud if you have kids’ with sensory issues, but the funny thing is that two kids at our table FELL ASLEEP (my son included) despite the singing and entertaining.

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

A few restaurants are adults only or have a dress code (not fancy, don’t worry!) so ask your concierge for a restaurant guide when you arrive. Perhaps the only thing I didn’t totally 100% love about Beaches was the food. Part of that was my fault– they have a culinary concierge you’re supposed to speak with before arriving to arrange any special food needs. That was a fact I overlooked, so procuring gluten-free food was extremely difficult. I did my best to eat foods that were obviously gluten-free, but admittedly by the last day I was scarfing down regular pizza because I didn’t want to bother my family with trying to meet my needs during meals. Thankfully I’m intolerant and not allergic, so while it meant a few miserable days afterwards it didn’t cause major health concerns. I do wish they’d been more flexible– for example, have a few extra gluten-free buns or pizza crusts on hand. Or even veggies instead of pita. No one was able to accommodate those changes when I asked, unfortunately. So be forewarned and do your homework– meet with that Culinary Concierge and you’ll be fine!

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

9. It felt very, very safe. We were not bothered once on the beach by vendors as we have been in other Caribbean destinations. There are security guards posted at all the beach entrances; not so much because they’re needed, I kind of felt like they were there so people from other resorts didn’t stroll in to take advantage of the amenities. There were security cameras facing out from the back of our villa towards the perimeter of the property– again, not because they felt needed but as a deterrent. You always need to cautious whether you’re on vacation or even at home, but I’ve never felt safer while traveling than when we were staying at Beaches Turks & Caicos. And I’m an OVERLY cautious person! *please see note at the end of this post about our adventure outside of the resort for additional information.

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

10. Departure: YOU WILL NOT WANT TO LEAVE. But you will have to leave, so here’s what you need to know: Beaches eases the sting of departure by having a departure lounge where you can change and store items in lockers (they’ll handle the big suitcases, but you’ll either need to leave carry-ons at the front desk, carry them with you, or lock them with your own locks in the departure lounge). Also, the shuttles from Beaches leave early from the resort. Our flight was at 3:30 and the shuttle left at noon. They do that because of unforseen issues and the fact that the airport is so small there’s not a lot of staff to deal with ticketing, baggage, security, etc. You don’t want to be running late! The airport itself is tiny with only a few shops that may or may not be open, so pack snacks if you think you’ll get hungry. Here’s a bonus: if you have a later flight, you can still use Camp Sesame for the kids on the day you depart! LOVE THAT!

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

Bonus #11: Pack for a purpose. The highlight of my trip, aside from how much my kids absolutely loved Beaches and Turks & Caicos (even the hard to please one), was learning more about the Sandals Foundation and packing for a purpose. We filled a suitcase with school supplies for the local schools, as did other attendees, and on the last day had this:

10 things to know before you go to Beaches Turks & Caicos

It goes without saying that the Caribbean is a gorgeous place, and for a community that gives so much to it’s visitors it felt good to give a tiny fraction of that hospitality back. Beaches runs a VolunTourism program where you can visit and spend a day during your vacation voluteering in the community. The Sandals Foundation was created by CEO Adam Stewart, who grew up in the Caribbean– this is is home– and they’ve given over $5 million back to the community. I truly hope I can go back to Turks & Caicos and spend some time with the kids, as you’ll see in this video that had us all in tears:

As you can see, Beaches has it all– sun, service, and soul (or, ‘sole’, if you saw the video). My kids talk about doing back daily. Abby recites how to get there (but Mom, we only need to take a car, park, take a bus, take two planes, take a van to Beaches, and we’re there! Pleeeeeeease can we go back?!) As only really special places can do, the sounds and sights of Tuirks & Caicos will always hold a place in our heart and we can’t wait to hopefully return some day!

We did have one big snafu while traveling, and it had NOTHING to do with Beaches and everything to do with USAir. Our plane broke while on the runway leaving, so USAir cancelled our flight and put us up overnight in a not-so-nice hotel with no food or drinkable water. I’ll be sharing those details later this week, and how we could have avoided some of the pitfalls we encountered. Plus what we learned about traveling out of the country with kids, how we kept them occupied on the plane and in the airports, and a post with just photos for those who are as visually obsessed as I am and want to see more of the resort.

There you have it, 10 (okay, 11) things to know before you go to Turks and Caicos. Anyone want to go with me for a return visit? My bags are packed, I’m ready to go– just say the word! Next time, I’m thinking a girlfriends’ getaway with my besties… oh, to sit on that beach and relax would be a dream come true!

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