Geographically located at the southern tip of the Bahamas chain, the Turks and Caicos islands with their spectacular white sand beaches, turquoise sea and friendly people, offer a luxuriously tranquil base for a get away from it all holiday. The climate is perfect with temperatures in the 80s all year round, and cooling trade winds. A small archipelago of eight major islands and many uninhabited cays, the islands are surrounded by over 200 miles of virgin coral reef. Popular with divers, the long barrier reef which protects the islands is home to a multitude of wildlife and magnificent coral formations.
Formerly annexed to Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos opted to remain British when Jamaica became independent in 1962. More recent cultural influence, since the arrival of cable TV in 1980, tends to be American, and the US dollar is the official currency. With an economy dependent on tourism and off-shore finance, the islands also benefit from a strong National Trust organisation which works to preserve its coral reefs and other areas of natural beauty, wildlife and historical interest.

The accommodation we have to rent here is on Providenciales (or Provo, as it is known), which has become the primary destination island in the Turks and Caicos with the most to offer in the way of watersports and entertainment, and choice of accommodation. The villas we have available for rent are all of a very high quality and have been designed with outdoor living in mind, with rooms opening to covered and uncovered decks. The beaches are especially popular for families with young children, being sheltered, shallow and good for swimming. A small island, it is easy to get around and explore.

Tennis is available at several hotels and there is golf at the championship 18-hole Provo Golf Club at Grace Bay. Watersports include windsurfing, kayaking, para-sailing and snorkelling. Diving lessons can be arranged and there is also charter sailing, small boat rentals and deep sea fishing charters available. Dining options are many and varied with a good choice of restaurants. Although most foods have to be imported, there is always fresh local fish and conch, and lobster, when in season (August through to March).

Those in need of a completely relaxing break in idyllic surroundings might like to think about staying at a villa on Parrot Cay. This 1000 acre paradise feels about as far away as you can get from the stresses of city life. On arrival in Provo, you will be whisked away by hotel staff in an air conditioned mini-bus for the 15 minute ride to the dock, then onto the hotel’s speedboat for the 40 minute trip to Parrot Cay. From the minute you arrive, it is as if a spell has been cast as you enter this tranquil, slow paced paradise. Whether it is something to do with the fact that most of the staff are gentle Balinese, or the soporific atmosphere generated by the wonderful Como Shambhala Spa, or just the sheer beauty everywhere, it is quite overwhelming. It is so incredibly peaceful - the sort of place you can stay and feel as if you are totally alone – during our stay, we rarely ran into the same person twice, and sometimes the beach seemed to be almost totally deserted.

From the U.K. there are weekly direct flights to Providenciales on a Sunday, from London/Gatwick with British Airways. Providenciales is also serviced by American Airlines with three flights daily in and out of Miami and additional weekly flights from New York and Boston. During the high season (December to April) charters fly from many major cities in the Unites States and Canada. Flight time is approximately one hour and twenty minutes from Miami to Providenciales. To get between the individual islands, there is a choice of either a bus service flight along the chain of islands, or ferry links between Providenciales, Pine Cay and North Caicos.