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Turks Caicos Information

Turks and Caicos Increases Protection for Reefs

Smith's Reef, Turks and Caicos.
Smith’s Reef, Turks and Caicos Islands. Photo: Tim Sackton

Move Protects Wildlife, Diving in Turks and Caicos

Just offshore from the Turks and Caicos is home lies one of the longest reefs in the world.

In fact, nearly all of the Turks and Caicos island lies over what’s left of an ancient coral reef dating back to the Cretaceous period. Limestone sediments from the ancient reef are responsible for the powdery white color and texture the beaches that ring the islands.

Reefs are very delicate, and can be easily damaged or even destroyed by human activity. In October the Turks and Caicos government announced some great news:

The Turks and Caicos Islands Government has partnered with the Reef Check Foundation to establish a coral reef monitoring program throughout the islands.

In September 2014, DEMA hosted workshops on the islands of Grand Turk and Providenciales to train professional and recreational SCUBA divers in coral reef monitoring methods. 

The partnership is just one of a number of green initiatives championed by the Turks and Caicos government to ensure that the tourism industry continues to have a low environmental footprint.

Coral reefs near The Sands at Grace Bay include the ever-popular Coral Gardens. There are also catamaran tours to coral reefs departing from Provo, and snorkeling excursions to Smith’s Reef.

 

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Announcements

Book Your Winter Stay At The Sands at Grace Bay

The Sands at Grace Bay was named a, “Family Vacation Critic Favorite Hotel” for 2014 based on expert and consumer feedback from TripAdvisor’s family travel site, Family Vacation Critic, as part of the site’s first annual hotel awards. To receive this Family Vacation Critic Favorite designation, hotels must meet the following criteria: the hotel must have been personally visited by a member of Family Vacation Critic’s editorial team and must have been recommended by 75% or more families who have reviewed the property, with a four- or five-star editorial and traveler review rating. The elite group of hotels meeting these requirements, including The Sands at Grace Bay, represent the top 12 percent of hotels listed on the Family Vacation Critic site.

The Sands at Grace Bay continues to receive awards year after year for its top traveler review ratings, including the coveted “TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award” for consistently receiving outstanding guest reviews on the TripAdvisor.com site. The guest reviews speak for themselves – this Providenciales resort is an increasingly popular choice for families looking for a luxurious yet still affordable Turks & Caicos getaway. Families enjoy the resort’s spacious studio and suite accommodations that feature all the comforts of home, complete with modern kitchens, dining and living room areas, screened-in balconies and much more – just steps away from Grace Bay Beach. Guests also enjoy the array of complimentary guest amenities and offerings during their stay, including the following freebies: use of watersports equipment – including kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, snorkeling gear and Hobie Cats; bicycles for island exploration; a Tuesday Manager’s cocktail party; three swimming pools; a tennis/basketball court, and more. Plus, the resort’s ideal location on Grace Bay Beach simply can’t be beat: Providenciales was named the Caribbean’s #1 Island by TripAdvisor’s 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards and the Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination by the 2013 World Travel Awards.

The Sands at Grace Bay still has availability during the upcoming Caribbean high-season, but travelers will need to reserve their winter stay soon as space is limited.For winter bookings, families can check resort availability online at www.thesandstc.flywheelstaging.com or call toll-free from the U.S. (877) 777-2637; from Canada (800) 567-5327; or contact a travel agent for reservations.

Grace Bay Beach - The Sands at Grace Bay

 

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Things To Do In The Caribbean

Holiday Turks and Caicos Travel Tips For Families

The Sands at Grace Bay is delighted to be named a “2014 Family Favorite Hotel” by TripAdvisor’s Family Travel Site, Family Vacation Critic. Family Vacation Critic recently compiled a helpful list of tips for families that are planning to travel over the busy holiday travel season, from the help of their readers. These tips are great for families planning a holiday or winter trip to Turks & Caicos and The Sands at Grace Bay. Here is a summary of three of these top holiday travel tips compiled by Family Vacation Critic’s Amanda Geronikos:

1. Plan in Advance: Reserve your flight and airline seats early, to ensure the entire family can sit together. It can be hard enough for families to make it through a flight with young children, so skip the hassle of having to ask people to switch their assigned seats so your family members can sit together by reserving your airline seats well in advance.

2. Download Travel Apps: Family Vacation Critic shared a few of their favorite apps that are helpful for families, but we especially liked their “TSA Await” app recommendation – because this app calculates how much time you may spend waiting in the airport security lines. Those traveling with kids may wish to check this app when planning their airport arrival times, to ensure that the family gets through the security check in lines without having to rush or fearing a missed flight.

3. Pack Snacks & Activities: Never underestimate the power of preparing an “activity bag” to keep children busy during a long flight. Great children activities for a flight may include crayons and coloring books, joke books and crossword puzzles, a journal and paper for writing, and DVD’s. You would also be wise to pack a favorite pillow and blanket for kids to sleep more soundly during their travels.

Snorkeling children

The Sands at Grace Bay resort is an increasingly popular choice for families looking for a luxurious yet still affordable Turks & Caicos getaway. Families enjoy the resort’s spacious studio and suite accommodations that feature all the comforts of home, complete with modern kitchens, dining and living room areas, screened-in balconies and much more – just steps away from Grace Bay Beach. Guests also enjoy the array of complimentary guest amenities and offerings during their stay, including the following freebies: use of watersports equipment – including kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, snorkeling gear and Hobie Cats; bicycles for island exploration; a Tuesday Manager’s cocktail party; three swimming pools; a tennis/basketball court, and more.

The Sands at Grace Bay still has availability during the upcoming Caribbean high-season, but travelers will need to reserve their winter stay soon as space is limited.For winter bookings, families can check resort availability online at www.thesandstc.flywheelstaging.com or call toll-free from the U.S. (877) 777-2637; or from Canada (800) 567-5327.

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Turks Caicos Information

Turks and Caicos Cuisine on Display at Culinary Festival

The Turks and Caicos Culinary Festival is a 3-day annual festival for foodies in Providenciales.

The culinary festival features celebrity chefs, renowned winemakers, Iron Chef stars and more! It kicked off on with a welcome Dinner and 5-course meal.

After that, festival-goers travelled all over Providenciales on a culinary adventure “Gourmet Safari.” The festival wound up on the third day with a Island Food Fair and Food & Wine tasting event fit for both kids and adults.

Notable celebrity chef Chris LeFevre helped craft the 3-day festival. Other notable participants included Leah Cohen, Hans Peter Haider, as well as vintners from Benzinger Family Winery, Cuvaison Estate, Weingut Salzl Seewinkelhof and Duck Pond Cellars & Desert Wind Winery.

A high point of the festival is that give guests and locals had the opportunity to meet the festival’s’ incredible female chefs while learning about new wines in a fun and casual atmosphere.

For more info visit www.caribbeanfoodandwinefestivaltci.com

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Turks Caicos Information

Help The Sands Support Provo’s Children On Sunday, November 30th: Wrightfully Fit Charity Sunset Walk/Run To Support Provo Children’s Home

The Sands at Grace Bay proudly supports the Provo Children’s Home as its charitable cause – a safe haven and home for orphaned and at-risk children between the ages of 6 and 15 years old in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos. On Sunday, November 30th, the 6th Annual Wrightfully Fit  5K/10K Charity Sunset Run/Walk will take place, with proceeds benefitting Provo Children’s Home and TCI’s orphaned and at-risk children. The Sands at Grace Bay is participating in this worthwhile event and we hope that resort guests and island visitors are able to join us to help raise money to support Provo Children’s Home and Turks & Caicos children. The charity run/walk starts at 4:30pm and there will be an“after party” filled with fun events for the family including music, a raffle drawing, a bar, and entertainment. Not only is the after-party a free event that will be fun for resort guests to attend, but there will also be a silent auction during the party where bidders will have the chance to win amazing prizes including a 2-night stay in an ocean view suite at The Sands at Grace Bay.

Resort guests can sign up and register for the Sunday walk/run at the “Wrightfully Fit” Gym in the Salt Mills Plaza. If you can’t run or walk with us on Sunday – you can also donate canned or dry food or your volunteer time to these children in need.

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We are especially appreciative for John Wright, who has put this event together for the past six years to raise awareness and funds for the Provo Children’s Home. This year 100% of the proceeds from the PCH Bar, raffle, and most of the silent auction will be donated to the PCH. The cost of the run is only $20 per person and $50 for a family of five.  It’s a great outing for the whole family, for both walkers and runners as well as for parents with children in strollers, dogs, and companions.

Donations, fundraising events and volunteering of time are all encouraged and greatly needed to help PCH with their daily operations and costs.

Volunteers are also needed in many areas and interested resort guests can find out more information about volunteer opportunities by visiting the following Provo Children’s Home site: http://pch.tc/volunteers.html

You may visit the following site to make an Individual Pledge: http://pch.tc/pdf/PCH%20365_individuals.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

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Turks Caicos Information

Turks and Caicos Destination Weddings at The Sands

photo 3The Sands at Grace Bay is the ideal destination wedding venue for couples seeking an intimate Caribbean beach wedding in paradise. Not only are weddings performed along our pristine stretch of the #1 Beach in the Caribbean (Providenciales’ Grace Bay Beach), but our resort offers a variety of added-value amenities and freebies for guests in addition to affordable rates to provide a complete vacation experience for family members, friends, and loved ones who are wedding attendees.

Affordable Wedding Packages:

We offer customizable wedding packages that enable couples to plan their dream Turks & Caicos wedding that is within their budget. Weddings may be performed directly on our white-sand beach, under our charming poolside gazebo, or on our Hemingway’s Beachfront Deck overlooking the ocean.

Dining – from Laid-Back Beach BBQ’s to 5-Course Meals:

We offer an array of affordable wedding dining packages that couples may choose from, that range from exquisite multi-course meals served on our open-air deck overlooking Grace Bay Beach to a tented beach barbeque that concludes with a bonfire and s’mores.

Spice up your wedding with Local Entertainment:

Couples can also choose from a wide selection of island entertainment options to make their wedding day extra special, ranging from local musicians to private sunset cruise sailing charters and even fireworks on the beach, based on their budget and wedding desires.

Freebies for Guests:

Couples won’t need to work about their guests keeping busy or enjoying their time during their stay. Our resort is an ideal destination wedding resort because we offer a variety of free amenities for wedding attendees to enjoy, so that they can have a real vacation in Turks & Caicos in addition to celebrating your special day. For example, we have 3 swimming pools, tennis courts, and provide free use of our watersports equipment, bicycles, and a weekly cocktail poolside cocktail party.

For more details and pricing, visit our wedding page at: http://thesandstc.flywheelstaging.com/weddings/