Largely overlooked by travelers for decades, the Turks & Caicos Islands, which comprise 48 cays of low-lying coral limestone, have just begun to be “discovered” by savvy vacationers. And those vacationers overwhelmingly prefer TCI’s main island, Providenciales (or “Provo,” as it’s known to locals), which is the home of the brand new luxury beachfront villa Five Little Cays House.

How do we know this? Because Providenciales is also the home of Grace Bay Beach, a 12-mile stretch of pristine, flour-like sand recently voted “Best Beach of All Tropical Islands in the World” and “Best Caribbean Beach” by Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

In addition, the Turks & Caicos Islands were also named “Best Undiscovered Caribbean Destination,” a “Best Snorkeling Site,” and “Best Beach For Romance” by Caribbean Travel & Life magazine readers.

In fact, Conde Nast calls the Turks & Caicos Islands “the last outpost of the Caribbean not yet wholly taken over by tourism,” and “the place to go for discreet hideaways,” while Islands magazine calls Turks & Caicos “one of the few remaining retreats in the Caribbean.” As well, Rodale’s Scuba Diving magazine recently voted Turks & Caicos to its “Top 10 Best Diving Destinations” list, and the islands were also recently highlighted on the cover of the premiere issue of Exotic Places To Retire magazine, which calls Turks & Caicos “a paradise of opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment mixed with an easy calm of security and safety.” Indeed, Turks & Caicos “stands head and shoulders above other islands in the Caribbean in terms of friendliness and safety,” says Exotic Places, which added, “There are few places in the Caribbean where you will meet friendlier people.” Scuba Diving magazine boasts, “The locals are some of the nicest people I have ever met.”

For those reasons, and more, Turks & Caicos is home to celebrities like Dick Clark and Bruce Willis, as well as a mecca for famous vacationers like Julia Roberts, Paul McCartney, Charlie Sheen, and Matthew Perry.

But perhaps one of the best things about Turks & Caicos is just how easy it is to get to: Providenciales is a short, 75-minute non-stop flight from Miami, and less than 4 hours from major U.S. airline hubs like New York, Boston, Charlotte, and Atlanta. International flights also originate from Toronto, London, and Milan, as well as numerous islands in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Provo’s reputation as a quiet Caribbean hideaway with award-winning beaches and stunning dive sites has grown increasingly over the past few years, but still the islands remain relatively anonymous. Good Housekeeping magazine says, “There may be times on these white beaches when you wonder if the rest of the world has disappeared,” while House & Garden magazine boasts, “Turks & Caicos is a sanctuary for nature-lovers and for those who want to get away from it all.” And Conde Nast magazine calls Turks & Caicos “an untouched land of endless contrast and natural beauty, a place that must be seen to be believed,” while Bride magazine calls TCI the Caribbean’s “newest hot spot,” but adds that the islands remain “unspoiled” and “gloriously unpopulated.”

Still, Turks & Caicos is no one-horse backwater. Quite the contrary. The chain’s main island, Providenciales, offers all modern conveniences including a casino, more than 60 restaurants, numerous spas, and an 18-hole Karl Litton-designed championship golf course (rated one of the best in the Caribbean). Indeed, Caribbean Travel & Life magazine notes, “Turks & Caicos is best known for its untouched beaches, hospitality, and high standard of living,” while Caribbean & Bahamas magazine says, “Turks & Caicos strikes a perfect balance between modern convenience and pristine natural settings.”

So where are the Turks & Caicos Islands located exactly? They are perfectly situated between the Bahamas and the Caribbean, due north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and due east of Cuba. This fortunate positioning keeps Turks & Caicos out of “the hurricane belt,” with most severe storms missing us either to the east or to the west (Turks & Caicos hasn’t suffered a serious blow from a hurricane since the 1960s — including 2003's "Isabel," one of the most ferocious Category 5 storms in recent decades, which missed Turks & Caicos by more than 350 miles; 2004's "Frances," a Category 4 storm, which dealt the TCI a glancing blow, causing only minor structural damage to buildings and no injuries; and 2004's "Ivan," a monstrous Category 5 storm, which bypassed Turks & Caicos altogether).

Another interesting aspect about the Turks & Caicos Islands is that it is really two chains of islands in one: The “Turks” group, which includes Grand Turk (home of the country’s capital) and Salt Cay, and the “Caicos” group, which includes West Caicos, Providenciales (or Provo), North Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, and South Caicos. The two groups of islands are separated by the “Turks Island Passage” (or the “Columbus Passage,” as it is sometimes called), the route Christopher Columbus is reported to have taken on his way to the New World (there is strong historical evidence that Columbus landed on Grand Turk before arriving in America).

The islands support 175 resident and migrant species of birds, including flocks of greater flamingos, frigate birds, ospreys, brown pelicans, the ruby throated hummingbird, the belted kingfisher, white billed tropic birds, black-necked stilts, snowy plovers, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, Baltimore orioles, and scarlet tanagers, among others. There are lizards, iguanas, two species of snake, including a pygmy boa, and two species of bat (but we've never seen any up close!).

Marine life is varied and beautiful and can be enjoyed by snorkellers and sailors as well as scuba divers. Colorful fish and grouper can be seen on the coral, and close to the shore there are green, Hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles and manta and spotted eagle rays. January through May, humpback whales migrate through the deep Turks Island Passage on their way south to the Silver and Mouchoir Banks breeding grounds north of the Dominican Republic. Whale watching is coordinated by the Department of Environmental Heritage and Parks, who have drawn up rules to protect the whales. Beyond the reef are game fish such as tuna, blue marlin, wahoo, snapper, bill fish, and barracuda. Because there is no soil runoff from the islands, water visibility is excellent. Great care is being taken to conserve the reefs and the coral is in very good condition. The islands have become one of the most highly regarded diving destinations in the region. Some of the best diving is off "the wall" at Northwest Point on Provo, West Caicos, and French Cay. Do not take live coral, sea fans, or other marine life. No spear guns. All divers must have a valid certificate; there are plenty of training courses for novices. The best months for diving are April-November. The sea is often rough in February-March.

Time Zone
TCI is on Eastern Standard Time, five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. The islands observe EST from October to mid-March, and Daylight Savings Time from mid-March to October.

Entry Requirements
A passport and valid onward or return plane ticket are required for entry by all visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands, including North Americans. Currently, visitors from Eastern Bloc countries must present a tourist visa in addition to a passport at TCI Immigration.

Customs Allowance
Visitors are allowed to bring into the TCI the following items free of duty: one quart of alcohol or two litres of wine; either 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, or 12.5 grams of tobacco; and 50 grams of perfume or 0.25 litres of toilet water. Firearms, controlled drugs, and pornography are not permitted in the islands.

Clothing
Dress is informal and shorts are worn in town as well as on the beach. Only a couple of restaurants – Anacaona (at the Grace Bay Club) and Grace’s Cottage (at Point Grace) – require more conservative dress, and even they are relaxing their standards. Nudity is technically forbidden in Turks & Caicos, including on public beach areas like Grace Bay – but you'll often see women sunbathing topless at resorts like Club Med anyway. Since Five Little Cays House is a private villa, guests are allowed to sunbathe at their own discretion.

Language, Currency and Electricity
The official language in Turks & Caicos is English. The official currency is the U.S. Dollar. Electricity is 120 volts, 60Mhz, the same as North America. All 120v American and Canadian hairdryers, electric razors, etc., will work in Turks & Caicos without an adaptor.

Money
Most establishments take major credit cards and traveler's checks. Cash ATM machines are located at local banks like First Caribbean Bank (1-649-946-4245), Scotiabank (1-649-946-4750), and CIBC Bahamas (1-649-946-5303).

Taxes & Tipping
There is a departure tax (US$30) levied on visitors that is usually included in your ticket price. Some restaurants will automatically add a gratuity charge on your dining bill, usually 10% to 15%.

Emergency Numbers
Dial 999 or 911 to be automatically connected to the police, fire department, and/or ambulance services.

Driving
Since Turks & Caicos is a British Colony, be forewarned – driving is on the left (yield/give way to those on your immediate right). Local car rental companies, including Avis and Hertz, are plentiful, but reservations should be made well in advance. Most roads are paved, and locals drive fast and rarely dim their headlights at night, so take care. Taxis and island tours by hired car can be phoned for or arranged, but aren’t cheap, so rental cars are the preferred mode of transportation. The island is easy to negotiate, with most of the development concentrated on the northeastern half of the island.

Medical Services
There are no endemic diseases in the Turks & Caicos Islands. In addition to the government-run clinic on Providenciales and a small clinic on Grand Turk, the islands have several private practitioners. Services available include an emergency room with an x-ray machine, an ultrasound machine, one of the Caribbean’s few recompression chambers, and a pharmacy. Also available are numerous dentists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and optometrists. In a severe medical emergency, patients are flown to full-service hospitals in Miami or Nassau via air ambulance.

Houses of Worship
There are many faiths represented in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Newcomers are welcome at all churches, which are a center of community life. Some of the churches include, among others: Adventist, Anglican, Baha’l, Baptist, Catholic, Church of God of Prophecy, Episcopal, Faith Tabernacle Church of God, Jehovah’s Witness, Methodist, and Pentecostal.

Water & Electricity
The main source of water supply comes from rainwater collected in cisterns. This supply is augmented by trucked-in, desalinated water delivered to private villas and homes, including Five Little Cays House. For environmental reasons, visitors are asked to minimize electricity and water usage. Be advised that unit charges on the island for electricity and telecommunications may be higher than in the United States, Canada, or Great Britain.

Radio
The following stations are available 24-hours-a-day on FM radio: WPRT FM radio broadcasting on 88.7, country music on 90.5, classical music on 89.9, easy listening and jazz on 89.3, and contemporary music on 92.5. National Radio Turks & Caicos broadcasts during the daytime hours on 1460Khz.

National Parks, Nature Reserves, Sanctuaries, and Areas of Historical Significance
As a visitor to the Turks & Caicos Islands, you may be fortunate enough to see an osprey flying overhead or a Hawksbill Turtle in the reefs during a snorkel. These are two of the many species that require protection so that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy them as well. To ensure this, the Turks & Caicos government enacted the National Parks Order of 1992 to protect the islands’ rare animals and fragile ecosystems, establishing 33 protected areas, which cover 705 square miles. In relation to the islands’ total land area (which is 500 square miles above mean high water), the Turks & Caicos government has protected more ecological areas than any other country in the world (Turks & Caicos boasts 11 National Parks, four Sanctuaries, 10 Nature Reserves, and 7 Historical Sites).

To ensure the long-term sustainability of the National Parks system, the Turks & Caicos government enacted the Conservation Fund, which finances the staffing and maintenance of the islands’ parks by collecting 1 percent of the Accommodations Tax charged to visitors in hotels and restaurants. By patronizing such places, visitors are aiding in the conservation of the islands’ environment. The Conservation Fund is guided by a Project Steering Committee and a National Parks Advisory Committee (the latter consists of representatives from the National Trust, the Fisheries Advisory Committee, the Water Sports Association, the Hotel & Tourism Association, and the Turks & Caicos government). For those who visit Turks & Caicos, the Conservation Fund and the Turks & Caicos government ask you to enjoy your visit to our National Parks, and to “take only pictures and leave only footprints,” to help ensure the Turks & Caicos Islands remain “beautiful by nature.”

For additional information contact the project manager at the Coast Resource Management Project at the Department of Environmental & Coastal Resources, part of the Ministry of Natural Resources, on Providenciales, at 1-649-941-5122 (telephone) or 1-649-941-5494 (fax).

Government
The Turks & Caicos Islands are a British Crown Colony. The Governor, appointed by the Queen, presides over an Executive Council. Local self-government is headed by the Chief Minister and is carried out by elected Ministers and a Legislative Council, which is empowered to enact local statutes. Government offices are located in Grand Turk, where the country’s capital, Cockburn Town, is located.

Legal System
The legal system is based upon English Common Law, and is administered by a resident Chief Justice, Chief Magistrate, and three Deputy Magistrates. Judges of the Court of Appeal visit the islands twice a year, and there is a final right of appeal to Her Majesty’s Privy Council sitting in London.

Economy
Historically, the economy of the Turks & Caicos Islands relied upon the exportation of salt. Tourism, property development, a thriving offshore finance industry, and fishing currently generate the bulk of private sector income. The islands’ main exports are lobster and conch.

The Turks & Caicos Islands are recognized as an important offshore financial center, offering services such as company formation, offshore insurance, banking, trusts, and limited partnerships. The Financial Services Commission regulates the industry and spearheads the development of offshore legislation.

People
Citizens of the Turks & Caicos Islands (called “Belongers”) are primarily of African origin (back in the 17th and 18th centuries, Africans were brought to the islands to work on the salt ponds and cotton plantations). Currently, the country’s largest expatriate populations include Canadians, Americans, British, and Europeans, as well as a growing number of Haitians, Dominicans, and Bahamians.

Safety
Turks & Caicos is one of the safest countries in the Caribbean, with almost no crime against the person (TCI has one of the lowest crime rates in the Caribbean, and one of the highest crime resolution rates). Still, it is wise to avoid putting yourself in harm’s way, like staying off deserted beaches and roads at night. Valuables should not be left unattended, and villa windows and doors should be kept locked at all times.