On an impulse I decided to go back to Club Med for a week. This time, at their Turks and Caicos property.
These islands are located south of the Bahamas, east of Cuba and north of the Dominican Republic.
They are rather barren and mostly popular with scuba divers and snorklers as the ocean floor offers more variety than the land one.
In French it is called Turkoise, which describes the colour of the water very accurately. The beaches are endless expanses of white sand and water in all shades of blue and green. The water is crystalline, the setting, pristine. I walked for miles every day. There are few buildings save for the Beaches Resort about 4 km away…and a few condominium villages in the making…
I was expecting to find some seashells as there are coral reefs around, but there were very few. The water was very calm except on the last day when there were some waves.
The vegetation is almost non-existent, making the few palapas (sunbrellas) a precious commodity.
The Club Med village is not particularly esthetic, as the buildings resemble bunkers, colourful ones, but bunkers nonetheless. The rooms do not have balconies or patios which is a shame as it restricts the view and the opportunity to dry bathing suits and towels…The public areas are nice enough but nothing special.
The beach bar called Sharkie’s was a popular spot at sundown as there was a live performer there every day. His name is Daniel and he is from Montreal. He sang a variety of English and French tunes accompanying himself with the guitar. He was a generous entertainer, welcoming guests who wanted to sing a tune. Coupled with the great views, this was one of the highlights of every day.
The big plus for me was the food, which was truly excellent! The menus were varied, the ingredients were of very good quality, and well prepared. The sashimi on the Oriental buffet, the osso bucco on the Mediterranean one and the cheeses on the French one were particularly spectacular. The breads were incredible (as usual); they even added coconut bread to the already famous chocolate ones.
The entertainment was good natured and fun. There was one G.O. in particular, who dressed as a hockey player and who would pop up everywhere from the top of the trapeze to the tennis courts.
I did not go diving but could see how carefully they prepared each dive and trained the newbies…This truly is the Club’s specialty! There was some sailing also…
I
did get a beachside massage. It took place in a tent overlooking the ocean, sides gently flapping in the breeze… It was heavenly.
In summary, a great place for divers…There is little else to do on the island… I would recommend it between May and November…
I did get a beachside massage. It took place in a tent overlooking the ocean, sides gently flapping in the breeze… It was heavenly.
In summary, a great place for divers…There is little else to do on the island… I would recommend it between May and November…