Turks and Caicos IslanderTurks & Caicos Property Management and Vacation Villa Rentals

Provo Ponies is a small riding stable owned and operated by horse woman extraordinaire, Camille Slattery.

The stables are located on the southeast end of the island of Providenciales in the Long Bay area, offering two guided rides per day; the morning ride at 9:30 am and the afternoon ride at 3:30pm during the winter season, 4:30 during the summer.

Camille accepts all experience levels from 6 years old and up; if younger, however, they must be experienced riders. There is, however, an extra charge if someone must be led.

Everyone rides their own horse or pony, with no double riding allowed as there is a 200 pound weight limit. The groups are never more than 12 riders.

And for those of you looking for a more personal experience, private rides are available for an additional fee.

Helmets are available and are required for all children and young adults, aged 17 and under.

The guided rides (not the nose-to-tail variety of ride commonly experienced!!) are wonderful, tracking along quiet dirt roads and trails to the 4 mile stretch of the secluded Long Bay Beach.  Depending upon the tides, more experienced riders are given the chance to trot or canter along the beach. The shallow waters of the Caicos Banks off Long Bay make it an ideal place to experience the joy of riding your horse into the ocean.

To book either a one hour or 90 minute ride, you must make a reservation, securing it with a Visa or Mastercard. At the time of reserving, you will be asked to provide the accurate weight of each member of the group and provide a realistic assessment of the experience levels of all riders so that horses can be properly assigned

And finally, vacation villa renters will be provided directions to the stables and transportation to and from hotels can be provided by this fully insured, licensed, and long-established TCI business.

TO RESERVE: (1-649) – 946-5252 or 241-6350

The Turks and Caicos National Museum is pleased to announce that the week of July 11-15 is “Bird Week”. The Bird Walking and Driving Tours will officially open  that week.

These tours were made possible by a grant from the Carnival/TCInvest/TCIG/Infrastructure Fund.

Both tours can be self guided, with the help of the Bird Guide Cards that are available for sale at the Museum. Once officially open, these cards will also be available at other outlets.

Many activities are planned for this week, including a Bird Driving Tour with Leading Ornithologist Dr. Mike Pienkowski, a student Bird Walking Tour with Dr. Mike Pienkowski, a movie night at the Museum, and the grand opening of the tours on Friday July 15, 2011.

The Museum will also be working with DECR’s Junior Warden Programme to show the importance of the Salt Ponds/Wetlands and how they attribute to the many species of birds found in TCI.

The birds of the Turks and Caicos are an intimate part of the wetlands ecosystem.  Birding here is exceptionally good, as one can see many species of birds very close up. This is a very rare occurrence and makes TCI one of the world’s best places to bird watch.

For information on the times of these activities, please contact the Museum at info@tcmuseum.org

My husband Antonio and I had the infinite pleasure to lunch at the newly opened Garam Masala, the latest addition to our magnificent restaurant scene in Providenciales.

Located in Grace Bay (across the road from Salt Mills, on the right hand side of the cul-de-sac just before the entrance to the Renaissance Resort – there’s no sign up yet as she’s only been open one week), the locale is prettily appointed and evocative of India.

For appetizers, we enjoyed delicious samosas, pakoras, along with a mouth-watering tandoori style Seekh Kabob; all served with a yummy spicy mint sauce!

Stuffed already, the entrees that followed (mutton vindaloo and chicken tikki masala) were so amazing that we gobbled those down, along with garlic buttered freshly baked nan bread. We thought we’d explode, but that didn’t stop us!!

To complement the meal, we sipped (should  I say guzzled??) a delicious well-chilled Riesling (Oriel) that perfectly complemented the  meal.

As for Vinnie and his crew,  the chef’s are brilliant, the service lovely, and Vinnie made one and all feel like they were guests in his home!

While the food does take time to come out – everything is freshly cooked on the spot – any delays were well worth every delicious morsel!

Sadly, these gluttons had absolutely no room to even consider trying dessert, but Antonio had the Masala Chai (superb) and I was astonished to drink one of  the most perfect cappuccinos I have ever had on island!

What else can I say besides congrats to Vinnie and Jay and see ya’ll there!!!!!!!!!!

For reservations, call Vinnie at 344-4622 or 941-3292.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos – Lemon Café is a Moroccan oasis amid the hard, dry landscape of Providenciales. It is the brainchild of owner Natalie Zaidan, 35, a Canadian expat who visited the island as a child. Zaidan, who has lived here for 12 years, does high-end landscaping and owns a nursery. She designed and built Lemon Café a couple of years ago.

Chef John Tsavalas, a childhood friend of Zaidan, has created a superb Moroccan menu with tapas treats such as spicy calamari, rice-stuffed tender merguez, silky couscous, and perfectly prepared baba ghanoush. Exemplary entrees include North African moussaka with eggplant, lamb burger with yogurt mint cucumber sauce, and the most popular dish, lamb prune tagine, simmered for hours with such ingredients as honey, cinnamon, and clove. Tsavalas’s most recent creations include a sumac-rubbed rib eye roast and lobster with preserved lemon.

The place is dimly lighted and wonderfully moody with bench seating on the perimeter of the open-to-the-elements sides, smaller tables and communal ones in the middle, a glitzy, soft-orange-lighted bar at one end, and gauzy accent drapes billowing from the high ceiling.

The most popular place to eat at night is the elegant courtyard, with two-foot stone squares surrounded by lush grass and draped by ficus trees, from which small white lights shine. Entertainment includes regular “Arabian Nights” with belly dancing, tarot card readings, and Tsavalas doubling as a fire spinner on occasion, delighting diners by whirling lighted poi balls.

Zaidan planted a garden to furnish the restaurant with fresh vegetables and herbs. The organic meats are flown in regularly, said Zaidan, who opened the restaurant to “provide a change of food down here. A lot of it was sort of the same, I wanted to do something different.”

PAUL E. KANDARIAN

Lemon Café, Village at Grace Bay, 649-941-4059, www.lemon-cafe.com. Mon-Sat lunch and dinner, noon-3 p.m., 6-10, Sun 6-10, entrees from $17.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

Turks and Caicos Articles

11 Unique Things to Do in the Turks and Caicos

When you think about that Caribbean vacation get-away on the horizon, your thoughts can quickly cloud with images of your own personal paradise. This is the exact euphoric feeling that’s seen mirrored on the faces of Turks and Caicos vacationers when we greet them at the Provo airport on arrival. The TCI really is that paradise destination, with inviting soft, warm sand and clear turquoise water that can never be properly described-it must be experienced. Above and beyond the enticements of the tropical sun and crystal sea, these islands offer so much variety for the curious traveler.

Painting a Landscape of Activities

The Turks and Caicos offer activities for the ocean-loving guru, from privately chartered fishing trips to unforgettable scuba-diving excursions around the most beautiful reef systems in the world. Turks and Caicos bonefishing is famed throughout the Caribbean, as well as sport fishing for swords and marlin. Both private charters and group expeditions are available with experienced captains.

Vacations almost always include trying new, local foods to experience the culture first hand, and with the many restaurants sprinkled throughout the TCI, especially on the island of Providenciales (“Provo” to natives), it’s easy to get lost in conversation over dinner and drinks with friends and family. Below we’ve put together a list of laid-back vacation ideas perfect for the open-minded vacationer.

1.        A Jaw Dropping Adventure! A nighttime TCI shark fishing excursion – chartered by local skippers that know locations where these fish come out to feed at night!

2.        Luxury at Your Fingertips. Have a personal chef grill up your catch (shark!) with a catered party set on the beach in your private villa’s outdoor living room! Try a Grace Bay Turks and Caicos villa outfitted with a comfortable outdoor living room with a grill overlooking picturesque views of the sweeping landscape.

3.        Enjoy a Margarita…Or Two. If the family has a love for water sports, have the kids try tubing, snorkeling, or waterskiing off Grace Bay Beach while you watch and enjoy drinks on the beach in the warm afternoon sun.

4.        Tee Time. Pretend to be a professional by playing on the Karl Litten 18 hole, par 72 championship Turks and Caicos golf course and try to get scores that compete with the best!

5.        Window on the Undersea World. Go for a ride on the Undersea Explorer, a glass bottom, semi-submarine to see spectacular views of the coral reef without getting wet!

6.        Kayaks and …Dinosaurs? Kayak over to Iguana Island with Big Blue Unlimited to visit the sanctuary that many lucky iguanas call ‘home,’ all while enjoying time on its intimate beaches.

7.        Langostas y Música! Island guests can first attend “Mad About Lobsters” night (in season at The Somerset before treating their ears to traditional Caribbean music. Enjoy musical traditions by a local artist or band performed at a number of restaurants and clubs.

8.       More Than Just An Aphrodisiac! Dine on Queen conch, a type of snail that can only be described as ‘Decadent!’ and offered at restaurants across the islands.

9.        Sun Up, Sun Down. Wake up early at your private villa to hear and breathe nothing but the soothing sounds and salty scents of the ocean water and witness a breathtaking sunrise. Afterwards, take a Pilates class before the rest of the family wakes at Studio 90 Degrees. On a romantic note later in the day, visitors can take a sunset cruise with locally made rum punch in hand.

10.     Mouth Watering Food and a Great Party! The first Saturday of each month, Lemon Cafe hosts its renowned and much anticipated monthly fete! Enjoy their delicious Moroccan/Mediterranean food and live entertainment.  Lemon Cafe’s chef, John Tsavalas, has created a menu that is perfect for meat lover and vegetarian alike. And you’ll enjoy the food and entertainment in a luxuriously comfortable setting.  And as for his desserts…..heavenly!

11.      The Private Villa Experience. Instead of just having a ‘place to stay,’ Caribbean travelers can choose their own unique sanctuary, a private Turks and Caicos villa. Villa guests describe their experience as truly personal and pampering. Island visitors can even have all their holiday details handled by a professional guest concierge, including arranging for transportation, booking tours and diving charters; or arranging for a full body massage right at the villa.

Endless Possibilities

Rejuvenate yourself with a postcard perfect escape in the Turks and Caicos, and get lost in a journey of discovery where new adventures are right around the corner. The Turks and Caicos invite spirited travelers to come play and indulge themselves with these 10 unique tips or with ideas of their own. The possibilities are endless.

About the Author

Basia Zaidan is the energetic owner of Tranquility Property Management and Vacation Rentals Ltd on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos. Basia and her team know the TCI like no one else. She has a lively Travel Blog, insider knowledge of the islands, and a reputation for giving exceptional attention to her clients.

For more information visit www.turkscaicosluxuryvillas.com, call (649) 231-1474 or email the author at basia@turkscaicosluxuryvillas.com.

For all those clients who ask me to make recommendations for boat charters for deep sea fishing, bone fishing, day excursions and snorkeling adventures, having now compiled information from hundreds of guests over the past four years,the popular favorite is  Silver Deep with Captain Arthur Dean and his son AJ.

Captain Arthur Dean, aka Shadow, comes from a long line of men of the sea, with a rich history, coupled with a mystical knowledge, of the waters of the Turks & Caicos Islands.  And this family also has a deep historical tradition of building their own sloops. The following pictures are of Captain Dean, his son AJ (with a monster bone fish), and the latest sloop they have built, called “Tradition”.

But as the following pictures will show, Shadow and AJ don’t just have the sea in their blood, they provide guests with lots of yum, fun, incredible ocean experiences and adventure too.

Whether you’re looking for an island exploring adventure, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, or catching yourself a fightin’ bonefish, Arthur and the crew of Silver Deep will ensure the experience of a lifetime.

And when you get hungry, as these pictures attest, you’ll get lots of good eats too, as he cooks the catch on one of our many secluded and incredibly beautiful beaches!!

So, whether short or tall, big or small, it’s never too early – or too late for that matter – to experience a Turks & Caicos Islands water experience of a lifetime on one of Captain Arthur’s multiple boats.

And as per our usual concierge service, when you book one of Tranquility’s fabulous vacation rentals, we will be thrilled to organize your dream boating water adventure, whatever that might be, with Silver Deep!

Turks and Caicos is quickly being recognized as a top  honeymoon destination. With only one-fourth of the island inhabited, Turks and Caicos provides a dream honeymoon ambiance filled with natural beauty. Nature-loving newlyweds can enjoy more than 33 protected bird-watching areas and one of the longest coral reefs in the world ready for couples-SCUBA diving.

Tranquility, in conjunction with Flowers by EA,  offers wonderful beach wedding and honeymoon villas and wedding planning, so head to this Caribbean honeymoon destination before the masses catch on!

So contact us to plan your dream wedding and/or villa honeymoon!

The islands are known for a style of music called ripsaw, a genre in which a handsaw is the primary instrument, often accompanied by guitar, accordion, drums and other percussion. Though the style has its roots going all the way back to the days of the slave trade, ripsaw music can still be heard all around Providenciales—and its influence can still be heard in some of the island’s most popular musical acts. One of the best loved modern musical pioneers is Lovey Forbes, who created a totally new genre, “combina,” that marries traditional ripsaw and contemporary foreign styles.Forbes and other local acts (also popular around the island are reggae, calypso and soca) can be heard in the annual Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival alongside international headliners—the 2006 Festival, July 31 through August 7, features Ludacris and Fantasia, among others. 

Two other performance venues are the Williams Auditorium, located on South Dock Rd. and home to events like The Cactus Slam Festival, and Brayton Hall off Leeward Highway, which often hosts events and shows sponsored by the Turks & Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation.

I often receive requests for information regarding wedding requirements, particularly since Villa Del Sol came on line. Here they are!

Planning your wedding in paradise?  The following are the legal requirements for obtaining a marriage license in the Turks & Caicos Islands:

• 1. Passports with stamp showing date of entry in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
• 2. Original Birth Certificates
• 3. Both Parties must be in the Turks and Caicos Islands at the time of the application
• 4. For couples wanting to be married in the Turks and Caicos Islands, they must reside in the Turks & Caicos Islands for a period of 24 hours prior to an application being made to the Registrar in Grand Turk. The ceremony can take place with 48 to 72 hours after the application has been granted
• 5. For Americans, proof of Marital Status must be provided. That is, if single, a sworn affidavit is required. If divorced, either an Original or notarized copy of the Divorce Decree, sealed by the Court, is required. In the case of a widow/widower, the previous spouse’s Death Certificate is required. In the case of Change of Name by Deed Poll or Adoption, proof of same is required
• 6. If either party is unmarried, and is a citizen or resident of a country other than the USA, a Declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a Notary Public or other person authorized to administer oaths in that country, and must accompany the application for the Marriage License.
• 7. If from other than an English speaking country, all documents must be translated and notarized, accompanied by originals, likewise notarized as above.
• 8. Irrespective of country, if under the age of 21, consent, in the form of on affidavit stamped by a Notary Public, from one or both parents or guardian must be presented.
• 9. The marrying couple must not be within the prohibited degree of relationships to each other.
• 10. A letter stating occupations, marital status and age at the time of application, home address and father’s full name, must be attached to the application.
• 11. If a church wedding is desired, proof of membership and standing in home church may be required.
• 12. The party’s must produce evidence of the date of their arrival in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
• 13. No blood test is necessary.
• 14. The fee for the license is $100.00 + admin fees, the total generally being between $200-300.00

Marriage Licenses are issued at the Office of the Registrar in Providenciales. The office is open to the public from Monday through Friday, 9.30 am to 4.30pm.

Please be reminded that Passports or any documentation written in a foreign language must be translated and notarized in advance of arrival.

And for YOUR Turks & Caicos wedding destination?  Visit Tranquility’s dream wedding page.

For marine enthusiasts, visit The JoJo Dolphin, Whale and Wildlife Project.  You can also view this wonderful video of JoJo and Dean or the see Dean swimming with the whales!