Whether it’s your first time or fiftieth, the beautiful blue hues of the sun kissed island as you decent from the air will send your heart racing with delight. And as you spend time indulging in its serenity and splendor, and exploring all it offers, you’re bound to fall in love with the World’s Best Island – Providenciales.

After charming many, word of the once unheard of destination has gotten out and is spreading across the globe as one of the best places in the world to visit.

This year the island paradise has climbed to new heights, snagging more accolades than ever before. Among them are Trip Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for World’s Best Island and Caribbean’s Best Island. Collectively, the Turks and Caicos Islands have received the title of Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination at the recent World Travel Awards. Grace Bay Beach, the top rated 12-mile-long beauty, has been voted Caribbean’s Best Beach and World’s Best Beach (2nd Place) by Trip Advisor’s travelers. And that’s only a few!

Why Providenciales is the Best in the World

Just the thought of soaking up the glorious sunshine on miles of breathtaking beaches, wiggling your toes in the powder-white sands and taking a dip in the calm clear waters is instantaneously appealing.

From the award winning 12 mile stretch of Grace Bay beach to the windy kiteboarding haven of Long Bay beach to the calmest shallow waters of Taylor Bay beach or even the rocky shores of the obscured Malcom’s beach, Providenciales is renowned for its breathtaking shores.

But if the gorgeous beaches, unique shades of turquoise and Caribbean blues, and warm sunshine almost every day of the year isn’t enough, don’t worry because there’s plenty more to fall in love with.

The natural beauty of the islands extend beyond the calm clear waters to a thriving underwater life full of wonders waiting to be discovered. Snorkeling and diving are a thrill thanks to the miles of coral reef that is easily accessible from the shore. A bountiful barrier reef with hundreds of species of sea creatures also adds to the aquatic appeal.

So abundant with sea live, even the majestic humpback whales can be spotted from January to March and Jojo, the friendly dolphin, and his friends often pop by boats to play.

Watersports activities for adults and children are vast and the beaches and water steal the show in this island paradise. For the adventurous or the cautious, there is something to try. Options always include laying idly on the sand soaking up the sunshine, building sandcastles, or indulging in some thrilling adventure- the choice is yours.

Standup paddling boarding, kayaking through the mangroves, fishing, or just going for a swim on the beach are popular pastimes. Wakeboarding, waterskiing, tubing, flyboarding and kiteboarding are fun activities for those looking for some adventure.

Venturing away from the beach and exploring the island is also a delight. You can take a tour of the world’s largest conch farm, go on an ATV or cycle tour, visit storied heritage sites like the Cheshire Hall ruins of a cotton plantation, or see ancient carvings from pirates and shipwrecked sailors on hilltops.

Even more exploring can take you to outer islands and cays, some of which are inhabited and uninhabited.  Beyond the main island of Providenciales some less developed with quaint tropical charm awaits, each with unique history and activities of its own.

 

Eat island style

If you like food, you’ll love Providenciales.  From fresh seafood at beachside bars to fine dining and everything in between, food lovers can savour delicious dishes influenced by various flavours from around the world. There is even an annual food festival that attracts renowned chefs, culinary personalities and winemakers from around the globe. And a local brew –Bambarra- to enjoy.

Hidden treasure

Only years ago the island’s irresistible naural tropical charm beckoned to world famous actors, musicians, models and famed sports players but now it’s on the list of ‘places to go’ of many average travelers looking for a tropical escape. With the increased number of visitors to the island, development has risen to keep up with the demand but the island still retains the feeling of an unspoilt Caribbean paradise.

With top rated hotels and spas, ample opportunity for rest and relaxation or a vast range of activities, the award winning island of Providenciales is a perfect destination for families or couples. Visitors and locals love the beautiful but uncrowded beaches, exciting activities and laid back lifestyle.

For couples, the island offers a perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or destination wedding.

It’s breathtaking beaches, endless expanses of white sandy shores, romantic sunsets and stunning turquoise waters along with world class resorts and secluded private villas makes it an ideal destination.

The many travel awards recently won along with the significant growth in popularity is true validation that the Turks and Caicos Islands is a leader in Caribbean tourism and truly ‘Beautiful by Nature’.

Feet firmly on boards with their vibrantly coloured kites harnessing the power of the Caicos wind, five kite boarders set out on an inspirational mission to help a friend in need.

To some, the journey may be viewed as exhausting and even dangerous, but to these seasoned enthusiasts the thrill of propelling across the water all the way back to Provo from South Caicos was exhilarating.

It was early Saturday morning, February 28, when the team got to the dock, all prepped and ready for the challenge ahead. They eagerly left Providenciales on a Big Blue boat heading to South Caicos to attempt the first ever kiting journey across the Caicos Banks.

On the rough, choppy ride there, Hope LeVin, Matt Slattery, Philip Shearer, Joe Jardine and Kaja Lepczynska shared a moment where they kind of wondered what they were getting themselves into. Hope, organiser of the expedition and TCI’s star kite boarder said, “By the time we reached South Caicos we were thinking that this was going to be the longest kite ever because of the rough two-hour ride to get there”.

Doubts aside, paired with their trusty support team from Philip’s eco-adventure company – Big Blue Unlimited, Boat Caption Brent Forbes and Hope’s brother, Agile, they were ready to conquer the mission.

All geared up with boards below and kites to the sunny skies, the group took off with their support team tracking them to make sure nothing happened, and nothing did.

The warm weather and a wonderful wind were on their side, providing perfect kiteboarding conditions as they made their way safely across 80 miles (130 kilometres) of TCI waters. The skilful bunch completed the journey in 5.5 hours, only making one short stop for some sandwiches and water to hydrate. Periodically, as the kite boarders needed more water, they pulled up alongside the boat and was assisted.

Along the journey the group passed loads of starfish and stingrays in the shallows, and also saw a few sharks while enjoying a mostly smooth trip back to Provo’s shores. Aside from a tangled kite and a bit of leg cramps towards the end of their journey, Hope said, “We couldn’t have asked for the trip to go better than it did.”

Hope said, “Other than for the great cause it was definitely the highlight of kiteboarding for me in the last couple years.”

In the TCI “It was the longest anybody has ever kite boarded and nobody has every crossed the Caicos Banks on kites before,” she beamed.

The kiteboarding team was thrilled to have completed the feat and were able to raise close to $10,000 from sponsors for fellow kiteboarder Mike DeCamp who needs a double hip replacement surgery and rehabilitation.

They are also aiming to bring more awareness to 33 year old Mike’s illness – Ankylosing Spondylitis (or AS, as its most commonly referred to) – which he has suffered since he was 15 years old.

“He has had the illness for a very long time, but his illness has reached the point where he can’t kite anymore and we are now trying to raise awareness for the operation and then hopefully he would be able to walk and then kite a little bit,” a concerned Hope said.

Mike needs immediate surgery to help him regain movement in his joints and reduce his pain, or the possibility is very real that he will never walk again.

Mike’s sister, Jennifer DeCamp has also made efforts to raise money for her brother’s surgery, setting up a website – gofundme.com/koywic – which has so far raised $13,300 from 90 people in only one month.

The website is trying to raise $54,000 for the surgery and treatment of Mike’s illness, which are not covered by insurance.

In a heartfelt plea for help Jennifer recounts her brother’s illness and his continuous fight to live his best life despite the constant pain.

The bedridden Mike, who has lived in the Turks and Caicos Islands for several years, is a talented artist and owned his own construction company until the day he could no longer walk or work.

Mike’s supportive family and incredible friends are doing everything they can to raise the funds needed for his surgery and rehabilitation. You can assist too, it’s not too late to donate – just visit www.gofundme.com/koywic and make a pledge to help.

By David Bowen
In the Turks and Caicos Islands the Conch, pronounced ‘konk’ is a cultural icon and even appears as a symbol on our National Flag. It is the second best known edible sea snail after escargot and is a huge part of the local cuisine. Its meat has been a main source of food and its shell used in a wide range of ways.
To preserve this sea creature’s existence for the enjoyment of all, the TCI boasts the only Conch Farm in the world and ships large quantities of conch meat abroad.

Today we eat a variety of conch dishes such as Conch Salad, Conch Fritters, Steam Conch, Crack Conch and Stew Conch, just to name a few.

But since before refrigeration our people ate ‘Dry Conch’, which is the key ingredient of our unofficial national dish, Dry Conch and Grits/Hominy.
Dry Conch was once traded with Haiti for fruits, vegetables and other goods that could not be obtained locally. It is used in other local dishes such as peas and rice, buds and rice, native soup, and okra and rice.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get Dry Conch these days and what little is available is usually traded, sold and consumed by a hand full of family members across the islands and the average tourist is not exposed to its unique and delicious taste. However, Conch Salad (Fresh Conch) is a big hit with our visitors.

Harvesting
Harvesting conch means diving for them in the ocean using a special ‘conch hook’.
To get the animal out of its shell, a special spot is identified on the top of the shell and a mason’s hammer is used to ‘knock’ a hole in the hard shell to release suction. A knife is then inserted into the hole to ‘jook’ and cut the tendon that is attached to the inside upper spiral of the shell that anchors the conch to it.

The technique is called the ‘knock, jook and pull’ and it’s a very fast and efficient way to remove the conch. Once the conch has retreated deep into the shell for protection from predators and fishermen, it is almost impossible to remove it.

Drying Conch
The cleaned conch is ‘knocked’ or ‘bruised’ until it’s flatten, lengthen and doubled in size. This is very much like tenderizing meat with a wooden or metal meat tenderizer, but the tool used is a ‘conch bruiser’ usually made from the Lignum Vite tree. Thick glass bottles and flat pieces of wood are also used.
To dry, it is then laid out or tied with sisal rope or string and hung to enable the wind and the sun to evaporate the water, leaving the hard dried meat. Once the conch meat is dried, it is stored away until ready to be used. It very important to keep moisture away from the dried conch as mildew and mold can form.
When ready to use, the dry must first be rehydrate. This is done by soaking it in water. Once it has regained the moisture and plumped up a bit, it is ready to be cooked.

Conch Celebrations and Heritage
An annual Conch Festival is held during the last weekend in November where visitors can experience all sorts of conch dishes and witness ‘conch knocking’, ‘conch blowing’ and demonstrations of the folk dance ‘The Conch Style’.
In Provo, there are a number of restaurants that specialize in conch dishes such as the Conch Shack, Fresh Catch and Boogaloo’s. Since 2013, there is a weekly Fish Fry held at the Bight Children’s Park where locals and tourist alike enjoy a variety of conch and fish dishes.
There are settlements in the Turks & Caicos named after the Conch; such as Conch Ground in South Caicos and Conch Bar in Middle Caicos. At these sites you can find hundreds and thousands of discarded Conch Shells, some dating back to the original inhabitants of these islands- the Arawaks, Lucayans and Taino’s who were here long before Columbus discovered the ‘New World’.

Jewellery and souvenirs
Conch shells have been used by the first inhabitants of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Lucayans and Taino’s to make simple jewellery. Throughout the years conch artists have become more creative with styles and variety. Mr. Stanford Handfield, a local conch shell artist has taken the art of conch shell jewellery and souvenirs to a whole new level by producing items such as paper weights, napkin holders, soup bowls and spoons, salads bowls, key rings, coasters, mugs, palm trees, dolphins, flowers, earrings, bracelets and beautiful conch horns. You can find his conch shell products at the weekly Fish Fry as well as souvenir shops around the island.

Musical Instrument
The Conch Shell makes a wonderful sound when blown as a horn and is used as a musical instrument by groups in festival and celebrations such as masquerade, maskanoo and New Year’s Junkanoo. The technique to blow the conch horn is the same as it is to blow a trumpet or trombone. Different size shells produce different musical pitches and by placing the hand into the opening of the shell while blowing, the conch blower can alter the tone and produce simple tunes and melodies.

Communications
The conch horn is used by fishermen to announce that they have fresh fish for sale.
It was also sometimes used as a warning devise among the various settlements when there was a storm or hurricane traveling. The blower would blow a single long tone on the conch horn. This tone is carried on the wind and enabled it to reach the far flung settlements spread out on the island and help to give a heads up to the residents to prepare and secure their home.

On the humorous side of things, the conch shell can also be used as a ‘Shell Phone’. The Shell Phone of course must have a ‘shell number’ and this number is unique to a particular person or family. For example, a fisherman might have a shell phone number of ‘two short, one long, times three’. That translates as two short blows followed by one long blow that is repeated three times. Those who know who this ‘number’ belongs to, would know that this person is calling to announce their arrival back from fishing or need some assistance.

Building material
Conch shells were traditionally burnt to abstract the lime which was mixed with sand and water to create a simple cement. We call this technique of using the shell to make this mortar, Tabby. Tabby homes can be found mainly in the Caicos Islands and are in locations like Blue Hills, Five Cays and The Bight on the island of Providenciales. If you look carefully, you can spot them in the settlements. They are characterised by their thick walls, small window and A-Frame roofs.

The next time you eat a tasty conch dish or see a beautiful Conch Shell, give a thought to the wonderful versatility of the Queen Conch and our amazing Turks & Caicos Conch Cultural Heritage.

His love for music runs deep and his love for the Turks and Caicos Islands even deeper.

At 65 years old Lovey Forbes is an accomplished musician whose positive impact on local music and dedication to his homeland has earned him great respect and affection throughout the islands and beyond.
His smooth island style sets listeners into a blissfully carefree mood with lyrics that leave a smile or chuckle, and sometimes even a pleasantly nostalgic feeling.

His rhythms are aurally delightful, and uses a combination of sounds like TCI’s ripsaw with bits of calypso, reggae, jazz, blues, rock ‘n’ roll and other music genres. He even has an officially recognised name for his musical style since 1981 called Combina music.
Lovey said that his style is a result of his love of different types of music. This way, he combines whatever sounds he wants “and just add a Turks and Caicos story to it,” he grinned.

“I love country because when I was a little boy growing up the first radio we got played only a country station.”
“I play reggae because that’s the thing now, calypso I love because I grew up partly in the Bahamas and it does something to my body.”
With six albums recorded and a seventh on the way Lovey is still into his passion now as he always was. “And there’s plenty more that’s not even recorded,” he smiled.

His songs about the islands has led to some of his most recognised musical accomplishments. He even received an award from the Queen of England. Lovey said, “I’ve received a badge of honour in March 2000 from her son Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, for singing about the Turks and Caicos.”
Earlier this year he also received a medal for a Festorama culture award.

Back in the ‘70s he was solicited by the first Chief Minister, JAGS McCartney to travel to Canada and lure vacationers to the islands with his contagious island rhythms and likeable lyrics.
“In those days we were barely known by the British and Americans and no Canadians were here,” he said, but “from then the Canadians started coming.”

His musical career is also one of giving back. Not regretting that he could have been more ‘out there’ he acknowledges that staying here in the TCI and having a direct role in the lives of young musicians is very satisfying.
Music is his first love and can be traced all the way back to Whitby in North Caicos where the sounds of his mother’s singing and the country music station streaming from a small radio was as common as fishing for dinner.
“I was born into music… my Mother was a music teacher who taught vocal music and my Daddy was a sailor who would bring me back instruments from his travels.”
Lovey sang and learned to play the organ with his mother until his early teenage years when he started high school in Grand Turk (the capital) and got his first formal music training from a then leading local musician, Natheniel Selver.

With six albums recorded and a seventh on the way Lovey is still into his passion now as he always was. “And there’s plenty more that’s not even recorded,” he smiled.

The budding musician even joined his first band – The Junior Brass and Reed Band – blowing the baritone horn.
It was in Grand Turk that he really got to understand the musical sounds and started experimenting with different instruments.
Playing to him came easily and his love for the art increased. At age 15 he visited the Bahamas and saw for the first time someone playing set drums. Upon his return to the TCI he seized the opportunity to play when he saw it as part of the band. His skill increased and so did his confidence.

Shortly after, he joined his family in The Bahamas and went to music school. Mastering the organ, he joined a gospel band call the Cooling Waters and soon after got involved with more popular bands.

As one of the few organ players in Freeport in the 1960s Lovey was quickly recognised by big time musician Smokey 007.
“I didn’t want to play with Smokey because to me at the time they were so advanced,” he reminisced.

But fears aside, he not only joined Smokey 007 but often stole the spotlight with his enticing entertainment techniques and soon made a name for himself.
“I had a lil show thing in me…I was an active young musician and that’s when I became famous,” Lovey said with a grin.
“My spirit was so high I started playing the keyboard with my foot at a show in Bimny.”

Soon the news spread and people were coming from all around to see him. “Once, in the Sugar Mills pub I played the keyboard with my whole body.” he said.
His musical career was on the rise – writing, playing and recording. But something was missing.

“I used to be writing songs about the Bahamas and these islands (Turks and Caicos) had no one writing about.”
Homesickness kicked in and in 1976 Lovey returned to the island of North Caicos and wrote his first song about his home called Whitby Paradise.
“I came home to the Turks and Caicos and formed a band called Lovey and the Lively Stones.”

“I used to have big shows and people would come out.”
Lovey also started training locals to play musical instruments and to perform with them.
He wants them to be become “leading and great entertainers to serve the Turks and Caicos Islands and the whole world.”

Currently, Lovey can be found right back where he grew up – by the picturesque Hollywood Beach in Whitby, North Caicos.
Apart from actively tending to his Whitby property, Lovey’s creativity continues. He often still writes and plays music and has created an 18 holes circle putt golf game which he happily plays with visitors.

He credits his creativity to a connection with a higher being and believes that he is being guided.
“My inspiration comes from many different angles at any time but I usually pray because I want every song to come through God’s love and power,” Lovey said.
Lovey can be found playing solo from November to April at Ms B’s Restaurant, with a band every other Saturday evening on Parrot Cay and occasionally in Providenciales.
Other than that he can be found in one of his signature straw hats at his ‘Whitby Paradise’ home in the beautiful island of North Caicos.