Turks & Caicos Islands

Since the weather is approximately -7 degrees here in Boston, I'm fondly reminiscing about the recent trip FI and I took to the Turks & Caicos Islands. Since most people have never heard of the Turks & Caicos, here's a geography lesson, courtesy of Wikipedia:

"The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies . . . The two island groups are in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Bahamas, north of Hispaniola, and 914 kilometres (494 nmi) from Miami, at 21°45′N, 71°35′W. The territory is geographically contiguous to the Bahamas, but is politically a separate entity."

Both Bruce Willis and Dick Clark have homes in the Turks, and it was the honeymoon destination for both Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner and Eva Longoria & Tony Parker. FI and I LOVED the Turks, and are considering returning there for our honeymoon. It was a quick and easy flight (direct flights are available from NYC), the weather was fantastic, and we often felt as if we had the entire island to ourselves. Everyone we met was extremely nice and welcoming,although I don't think we met a "native" Turk the entire trip! It was by far the most relaxing vacation I have ever taken, and I think FI would agree.

While there aren't as many activities as in Aruba or Jamaica, there's still a lot to see and do (or NOT do, if you so desire). First, the Turks are known for having the only conch farm in the world, where you can choose your own conch out of the ocean farm and have them cook it for you! Since FI isn't keen on seafood, I stepped up to the plate and tasted it, sushi-style! It actually doesn't taste like chicken... in fact, it doesn't have much of a taste at all. It's definitely chewy, though. The best part is taking home the huge conch shell as a souvenir!

The Turks also have some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling in the world, with a multitude of coral reefs, shipwrecks, and fish to discover. There are also many places for parasailing, wind surfing, and numerous other water sports. My personal favorite water activity is frolicking in the ocean! As a special treat, you may even meet JoJo the dolphin, a relatively tame "wild" dolphin who is often seen alongside swimmers. Unfortunately, I missed the one JoJo sighting while we were there, but FI saw him!

Between the aqua blue water, soft white sand, and peaceful, less touristy atmosphere, Turks and Caicos are definitely on our possible honeymoon location list! I have no doubt that we will be back at some point in the future, though, regardless!