For someone my age (mid-40s), I can say I’ve traveled around the world quite a bit. My travels have been under various circumstances: as a child with my parents, girls trips when I was single, trips with my friends’ families, couples trips, and now, trips with my husband and kids. Of all the places I’ve visited, Providenciales is the only one that (in my opinion) is suitable for all the aforementioned travel groups.
Before every trip, my husband and I spend hours researching all we want to do and where we want to go. This is the FUN part, so fire the concierge! On our last trip to the island, we hashed out an itinerary that kept us active and looking forward to every day. Note: make SURE you rent a car during your stay. It’s the only way to truly and fully enjoy all the island has to offer. Here’s how our week played out:
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Day 1: We landed around lunchtime.
Our villa wasn’t ready, which we knew would be the case in advance, so we dropped off our luggage and headed to Mango Reef for lunch. Sitting outside was incredible and the lunch was very good (fish tacos!). After a leisurely lunch, we headed back to our cottage, changed clothes, and went straight to the beach to snorkel Smith’s Reef in Turtle Cove and just float around on our inner tubes (which we brought). After a trip to the IGA, which had all we could possibly need, we just cooked in and enjoyed the villa, playing cards, and games.
Day 2: We arranged a morning outing with Provo Ponies.
My husband didn’t want to ride a horse, but my kids and I had a blast walking and swimming with the horses on beautiful Long Bay Beach. We got completely wet doing this, so afterward, we went home to change and hang by the pool. That night, we had dinner at Coco Bistro, one of my favorite spots on the island.
Day 3: We began the day with a morning cruise on Sail Provo, which is an ideal way to spend time on the water and snorkel offshore.
We stopped at Iguana Island, which my kids have seen before, but it’s still a fun and unusual adventure. We got back and went home to change and get ready for our afternoon adventure: Chalk Sound/Taylor Bay. This is one of the island’s best-kept secrets. We started out kayaking on Chalk Sound (we may try one of their pontoon trips next time!), which was really fun. I grew up staying on Chalk Sound, so it was cool to paddle past houses my father had built and owned back in the 80s. After returning our kayaks, we headed over to Sapodilla Bay to rent jet skis for an hour (which was PLENTY of time). This is a good place to jet ski because there’s no coral to contend with and it’s peppered with interesting little islands and beautiful houses along the shoreline. After the hour was up, we drove up to Taylor Bay and swam in that perfect oasis of a bay and set up beach chairs, our umbrella, and enjoyed some wine (which we brought in our cooler). The kids swam and we watched the sunset. Sunsets here are other-worldly. We packed up our gear and then went to Las Brisas on Chalk Sound for dinner. This was possibly the best meal of our stay. Make sure to check it out.
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Day 4: Our son has recently gotten into fishing. Big time.
We booked a half-day with Panoply, although we’ve been out with other companies like Silver Deep and Catch the Wave and had equally good experiences. This outing was one for bottom fishing and we were mildly successful. Next time, we’ll go with Darin Bain for some bonefishing when our son gets a little older :-). We got back and had lunch at Sharkebite, which is always great and very reasonable. After a splurge like a fishing trip, it feels good to not have a huge lunch tab. We just relaxed that afternoon and dined in with Daddy on the grill. Delightful.
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Day 5: We booked a trip with UnderSea Explorer that morning and it was about a two-hour excursion in a boat with a clear hull, perfect for viewing sea life and staying dry all the while.
This was a real highlight for us. I was afraid I’d get a little claustrophobic in the small hull cabin, but the soothing voice of our guide and the beautiful view of sea turtles (we saw 22!), quelled any anxiety. My family really loved this excursion. Lunch was spent at Blue Hills at Da Conch Shack, which is a fun setting and a must-try, even if you don’t eat conch. After lunch, we headed back to Turtle Cove to parasail with Captain Marvin, who is worth booking if only to chat with him about his experiences on the island! He’s a lovely and fascinating man who has lived on Provo forever and can tell you all about the island. His outfit was clean and well maintained, so I felt comfortable sending my family up in the sky on his watch. We enjoyed dinner that night picking up from Kin Khao, a wonderful little Thai place on Leeward Highway–the best Thai food I’ve had in a while!