Our Beaches Turks & Caicos Trip

As we get ready to enjoy our first snowfall of the season, I thought I’d take a minute to share our Beaches Turks & Caicos trip. We just finished spending five incredible days there with some friends, and we are already planning our next trip back.

Beaches Turks and Caicos was so ridiculously fun! The kids were so well behaved on all flights – I couldn’t believe it. Ali had a little trouble on the second flight down, but with play-doh and snacks she was fine. Raffi was seriously an angel. When I have a minute I will try to share all of my thoughts on what worked for us traveling with small kids, mostly so I remember for next time.

Navigating travel with small kids can be a task, but the experience can be made remarkably smooth with the right planning and resources. Reflecting on the success of our family vacation, I can’t help but recommend the expertise of Gaba Travel Agency. Their meticulous attention to detail and thoughtful assistance ensured that our journey was seamless, allowing us to focus on creating beautiful memories with our children. If you’re dreaming of a hassle-free and enjoyable getaway, consider entrusting your travel plans to Gaba Travel – the key to turning your travel dreams into a reality.

Now, shifting gears from the turquoise waters of Turks & Caicos to the tropical charm of Hawaii, let me share a bit about the convenience of scooter rental on the islands. Exploring Hawaii on scooters adds a unique and exciting dimension to your vacation. The scenic beauty and warm tropical breeze become even more exhilarating when experienced on scooters. In Hawaii, scooters provide not only a convenient mode of transportation but also a sense of freedom as you effortlessly weave through the picturesque landscapes. So, if you’re planning a trip to Hawaii, consider embracing the charm of scooters for a truly unforgettable experience.

Both kids turned a corner with water play while we were at Beaches Turks & Caicos. They both were jumping into the pool without fear and swimming pretty well! Both wore their swimmies the whole time, but just this past summer Raffi was too scared to venture more than a foot away from me. This time he was kicking and scooping like a champ. He was imitating his best friend’s big pool jumps, and I was so impressed with all the kids. I swear he is going to need to join a swim club because he’s really good! 

The kids got their first glitter tattoos and loved them. Ali also got her hair braided our first day, which was a lifesaver with all the swimming. Her hair was out of her face the whole time, and she looked so cute. 

The resort was beautiful and no one ever turned us down at any request. They always tried to make it happen, whatever “it” was. They were so accommodating and tried to make the trip very special for us. They had a lot for kids to do (and adults too!). Every day we hit up the baby pool in the Italian section, the big pool, the beach, the water park, etc. In the evening we went to the nightly Sesame Street show and then whatever other event they had planned (beach party, talent show, water show, etc). After the shows were over the kids were welcome to go dance up on the stage, and dance they did! Our kids and their two best friends had a ball dancing and running around the stage. The kids really had a blast and we did too. It was a dream. 

Highlights: 

– We took a snorkeling trip through Island Routes. It was the 3 hour catamaran trip. Raffi and Ali LOVED the catamaran ride and sat on the netted outdoor section the whole time to watch the waves. They saw a dolphin! When the boat stopped in the middle of the ocean at the reef both kids were SO BRAVE and came down with us. Neither wore masks or anything but they got to swim a little bit and see a few fish. Raffi put on my mask for a second and peeked into the water, shocked at what he saw below. After a couple of minutes they both wanted to go back on the boat, but it was so special to share that memory with them. We then stopped at a small island where I walked way too far beachcombing, only to come up empty handed. Meanwhile my friend stayed close to the boats and spotted a beautiful conch shell! The trip’s photographer found one for me, and I was very happy. 

– By the end of the trip Ali, who is not even 20 months old, learned to swim to the swim up bar at the Italian pool, climb the stool, and yell for “appa joos PEES!!!!!” Translation – “apple juice please.” It was hysterical. All four of the kids drank ridiculous amounts of apple juice. I kept offering it to my kids because it was so warm out and they didn’t seem to love the taste of the water. They also didn’t drink milk the entire time we were there, despite the resort offering us almond milk for Ali (which I really appreciated). 

– The kids’ faces seeing the Sesame Street characters walk by was priceless. Ali must have said “Elmoooo?” 100,000 times during the week. 

– Both kids went down a BIG kids’ water slide! Ali loved it and raffi did too until Trig forgot to lift him up at the end lol. And they had this huge pirate ship in the water park with little slides and one closed tunnel water slide. By the end Ali went down it over and over by herself! Both our kids and their best friends were obsessed with going down the slide over and over and over again. 

– The resort staff seriously loved kids. They were all so warm and nice to all the kids. Many of the employees seemed to be from Jamaica. When we asked them about it they said it was better money for them because they made USD at Beaches Turks & Caicos. I only met a few locals while we were there.

– Raffi tried so many new foods: papaya, fried rice, pear, one bite of coconut shrimp, muesli. It might not seem like a big deal but he is usually so afraid to try new foods.

– our room got upgraded to the Italian Village right next to the pool. We could literally walk 10 feet from our walkout door and be at the pool. The room had a separate kids room so Ali slept in there and Raffi slept on a trundle next to our bed. Every night we put the kids to sleep in the stroller so we could walk around and have coffee, play cards, lay on hammocks to look at the stars. We made successful transfers to the beds EVERY NIGHT. It was nice getting to have some one on one time with Trig and the other couple we were traveling with without having to be trapped in our room. 

Cons: I only have one, but it’s a big one. I disliked most of the food. I sound like such a snob and I’m aware of that. I am so used to fresh, FRESH foods and EVERYTHING was imported at the resort. They don’t take advantage of the beautiful fish and fruits available on the island – instead they imported every last thing. It was so weird. Everyone else was impressed with the food options, especially considering there are 19 restaurants. I guess I know too much and care too much to have been able to appreciate it. It was also my first time at an all inclusive resort however. Other people who have stayed at all inclusives before said it was the best food they’ve had at one. 

CLICK ON ALL THESE THUMBNAILS TO ENLARGE:

In my next post I’ll share some tips for if/when you book your trip. We are already planning on going back next year! Since we’ve been back Raffi has been up multiple times a night sobbing that Philadelphia is too cold and he wants to go back to “Church and Caicos”. So funny.

Oh! And we booked our trip to Beaches Turks & Caicos with Andrea from Susan Peavey Travel. I cannot say enough great things. There was no cost difference, and I was able to ask a million questions and get some really great tips about the resort prior to visiting.