Feel the warm sand on the soles of your feet as the cool ocean waves roll over your toes. Gentle trade winds rustle the palm and coconut trees behind you. Water so clear it nearly glows. The magnificent view is almost blinding. This is Grand Turk, one of the world’s top scuba destinations.
Must Do Activities
Where To Stay
Osprey Beach Hotel is nestled right on golden Grand Turk sands. Let the ocean waves lull you to sleep each night, or spend some downtime with your feet up, taking in the view right from your beachfront room.
Best Dive Sites
Grand Turk is one of the top scuba diving destinations in the world. There is visibility over 100 miles away and drops as deep as 7,000 ft.
Oasis Divers
Diving with the experienced and knowledgable Oasis Divers enhances each dive as they know the best places to go and how to spot creatures that are otherwise easy to miss. They will ensure that all the details are taken care of for you, including setting up your dive gear each day.
Best Time To Visit
It really depends on what kind of weather you prefer. While there is sunshine and 80º weather for almost 365 days a year, it does experience a rainy season. From September through November is when the island sees the most storms, also known as hurricane season. February- April is what most consider to be the best time to explore the island. It offers sunshine, a very low chance of rain, and airfare and accommodations are generally cheaper.
Know Before You Go
Water
In most cases, the piped water is perfectly safe to drink, yet bottled water is the common choice due to the poor taste of piped water. Piped water in the Turks and Caicos almost always originates from one of two sources: reverse osmosis desalination, and rainfall collection.
Electricity
On the Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Plugs – 120V, 60Hz, are used. Converters and adapters are only required for 220V European visitors.
Language
English is the official language of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Haitian and Dominican immigrants speak Haitian Creole (a French-derived) and Spanish, respectively.
Money
The US Dollar is the only accepted currency in the islands. Most local businesses and restaurants accept credit cards. However, two of the favorite spots (sand bar and poop deck) only have cash, so bring a little extra.
Tipping
When you’re staying at a hotel or resort, there is a 10% service charge added to the bill. That is a baseline ‘tip’ for all service staff to share. If the service was extra good, leaving an additional cash tip in the room at the end of your stay/meal is a nice gesture but not required. For restaurants, check your bill or ask the staff whether or not a service charge is included. Many restaurants automatically charge anywhere from 10 % to 15%. Tipping rates are similar to what they are in North America. However, it is up to your discretion how much to tip. As far as tipping for diving goes, $10 per tank is customary.
