Comfort Suites Turks and Caicos

Remarks:
"I had the extreme pleasure of visiting the tropical oasis of the Turks and Caicos · February 9-16, 2011! I absolutely loved this destination! As a Certified Travel Counsellor who specializes in the Caribbean as well as a Certified Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Specialist, I found this beautiful island idyllic for great beaches and certainly weddings! I travelled to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos with Air Canada Vacations and stayed at the Comfort Suites which is a consistent with American standards of all Comfort Suites hotels. It was older, basic, but clean with friendly service it offered a daily continental breakfast, beach towels, and access to Grace Bay Beach with loungers and shades a short 3 min. walk. While there I also toured the Ocean Club Resort (East) which is right on the beach and had beautiful grounds. Check out all my pictures, videos, and blogs of this great trip by visiting my Facebook Fan Page and my Blog!

Enjoy as I take you through my experiences of the island of Providenciales! This is not a destination that boasts a lot of All-Inclusive Resorts - but there are some available that I would consider expensive. However, I really liked experiencing the non-inclusive plan and sincerely hope that this destination stays away from introducing more all-inclusive resorts. Turks and Caicos Islands · Beautiful by Nature, is a string of 40 islands and cays which can be considered an eastern extension of the chain of the Islands of the Bahamas. Originally discovered by Taino and Lucayan Indians · Turks is a reference to the indigenous Turk's head cactus and Caicos is from the Lucayan term "caya hico" meaning string of islands. In 1962 Turks and Caicos became a British Crown colony on its own and remains so today. Of the 40 islands and cays, only eight of them are inhabited. The islands are home to roughly 30,000 full time "belongers" and welcomes more than 200,000 tourists annually. The language spoken is English, the currency is the USD and the climate sees an average of 350 days of sunshine with temperatures ranging between 27C - 29C from November to May. Life in the Turks and Caicos revolves around the sea, from picture perfect sun-kissed beaches of the softest, whitest sand you can imagine and sparkling, clear ocean that form an entire palette of blues! The culture is described as warm, friendly, and relaxed that makes you feel at home the minute you arrive. The national music is called "Ripsaw Music" another name is "Rake-n-Scrape" with the basic instruments used are the saw, goatskin drum, hand accordion, hand-made maracas and the acoustic guitar.

Dining is truly global with conch being the local delicacy · it's no-fat, flavorful and dished up almost any way you can imagine. One can experience local bands playing ripsaw music, the unique islands' sound. Shopping is plentiful but the true find is the local crafts which includes workings with straw. One of the most popular ways to visit is on a cruise with one of the most popular tours being the Hop-On, Hop-Off island bus tour which allows passengers to enjoy a full narrated tour of Grand Turk while traveling around the island in a continuous bus loop. Other amenities include the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean. On the most developed island of Providenciales is Grace Bay, one of the ten best beaches in the world which is also part the Princess Alexandra Marine Park, the playground of Jo Jo, the famous bottlenose dolphin. Middle Caicos is home to the largest cave network in the Bahamian Archipelago at Conch Bar. The huge limestone caves feature stalactites, stalagmites, bats, owls and salt lakes that link up with the sea.

This is an ideal setting for a Destination Wedding! There are lots of Destination Wedding Planners who I would be honored to liaison with on a bridal couple's behalf. Couples must be resident in the Islands for at least 48 hours before applying for a marriage license. A Turks and Caicos Islands marriage certificate costs $100 USD (fee subject to change) and is a legally binding document recognized in Canada. Here are the current requirements to apply for a marriage license: passport, original birth certificate, both parties must be in The Turks and Caicos Islands at the time of the application. Persons wishing to be married in the Turks and Caicos Islands may do so after one-day (72 hours). Before an application for a Marriage License can be made to the Registrar in Grand Turk. The ceremony can then take place after a period of 2-3 days or at any time after the application has been granted. Proof of marital status - If single a sworn affidavit is required. If one of the parties is a divorcee, then a Divorce Decree is required, either the original or a notarized copy, sealed by a Court Clerk. In the case of a Widow/Widower a Death Certificate of the previous spouse is required. In the case of change of name by Deed Poll or Adoption, then proof is required. If either party is unmarried, being a citizen or resident of a country other than the U.S.A., a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a Notary Public or other person authorized to administer oaths in that country and must accompany the application for the Marriage License. If under the age of 21, then consent of one or both parents or guardian, in the form of an affidavit stamped by the Notary Public. The marriage parties must not be within the prohibited degree of relationships to each other. Include a letter stating both parties occupations, marital status, age as of last birthday, present address of residence and father's full name. For church weddings Ministers may require proof of membership. The parties must produce evidence of the date of their arrival in The Turks and Caicos Islands. No blood test is necessary. The fee for the license is $100.00. Note: Marriage Licenses are issued at the office of the Registrar in Providenciales. This office is open to the public Mondays to Fridays between the hours of 9:30 a.m. · 4:30 p.m. Please be advised that any Passports or documentation written other than in English should be translated in advance and notarized by the applicable consulate. Registrar Office Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: 649-946-2800 How do you get there? Both Air Canada and West Jet provide service via Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa from gateways across the provinces. And of course, there are other options with various other suppliers that may service other provinces and countries.

Would I recommend this destination? ABSOLUTELY!! And I can't wait to visit this beautiful destination again in the very near future! I plan to obtain necessary training to specialize in "Beautiful By Nature" - Turks and Caicos! For more information on Turks and Caicos, please contact me at:"

Lana Keyes - Travel Professionals International
Website: www.Keyes2Travel.com    /    Email: lkeyes@tpi.ca

Stayed at the Comfort Suites Turks and Caicos ?