 
|
Check for Turks & Caicos Package Deals
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Turks & Caicos Hotel, Resort & Villa Reviews Reviews
Royal West Indies Resort 05/03/2005
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
My partner and I just got back from a one-week stay at the Royal West Indies Resort on Grace Bay (April 23-30).
It was our first time on Provo and our second time going to the Caribbean. We always benefit so much from the posts on this forum, so I hope this report assists some in their decision making. Take what I write as my personal experience, and remember everyone makes their own trip. Some context: my partner and I are 30, are in pretty good physical shape, and love to explore. We don't have kids and aren't very fond of large, highly populated resorts.
When we arrived at the Royal West Indies, we were immediately struck by its beauty and the care with which the grounds are maintained. You can tell this is not an old resort - buildings are clean and well maintained. There is barely any wear on anything, and unlike many other resorts, it still looks clean and new.
Grounds/facilities - absolutely beautifully kept gardens. Amazing the care with which the staff works to maintain the property. The pools were very nice (and clean) and the hot tub is large (and HOT!). The room we had was beautiful. We had the standard studio botanical view - Rm 733 in fact, and I couldn't ask for a better room. It was in one of the buildings the "farthest away" from the beach and was still only a minute from the beach or anything else. Our botanical view had a great view of the pool, the gardens, and, surprisingly, a nice little view of the ocean, which afforded me some great sunset photos. The balconies are not screened in, but I actually enjoyed that more. Put on a little bug spray, and you'll be fine. We ate mostly our own prepared meals on our balcony, and were very happy with that.
The resort has a shuttle to the local IGA grocery store. I've heard people complain about the cost ($20/two people/both ways) but considering how far the place is (maybe 10min ride), I am sure cab fare would be far higher. I found it very convenient and helpful. We spent about $100 and ate at home mainly during the week.
Rooms have a fridge, microwave, and a washer and dryer. Extremely handy. Also available are all dinnerware, silverware, and any other utensils you might need.
Location - I have heard comments that RWI is far from central shops such as the Ports of Call and Saltmills areas. I am not sure the situations of other people, but I found RWI quite close. It took me exactly 10mins via the beach or the road to get to Ports of Call. I am a yoga teacher and barely have a chance to take a public class when at home, so I was pleased to find a yoga studio - Tri Island yoga in the Ports of Call. The fellow who runs the place is also the Cultural Minister for the T&C. It was beautiful to take a class from a native islander while on their turf... and he and the other lady that teach at the center are great teachers to boot!
My partner and I also enjoy snorkeling, so we were pleased that a walk down to Coral Gardens didn't take all that long. You might make a day of it, but it isn't a strenuous walk (maybe 30mins, tops), especially considering you can stop and take a dip in the beautiful ocean at any time.
While at Coral Gardens, we ate lunch at their beach front restaurant (forgot the name...), but was pleased with the roti they served while we ate with our feet in the sand.
We ate one higher priced meal out near the end of our vacation at Anacoana, a couple doors down from RWI, accessible also via the beach. It is a wonderful beachfront setting, lots of candles, fresh air, sounds of the ocean. The food is good and the staff very pleasant. I am a strict vegetarian, and the owner offered to have the chef make me something off of the menu that suited my diet. Very nice indeed.
As for the Mango Reef, restaurant at RWI, we only ate one very light meal there, and the food we experienced was good. Service is good, as with all RWI staff, extremely friendly and helpful. I guess my only complaint is that the bar closed early - 11pm or 11:30pm. I guess after a day full of sunshine, I was a little tired by that point anyway...
Beach - RWI is a smaller resort, so the beach is nice and quiet. Even when there is a lot of people on the beach, we usually found somewhere to sit. Some resorts were teeming with activity and people looked crammed into them. Hey, if that's your thing for whatever reason, go for it, but at RWI, things are a bit more quiet. There are still kayaks and hobie cats available to guests, but just not the bussle of many many tourists all in one spot. The thing that amazes me most is that the beach is 7 miles long - there are parts that seem almost abandoned. If worse came to worst and we couldn't find a chair to sit on (happened maybe twice - and we were at the beach a lot!) we'd just walk down the beach a few meters and ~poof~ abandoned beach. We aren't too fussy, so we'd just place our towel down and hop in the ocean.
I can go on forever about how perfect RWI is and how wonderful Provo is in general. The main points are these: staff is wonderful and helpful, resort is beautiful, well maintained, and cleanly, and people on Provo are some of the nicest I've ever met, anywhere. Just beautiful people.
I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we enjoyed ours!
Stephanie
Read more Caribbean Travel reviews at TripAdvisor
|
 |
|
