Realistically, it should take little more than a glance at the Luxury Holiday brochure to realise that Turks & Caicos is the kind of place dream family vacations are made of. If there was ever a genuine Heaven on Earth where dreams come true at all hours of the day and pure fantasy is a year-round reality, it has to be here. Of course, there will always be those who’d have you believe that places like this are too busy, too hot, too expensive or too ‘dangerous’ to head out to with kids in-tow, but you’ll usually find that these kinds of people haven’t ever been anywhere close to Turks & Caicos themselves – it’s all nonsense hearsay.
From the crystal white sands to the achingly beautiful blue seas and the promise of true escapism like nowhere else on Earth can deliver, Turks & Caicos really does offer more than the average destination. Of course, just as it is for any other family destination on the face of the Earth there are common sense precautions to take when travelling with kids, but by no means above and beyond those of anywhere else.
So, with this in mind, what follows is a quick overview of just a few of these common sense tips for ensuring the whole family gets the very most out of its time in this glorious corner of the world:
1 – Favour Family Friendly
According to the experts , there’s a huge and wholly important difference between a resort or accommodation provider that accepts children and one that’s comprehensively family friendly. For example, while some will offer a limited kids’ menu at breakfast and that’s about all, others will stop at nothing to make sure the kids have the time of their lives every second of every day. Generally speaking, you may find that the promises of the accommodation providers themselves are somewhat on the misleading side, which is why it pays to check out genuine traveller reviews and write-ups before making your final decision.
2 – Safety in the Sun
It’s of course a bit of a no-brainer to say that whatever you do to protect your kids’ skin from the sun’s rays at home needs to be stepped up quite a bit when heading out to an island paradise like Turks & Caicos. The sun can be pretty relentless here to say the least, which is why it’s a good idea to not only slap on the sunscreen like there’s no tomorrow, but bringing plenty of light sleeves and general cover-ups to offer total protection as and when needed. And of course, during the times of the day when the sun’s at its strongest, heading into the shade is a wise move.
3 – Don’t Overload Yourself
Crime rates across Turks & Caicos are extremely low compared to most other tourist destinations of a similar nature, with the vast majority of reported problems concerning petty thefts and picked pockets. This is precisely why it’s a good idea to do your best to only ever carry with you what you’re likely to need in the immediate future as the more you load yourself up with, the higher the chance you’ll drop something or leave something behind that might be picked up by someone else.
4 – Excursions and Public Transport
These days, the problem with unlicensed transport providers and excursion operators is global…and growing. As such, it’s inevitable that Turks & Caicos will have its own contingency of bad apples and indeed it does, which is why common sense once again comes into the equation. Generally speaking, negative incidents involving unlicensed drivers and the likes are extremely rare, but it’s still not worth taking the risk when all you need to do is ask to see their license before agreeing to go ahead. This way, you’ll be guaranteed a safer ride, a ride that’s insured and a ride that’s charged at the standard rate.
5 – Resist the Urge to Stray
And finally, one of the single most important rules for travelling families across each and every part of the world as a whole is to resist the temptation to stray too far from the beaten path. Just like every town, city and resort in the world, Turks & Caicos has its fair share of streets and areas that are less desirable than others and really aren’t worth taking the time to ‘visit’ for any reason. As such, listen to what you’re told by the locals and if there’s an area you’re advised not to go…well, surely you can work out the rest!