The Turks and Caicos Islands are an archipelago of 8 major islands located in the Atlantic Ocean. They are 575 southeast of Miami, Florida. Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory. The language is english (THANK YOU, LORD!), and the currency is the U.S. dollar.

The islands consist of two groups, the Caicos Islands and the Turks Islands, with a total land area of 166 square miles. Providenciales is the main tourist island, where 70% of the population reside. The second most populated island is Grand Turk, the capital, with 17%.

Up until the 60's, Providenciales was inhabited by less than 500 people! There were no cars and few roads. In 1966, Provident Ltd. secured an agreement with the government granting them thousands of acres of Providenciales land in exchange for roads and an airstrip. Provident Ltd. then sold lots and built the Turtle Cove Marina.

Providenciales remained a low-key destination until 1984 when Club Med built a new resort on the almost-deserted Grace Bay Beach. This sparked the continuing surge of development that has carried Providenciales into one of the prime vacation destinations worldwide.

We are staying at the Sibonné Beach Hotel. Sibonné was the first hotel built on Grace Bay Beach, so it enjoys the best position on the most famous beach in the Caribbean. Many guests have returned time and time again since the hotel was built as 'Le Deck' and it was the only resort on all of Grace Bay Beach.

Renovated and renamed Sibonné Beach Hotel, it is the most intimate hotel on Grace Bay Beach. With only 28 rooms, we will enjoy the distinction of being closer to the beach than anyone staying at the more recent large-scale resort developments such as Point Grace, The Sands, The Alexandra, Somerset or The Palms - which are just a short walk down the beach in either direction. No room at Sibonné is more than 50 steps from the beach!

To that, add the glorious view from the restaurant, The Grace Bay Bistro, where we will enjoy our breakfast each morning as we look out onto the beach and the aqua-blue waters of Grace Bay. The Grace Bay Bistro is one of the few restaurants on Grace Bay that offers fine dining with a beach front location and full ocean view from our dining room.


"This was one of the first hotels constructed on the fabulous sands of Grace Bay Beach. The hotel is a fantastic value and has charm to spare, but don't expect anything grand or a huge laundry list of resort amenities. What it does have is a laid-back, informal vibe, alluring courtyard gardens, and knockout Grace Bay views. It's considerably more personable than any chain-style hotel, with rooms that have a light, breezy decor and a serious emphasis on comfort -- everything has been nicely updated.

Frommer's Reviews & The New York Times Website - 2007"