Arrival/Check-In

Arrived Providenciales at 11:30am after an overnight flight. Cleared customs walked outside and there were the Club Med Representatives awaiting with a Taxi.  For land only guests, charge is $15.00 per person each way.

Approximately 15 - 20 minutes to village

After a cold washcloth, a welcome drink and a short introduction by Chief de Village Eduardo and GO's, with keys in hand we were escorted to our room.

Accommodations

Building B, room # 136 Oceanview very nice location.  As expected, rooms are modest, but have everything one needs, hair-dryer,coffee-maker, radio/alarm clock, safe, iron/ironing board. There are no screens on the windows which are louvered. Bugs were not too bad for January although I still managed to collect a few bites despite the bug spray used. Keeping windows closed and a/c on (leave card in slot) should help. No complaints with Housekeeping, plenty of towels, replaced toiletries when needed, etc.

Food/Beverages

Grace Bay the main buffet restaurant offered a good selection, with very little repetition, aside from the constants you might want for breakfast, lunch and dinner. CM's famous Chocolate & White Chocolate Bread was a sweet treat with an Espresso after lunch or dinner. La Mer, Turkoise' a la carte reservations only restaurant is located at the far end of the village which makes for a very quiet setting. Dine indoors our out, beautiful oceanfront location. The menu offered the staples of beef, chicken or fish for entrees, a few appetizers soup & salad and of course dessert. Just enough food for a 3-course meal. No-inclusive alcohol here. The wine list is pretty extensive, offering both French & California varietals. I opted for a nice bottle of Champagne. Service was adequate, the language barrier was the only issue, can't really complain because I speak no French and our server spoke no english. Le Mer's manger Natalie was there for translation when available.

Atmosphere/Vibe

Very upbeat, as with all Club Med's GO's are ever present saying hello and soliciting participation in games, water-aerobics, and the like. A little loud for my taste at times, but a quiet area was never hard to find. Each evening there is a dress theme, a few examples of those, Red & White, Black & Blue, Black, White, White & Flowers, Bright Shirt and Denim, the list is long...your choice, to do or not o do.

Village Entertainment

Did not see any show in it's entirety, sorry nothing to share regarding entertainment.

Beach/Water & Watersports

This was my second visit to Providenciales, the water and sand are as I remembered. Stunning! The most amazing shade of green/blue and sand like talcum powder. Hands down (or up in CM'S case) Turkoise is on the best stretch of beach on Grace Bay. Having walked the 3 miles one-way to Coral Gardens for a little snorkeling off the beach, I felt many of the beaches fronting the various resorts and condos along the way paled in comparison to CM.

Enjoyed the included Snorkeling 2 departures daily 10:00am and 2:00pm, sign-up 30 minutes in advance. Visibility in these crystal clear waters was amazing. Water temperature for January was approximately 70+ degrees, warm enough to almost walk-in without hesitation. After a very brief rain on one evening the water mucked-up a little due to the waves, all thing's considered still unbelievably beautiful.

Out & About

The Gecko Shuttle provides transportation to Turtle Cove, Grace Bay & IGA shopping areas. Tokens can be purchased at hotels, restaurants/bars. Famous for their Conch Fritters "Da Conch Shack & Rum Bar" located outside of these areas (although I managed to secure a ride)  unfortunately, did not live up to their self-proclaimed "Best Conch Fritters" title, to much fritter and not enough Conch. As you might imagine, another heavenly oceanfront location.

For truly delicious Conch Fingers, I found Barefoot Cafe, (aka Dave's Dive Bar) in the Ports of Call shopping center to be much better. A 20 minute walk along the beach and onto the Leeward Highway from CM.

A romantic setting for sundown cocktails can be found at the Lounge at Grace Bay Club, 3 hotels down the beach from CM. 

Overall a great vacation, with perfect weather. Look forward to returning to CM Turkoise

For more information visit www.all-travel.com/clubmed/turkoise or call Laura at 800-300-4567