Not a meat & potatoes kinda place

The Turks and Caicos are not what I would call  meat and potatoes islands. In fact, being that it is so small, there is very limited agricultural production on the islands. It really makes you feel rich in North America for our vast landscapes, fertile soil and ability to raise our own cattle (etc) and grow our own vegetables in the kinds of quantities that can feed the masses.

It also justifies why the grocery store prices are a little crazy for some things. Tetra packs of juice in the one litre were around $6-7 depending on the brand. A 24 of Coke was $17. Red peppers were $7 per pound (current Canadian price is about $3 per pound) and Campbell's Soup cans were just under $3. Peaches were listed at $5 per pound, while coconuts were a mere $1.  Prices were reflective of the import/shipping costs to bring them to the island it seemed.

However, things like milk, cheese, chicken and fish were typical Canadian Safeway-type store prices. So, you just needed to be aware, be selective and adjust your expectations for meals to stay on a reasonable budget.

Restaurant meals were similarly priced and reflective of the cost of goods. A modest lunch for two adults and 2 children at a beachside cafe was typically around $75.

We did plan for, and thoroughly enjoy, a dinner out at a 4star restaurant once during the trip. We were aware and embraced the regional cuisine. The Jerk spices, fruit salsas and seasoned rice accompaniments were absolutely delicious. Pictured below was my meal of snapper, which was the catch of the day.

Pictured below was a salmon salad. It was diced tomato, smoked salmon and spinach with a balsamic reduction and a regional cheese layer. Great taste and lovely presentation.

Ultimately, I came to know the Turks as a "fish and rice" kinda place, rather than meat and potatoes. The food was certainly delicious and memorable. I'm sorry I don't have more photos... the fish tacos, the fish burgers and the fresh catch salad were also winners!

Air Travel with Kids

So this fabulous, trip of a life-time (that I had been eyeballing for about 5 years) finally came into focus this Spring. I have been watching and hoping that the Turks and Caicos islands would fall into our budget range for a very long time. Then, Air Canada offered it on a "Kids Stay, Play & Fly for Free" sale.

What? Kids fly free? Yipee! Frankly I'd never really seen a kids fly free promotion that was legit. "Stay and Play" free - well, frankly that's a given. It is, in my opinion, that your kids stay free at any hotel. So I crunched the numbers and it was about 40% less for a family of four that the typical price. 40% off!! Wow. I then gave it a really good look.

Air Canada Vacations was offering this package at a few select 3 and 4 star resorts. In fact the resorts were of higher grade that I had been watching or potentially budgeting for. So the resort that we chose, in consultation with my favourite CAA travel agent, was the Ocean Club.

In the Turks and Caicos the Ocean Club operates two resorts (Ocean Club & Ocean Club West) on the same stretch of beach about 1 mile apart. The suites are condo-style units with complete kitchens and even in-suite washer and dryer. The feature we liked best was the screened in balcony which was big enough for a dining table and lounge chairs. Our suite overlooked the pool. It was perfect!

The resort was very clean, very safe and was in a superb location on the beach. Grace Bay beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches on earth and I absolutely agree. Within a simple 5 minute walk we had access to 2 great pools, a perfect stretch of oceanfront beach, tennis courts, 2 restaurants and a golf course and a convenience store. Easy proximity to everything for us and the kids.

More on the resort in another chapter. But I briefly want to touch on Air Canada's shortcoming in this promotion.  Our first flight was delayed 4 hours on account of mechanical difficulties. This couldn't be helped and it wasn't a big deal. The only issue was that I had 2 very worried kids who were very anxious that we were going to miss our connecting flight. I was pleased with the A/C counter agent who helped me explain to the boys that even if we missed our connection, A/C would still get us there the next day, for sure.

The issue I had was simply that Air Canada did not anticipate or prepare in any thoughtful way (that I could see) for having a a plane-load of children on 4 hour flights (to & from Toronto to the Turks).

I had to believe that this was a higher than normal number of kids and it was in direct proportion to their (fabulous!) kids fly free promotion. (.... Incidentally, there was no "catch" or "shell game" to this promotion. All I paid was $95 in taxes per child.  And the adult fare was not doubled, in case that's what you were thinking. ) The Flight Attendants were composed and courteous as always, but certainly paid no special mind to the children on board.

On the return flight, it was nearly 2 hours in and the seat belt sign still had not been turned off. (Light turbulence and I do not question the pilot's judgement - safety first.) It was at this point, my 6 year old turned to me and said, "we are never flying Air Canada again. It's been forever and there are no snacks and no one is helping these little kids." He was right. There were restless kids all around us. Exhausted parents were doing the best they could but washroom breaks and snacks and a change of scenery (or activity) were really required.

But what my son had concluded in his mind, from our 4 flights that week, was that Air Canada didn't care about the kids on the plane. It was a keen observation. And simply all it would have taken to remedy the situation was a few aviation or island themed colouring books, or custom snack packs or a few plastic planes as gifts. It was like we were invited to the party and then treated like furniture.

My son, even at 6, is a ridiculously experienced traveller, having been to several states, including Hawaii by plane, and the Bahamas (x2). He has flown 4 different airlines. done a cruise and a cross country train trip as well. And as his mother, I had toys, granola bars and other travel necessities in my bag, but he was worried about the other kids who were struggling.

I loved the trip, the resort and the promotion. But I do agree with my son's observation. Just a little recognition or special touch would have really made the kids feel important or at least, more comfortable.