In April we went to Turks Caicos with our neighbors, Clay and Jen. We stayed at the Somerset Resort on Grace Bay. The resort was very peaceful compared to other places we’ve stayed in the Caribbean…it was almost like we had the entire place to ourselves! For the most part we just relaxed on the beach.
The only activity we scheduled was a snorkel and conch dive excursion. The water was so rough that most of us ended up seasick! Jen and I finally worked up the nerve to jump into the choppy water with our snorkel gear on…only to hear the guide yell, “Shark! Over here everybody!”
Jen and I paused and looked at each other. We had the same idea. We raced back to the boat as fast as we could! The tide was so strong that no matter how hard we swam, we were barely moving. It was such a relief to finally catch up to the boat. Chad, on the other hand, sped over to where the shark was. He is definitely the risk-taker in our relationship! =)
Another day, we took our rental car to a well-hidden resort called Amaranya, where rooms and villas range from $1,200 to $17,000 a night. As we followed the dirt road, we began to imagine scenes from movies like Turistas and Hostel. There was no sign of life anywhere. We didn’t even pass other vehicles. None of us had a cell phone. Chad reassured us that he knew where he was going. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, we reached a guard station. Chad’s charm is hard to resist…the guard allowed us to pass through to take a look at the property. It was pretty amazing!
In the past few years, we have been to the Bahamas, Aruba, Grand Cayman, and Turks Caicos. Of them all, I would only return to Aruba. It was definitely my favorite! Clay and Jen vacationed with us in Aruba a few years ago. They plan to return at some point. Chad’s favorite Caribbean destination is St. Thomas. I’m hoping we will make it there some day.
Somerset:
Amaranya:
