<p>I simply cannot get my arms around what to wear. When I google tropical packing lists, they are all for size 2, 25 year old hotties. </p>
<p>We are headed to Turks and Caicos early March and I haven’t been anywhere tropical in years. We are staying at an 18 unit villa with a pool and 150 feet from ocean.</p>
<p>So I obviously need a swimsuit (that is a whole 'nother thread) and something to cover my 55 year old rear end when I get up from my poolside chair. But what do I put on if I am on the beach and want to walk around? Do I just pull shorts over my suit or one of those beach coverups? Maybe yoga pants for late evening outdoor sitting? Other than flip flops and sandals, what type of shoes should I bring for beach / dune walking? I keep seeing all the light weight, brightly colored Merrells.</p>
<p>Should I go sundress and light sweater for dinners out or white jeans/capris with a nice top? Then there is the dilemma of what to wear around the common areas as we will be houseguests of another couple. I will definitely need new pi’s!</p>
<p>Also…any other tips on Turks and Caicos would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Husband asked where I wanted to go for my 50th b-day. (Travel is our passion and to support our habit, we have old paid off cars and skip the lavish gifts of jewelry, etc.) My response “I want to go to the most beautiful beach in the world.” Looked up Conde Nast list of most gorgeous beaches in the world, found Grace Beach on T&C was ranked #1, said "hmmm, sounds interesting, and immediately went to VRBO to find a condo there. I’ve been all over the Caribbean and if I could choose only one place to go back to, it would be T&Cs!!! Magical, uncrowded, and romantic! H and I are uber-casual Seattlites who live in Tevas and quick-dry shorts and don’t fret about how others are dressed. We never felt out of place in our casual beach clothes. I suggest wearing what you’re comfortable in. You’ll see Europeans dressed to the nines and everything in between.</p>
<p>7-mile beach with its super soft sugar white sand is breathtaking. Can I go back tomorrow???</p>
<p>Sounds like a wonderful trip! It is going to be humid during March. I would not bring yoga pants, I think they will be too warm. Sandals are perfect, along with flip flops. Most people walk along the beach barefoot, but I would suggest lightweight sneakers if you plan to visit the many beautiful national parks. A lightweight, thin cotton coverup, (think Indian cotton tunic or sundress) is perfect. I would avoid any synthetic material. Sundresses with light pashmina shawl is perfect for the evening. Capris are nice, or capris length leggins with cotton or light crochet top is good too! Jeans will be too hot. Don’t forget a good sun block, hat, polarized sun glasses, and water bottle. You could always use the beach cover up as a robe! Walking along the beach, you could pull up some Columbia shorts that are lightweight, wash and dry quickly in the humid weather. Do you have to bring your own beach towels? If so, bring thin towels, thick ones will not dry. Have a great time.</p>
<p>My favorite accessory that I took to T&C??? My Nook. Seriously. Add a chair under a beach umbrella, some sweet ice-creamy adult beverages, the stunning turquoise water off Grace Beach, and you’ve got the perfect vacation.</p>
<p>There’s 7 miles of uninterrupted beach, so we walked for miles everyday. Bring comfortable water-proof walking shoes (like Tevas or Keens), really good sunscreen and a hat. Load some great trashy novels on your e-reader and you’re set!
B-) </p>
<p>I went to Turks and Caicos in March and I don’t remember it being humid. I was coming from the Gulf South though! </p>
<p>You can use a pretty rayon sarong as a coverup when you get up out of your chair and walk around or a plain old pair of nylon shorts. I’ve drifted towards the shorts over the years because they dry almost instantly and then I can ride a bike with a bathing suit on and the shorts and I’m set. </p>
<p>Turks and Caicos is/was considered one of the top dive sites in the world. I’m not sure if rising water temp has changed this. Anyway, the water is so clear that when we went out with some scuba divers, we could easily see an anchor on the bottom and it was 60 feet down! We just rented masks, fins and snorkels. No need to dive when you can see so clearly.</p>
<p>The coral reef at Governer’s Beach at the south tip of Grand Turk comes into 3 feet of water. A bit tricky since I remember feeling like I was going to scrape my belly on the coral. There were jellyfish that day, which spoiled it, but we went around the point and snorkeled in a different spot and it was great! No jellies and lots of other fish. </p>
<p>The islands are known for Conch shells, and they’re all over the beaches. People there like to eat conch fritters.</p>
<p>When we were there (20+ years ago) they used the American dollar as currency and hitchhiking was safe and officially encouraged so less people would need cars. We hitched quite a bit. We also rented a little motor bike one day and cruised around. Enjoy your time! </p>
<p>T&C is not always super warm in March. I once went to the Bahamas in early march and froze! Remember it is not very far south. I would definitely bring one pair of long pants and maybe a lightweight sweater just in case. Other than that, be comfortable! It’s a casual place!</p>
<p>We’ve been to T&C three times-- once was pretty windy, so you may want a light sweater for night time. A sarong, nice and big is great for walking the beach. I never saw anyone topless on Grace Beach–though I might have missed it, lol. If your hair is long and it’s windy, bring things to tie your hair back or it will drive you nuts. We once went to T&C and our luggage NEVER GOT THERE. I am here to tell you that you can survive without a lot of clothes–we bought a little spendy resort wear and some frightening cheap stuff at the local “department store” (that was hilarious and fun). Photos from that trip basically show my family in the same two sets of clothes and same swimwear every. single. day. Didn’t matter–paradise is paradise. Our luggage came home a month later. </p>
<p>I spent the last 4 hours trying on swimsuits and came home with a “tankini” top and these tiny little shorts that are attached to a swim bottom. They cover about 2 inches of my inner thighs which is a good thing. I just found out there is a washing machine in the unit so that will cut down on tees.</p>
<p>Topless beach huh? Great now I get to jealously look at all the perky boobs of the younger crowd!</p>
<p>Has anyone ever traveled with their own liquor? The only alcohol I can tolerate is Polish potato vodka and I’m assuming they won’t carry that in the local liquor stores. Do I just wrap it well and put it in my checked bag?</p>
<p>H got a wine bottle picnic set once. A brilliant gift as it allows us to take two 750 ml bottles in our checked bag and not worry about breakage. You could wrap your vodka in bubble wrap and then stash it in one of those giant ziplocs and put the whole thing in an empty shoebox in case the TSA checks your bags and doesn’t repack so well. Drink it all and you’ll have some extra space in your bag to bring home goodies in!</p>
<p>Friends who camp a lot swear by Nalgene bottles. They say they don’t leak and don’t impart a flavor. You can get them at Container Store if you don’t have outdoor store nearby. Disclaimer, this is second hand advice.
Edited to add - TandC beach is now on our bucket list. Thanks for the link!</p>
<p>We’ll be at Grace Bay Club in mid-March ourselves. We’ve never been to T&C, but we’re looking forward to it. I usually wear rash guards (sun shirts) because I don’t enjoy sunburns and there seems to be more skin to cover than there was when I was 20. </p>
<p>There appear to be casual dining choices, and in my experience, it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission. </p>
<p>I always pack far too many ‘pretty’ beach cover-ups for our resort vacations and then end up wearing one favorite every day-- a loose tank dress with an empire waist. It doesn’t offer protection from the sun, but I end up too hot wearing the long sleeved tunic type of cover-up. </p>
<p>Perhaps the yoga pants would work for morning lounging.</p>
<p>I love sundresses and sweaters for evening, but you probably have a lot of latitude. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Added T&C to our beach bucket list, too… I’m thinking by next year I might be able to spring for an anniversary trip, seeing these vrbo prices. Make sure you report back on how your trip went afterward!</p>
<p>We went to T&C several years ago. The beaches are divine. Read up on Trip Advisor; that’s where we got info, including directions to a sublime hidden beach. We rented a bike and rode to a quiet beach one day, but enjoyed Grace Bay most of the time. And went snorkeling one day. As for dress, I remember very casual. I didn’t get dressed up. I know I had shorts and probably a light skirt and various t-shirts and tanks. There wasn’t that much to do there other than lie on the beach. At least when we were there, there wasn’t a lot of development. If you’re into night clubs or dancing, or like to do lots of stuff during the day like go to museums or historical sites or wander around quaint towns, T&C isn’t for you. We love to lie on the beach for hours, so it was heaven for us. </p>
<p>The advice I follow when traveling to the Caribbean is take half the clothes you think you need and twice the money! </p>
<p>I would plan out your clothes, realizing you will spend most of your time in a bathing suit, so shorts can be worn a few days. I would take a second bathing suit, as putting on a wet bathing suit is Yuck. </p>
<p>I also take 1-2 days of clothes, plus my bathing suit in my carry on in the event my luggage doesn’t make it. (Actually went to St John last Aprils. Just carry on). You can take booze with you, however, depending the airports you fly through, it may/may not make it due to airline employee theft. San Juan is one of the worst airports for this. </p>
<p>Very jealous, as were waking up to single digit temps once again today. 40F at Super Bowl kickoff will be a heat wave to NYC. </p>
<p>Yes, if you have a washer and dryer, you really don’t need a lot. You won’t use a lot. It’s true that there’s not a lot of nightlife there (though more than there used to be). </p>
<p>We also spend a day at a hidden beach on the other side of Provo (the main island)-- Bonefish Cay? Bonefish Point? Truly the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life, and I’ve been to the Caribbean many many times. The beaches and water in T&C are the stuff of dreams (unless it’s windy. That trip was kind of disappointing). Explore a little if you can. I’ve also swum with Jojo, the resident dolphin (totally a surprise to see him!). </p>
<p>Do any of you have recommendations for attire at restaurants and/or restaurants to recommend? I refuse to get very dressed up (it’s my vacation, I’m paying, and I don’t feel like it). Two teens and my wife feel similarly, but we do enjoy a good meal. I guess my question is: how poorly can we be dressed and still get a great meal?</p>
<p>By way of reference, on the French side of Saint Martin, you could get a great meal wearing a polo shirt and shorts. Same on T&C?</p>
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