I am a firm believer that you can tell the soul of a place straight off the plane at the airport. Focus in on a few small details and it’s all there: how the air smells, how engaged airport personnel appear (with you, not their phones), the path from plane to exit, be it longwinded and staged under fluorescent light or a bit makeshift through rogue immigration next to stray cats in the terminal.
When it came time to step out onto Providenciales, the main air strip in the cluster of islands that make up the Turks and Caicos, I knew instantly I was in for bliss. A salty warm breeze woke me from a drowsy state off the long haul as the setting sun illuminated a carpet of piercing green mangroves that met the pavement of the landing area. There was a sweetness in the air from the sweating greenery and everything moved slower – and demanded that we take its pace as shoulders dropped and steps grew shorter.
From here, a scene-setting speedboat ride brought us onto the private island retreat of Como Parrot Cay – close to North Caicos, one of the largest islands – jetting past perfect deserted beaches. Como’s Singaporean owner Christina Ong was one of the first to bring luxury onto the Turks and Caicos in 1998. Now under the careful watch of her daughter, Melissa, it remains a success story, having gone through rounds of restorations and modifications for the changes of modern life.
Today it gleams with freshly painted interiors full of light, which at all times make the most of the views of the sea’s punctuating turquoise hue. Accommodation comes in different forms, from rooms of varying sizes with balconies to standalone villas scattered throughout the island, hidden in privacy to cater to guests from Julia Roberts to Barbara Streisand and Penelope Cruz. The food at Lotus is Indo-inspired, with kicks of sambal and plays on sweet and sour typical of Asian cuisine. It’s laid out on a raised wooden deck along the beach and next to the main pool. There’s also an Italian-Mediterranean restaurant called Terrace which is less casual and tucked further inland but still overlooking those impossibly beautiful views.
Como Parrot Cay is a self-contained paradise where you feel perfectly happy to be out of touch with the world. For families, couples or solo travellers, it’s a place to feel at ease in every sense of the word. Much of this is due to the private island setting, which makes you literally feel worlds away from life’s demands or stresses, but the majority is due to the well-ironed runnings of the hotel, from smooth service to incredible food and Shambal retreats (also inspired by Indonesia). Wellness is a strength of the Como brand across all its hotels and Parrot Cay is no exception.
Painfully, it was time to tear myself away and see what else was in store. Taking the boat back onto Providenciales, we headed to Amanyara for a different serving of tropical bliss. Quintessentially Aman, the hotel is set up like a commune along a rocky limestone cliff to the southern end of Malcom’s Road beach.
Having arrived shortly after Como in 2006, Amanyara is, rarely for tropical resorts of this nature, an eye-watering testament of design. The impeccable work of architect Jean-Michel Gathy (who has since designed the brand’s other posts in Bangkok, Tokyo and New York), the hotel’s network of open-air shallas, generous use of wood and bespoke furniture make it feel like you are walking through a design show. It is full of ideas, invention and skill, yet always with the location in mind. The soaring wooden columns of the pavilions housing the two restaurants and bar frame views of a very different nature than on Parrot Cay. Its rocky limestone cliff setting and glass-walled bedroom pavilions rising out of the mangroves exude a certain edge that is invigorating. The rooms and villas are scattered inland and along the cliff on the water’s edge, where I watch for a time as waves fill mesmerising formations on the rock beds and impressions of fossilised coral.
Amanyara has a private strip of Malcom’s Road beach, where the water is so still and clear you can just about spot every grain of sand shimmering beneath your feet. It’s also the ideal spot for snorkelling and you can expect to spot turtles, sting rays and barracudas besides a world of fish.
Laying by the beach, I watch as clouds move quickly above us, making a light show of the sun over the turquoise sea. Stripes of blues reveal themselves in the shifting light. The sand holding up my feet feels compact and warm. There’s a gentle, therapeutic hissing from the mangroves and shrubbery behind. Fredi and Francesca – the two resident herons – are spotted heading for the beach restaurant in time for lunch hour. They have the right idea – but then, there’s just about no wrong way to spend your time here, happily feeling a world away from normal life.
Ways and Means
Elegant Resorts is a specialist on the region and offers a seven-night itinerary in Turks and Caicos for £8,079pp staying three nights at Como Parrot Cay and four nights at Amanyara, B&B, including flights from London Heathrow on British airways and UK airport lounge passes, as well as transfers. To book, call 01244 897514 or visit www.elegantresorts.co.uk.
