Author: plusroi

“Is Halloween celebrated in the Caribbean?” is one of the questions our concierge gets asked a lot at this time of year. The answer? “It’s complicated.”

Halloween itself is generally not observed in Caribbean culture, which can be quite religious. More than 90 per cent of people in the Turks and Caicos identify as Christian, compared to the more secular United States. For this reason, and also because Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory, with many British rather than American traditions, Halloween is not as much a part of the culture as on the mainland.

What Does Halloween Come From?

Halloween’s origins date back 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1, the end of summer and the fall harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. On the night of October 31 it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, and the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins.

The Roman Empire would eventually conquer the majority of Celtic territory, and two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic Samhain celebration—the first was a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. Later on the Roman Catholic Church would observe All Martyr’s Day on November 1st.

Celebrating Halloween With Your Kids in Turks and Caicos

Having been secularized, Halloween has become one of the most popular festivals in the world. Halloween is now celebrated in Turks and Caicos each year, making a late-October or early-November holiday in Turks and Caicos great for families.

Different resorts host Halloween celebrations each year, and events for families are typically held in and around the Bight neighborhood, just off central Grace Bay Beach. In past years a Halloween party was held at Provo Elementary School, but each year it often depends on the resort to organized events, so be sure to check TripAdvisor for up-to-date information.

Maskanoo

While there is no connection to Halloween or All Hallow’s Eve, there is another celebration on Providenciales that features, costumes, food and treats for children.

Maskanoo is an annual event in the Turks and Caicos and is held “Boxing Day”, the day after Christmas (a holiday in Commonwealth countries like TCI).

Maskanoo has its roots in the ‘Masses’, a masquerade tradition that fuses traditional African culture with costumed balls held in the colonial era. On Provo, Maskanoo originated with enslaved people brought by the Bermudian salt rakers to work the salt ponds of  Salt Cay, and South Caicos two hundred years ago.

4 Fun Offbeat Family Activities for Halloween

No matter where in the world you are, here are some fun Halloween activities to do with your kids:

1. Go “Booing”

“Booing” is a popular new Halloween tradition that involves secretly dropping off a homemade goodie on a friend or neighbor’s doorstep. The catch? Your gift should also include a note or poem instructing your friend or neighbor to do the same. For children, ringing the doorbell and running away without getting caught is almost as much fun as trying to figure out who “booed” you.

2. Tell scary stories by candlelight.

In this age of iPads and Alexa speakers, reading by candlelight will be a special experience for your children, So, for the week before Halloween, tell spooky stories at bedtime. Light several candles to make it extra spooky and at the end of storytime let each kid blow one out.

3. Have a Halloween fashion show

For an excellent rainy-day activity in October, just before Halloween, make some cards with costume ideas (a policeman, a chef, a fitness instructor, etc.), have your kids pick an idea from a hat. Then, make them pull together a costume to match that idea.

After that, have them walk the “scaredy-catwalk” to show off.

4. Take a family vacation

Another tradition you could start for your family would be a nice vacation. Most families take their vacations during the summer and winter break from school. By scheduling your vacation near Halloween, you will avoid most of the travel problems that are associated with peak vacation times and costs. May we suggest the Turks and Caicos?

What do you like to do when visiting the Turks and Caicos?

Have you celebrated Halloween with your kids on Provo? Let us know in the comments below! Your insights and suggestions will help other visitors plan the perfect Caribbean vacation in the Turks and Caicos!

The rush is on and our teams are working hard to finalize all the refresh projects and last-minute details in anticipation of your arrival. The resort is looking spectacular, and we are so excited to welcome you to our shores and to our award-winning resort. Although the last few weeks were a bit challenging, there is no lack of enthusiasm amongst our team at The Sands.

Franklyn Bain, pool and beach supervisor meticulously sets the cushions around the pool.

Delroy McIntosh exudes so much pride and joy as he tests the umbrellas around the pool.

Eddy Joseph, pool and beach attendant is making sure those pool tiles in the main pool are sparkling!

Even the walls got a sprinkle of fresh water, Ronald Bien Aime washing the inside walls at Hemingway’s, while Dary Tousaint and Renard Dorcely sweep and mop and dust every corner at Hemingway’s Restaurant.

We Are Ready! On Location from the Beautiful by Nature Turks and Caicos Islands!

We are very pleased to share that through this unprecedented hurricane season, The Hartling Group Resorts; The Sands at Grace Bay, The Palms Turks and Caicos and The Shore Club Long Bay Beach sustained no major structural damages and the properties are so pleased to reopen as scheduled on Saturday, September 30th following minor repairs, cleanup and enhancement projects. Our teams are safe and sound and we do not expect any disruptions to the guest experience as we reopen and head into our premier season and welcome holiday travelers.

We’re so grateful for the ongoing messages of support and encouragement, and our thoughts remain with those that were severely affected by the hurricanes in Turks and Caicos Islands, the Caribbean and beyond. The island of Turks & Caicos has seen community leaders and members rallying together to lend support and help rebuild for one another, and our priority continues to be the welfare of our staff and our local community. The Hartling Group properties have been assisting community organizations and relief workers from the Salvation Army, United Nations, Digicel, Fortis and many more as they help get the island and its wonderful communities back together.

We would also like to share the following joint statement from the Turks & Caicos Islands Ministry of Tourism and Turks & Caicos Islands Tourist Board regarding Hurricane Maria and future travel to the destination: “The Turks and Caicos has done a full assessment of our islands and communities and are pleased to report that there has been no lasting damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s passage. Electricity, water and communication is intact and businesses are up and running. All flights in and out of Providenciales, South Caicos and Grand Turk have resumed normal operations as of Saturday morning, our hoteliers and destination partners are working at full speed and continuing their preparations to re-open, and our beaches and beautiful islands stand strong and ready to welcome guests.” ~ Minister of Tourism, Honourable Ralph Higgs

Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Karen Whitt remarked, “Our team’s spirits are at an all-time high as we have joined hands and hearts to work together, to not only restore our resorts but to also enhance areas for maximum guest services. We are so happy to welcome guests back to our shores on September 30th, and we can’t wait to share those unparalleled experiences that guests of Hartling Group resorts expect and look forward to. We will continue to provide updates on our Blog page of each resorts website, you can visit for daily updates and information.”

For reservations, please call toll-free our reservations department at (877) 777-2637, or email us at [email protected].

Now that it’s officially fall, travel season is almost upon us. The days are growing shorter, and the weather is getting colder and wetter… or worse. To prepare you for the months of icy snow and darkness ahead we have some new information on direct flights to Turks and Caicos. We also have some tips on how to find cheap tickets to save money on your vacation on warm and sandy Grace Bay Beach.

Southwest to Offer Direct Flights to Turks and Caicos

Southwest Airlines has announced they will offer direct flights from Fort Lauderdale to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) in Turks and Caicos starting November 5.

These flights will connect in Fort Lauderdale to and from cities in the eastern half of the United States such as Baltimore, New York, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa and Washington DC.

As well  Southwest will be offering new direct flights from Nashville to Providenciales, with service expected to start in November, 2017. Fares and flight schedules to Providenciales have yet to be announced, so stay tuned!

List of Flights to Turks and Caicos

There are direct flights between Providenciales Airport (PLS) and many cities throughout North America and Canada, including New York, Atlanta, Miami, Toronto and Montreal.

While schedules are still being determined for fall and winter 2017, for daily flights please consult the Turks and Caicos Airport Authority, or check out the airlines’ websites for up-to-date information:

If you want more information, as always, be sure to contact our reservations desk.

Tips on Getting Cheap Tickets to Turks and Caicos

For some people, the actual planning process is one of the most enjoyable parts of taking a vacation. It’s always a challenge to hunt down the best flight deals, and most of us are familiar with these tips:

• Book six weeks in advance
• Scan for morning deals
• Always buy on Tuesdays at 3PM EST
• Cheapest day to fly: Wednesday

However, there are even more tips that will help you save big while planning a vacation to Turks and Caicos. Here are some of them:

1. Search for tickets one at a time

Typically if there’s only one seat left in the lowest fare class but you’re searching for multiple tickets for your family, most automated systems will show you the highest fare for all the tickets. So, try searching one at a time, just in case there are limited seats on sale.

2. Search for flights midweek

Airlines tend to launch their sales on Tuesdays and end them on Thursdays, so don’t limit your searches to the weekends.

3. Fly on the actual holiday

It may seem counterintuitive, but the biggest savings can be found by flying on the actual holiday, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. The exception is if you’re traveling over a three-day weekend—then, everyone is looking to fly on the actual holiday, so that’s the perfect time to try and extend your vacation by a day.

4. Try to fly at least one leg of your trip on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday

Why? Because planes are least full on these days of the week, these flights usually have the lowest fares.

5. Monitor Twitter, Facebook and airline emails

Follow your favorite airlines on social media in addition to signing up for discount online travel company emails.

BONUS TIP: Try out off-peak or shoulder-season travel

During months when destinations see a lower volume of visitors, airlines respond by sometimes offering ticket prices. Here in Turks and Caicos, the quiet time of the year stretches from the summer months until early October.

Experience Perfect harmony on Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales

On September 7, Hurricane Irma passed by the island of Providenciales. It was a very intense storm that brought with it intense winds and rainfall, as well as a storm surge. Luckily, the Sands resort and beautiful Grace Bay Beach emerged relatively unscathed, and we’re on track to opening for the season as scheduled.

While the beach and the resort were lucky, a lot of our good fortune is due to the hard efforts of our excellent staff. Staff at the Sands not only prepared the resort to withstand the hurricane, they were incredibly helpful afterward by taking care of any remaining guests, as well as other visitors to Providenciales. We’re really thankful to have such a dedicated team of people who care so much.

However, while the Sands will be fine, many of our staff were more severely affected by Hurricane Irma, and have experienced life-changing events such as:

• Serious damage to or have lost the roof to their own home
• Damage so serious to their rental accommodation that they must find a new home until repairs are made

There are also staff with homes that have been completely destroyed and are without any reliable housing now.

Assist Staff Rebuilding Their Homes and Their Lives

Following in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, we are creating a fund so that you may contribute to assist some of our staff in rebuilding their homes and their lives. As mentioned, some have lost part of their roofs, some have lost truly everything.

The donation campaign is being hosted on Generosity, a community for showing and sharing compassion through socially conscious fundraising.

Anything you can contribute will be greatly appreciated.