My Review of a Multi-Generational Family Trip to Turks and Caicos

I just got back from a trip to Turks and Caicos with my husband, our daughter Wallace, my husband's parents, and my brother- and sister-in-law along with their one-year-old son, Wyatt. This was truly a family trip, so you could say I was viewing Turks and Caicos through a new lens — does it pass the multi-generational family test?

I'm here to tell you why I think it most certainly does! I'm sharing our experience from the travel to the accommodations and the extra details that made it really excellent. If you've been itching to plan a tropical getaway, or maybe Turks and Caicos is already booked, feel free to reach out so we can make sure your trip is just as dreamy.

The Accommodations

We stayed in a Beach Enclave villa on Long Bay in Turks and Caicos. You can think of it as the perfect blend between an independent residence and a luxury resort. Beach Enclave has a collection of villas on Long Bay, Grace Bay, and North Shore, with a variety of sizes depending on how many people are traveling in your group.

Our villa had four bedrooms and four bathrooms, which gave us plenty of space with the babies. It was beachfront, included a private pool (a necessity with babies and kids!), and was just steps from the beach. Having everyone under one roof made mornings and evenings so much easier, and there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out when they needed a little downtime.

And here's the real kicker — every villa has a butler assigned to it. We were so thankful to have Pema with us during our stay. She truly made the trip so relaxing and stress-free.

Things can get cluttered and messy quickly when you're traveling with a group, especially when everyone is sharing one home. Pema took care of the dishes, the laundry, helped keep the villa tidy, even played with Wallace and Wyatt, and really removed the stress of clean-up entirely from our plates. It sounds like a small thing, but those little tasks are what usually keep you from fully relaxing on vacation.

The perk of having an in-home butler is built into your total booking price, and I can assure you — if you're traveling with a group and are really prioritizing relaxation, this was worth every penny. We came back to Charleston feeling genuinely refreshed, which isn't always something you can say after traveling with a baby!

The Location + Food

If you've been to Turks and Caicos, you know it's not the most pedestrian-friendly island depending on where you stay. I also don't typically recommend that clients rent a car since they drive on the opposite side of the road, and many of the vehicles have the steering wheel on the opposite side as well. Add kids and carseats into the mix, and taxis aren’t as easy as they once were.

Since we weren't staying at a traditional resort with multiple restaurants on property, it was important that we thought about dining ahead of time. Thankfully, our villa was steps away from one of Beach Enclave's restaurants, which was perfect for our group and the different schedules and needs of each couple. It was so easy to walk over for dinner or quickly head back to the villa if one of the babies needed to go down for bed.

There was also a floating bar just off the beach from our villa that served lunch and drinks. Highly recommend the jerk chicken wings and a rum punch while you're there!

Beach Enclave also made planning ahead incredibly easy. Before our trip, we received a grocery checklist and everything we requested was stocked in the villa before we arrived. If we needed anything else throughout the week, they could handle additional grocery runs for us. It was one less thing to think about, and those little conveniences really add up over the course of a vacation.

We also opted for a private chef one evening, and it ended up being one of my favorite nights of the trip. We were able to choose from around ten different menus and landed on the Caribbean option. The meal was served family-style, and everything from the seafood to the conch fritters and jerk chicken was incredible. If you're celebrating something special or just don't want to think about dinner one night, this is a really great option!

Activities

Between our private pool and the beach, we really couldn't have asked for much more. Our villa also included a complimentary kite surfing lesson, so naturally I took advantage of that. And let me tell you — if I can learn, anyone can!

Turks and Caicos is the perfect place to try it. The water is unbelievably blue, the waves were calm while we were there, and the steady wind made learning surprisingly approachable. It ended up being one of those experiences that pushed me just outside my comfort zone and was so much more fun than I anticipated!

If kite surfing isn't for you, I would absolutely recommend reserving a boat for the day or renting jet skis. The water is just too beautiful not to spend as much time on it as possible.

The Beach

One of my favorite things about Long Bay Beach is how far you can walk into the water while it stays shallow. You can easily walk out a long way and still only be in hip-deep water, which made it such a fun spot for families with young children.

I'm asked frequently about seaweed on Caribbean beaches, so let's address it. The short answer is yes, there was seaweed during our stay. However, it didn't impact our trip one bit. There was still plenty of beach to enjoy, the water was every bit as beautiful as we'd hoped, and crews were out every morning cleaning it up.

I certainly wouldn't let concerns about seaweed keep you from visiting Turks and Caicos (or anywhere other destination on your bucket list). If you book the right accommodations, the staff is typically very diligent about maintaining the beach, and in our experience, it was a complete non-issue.

Traveling There

Okay, so I lost a little faith in American Airlines. For whatever reason, we couldn't get Wallace checked in before our flight, which caused us to miss our original departure and rebook everything. It definitely wasn't the easiest start to the trip, but thankfully things got much smoother once we landed.

One thing I absolutely recommend is paying for the VIP airport arrival service. If you've been through customs in Turks and Caicos before, you know the lines can get incredibly long, and after a full travel day, standing in the heat with a baby wasn’t something I was willing to do if I could avoid it.

The VIP service escorted us through the airport, helped us navigate customs, and got us through much more quickly. It was well worth the additional cost, especially for families or anyone who simply wants to start their vacation a little sooner. It's something I always recommend to clients and can easily help arrange!

Final Thoughts

Between the villa, the activities, the private butler, the incredible food, and the ease of everything from grocery delivery to in-home help, Turks and Caicos was a ten out of ten for the type of travel we were looking for.

Again, this was a multi-generational trip with three couples and two babies under two years old, so our biggest priorities were ease and relaxation. Turks and Caicos delivered both!

Whether you're planning a honeymoon, a family vacation, or a trip with extended family like ours, I'd absolutely recommend considering Beach Enclave. And if you're thinking about planning your own Turks and Caicos getaway, I'd love to help you find the right accommodations, arrange the little details, and make sure your trip is every bit as seamless as ours was. My inbox is always open to you! If you’re ready to reach out, you can contact me here!