Folks who know the Caribbean well, will go to Grand Turk Island for one key reason -- to enjoy some of the best coral & fish life, & stunningly clear visibility, that you'll find anywhere in the Eastern Caribbean. Grand Turk is not an island for non-divers. You come here to see awesome fish & corals & sea walls, & to relax, not to party down. That's the ticket here in the incomparably lovely Turks & Caicos.

Grand Turk island has only a few hotels of note, & they are somewhat humble in comparison to those on other neighbor islands. Grand Turk Island is basically flat & its best sandy beaches are located in remote corners, for example. The way of life here is simple & slow, but the people are exceptionally friendly & helpful. What makes Grand Turk diving special is the amazing clarity of its turquoise water, the completely healthy corals, almost free of human touch, the wildly abundant fish life that seems to swarm around you on good days. The locals are some of the kindest & most laid back folks you'll find anywhere in the Caribbean. Grand Turk is still the relatively unsung gem of the Turks and Caicos. We predict Grand Turk diving will catch fire & the island of Grand Turk will be an increasingly hot destination in this next decade with scuba divers eager to escape the madding crowds. Now here's an interesting angle on Grand Turk diving, the real pearl of Turks & Caicos diving. We knew Grand Turk diving was hot, but we did not know the scuba diving world had gotten so hip, so quickly, to this secret of the early '90s. Grand Turk diving rules, the readers seem to be saying. Turks and Caicos diving never need be ho-hum, you know. Our dive tours are electrifying, when we match your expectations with the "just right" feel of an island like this one.

In the 2002 Reader’s Survey published by Rodale’s Scuba Diving magazine, Grand Turk Island was ranked as follows among ALL of its fellow Caribbean isles (& there are some beauties):

· #1 for Best Dive Operator Value / Worldwide.

· #1 for Best Advanced Diving / Caribbean & Atlantic.

· #2 for Best Dive Destination / Caribbean & Atlantic.

· #3 for Best Value / Caribbean & Atlantic.

· #3 for Best Wall Diving / Caribbean & Atlantic.

· #3 for Healthiest Marine Environment.

Map of Grand Turk island in the Turks & Caicos.

What’s more, Rodale’s Scuba Diving magazine readers rated the staff of Sea Eye Diving a full A+, while the service was rated an A value. If you really want to get away from city life, you'll never find a crowd on Grand Turk. There are only about 100 hotel rooms on the whole island. Among the best of these rooms are at the seaside lodge that used to be called "Kittina Hotel," & now has been renamed Sitting Pretty Hotel, after the government took over & refurbished it extensively last year.

Cecil Ingham for many years has run the island's best dive operation, & his experienced team is widely respected for the quality of their guiding, as well as their down-home easygoing attitude at Sea Eye Diving. They know all the best secret nooks & crannies of Grand Turk's mammoth undersea walls & they'll share those secrets with you on dive days that are enormous fun. This is some of the very best scuba diving you'll find anywhere in the Caribbean -- bar none. Cecil & Connie are the Godfather & Godmother of serious Turks and Caicos diving. They have been well-known around the Turks & Caicos for many years, as expert scuba diving guides & exceptionally warm, hospitable diving hosts. It's tough to find better diving guides than these folks at Sea Eye Diving -- anywhere. They are well regarded in Turks and Caicos diving circles, the dive pros agree. Their dive tours fill quickly during peak seasons. We really recommend them in earnest, stick with Sea Eye Diving.

On Grand Turk island you can play in shallow coral beds with water that's warm & clean, or you can dive the deeper walls for some bigger fish & bigger thrills. In summer it's common to see mantas cruising by; in February & March, many divers get to experience the wonder & adrenaline when schools of humpback whales move through the Turks & Caicos en route to their summer habitat. Most of the year, in many secret nooks & crannies of the Turks & Caicos, you'll be delighted by huge colorful corals & weird little creatures such as frogfish, batfish & seahorses. Photographers will be in heaven on Grand Turk island. You can get your E-6 processed in a jiffy, too. Cecil & Connie are dedicated divers; you'll love to share your scuba adventures with them. They'll teach you a bundle about the underwater flora & fauna of Grand Turk Island. Starting to see what we mean about how special Grand Turk diving still is, in a Caribbean region that has been dived to bits in a lot of island sectors.

Several of the hotels on Grand Turk recently got a major facelift, with new floors, drapes & paint job. The ocean views are splendid & the service is very attentive. There's not a lot of night life on Grand Turk, which is why the art of fine conversation is alive & thriving here. Check out Grand Turk diving & Grand Turk resorts for some splendid dive travel options. This is an island where the fine art of hospitality has been refined to the Nth degree. Grand Turk hotels are calm, cool & convivial. Grand Turk dive resorts are an oasis of easy living.

All dive package prices listed here for Grand Turk resorts & Grand Turk hotels are subject to possible change in this steadily evolving travel market. Lodging, side tour & diving prices are traditionally stable, while air prices can fluctuate daily. Until air tickets are issued, all airlines reserve the right to change airfares without notice -- an industry standard per FAA rules. We at U.S. Dive Travel will price-protect you to the utmost of our professional ability; & that has been our pledge for one decade now. Our tropical vacation experts normally secure excellent wholesale discount air tickets for our clients who book Grand Turk resorts early enough to secure limited seats in the best price categories. Remember please, the federal government has deregulated all U.S.-based airlines, so only they control their pricing -- not any travel professionals. Early is good when seeking the best air ticket rates to these Grand Turk resorts.

Unless specifically noted, these above scuba diving packages are prices for only the land-based portion of the dive resorts, in most cases reflecting double-occupancy rooms. At many dive resorts, there will be no triple-occupancy rooms offered. Some exceptions will be noted. International air tickets & commuter "island-hopper" seats are always extra above these land costs. Nominal service fees are also extra for air tickets & the vessel + side tour components. The baseline tariffs for all clients start at $35 per person for the land portion + $20 pp for the air tickets. Late-booking clients may receive slightly higher tariffs on the lodging + diving at many of our dive resorts. Solo clients will always pay a single supplement to secure a private room -- normally 35% to 50% more than the standard double-occupancy rate at some dive resorts.

The preferred payment mode for all of our Grand Turk resorts, Grand Turk hotels, Grand Turk side tours & air ticket specials is by cashier's check or wire transfer in U.S. dollars. All clients living outside the USA or Canada will need to pay for their dive vacations via direct wire transfer only. No personal checks will be accepted for the land portion or air tickets of any reservation. Thank you for your gracious understanding. Our service level is the highest & our prices the lowest in this industry, & thus we need to preserve a reasonable margin. For published-fare air ticket bookings, USDT always accepts Visa & Mastercard. For ultra-discount wholesale air tickets, USDT accepts only cashier's checks or wire transfers, please.

Remember, all tropical vacation clients to all foreign destinations will be asked by local officials overseas, upon departing the airport on your final day, to pay a nominal government departure tax, usually between USD $25 - $40 per client. USDT cannot collect this tax beforehand, so you simply pay it down there, in your host country. Be sure to stash away a little cash for this final moment at the airport, so you'll get your exit visa stamped quickly with no fuss; & away you go. Best of luck with your dive travel plans. We hope your scuba diving vacation is a safe & satisfying adventure. Blessings & best wishes with ALL your dive vacations at our Grand Turk hotels.

Best fishes too!

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John Hessburg & Susan Hessburg, Mgrs.
U.S. Dive Travel Network.