A year ago this week I set off on ten days of island-hopping through two of my favourite corners of the Atlantic: three nights across Harbour Island and Eleuthera in The Bahamas, then a week exploring Turks & Caicos, from Parrot Cay and Grace Bay to the wonderfully untouched South Caicos. Ten properties, four inter-island flights, a handful of boats and more golf buggies than I can count. The pairing is exactly what I’m booking for clients this winter, so here’s what I found, and where I’d send you.
getting there
British Airways fly direct from Heathrow to Nassau, and from there the Outer Islands are just a short hop away. I was through passport control in around 30 minutes, then onto a 20-minute Pineapple Air flight to North Eleuthera. From the airstrip it’s a five-minute taxi to Three Island Dock and a five-minute water taxi across to Harbour Island. It sounds like a lot of moving parts, but it’s all part of the charm, and it means you arrive feeling as though you’ve truly left the world behind.
Travelling on to Turks & Caicos, I flew back to Nassau and connected with BA to Providenciales, and this is the detail that makes the pairing work so well. British Airways’ direct flight from London stops in Nassau and then continues on to Providenciales, so you can fly out to The Bahamas, island-hop, pick the same route up again to Turks & Caicos and fly home from Provo. One open-jaw booking covers both countries, which also makes this a lovely trip for anyone using Avios. Within Turks & Caicos, interCaribbean runs short hops between the islands, and South Caicos is only 20 to 30 minutes from Provo. You can also fly into South Caicos direct from Miami, which opens up another option altogether: start in the quiet and finish on Grace Bay, or route home via Miami.
the bahamas: harbour island and eleuthera
Harbour Island: Bahama House
My first night was at Bahama House, part of the Eleven Experience collection and one of the oldest houses on the island, dating back to around 1800. It feels more like staying at a very stylish friend’s home than a hotel: a handwritten welcome note on the bed, pineapple-print wallpaper, a veranda overlooking the pool and gardens, and lunch that I’m still thinking about (the fish tacos!). I absolutely loved it.
Everyone gets around Harbour Island by golf buggy, and Bahama House will have one waiting for you, although you can also hire bikes or walk depending on where you stay. The hotel has its own guests-only spot on the famous pink-sand beach, with a dedicated host on hand to set you up for the day. A cold front had just rolled in during my visit, so the sea was rougher than usual, but even under grey skies the beaches were unreal.
Eleuthera: The Farm and The Other Side
From Harbour Island it’s just a ten-minute private boat ride across to The Other Side’s dock on Eleuthera. The Other Side is a beachfront hotel with a beautiful pool (they recently hosted a wedding with a walkway built right across it), and its sister property, The Farm, sits just across the path.
The Farm is utterly charming, and quite unlike anywhere else I’ve stayed. It’s run by the equally charming Steven, whose one condition on accepting the General Manager role was that he would never have to wear shoes again. True barefoot luxury. There are 12 cottages set around a pool and gardens, and the whole property is part of an ambitious farming project, with a vast solar array providing both power and shade for the hydroponic gardens and hens. My favourite touch: each cottage comes with a portable record player and a beautifully curated selection of vinyl. It’s so easy to switch off here.
Good to know
sunday brunch at the farm
The Farm’s Sunday brunch is a lovely way to experience it even if you’re staying elsewhere. When I visited it was around US$150 per adult and US$75 per child under 13, including food, soft drinks, wine, beer, rosé, VAT and gratuity. Cottages start from around US$500 a night off-peak. Ask me for current rates; they move with the season.
Eleuthera: The Cove
On the way down the island I stopped in at The Cove, near Gregory Town. It’s a stunning property with lush, manicured grounds, two beautiful beaches, a Technogym-equipped fitness centre and bright, airy villas. It’s a great choice if you want a more polished resort feel on Eleuthera, and it works well for families too.
Eleuthera: The Potlatch Club
My final Bahamas stop was The Potlatch Club near Governor’s Harbour, an intimate boutique hideaway of just 11 rooms, where (so the story goes) one of The Beatles honeymooned in the 1960s. I loved this place. The rooms are serene and beautifully done in white and blue, the pool looks out through the palms to the beach, and the beach itself is simply glorious. When I asked my followers whether they’d like to stay, the answer was a resounding “1000000%”. I couldn’t agree more: can we stay forever, please?
Before leaving Eleuthera, I also joined a guided walk at the Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, run by the Bahamas National Trust. It’s a peaceful, fascinating introduction to the island’s native plants and bush medicine, and well worth an hour of your morning.
I’ve now been to 18 Caribbean islands, and I have absolutely fallen in love with The Bahamas. The Outer Islands in particular have a laid-back, barefoot elegance that’s hard to find anywhere else.
turks & caicos: private islands, grace bay and south caicos
COMO Parrot Cay
Next I flew on to Providenciales and took a speedboat across to COMO Parrot Cay. It’s a 35-minute ride, and from the moment you step onto the jetty the pace changes. Parrot Cay is a 1,000-acre private island with three miles of its own beach, and the resort occupies only a sliver of it, so what you feel most is space and quiet. It has long been a favourite of those looking for total privacy (drones aren’t permitted, which tells you something about its guest list), and the houses along the beach have belonged to some very famous names over the years.
The atmosphere is relaxed and barefoot-luxe. Accommodation runs from garden and ocean-facing rooms in the main house to beach villas with private pools and butler service, and the houses at the far end of the island for families or groups who want a compound of their own. For a honeymoon I’d book one of the Beach Houses, where the pool is yours and the beach is a few steps away; for a family, one of the larger villas with its own kitchen and staff, so the days run at the children’s pace.
The heart of it is the COMO Shambhala Retreat, which is reason enough to visit on its own. Daily yoga and pilates are included, with open-air pavilions looking into the wetlands, and the spa menu runs from Asian-inspired massage to the full Shambhala wellness programmes. The food follows the same thread: the Shambhala menu sits alongside the main restaurants, so you can eat as virtuously or as indulgently as you like. Give yourself at least one long afternoon in the spa and one dinner with your feet in the sand.
For families there’s a dedicated children’s programme with its own space, and the calm, shallow water on the island’s lee side suits small children. It’s the most grown-up of the private islands I visited, and the one I’d choose for a honeymoon or a proper switch-off; Ambergris Cay, below, is the livelier, all-inclusive alternative. If total privacy is the brief, this is where I start.
Ambergris Cay
From Provo’s private aviation terminal I flew out to Ambergris Cay, an all-inclusive private island at the southern end of the chain. The arrival is seamless and personal, the suites and villas are generous, and I was struck by how thoughtfully the island hosts look after you. It’s ideal for couples or families who want to feel completely away from it all, and a turtle joined me for sunrise, which rather sealed it.
Grace Bay: Wymara Resort + Villas
Back on Providenciales, I spent a night at Wymara in an Oceanfront Studio right on Grace Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Wymara has a sleek, contemporary feel, with Indigo as its signature restaurant, Blue Water Bistro and Pink Bar for something more casual, and a lovely spa. It’s a brilliant base if you want to be on Grace Bay with plenty of dining on your doorstep.
Providenciales: Rock House
On the island’s quieter north shore, Rock House is Grace Bay Resorts’ cliffside hideaway: whitewashed villas stepping down the rock to a private cove, an infinity pool that seems to pour straight into the Atlantic, and a Mediterranean mood that feels a world away from the beach resorts twenty minutes down the road. It’s the one I’d suggest for couples who want Providenciales without the Grace Bay bustle, and it pairs beautifully with a few nights on one of the private islands.
South Caicos: Salterra
Then came the highlight of the trip. I landed at Salterra, a Luxury Collection resort on South Caicos, and my message home that night said simply: “One word: WOW!!!!”
South Caicos feels like the Turks & Caicos of decades ago, quiet, authentic and utterly unspoilt, and Salterra is the perfect way to experience it. There’s an adults-only pool, a fabulous kids’ club, a spa, food trucks and five other dining options, and the adventures team is amazing. Kite-surfing lessons, boat excursions and ATV trips are all on offer, with something for every age.
I joined their Caicos Bank Adventure, a boat trip across impossibly clear, shallow water to what can only be described as starfish alley, with bright red starfish scattered across the sandy seabed beneath us. From the air, the sandbars and turquoise flats around South Caicos are just as breathtaking. I absolutely LOVED Salterra.
Grace Bay: The Palms and The Shore Club
After a 20-minute interCaribbean flight back to Providenciales, I spent my final day seeing two more of the island’s best-loved resorts. The Palms, on Grace Bay, is elegant and grown-up, with a gorgeous thatched beach bar. The Shore Club, on quieter Long Bay Beach, has lovely suites and villas and a pool with hanging swing chairs that’s hard to leave. Both are excellent choices depending on whether you want to be in the thick of Grace Bay or somewhere a little more tucked away.
Good to know
my tips for planning your trip
- Combine the two. The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos pair beautifully, with easy connections via Nassau. Harbour Island and Eleuthera for charm and pink sand, then Turks & Caicos for world-class beaches and a touch of private-island luxury.
- Don’t just stay in one place. A night or two on Harbour Island, a few on Eleuthera, then Provo. Venturing on to the other islands is an absolute must for any Turks & Caicos itinerary: you won’t be disappointed.
- Leave time for connections. Inter-island flights are short but small, so I always build in a buffer for my clients.
- Pack light and casual. Golf buggies, boats and small planes mean soft bags and resort wear are your friends.
- Check the season. November can bring the occasional cold front, and the sea can be choppier, but you’ll be rewarded with quieter beaches. December to April is the sweet spot.
why book the bahamas and turks & caicos with Liv& Travel®
Ten properties in ten days means I can recommend every one of these from first-hand experience, and that makes all the difference when it comes to choosing the right island, the right room and the right time of year.
Liv& Travel® is a proud member agency of Takumians by Traveller Made, an invite-only global collective of leading travel designers recognised for precision, discretion and exceptional client experiences. Membership opens the door to a trusted network of the world’s finest hotels, where eligible stays can include VIP recognition and exclusive benefits such as early check-in and room upgrades, subject to availability.
When you book with us, you also enjoy:
- First-hand advice. Impartial guidance on which islands to pair, where to stay and when to go, from someone who has actually stayed.
- Seamless logistics. BA flights, inter-island hops, boats and buggies arranged around you, with the right buffers built in.
- Financial protection. See how your booking is protected.
- Flexible payment. Deposit options and payment by card, bank transfer or crypto.
- Support that never switches off. A 24/7 WhatsApp line before, during and long after your trip.
plan your own island-hopping journey
Whether it’s a honeymoon on Harbour Island, a family adventure at Salterra or a two-centre Bahamas and Turks & Caicos escape this winter, I’d love to help you plan it. Tell me how you like to travel and I’ll design a journey around you.
Prefer to talk first? Call +44 (0) 1869 228 026 or message us on WhatsApp.
Discreet. Personal. No obligation.
With thanks to the hotels and partners who hosted me along the way.
