Annachuck

We're looking at a move to TCI from UK in the next few months and would really like to hear from any Brits living out there to get an idea of what it's like as a place to live with a young family. Where to rent and how much it costs/monthly outgoings/things to do/places to go/ etc!!

Any help gratefully received!!

Annachuck

Just re-read that post - would love to hear from ANYone living out there of course - not just Brits!!

bakedbean

Hey Annachuck, to the forum. Wow that sounds really exciting

I suggest you head over to the Caribbean forums here and have a browse through the posts.

Happy planning!

Sue

Hi AnnaChuck and welcome to BE,

I've taken the liberty of moving your thread to our Caribbean forum. I don't know the answer to your question as I'm in the US but I'm hopefully someone will be along soon who can give you some pointers.

Welcome again

Peggym

Hi,

Did you move to Turks in the end ? I am moving there in the beginning of march and am worried about being isolated. Would be lovely to hear about expat life there xx

kelapstick

I see this is the most recent Turks and Caicos thread, so might as well post here rather than start a new one. A lot of the previous threads are over three years old, so information might not be as current.

I am Canadian and work overseas and am looking to move (with my family) to a more tax-friendly place (a common theme for this forum I have noted). Turks and Caicos came up as a reasonable location mainly because the lack of a need for a visa for short term, and the ease of getting a year long residence permit without the need to first deposit a lot of money in a local bank. The proximity to Canada (for ease of traveling home) is also appealing (2x flights to Toronto) and the direct flight to Miami (and other locations). I would be looking to live in Provo, how large is the expat community there? Are there many expats with children? What is the grocery selection like (I had seen the IGA website, but it has limited information). I am sure I will have a lot more questions, I have done a fair bit of research, but there is limited information (that I have found).

Looking to take a trip down in November to have a look to see what it is like, would love to meet with some other expats while down there to see what they have to say.

Peggym

Hi, we recently moved here and are settling in well. We have an 8 month old and there are weekly baby groups, swimming lessons and baby signing and singing classes. For older children there are dance classes, sports, 2 play parks and swimming classes. There is less to do than back in the UK where I am from but that is to be expected.
The cost of living here is high. Especially grocery shopping as it is mostly imported from the US. However, the range of groceries available is good. There are a number of supermarkets with a good range of fresh produce. There is no organic or free range meat available though which I find disappointing.
There is a large expat community here. We have been here less than 2 months but through baby groups and classes have met a great number of expats from the uk, us and canada.
People work long hours here and most work Saturdays too. That has taken some adjusting to. However, we really like it here and may be here to stay. Let me know if you have any more questions.

kelapstick

Thanks for that, I am just starting my research into the area, and have convinced Mrs. Kelapstick that it is something we should look at in the near future. I have called our proposed vacation in November a "Fact Finding Mission".

We recently lived in Western Australia and found it difficult to meet people as there is not a lot of Canadian presence, and people from the UK tended to group together, as did people from South Africa, etc. I would think that because of the smaller population of Turks and Caicos, expats from different countries would tend to commingle a lot more than they did in WA.

Thanks for the information, I look forward to making it down to see the area.

bernardyvonne

We are thinking of move to Turks and caicos island from uk for 3year contract. House provide probably in Provo.

Advice please on everything, costs, food, drink , job for wife and golf. The more the better.

crazybint19

Hi,

I recently lived in Provo, as my husbands job was posted there. I found it really difficult to settle, I really missed the countryside and found it quite difficult living somewhere so small and didn't really find many people my age to make friends with. I also hated not working as its not easy to find work in my field (construction). My advice would be to make sure you have a good think about what is important to you and see if you can access the same types of services/activities there.

There are other things to consider, the cost of food is one, it is very expensive, but you can shop around for cheaper prices. However in terms of regular shops there is not a vast amount of choice if you want to buy items such as clothes. There is a B&Q type shop that sells most things but its not readily available like it is here. They don't have a postal system as such and the import tax is very high (around 40%). Most people find they leave the island to go shopping in Miami if they need things. The internet/phone/TV is also very expensive. Also don't make the mistake I did and think its cheap/easy to fly to other islands, often its more expensive than the UK and usually involves a trip through the US. However, you should go to DR because its a lovely place to visit.

There is lots of good things to do though, If you like beach activities and a very relaxed way of life, then its perfect, and it a beautiful place. Probably I would say if your idea of a good holiday is not doing a lot and sunning yourself on a beach then you will probably like it.

Having said that my husband is still there, and I am planning to return after the birth of our baby in July whilst on maternity leave from work and I would be really interested in knowing where I access mother/baby groups as this is the kind of thing that I thought I would out on by going back and it does worry me somewhat, its also a good way of meeting other mums.

Thanks

Sue

Totally off-topic but I note some of you in this thread are new members, so I just wanted to pop by and say hi and welcome you to our community.

If you get stuck on anything on the site you know where I am