Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Nov 11th 2020, 4:14 pm
#1
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Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 6
Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Hi,
Just wondering if there's anybody on here who lives in TCI, especially Providenciales?
I've been offered a job with a company based in Provo and Tortula, BVI, and my wife and I are considering taking the offer and moving early to mid next year, pending work permits coming through. It would be for a minimum of a year, but possibly longer if we're enjoying it.
I had questions around what it's like on Provo in terms of things to do for non-tourists, general demographic make up of people on Provo, good places to live etc. Would really appreciate it if there's anybody on here who I could pick the brains of! We are also hoping to bring our cats with us, so anyone with experience of this I'd love to speak to.
Thanks,
Nav
Just wondering if there's anybody on here who lives in TCI, especially Providenciales?
I've been offered a job with a company based in Provo and Tortula, BVI, and my wife and I are considering taking the offer and moving early to mid next year, pending work permits coming through. It would be for a minimum of a year, but possibly longer if we're enjoying it.
I had questions around what it's like on Provo in terms of things to do for non-tourists, general demographic make up of people on Provo, good places to live etc. Would really appreciate it if there's anybody on here who I could pick the brains of! We are also hoping to bring our cats with us, so anyone with experience of this I'd love to speak to.
Thanks,
Nav
Nov 25th 2020, 8:52 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2016
Location: TCI
Posts: 42
Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Hi,
Just wondering if there's anybody on here who lives in TCI, especially Providenciales?
I've been offered a job with a company based in Provo and Tortula, BVI, and my wife and I are considering taking the offer and moving early to mid next year, pending work permits coming through. It would be for a minimum of a year, but possibly longer if we're enjoying it.
I had questions around what it's like on Provo in terms of things to do for non-tourists, general demographic make up of people on Provo, good places to live etc. Would really appreciate it if there's anybody on here who I could pick the brains of! We are also hoping to bring our cats with us, so anyone with experience of this I'd love to speak to.
Thanks,
Nav
Just wondering if there's anybody on here who lives in TCI, especially Providenciales?
I've been offered a job with a company based in Provo and Tortula, BVI, and my wife and I are considering taking the offer and moving early to mid next year, pending work permits coming through. It would be for a minimum of a year, but possibly longer if we're enjoying it.
I had questions around what it's like on Provo in terms of things to do for non-tourists, general demographic make up of people on Provo, good places to live etc. Would really appreciate it if there's anybody on here who I could pick the brains of! We are also hoping to bring our cats with us, so anyone with experience of this I'd love to speak to.
Thanks,
Nav
Hey Nav, ask away! I've lived in provo 4 years.
Nov 26th 2020, 8:44 am
#3
Just Joined
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Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 6
Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Nice one, thanks!
Well first of all, do you think I will be able to find a rental property which accepts a couple of cats? Hard to find much information online. My job will give us a month of temporary accommodation while we look for our own place, but don't want to arrive and find it impossible due to our cats.
Also, how much of a community/social life is there? Is it easy to meet new people?
And what do locals/expats/residents do for fun other than the typical touristy stuff? I appreciate it's not a hugely buzzing place, and there's a more relaxed pace of life, but I'm still curious, there must be stuff going on?
I'll leave it at that for now, don't want to scare you off!
Nav
Well first of all, do you think I will be able to find a rental property which accepts a couple of cats? Hard to find much information online. My job will give us a month of temporary accommodation while we look for our own place, but don't want to arrive and find it impossible due to our cats.
Also, how much of a community/social life is there? Is it easy to meet new people?
And what do locals/expats/residents do for fun other than the typical touristy stuff? I appreciate it's not a hugely buzzing place, and there's a more relaxed pace of life, but I'm still curious, there must be stuff going on?
I'll leave it at that for now, don't want to scare you off!
Nav
Last edited by Bristolian1; Nov 26th 2020 at 8:49 am.
Nov 26th 2020, 6:24 pm
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2016
Location: TCI
Posts: 42
Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Well first of all, do you think I will be able to find a rental property which accepts a couple of cats? Hard to find much information online. S
TCI is difficult to find any information online, you really need to be on the ground.. at the moment because of the pandemic its the first time ever that its a renters market! usually its the other way round.. TCI APARTMENTS/HOMES FOR RENT on facebook is where you need to be to find rental accommodation.. expect to pay 1500 + for a 2 bedroom apartment, houses are usually 2K and up for a 2bed 2 bath, prices may come down due to covid.. for a 1 bedroom give or take $1K , they have a stupid system here where you have to pay first, last and deposit so bare that in mind when looking as if its a 2k house you'll be paying 6K up front. i don't think any property owner will have anything against inside cats. i brought my 2 dogs over and haven't struggled to find accomodation.
My job will give us a month of temporary accommodation while we look for our own place, but don't want to arrive and find it impossible due to our cats.
as said above, you should be fine but take into consideration the costs of the cats in the move, probably a lot cheaper than my dogs but you will need a local to connect with to assist with importing if you need someone let me know as i can give you the UK agent and local agent that i used
Also, how much of a community/social life is there? Is it easy to meet new people?
what kind of work will you be doing and what are your interests? as that will help guide my response. there is a small expat community, around 40,000 people live on provo, everyone kind of knows each other but have their own social groups. community is huge and i never appreciated how much it played a part until irma, everyone helps out a neighbour if they can and its entirely different from living in the UK. I originally moved from Jersey, Channel Islands.
And what do locals/expats/residents do for fun other than the typical touristy stuff? I appreciate it's not a hugely buzzing place, and there's a more relaxed pace of life, but I'm still curious, there must be stuff going on?
locals/expats/residents do anything but the typical touristy stuff, most of us have a disdain for the high season but there is always something going on, never ending brunches, pool parties, beach days, boat trips, snorkelling, wine tasting, boat parties. you're correct its not a hugely buzzing place and we have NO nightclubs, not one... we have bars that stay open until 3/4am though with dancing outside, (not currently due to the pandemic though) but if you want to have a party there is always a party to be had, if you want to be in bed at 9pm and watch the sun rise with yoga there is that too, it depends what you are interested in doing..
I'll leave it at that for now, don't want to scare you off!
Not at all, please ask away, i was lucky enough to come here for a week to interview and even then it was only because of someone on this forum that i actually got some decent information on the island so I'm more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have.
TCI is difficult to find any information online, you really need to be on the ground.. at the moment because of the pandemic its the first time ever that its a renters market! usually its the other way round.. TCI APARTMENTS/HOMES FOR RENT on facebook is where you need to be to find rental accommodation.. expect to pay 1500 + for a 2 bedroom apartment, houses are usually 2K and up for a 2bed 2 bath, prices may come down due to covid.. for a 1 bedroom give or take $1K , they have a stupid system here where you have to pay first, last and deposit so bare that in mind when looking as if its a 2k house you'll be paying 6K up front. i don't think any property owner will have anything against inside cats. i brought my 2 dogs over and haven't struggled to find accomodation.
My job will give us a month of temporary accommodation while we look for our own place, but don't want to arrive and find it impossible due to our cats.
as said above, you should be fine but take into consideration the costs of the cats in the move, probably a lot cheaper than my dogs but you will need a local to connect with to assist with importing if you need someone let me know as i can give you the UK agent and local agent that i used
Also, how much of a community/social life is there? Is it easy to meet new people?
what kind of work will you be doing and what are your interests? as that will help guide my response. there is a small expat community, around 40,000 people live on provo, everyone kind of knows each other but have their own social groups. community is huge and i never appreciated how much it played a part until irma, everyone helps out a neighbour if they can and its entirely different from living in the UK. I originally moved from Jersey, Channel Islands.
And what do locals/expats/residents do for fun other than the typical touristy stuff? I appreciate it's not a hugely buzzing place, and there's a more relaxed pace of life, but I'm still curious, there must be stuff going on?
locals/expats/residents do anything but the typical touristy stuff, most of us have a disdain for the high season but there is always something going on, never ending brunches, pool parties, beach days, boat trips, snorkelling, wine tasting, boat parties. you're correct its not a hugely buzzing place and we have NO nightclubs, not one... we have bars that stay open until 3/4am though with dancing outside, (not currently due to the pandemic though) but if you want to have a party there is always a party to be had, if you want to be in bed at 9pm and watch the sun rise with yoga there is that too, it depends what you are interested in doing..
I'll leave it at that for now, don't want to scare you off!
Not at all, please ask away, i was lucky enough to come here for a week to interview and even then it was only because of someone on this forum that i actually got some decent information on the island so I'm more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have.
Nov 30th 2020, 1:52 pm
#5
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Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 6
Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Great, thanks for that. A lot of useful information here!
Did you ship your pets using special pet transportation agents then? If you could let me know the agents you used that would be great thanks, I will make some enquiries.
I would be working as a structural engineer for an engineering consultancy on Provo. Most of their work is in designing luxury resorts and private residences/villas on TCI and BVI. It's quite a small company though, just 4 people in their Provo office. And my interests tend to be socialising/meeting up with friends, sports (tennis, basketball), and I also like a bit of live music. Very interesting about the sense of community, good to hear!
locals/expats/residents do anything but the typical touristy stuff, most of us have a disdain for the high season but there is always something going on, never ending brunches, pool parties, beach days, boat trips, snorkelling, wine tasting, boat parties. This sounds dreamy, almost too good to be true! Is this for real?!
you're correct its not a hugely buzzing place and we have NO nightclubs, not one... we have bars that stay open until 3/4am though with dancing outside, (not currently due to the pandemic though) but if you want to have a party there is always a party to be had, if you want to be in bed at 9pm and watch the sun rise with yoga there is that too, it depends what you are interested in doing..
Sunrise Yoga also sounds lush!
Some further questions then, you will regret offering! What is it you do out there?
And also, is there any tension between the local islanders and the foreign expat workers? I could see how this might be a potential cause of friction, especially as it seems like a lot of the high paid, high skill jobs are in many cases done by people hired from abroad.
Did you ship your pets using special pet transportation agents then? If you could let me know the agents you used that would be great thanks, I will make some enquiries.
I would be working as a structural engineer for an engineering consultancy on Provo. Most of their work is in designing luxury resorts and private residences/villas on TCI and BVI. It's quite a small company though, just 4 people in their Provo office. And my interests tend to be socialising/meeting up with friends, sports (tennis, basketball), and I also like a bit of live music. Very interesting about the sense of community, good to hear!
locals/expats/residents do anything but the typical touristy stuff, most of us have a disdain for the high season but there is always something going on, never ending brunches, pool parties, beach days, boat trips, snorkelling, wine tasting, boat parties. This sounds dreamy, almost too good to be true! Is this for real?!
you're correct its not a hugely buzzing place and we have NO nightclubs, not one... we have bars that stay open until 3/4am though with dancing outside, (not currently due to the pandemic though) but if you want to have a party there is always a party to be had, if you want to be in bed at 9pm and watch the sun rise with yoga there is that too, it depends what you are interested in doing..
Sunrise Yoga also sounds lush!
Some further questions then, you will regret offering! What is it you do out there?
And also, is there any tension between the local islanders and the foreign expat workers? I could see how this might be a potential cause of friction, especially as it seems like a lot of the high paid, high skill jobs are in many cases done by people hired from abroad.
Nov 30th 2020, 2:10 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2016
Location: TCI
Posts: 42
Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
I used pampered paws locally,<snip> a wonderful woman by the name of Donna Doran, she was incredibly helpful. on the UK side i used Animal Couriers <snip> , you will also need a US-based courier which they will work out between the two of them... its not cheap but you cant leave family behind 
We have a tennis club, and i think we also have a basketball club.. for live music we have Soca events every now and then, everything has been a bit on hold since the pandemic so there hasn't been that much live music or events recently.
haha its very true! you just need a friend with a boat , or you can usually jump on one of the tourist boats, another i forgot was a club med day pass where for $50 or thereabout you can use all the all-inclusive resorts amenities, it should come with a warning though as the alcohol they use gives the WORST hangovers..
i work in wealth management
i, personally, haven't experienced any tension with Islanders vs expats. i understand it does happen, but if you are a qualified high skilled expat bringing value and knowledge into the island and treating everyone how they should be treated you would be fine. The tension comes when its a job that could be filled by a qualified local but isnt.
Let me know if there is anything else, feel free to privately message me as well.
We have a tennis club, and i think we also have a basketball club.. for live music we have Soca events every now and then, everything has been a bit on hold since the pandemic so there hasn't been that much live music or events recently.
haha its very true! you just need a friend with a boat , or you can usually jump on one of the tourist boats, another i forgot was a club med day pass where for $50 or thereabout you can use all the all-inclusive resorts amenities, it should come with a warning though as the alcohol they use gives the WORST hangovers..
i work in wealth management
i, personally, haven't experienced any tension with Islanders vs expats. i understand it does happen, but if you are a qualified high skilled expat bringing value and knowledge into the island and treating everyone how they should be treated you would be fine. The tension comes when its a job that could be filled by a qualified local but isnt.
Let me know if there is anything else, feel free to privately message me as well.
Great, thanks for that. A lot of useful information here!
Did you ship your pets using special pet transportation agents then? If you could let me know the agents you used that would be great thanks, I will make some enquiries.
I would be working as a structural engineer for an engineering consultancy on Provo. Most of their work is in designing luxury resorts and private residences/villas on TCI and BVI. It's quite a small company though, just 4 people in their Provo office. And my interests tend to be socialising/meeting up with friends, sports (tennis, basketball), and I also like a bit of live music. Very interesting about the sense of community, good to hear!
locals/expats/residents do anything but the typical touristy stuff, most of us have a disdain for the high season but there is always something going on, never ending brunches, pool parties, beach days, boat trips, snorkelling, wine tasting, boat parties. This sounds dreamy, almost too good to be true! Is this for real?!
you're correct its not a hugely buzzing place and we have NO nightclubs, not one... we have bars that stay open until 3/4am though with dancing outside, (not currently due to the pandemic though) but if you want to have a party there is always a party to be had, if you want to be in bed at 9pm and watch the sun rise with yoga there is that too, it depends what you are interested in doing..
Sunrise Yoga also sounds lush!
Some further questions then, you will regret offering! What is it you do out there?
And also, is there any tension between the local islanders and the foreign expat workers? I could see how this might be a potential cause of friction, especially as it seems like a lot of the high paid, high skill jobs are in many cases done by people hired from abroad.
Did you ship your pets using special pet transportation agents then? If you could let me know the agents you used that would be great thanks, I will make some enquiries.
I would be working as a structural engineer for an engineering consultancy on Provo. Most of their work is in designing luxury resorts and private residences/villas on TCI and BVI. It's quite a small company though, just 4 people in their Provo office. And my interests tend to be socialising/meeting up with friends, sports (tennis, basketball), and I also like a bit of live music. Very interesting about the sense of community, good to hear!
locals/expats/residents do anything but the typical touristy stuff, most of us have a disdain for the high season but there is always something going on, never ending brunches, pool parties, beach days, boat trips, snorkelling, wine tasting, boat parties. This sounds dreamy, almost too good to be true! Is this for real?!
you're correct its not a hugely buzzing place and we have NO nightclubs, not one... we have bars that stay open until 3/4am though with dancing outside, (not currently due to the pandemic though) but if you want to have a party there is always a party to be had, if you want to be in bed at 9pm and watch the sun rise with yoga there is that too, it depends what you are interested in doing..
Sunrise Yoga also sounds lush!
Some further questions then, you will regret offering! What is it you do out there?
And also, is there any tension between the local islanders and the foreign expat workers? I could see how this might be a potential cause of friction, especially as it seems like a lot of the high paid, high skill jobs are in many cases done by people hired from abroad.
Last edited by christmasoompa; Nov 30th 2020 at 2:29 pm. Reason: Sorry, but had to remove the email addresses - they won't thank you when every spambot out there picks them up!
Jun 28th 2021, 3:12 pm
#10
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Joined: Nov 2020
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Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
I am, but not sure posting telephone numbers publicly is wise or allowed? Can't think of any other way to do it, but would be more than happy to discuss if we can find a way to communicate!
Jun 28th 2021, 3:17 pm
#11
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Re: Moving to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
HTH.
Jun 28th 2021, 3:50 pm
#13
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