(Nov 2011) Cheryl and I celebrated our birthday (we have the same birthday) with a trip to Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We rarely stay in resorts, opting for rentals and the generosity of island friends for our dive travel. We are avid shore divers as well and our usual destinations reflect that preference. This trip was different.

After discussing a Turks and Caicos trip for quite some time, we took advantage of a special offer from Bohio Dive Resort for a quick dive retreat. The Bohio resort was perfect for us. We booked a suite with kitchenette so we would have the option of cooking our own meals which is our normal dive trip mode of operation. The resort is intimate and well maintained. It was like staying with friends. Our suite was clean and comfortable with a nice balcony and ocean view. Our hosts, Tom and Ginny, were very friendly, personable and hands on. They intervened on our behalf and made sure that a luggage issue was resolved and did not impact our diving.

The staff was very friendly and attentive. Meals were well prepared and service was good but not stuffy. The portions were very generous. We found ourselves missing the delicious conch chowder when we returned home. The wine list was short and unpretentious but some nice choices were available and prices were reasonable. The bar was well provisioned with a nice selection of rums from around the Caribbean and the local Turk's Head beer.

The dive operation featured the hardest working man in scuba, Dive master Steve. The Grand Turk wall, 400 yards from the beach was accessed by a small but well equipped boat. Our dive groups were small and boat rides were short. Steve handled all aspects of the equipment, gave excellent briefings and ensured the safety of all his charges. Steve runs a tight ship but also allowed some flexibilty in dive plan and bottom time based on individual skill level. As divers accustomed to managing our own dive plan, we appreciated his firm but non-rigid approach. We were able to benefit from his experience and familiarity with the dive sites while pursuing our underwater photography, an activity not always well aligned with group diving.

Bohio is now a favorite in our list of dive destinations and we look forward to our next visit. Kudos to Tom, Ginny, Steve and the Bohio staff for making our T&C dive trip such a pleasure! Photos and videos will be in the gallery soon.