The Turks and Caicos Islands generally tries to do things the American
way, with the notable exception that we drive on the left (despite most
cars on the road being American left-hand drive cars!). Thus, many
aspects of Providenciales simply feels like a cleaner, less populated,
lower density version of Miami. Indeed, the one major
difference many tourists will notice is a lack of ATMs in the country,
and the fact that many smaller stores don't accept credit and debit cards.
This doesn't seem due to any technological limitation, rather just a
reluctance to pay the charges associated with accepting cards.
Quick Overview by Country
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Europe
We speak English.
We use the US Dollar.
We use North American power sockets.
Your GSM phones work here.
We drive on
the left.
We use GSM. No CDMA cell networks (Verizon and Sprint phones won't work).
We speak English.
We use North American power sockets.
Your GSM phones work here.
We use the US dollar.
We drive on
the left.
We use GSM. No CDMA cell networks (Bell Mobility
phones won't work).
We speak English.
We drive on the left.
Your phones work here.
We use the US dollar.
We use North American power sockets.
Your phones work here.
We speak English.
We use the US dollar.
We drive on the left.
We use North American power sockets.
Detailed Practical Information
Jump to:
Language
Money
Banks
Electricity
Rules of the Road
Telephone
Internet
Radio and Television
Time Zone
Weather
Post and Courier
Language
Official language is English and is spoken by the vast majority of the
population.
Money
We use the United States Dollar. Visa and MasterCard are commonly
accepted at most, but not all, hotels, shops and restaurants, so be sure
to ask. If you are coming from a country that uses a currency other than
the US dollar, be sure to exchange your currency before you arrive. The
only way you can exchange currency here is through the local banks, and
they charge exorbitant rates that will take a bite out of your vacation
budget, and the queues are commonly over an hour for service. The
Providenciales International Airport
does not have any Bureau de Change.
Banks
There are two major banks, Scotiabank and First Caribbean, plus the
local TCI Bank. First Caribbean offers Visa ABMs and Scotiabank is on
the Cirrus network. If you require teller service, be prepared to wait
as local banks often have huge lines, and you may easily wait over an hour
for service.
Western Union provides cash transfer services.
Electricity
We use the US standard for electricity; 110 Volts, 60 Hz, US-style
receptacles.
If you're coming from a country outside of North America, or parts of
South American and the Caribbean, you'll need a plug adapter. You should
purchase this before you arrive, as they can be difficult to locate on
the island.
In addition, other than North American and a few South American
countries, almost all other countries use 220-240 volt electricity.
Most technology products have adapters that can work with 110-240 power,
50/60 Hz. You simply need an inexpensive US style adapter plug. Other
220/240 volt devices, such as irons and hair dryers, cannot be used, and
you would need a much more expensive voltage converter in addition to a
simple plug adapter.
Rules of the Road
We drive on the left, similar to British and Commonwealth countries.
Ironically, most cars come from the US and will have left-hand drive, as
opposed to the proper right-hand drive. People 18 years and older,
holding a valid driver's license, can rent a scooter. You must be
23 or older to rent a car or jeep.
See our
car rental page for
more information about driving here.
Telephone
Until recently, all telecommunications on Providenciales was operated by
Lime (formerly
Cable & Wireless), which for over 100 years had a legal monopoly. There
are now two other firms providing mobile service, the regional Digicel
and the local IslandCom companies, and the cable company now provides
cable internet service.
Landlines
Lime is the only provider for landline telephones. Below
are sample rates per minute to landlines (not mobile numbers). Rate
information is from the Lime website (2011).
|
Lime Call Charges |
| Country |
Day |
Evening |
Weekend |
| On-Island |
2¢ |
1¢ |
1¢ |
| Inter-Island (Within
Turks & Caicos) |
25¢ |
10¢ |
10¢ |
| Bahamas, Jamaica,
Dominican Republic, Haiti |
30¢ |
25¢ |
20¢ |
| Other Countries |
80¢ |
70¢ |
60¢ |
| USA, Canada, UK &
Ireland, Rest of World |
40¢ |
35¢ |
30¢ |
Please note that there is a 10% Government tax on all charges, and some
calls have a minimum charge (such as a minimum 5 minute charge for
On-Island calls). Billing is usually per second.
Telephone (Mobile)
We use GSM 850/900/1800/1900. Cable & Wireless uses the GSM 850
standard, whereas Digicel and IslandCom uses GSM 900/1800/1900. TDMA
and CDMA phones are not supported.
All GSM phones (i.e. those with SIM cards) should be able to connect to
a local cellular network. Roaming ability will depend on whether the
local companies have a roaming agreement with your service provider.
Generally, you should be able to roam without problem, especially if
your service provider is a major company.
If you expect to make a large amount of local calls or regional calls to
other Caribbean countries, you may want to consider purchasing a local
SIM card, as this will usually be far cheaper than roaming with your
existing provider. Please note that in order to change SIM cards, you
will need to have a phone that is 'unlocked'.
Internet
Cable & Wireless provides broadband DSL up to 3 Mbps, and TCExpress
provides broadband internet via cable.
Internet at your Hotel / Villa
Most hotels on the island have some sort of internet connection, which
may be just an old computer in the corner, or the owner's personal
desktop in the office. If you will require internet service with a
notebook, be sure to check that "internet service" means Wi-Fi wireless
access and not use of the owner's computer. Accommodation listings on
VisitProvidenciales specify which hotels and guest houses offer Wi-Fi
wireless internet.
Internet Elsewhere
There are several internet cafes on Providenciales. For those staying in
Grace Bay , visit the Deluxe Business Centre at the Saltmills Plaza. Near Turtle Cove is CompTCI,
and on Leeward Highway is The Computer Guy.
56k Easy Access
Cable & Wireless offers a local number for 56k dial-up access from any
phone in the country. To use this, just follow the instructions below.
1. Dial 266-6328 (CONNECT)
2. Username: easy
3. Password: access
For more information, call Cable & Wireless at 1 (800) 804-2994.
Radio and Television
There are several local FM radio stations. Spanish-language AM
broadcasts from the Dominican Republic can also be found. The official
government station, Radio Turks and Caicos, is found at 107.7 FM. In the
unlikely event of a hurricane, this is the station to tune into for
bulletins.
WIV provides cable television service, and produces local news and shows
on channel 4. PTV8 (People's Televsion, channel 8) provides an
alternative news channel.
Time Zone
GMT-5, Eastern Standard Time, same as New York. We're 3 hours ahead of
San Francisco, 1 hour ahead of Chicago, 5 hours behind London, 6 hours behind Berlin, 8 hours
behind Moscow, 14 hours behind Tokyo, and 15 hours behind Sydney.
Weather
In a word, very hot and dry. Although the temperature is usually in the
low 80's, the intensity of the sun makes it seem much hotter. Be sure to
drink plenty of water!
Overall, it generally does not rain much and is usually very dry and
dusty. However, there can be rain storms that last on and off over
several days. These storms can dump several inches of water and flood
low-lying areas. Check out our
best times to visit Providenciales and our
weather pages.
Post & Courier
There is one brance of the Post Office located downtown that offers
regular post services. There are no post boxes in the country. Post cards cost 80¢ and letters 60¢ to mail.
Delivery can take several weeks, ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months.
FedEx, DHL and IBC (International Bonded Couriers) provide courier
services. UPS also provides limited incoming-only service.