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Indagare member Jamie Marshall recently returned from the Turks & Caicos with her family where they stayed at the Regent Palms and Parrot Cay. Here are her impressions of the trip.

After a long winter here in Connecticut, my husband and I were only too happy to board the nonstop flight out of JFK to the Turks and Caicos for a last-minute getaway during Easter week. I’d been hearing about this cluster of islands for years; it seems to be the current hot spot among the Fairfield county set and friends have raved about the beaches, the water, the resorts, and the restaurants. Because it was our first visit we decided to split up our stay with three nights at the Regent Palms on Grace Bay and three nights at Parrot Cay. I’m happy we did. Next year when we go back—and we will go back—we will know to skip Grace Bay entirely and head straight to the Como property, which is located an easy 30-minute boat ride from the marina in Provo.

The Regent was lovely with its spacious suites, beachfront infinity pool and gorgeous spa. But Grace Bay was too developed for our taste, with one resort after another stretched along the two-mile long strand. Yes, many of them are attractively done—Mediterranean-style architecture with red tiled roofs and bougainvillea-draped paths. But the scene was crowded and noisy—I imagined being plopped down into a sugar-hyped kindergarten class—and far from the relaxing respite we’d envisioned.

By contrast, Parrot Cay was precisely the relaxing respite we’d envisioned. It has a breezy, barefoot castaway feel—albeit a stylish one. There were lots of young kids here, too, but the resort does an excellent job of providing activities for them during the day, and there were plenty of couples, as well. It was easy to be as social or as private as we wanted. The service and food were excellent and even our room—a small garden-view room—was perfectly adequate. We booked at the last minute and other than one of the houses it was the only option available. I loved the breezy simplicity—the tile floors and bleached wood walls, the neutral fabrics and linen-draped four-poster bed.

We spent our days reading books on our iPads, moving from the shade of a Balinese-style huts nestled in the dunes to lounge chairs on the beach to the water for a leisurely paddle and back again, interspersed with those longed-for meditative walks on the beach. At the end of the day, I’d wander over to the spa for a yoga or pilates class while my husband worked out in the fitness center.

Of the two restaurants, we preferred the more casual Lotus, which served sensational Indonesian and spa cuisine, though one day at lunch I gave in to the urge for the resort’s signature hamburger—one of the best I’ve ever had. I had a deep-tissue massage on my last day and it was great. Afterward I relaxed on the terrace with a cup of hot ginger tea. The view was enchanting—the tip of North Caicos, some palm trees and that mesmerizing turquoise water—not a structure or a person in sight.

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From Connie Spahn, New York, NY

“My husband and I spent our fortieth wedding anniversary at the new Amanyara in the Turks and Caicos. It was our first “Aman” experience, and it didn’t disappoint. With only forty rooms and eight private villas, the staff outnumber the guests five to one. One feels pampered and yet “at home.” Upon arrival the staff knows your name and, very quickly, your preferences for food and drink as well. One never has to sign a check. There is a great sense of privacy as each room is tucked away in the nature preserve.

The negative to being spread out in the preserve requires that one has a very sturdy pair of legs to go from one’s room to the exquisite beach or tennis courts. Of course, there are golf carts on call and you can request one to pick you up to go anywhere on property. There is a spectacular indoor/outdoor dining room with a menu that changes daily. The food is exquisitely prepared by a wonderful chef, who has worked in other Amanresorts. Because the food is individually prepared, however, dining sometimes takes longer than desired. An alternative is to have room service, and there is a place next to the beach for grilled food and lighter lunches.

We found the service impeccable, and the resort a wonderful spot for tranquility and leisurely living. For those who prefer a more communal atmosphere, I would recommend other resorts in the Turks such as the Grace Bay Club.”

Getting there: Amanyara sits on the northern end of Providenciales, which is reached by direct flights from Newark, Miami, JFK and Charlotte. The hotel greets guests at the airport for the twenty-five-minute drive to the resort.

Booking: Villas from $1,000, depending upon the season and the villa size. Indagare members receive preferred rates and special benefits. For more information or to book, contact our bookings department by calling 212-988-2611 or using the Contact button below.

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Member Amanda Benchley recently visited Indagare Adored property Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos. Here she recounts her blissful impressions.

About an hour after we arrived at our one-bedroom bungalow in Parrot Cay, I no longer recognized my husband. His tightly wound, overworked body had melted seamlessly into the settee on the screened-in porch. He ended up spending the rest of our three-day weekend alternating naps there with dips in the ocean, all with the half-lidded, lazy smile so often seen on the face of the young honeymooners wandering resort grounds.

That is the beauty of Parrot Cay, especially for those shrouded away in the private bungalows. Upon arrival, a staffer greets you at the boat, whisks you to your own piece of paradise with its open, all-white living room, plunge pool and private beach, and then disappears. And yet, whenever you need something – coffee in the morning, a mid-afternoon coconut milk smoothie, or an extra robe, someone magically appears within moments and poof – vanishes again. Aside from occasional meals in the Lotus restaurant, we hardly saw a soul.

So much has been written about the beauty of Parrot Cay – its flat, scrubby terrain, the endless turquoise sea, sandbars the length of a football field, and the Balinese aesthetic. It’s all true, but the real appeal is the vibe – the relaxed mindlessness is equal to the after-affects of meditation or yoga, which also happens to be available. The spa program is justly famous for its complimentary yoga classes in its tree house-like studio or on the soft sandy beach. I deeply enjoyed a fabulous 90-minute massages each day, took a gentle yoga class as well and a New York–worthy private Pilates lesson, all of which justified more lazing around the cottage.

You can do everything at Parrot Cay (snorkeling, tennis, exercise) or you can do nothing at all. The food, including the healthful spa menu, is divine and prompt, the sunken tiki bar is festive and offers a delightful array of healthy cocktails. But all that is beside the point – nowhere else does such a transformation into Zen-like calm and tranquility happen so quickly, easily and stylishly. A sense that was felt for days after our New York re-entry…no easy feat.