Plunge pool suites. A floating bar. Toes-in-the-sand bungalows. Hillside villas. Whales (yes, whales). On the tiny Caribbean island of Ambergris Cay in Turks and Caicos, you find just about every luxury imaginable. But the biggest amenity here is the island itself.
You see, there are lots of private-island resorts across the Caribbean. But for most, typically the biggest story is the resort itself; the island can often be an afterthought.
But on Ambergris Cay, you really get your own island.
You know if when set off in your golf cart and drive from one side of the island to the other — past the clubhouse, past the international airport, through the bluffs, right by the ancient ruins, through the waving brush and up to a point where you can look out and see some of the most brilliantly turquoise water you’ve ever laid eyes upon.
And this is all, somehow, on an island that has less than two square miles.
But at Ambergris Cay, you always get more than you expect (and just to clarify, while the names sound similar, this one is in Turks and Caicos, not in Belize).
This island, set a short flight from Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, is the home of the Ambergris Cay resort, an all-inclusive, private-island destination that has a mix of 17 toes-in-the-sand bungalows with plunge pools right on the beach and a collection of luxe cottages and villas.
When I say all-inclusive, I mean it. Everything you want is here, from the premium beverages your butler brings to you room to the fresh-caught mahi at lunch to the rows of snacks pre-stocked in your bungalow.
It’s a bit hard to believe it’s an all-inclusive as your riding along a remote island, your face in the breeze, rolling up to what’s effectively your private tennis court, taking a picnic to a totally empty beach or gazing at Ambergris Cay’s most famous guests: the humpback whales who regularly swim by in plain sight.
It’s all included, with outrageously good food, remarkable service and an ever-changing menu that means you never tire of the fare.
Everything here is done well, and done thoughtfully: from the game room in the clubhouse (the island’s version of a town square) to the bonfires to the nature walks and the bonefishing.
Then there’s the gym; the latter, set on a bluff overlooking the whole island, is one of the nicest gyms I’ve ever been to.
But the most popular amenity here isn’t actually on Ambergris Cay at all.
They call it the Hangover Bar, the resort’s own floating bar which sits just off the coast of the neighboring Caribbean island of Little Ambergris Cay (which we visited and fell in love on our last stay at the resort).
If these sound like a lot of superlatives, it’s because it is. Before we came here, our expectations were high. Luxury, private island, all-inclusive. But this was the rare Caribbean private-island resort that managed to exceed expectations in every way. And, plainly, it’s one of the best Caribbean resorts we’ve ever stayed in.
If you want to take it to the next level, or if you’re traveling with more than just your partner, go for the villas, which range from boutique two-bedroom units with infinity pools to the superstar Dream Villa, where we stayed and still talk about it as a kind of mystical experience. (More on that in an upcoming feature).
No matter where you sleep, though, you’re getting an island that, for us, has redefined the Caribbean-island, private-resort experience. It’s a new level, a new standard.
Because it’s not really a private island resort. It’s your own island.
So how do you get there?
There are actually two ways to fly here: take a nonstop flight to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, where the hotel will pick you up, transfer you to the private airport and fly you directly to Ambergris Cay, which is about a 15 minute flight. Or you can fly to South Caicos, which just got its first-ever flights from American Airlines, and it’s an even shorter flight of about 10 minutes (the resort will fly you from there also).
Rates for the one-bedroom bungalows start at $2,696 in the spring.
