A clean, comfortable, convenient, safe, and absolutely perfect home base for this solo woman traveler enjoying all the rustic island experiences and unique in-water adventures Salt Cay offers. Debbie Manos and her crew (Tradewinds, Coral Reef, Salt Cay Divers) made everything easy-breezy. Ideal location.
During my week-long stay I explored the whole island on foot alone, immersing myself in the laid-back island vibe; collected a pocketful of lovely shells, a sea biscuit, and sea urchin as souvenirs; greeted each new day relishing dawn over the salinas across the street; savored glorious sunsets from "my" lounge chair on the little Tradewinds beach, just steps from my room; relished the dark nights dripping with stars there too, and watched an incredible fireball (Earth-grazer) streak slowly across the sky, low near the horizon - luckily I had company that particular night, or I may not have believed it myself!; played nature-baby on gorgeous deserted North Beach; snorkeled right from the shore there too; swam quietly with friendly sting rays at Gibbs Cay one afternoon, before the cruise ship hoardes from Grand Turk arrived; went out with Salt Cay Divers to visit with humpbacks twice daily, on both morning and afternoon trips, whenever weather allowed; had utterly soul-shattering in-water swims with humpbacks ten different times!; snorkeled alone near the dive boat, while scuba divers went off as a group to explore the Endymion shipwreck site ... then, on the way back, spent almost 1/2 hour in the water with a new calf and its mother, "Pinball" (identified later by her fluke pattern "fingerprint" - a whale I have seen on whale watch trips, in her summer feeding grounds near Jeffrey's Ledge in New England waters every summer for the past 4 years - how amazing is *that*??); watched whales surface, spout, fluke, and breach often throughout the week, from various spots on the island - on the path to North Beach - many times from the cannon on the hill, from the deck at Coral Reef, and even at sunset while relaxing on the beach outside my room at Tradewinds; shared fantastic meals, cocktails, cold beer, fascinating conversations, tons of laughter, life-altering experiences with our whale guides, boat captain, dive master, locals, ex-pats, other island visitors who all felt like friends from the start - linked by common bonds - a passion for this beautiful world, appreciation for nature's miracles and whimsy, the serendipity of crossing paths with kindred spirits. Experiential memories I will always carry fondly in my heart.
This is probably not your place if you want luxury, room service, golf, tennis, tv, organized activities, artificially enhanced landscape, a Disney-fied experience.
Maybe not right for everyone ... but perfect for me!