My wife and I just returned from an amazing 4-night stay at Northwest Point Resort in Provo. Our host Mike was very friendly and helpful. Our room was terrific--it was clean and had every amenity we needed (including plenty of beach and bath towels, a hairdryer, pots, pans, ice trays, dishes and silverware, Direct TV, and a washer and dryer). The grounds were landscaped and kept beautifully, and the pool was sparkling clean. There was plenty of parking.

The beach had tiki umbrellas to provide shade, and beach chairs were easy to come by. It was pretty windy 3 of the 5 days we were there, but that helped cool things off a bit. We experienced a morning rainstorm on a couple of days, but it always cleared to plenty of sunshine in the afternoon hours.

The drive from the airport to the Resort was 15-20 minutes. There is an 8-min dirt road ride (at 30 mph) that's a little bumpy, but you and your car will get used to it.

There were very few guests during most of our stay (Wed-Sun), but when the weekend arrived, more people checked in. There were some kids, which meant noise at the pool, but nothing unbearable. Smokey's Sunrise Bar and Grill had "seasonal hours" which meant you had to call the cook if you wanted her to come down and make you something. We never saw here there cooking.

The snorkeling on Provo was amazing! Here are some notes on the top locations on Provo, in rank order.

--Smith's Reef: nice and deep, best coral of all dives, and lots of fish. The parking lot is difficult to find, and it's a 10 minute walk to the snorkel site from the closest parking site. The current was strong. Look for a long 4x4 board in the sand pointing to the reef. If you're staying on Grace Bay, do not attempt to walk down to Smith's Reef--it's pretty far and you'll be tired. The underwater markers were a nice touch. Some boat traffic from Turtle Cove created wake, but the reef and sea life still made this our #1 spot.

--The Bight (near Grace Bay): easiest to access (very short walk from the parking area), plenty of fish and coral. Relatively shallow (good for beginners). Red buoys form a large circle around part of the reef. This is an off-limits "restoration zone," but you can swim around the edges and see into it. Not realizing this, we swam into the circle and got whistled at by a hotel employee. More beach traffic since it's closer to Grace Bay.

--Malcom Beach: large reef area with lots of shelves and drop-offs. Absolute seclusion here, and less windy than Northwest Point. The drive is very bumpy, but manageable in a compact rental car. When you reach the top of the highest hill on Malcom Beach Road, there's a radio tower, and a gate which you may have to unlatch. Hardest to access, but worth the trek.

The local restaurant scene was great. We went to Horse-Eye Jacks in the Blue Hills for a late lunch. Try the Grouper Sandwich or Chicken Sandwich. This and Da Conch Shack were two of the closest dining options from NWP Resort (about a 15 minute drive).

We had an early dinner at the Tiki Hut in Turtle Cove. It was very loud--both the music at the restaurant and the boats in the marina. There were also flies bothering us as we ate. The view isn't that great--you're looking at some boats in the marina. Got crowded as we were leaving at around 6:00.

We had a late lunch at Hemmingway's on the Beach, which abuts the Sands Resort on Grace Bay. Although there were lots of people walking around, the restaurant was only moderately crowded since we went at 2:00. The lunch menu was priced very well, although I paid $7 for a below-average margarita. The fish and chips was spectacular. Service was slow.

We highly recommend the Salt Sands Cafe for breakfast. It's in the Grace Bay "Saltmills" shopping center, and has very good prices. I had a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel for $4 (they offer full breakfast platters as well). The coffee wasn't bad, and the service was friendly. There's a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. We went at 9:30 and had no trouble finding a table. The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. The lunch menu was extensive.

In general, dinner can be expensive if you eat out. We stocked up at the Graceway IGA Supermarket the first day. The grocery store rivals American supermarkets, though many/most of the products are more expensive. It was still way cheaper to buy a bunch of Pop-Tarts, spaghetti, and frozen pizzas to cook at the resort. (Note that a case of beer costs $45 or more, and that small, vacation-sized bottles of rum and other alcohol are not available. The IGA only stocks larger bottles, but the selection was great. The store also sells wine.)

For those who want to fish, I had success right off the beach at the Resort. I fished without a license there, and caught a yellowtail snapper on an artificial shrimp, and a barracuda on a Zara Spook topwater. There are BIG barracuda patrolling the area! Fishing is illegal in the the National Park, and it's hard to find a decent spot on the south side of the island. If you're an avid fisherman and don't want to pay for a charter, just wade off the Resort's beach and fish the grass beds. Try to pick a day when the wind is low. I did purchase a license at Turtle Cove Marina ($11 per day) so I could fish other parts of the island without worry.

Here are a few other tips that might be useful:

Renting a car and driving around: (1) A car is an absolute necessity if you stay at Northwest Point. (2) The maps that you'll get from Avis, etc., show main roads and attractions, but were not entirely accurate. Ask for directions if you're trying to get somewhere. (3) Rent anything ABOVE a sub-compact car. Ideally, you'd want to get an SUV to negotiate all the rocky roads, but our compact car held up okay and was cheap ($45/day). We rented from Avis without problem. (4) The roundabouts (traffic circles) work great . . . just keep left and yield to drivers on your right.

Things to do or avoid: (1) Hit the restaurants at off-hours to avoid the crowds. (2) There aren't a lot of tourist shops around. There's one in the Saltmills shopping center in Grace Bay, and another off Leeward Highway (it's called Shalimar, and it doesn't actually look like a souvenir shop. The t-shirt/hat combo was $20 there and $40 at the airport, so buy there.) (3) The Conch Farm has seasonal hours, and was closed when we went there on a Saturday in May. Call before you make the long drive down Leeward Highway. (4) Avoid the south side of the island. We drove down to South Dock and Five Cays looking for fishing spots and access to the Sapodilla and Taylor beaches, and were disappointed on both counts. (5) Consider buying a waterproof camera to take pictures while snorkeling--the reef life is amazing

Just a general note: In case you're expecting a lush island, be aware that Provo is very "scrubby." At the Resort and in Grace Bay, the landscaping is lovely. Elsewhere, however, the terrain is rocky and parched.

Enjoy your stay--we hope you find Northwest Point Resort as pleasant as we did.