Staying at any of the glitzy and ultra luxurious Turks and Caicos resorts is often perceived as the ultimate travel goal of Caribbean tourists, but these resorts don’t come cheap. Five-star spa treatments, chef-style kitchens, and high-tech furnishings come with a price.

But then again, you really don’t need all that to have a trip of a lifetime. There are plenty of private Turks and Caicos villas that offer similar perks without the price tag. You might miss out on some conveniences like nightly turndown service. However, you’ll save a lot of money while experiencing the Caribbean in a more private and intimate setting with your family and friends than you would at the Turks and Caicos resorts that accommodates hundreds of families.

Also, you’ll most likely be enjoying the majority of your time outside, so all the extravagances of the resorts might not be a priority.

Here are five sites you can use to rent a private Turks and Caicos villa on Providenciales that accommodates up to six guests.

1) Airbnb

Airbnb is one of the largest and most recent disrupters of the travel industry. The site has made it easier than ever to connect homeowners to renters. Many of the Turks and Caicos villas listed on Airbnb are single-family houses.

In addition to being much more affordable than the resorts, some Airbnb listings offer comparable amenities including:

Several Airbnb listings are incredibly popular and consistently earn top marks and reviews from previous visitors.

2) VRBO

VRBO, or Vacation Rentals By Owner, has been around for a long time (since 2006!) and is considered a pioneer of the online vacation rental industry.

VRBO has a huge listing and Providenciales alone has more than 300 listings for private villas. Like the Airbnb listings, VRBO’s Turks and Caicos villas come with amazing amenities that are just as good as the resorts. These can include:

 

3) HomeAway

HomeAway is a global vacation rental listing company with more than 1 million listings worldwide. Interestingly, while VRBO and HomeAway have the same parent company, the listings aren’t always the same, so it’s worth checking both sites.

4) FlipKey

FlipKey was acquired by TripAdvisor in 2008 and gives a more unique approach to browsing vacation rentals. You can easily browse listings based on certain parameters such as low-cost, family-friendly, luxury, or even by the type of trip you’re hoping to embark on. This is great for when you search for a Turks and Caicos villa and are interested in activities like SCUBA diving, snorkeling, or stand up paddleboarding.

5) VayStays

If you are dead set on the Caribbean resort experience, but don’t want to pay the fees, then VayStays is a great site. It features luxury properties around the world including the Caribbean, where you can find private Turks and Caicos villas.

However, because of their niche, you’ll find fewer listings. But what you do find will be an amazing experience. You’ll discover ultra-luxe villas that have:

 

However, be prepared to pay for the special treatment.