Don't bother registering for the surveys. latest customer service has really set me off on a tangent...
Don't bother registering for the surveys. latest customer service has really set me off on a tangent. Because I don't have a fax, I didn't qualify. I couldn't really use the one at work, would have been a bit cheeky.
Member since:25.01.2001
Reviews:39
Members who trust:7
A lovely island in the sun with so much history surrounding it, you can't help becoming drawn into its history and culture.
Have stayed in the Pernera Beach area of Protaras about 5 years ago. Then it was the quieter neighbour of the more well known area of Fig Tree Bay, so it may not be as quiet now. Pernera Beach area and Fig Tree Bay are the places to go for families really but for the most gorgeous beaches squash on the bus and go to Ayia Napa's Grecian Bay or Nissi Beach for the day, but get the early bus, you might just about be able to get on that one.
When its time to come home be at the bus stop at least half an hour before its due so you can hold your ground against all the German's and other nationalities who are excellent at queue jumping. I know it sounds xenophonbic but its true, you do find that the other British people will also help out with the queuing part as well, its only this bad because the bus seems to run every hour and every two hours on Sundays. Taxi's weren't that expensive from memory, they were all Mercedes as well.
Places to go:-
Troodos mountains - but I wasn't madly impressed with these, very rocky with loads of pine trees, personally our Peak District has more to offer view wise. Also there's no way the temperature felt cooler up on those mountains the coach journey was a good two and a half hour ride there and back, with some perilous drops.
Cypriot night - everyone should go on one of these. If you like joining in with Zorba's dance type dancing you'll be sorted, they drag you up even if you don't want to. The food wasn't that nice at these restaurants that catered for the coach parties, the smaller non dancing type restaurants did nicer Metzes menu's(cannot remember how to spell it). The Metzes is the meal with at least 10 different courses if I remember rightly going upto 18, all in small portions of course.
Nicosia - wow! This place left such a lasting impression on me mainly because of the demarkation line, the wall on the borders. An information type shrine at the border wall is there for visitors to read and see some pictures and accounts of peoples stories. The border wall check point has peepholes to let you see this deserted, bombed, weed filled street that is directly behind it, no one has I assume trod there on since 1974. I really wanted to go to the occupied area but there is only one place to go over the border and thats in Paphos, I think I read how to go about it on this website actually.
Apart from the history and emotional side of it it has some very nice shops and leather stalls etc and M&S, The Bodyshop and some other British shops there.
One of the best months to go is May, its windy the first two weeks of May but bearable heat wise this was when we visited Protaras, also we've been to Ayia Napa the last two weeks of May during which time there was a heatwave ant it was 105 and was fairly unbearable.
Ayia Napa is definitely for the clubbers or families with older teenage children, we stayed there with a four year old and struggled finding places to go that had something for her to do at night.
I would go back, but am restricted with school holidays and am not sure about the heat in August, I can only guess how hot it is. The really only downside to Cyprus is its not cheap to holiday there. The holidays are expensive compared to going to one of the Greek islands. I found it to be more expensive to eat out than at your Spanish / Greek holiday resorts. There wasn't so many of the cheap and cheerful type restaurants. There may be now though.
Another thing that strikes you most about Cyprus is the people they are so friendly and absolutely love children, they give them lollies and little gifts every time they go in the shops (you don't get that in Spain). I gather that its a good place to buy glasses from as they have all the designer makes, and for a variety of reasons they are cheaper than back at home.
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Feb 5th, 2001
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