A big part of me doesn't want to tell you about Northern Cyprus. Described as paradise lost by the few guides you will find on the region, it has entirely escaped the march of mass tourism.
Three decades ago, when the Greeks attempted to annex the island, Turkish troops landed in response and Cyprus was partitioned. That marked the end of the north's prospects of a thriving tourist industry. Now, that's all set to change. Last week, a deal to unite the island was rejected by Greek Cypriots in the south. But following the overwhelming support of Turkish Cypriots for the peace plan, the EU is set to reward them with financial aid and possibly direct flights. All of which means you should go now - because as soon as everyone else finds out how beautiful it is, it will be too late.
Why go? Well, first of all, there are the beaches. Northern Cyprus has more than 150 miles of gorgeous sandy coastline in the shape of the Karpas Peninsula. The sea is crystal clear, the sunshine is uninterrupted and you're almost guaranteed to have the whole place to yourself.
Then, there's the culture: the enchanting 13th-century abbey that dominates Bellapais; the imposing castle and perfect horseshoe harbour in Kyrenia; the ruins of Salamis and the fortified city of Famagusta to the east. Nicosia, Europe's only divided capital, reflects Cyprus's history of invasions by the Venetians and Ottomans.
And, of course, there's the food: you can find good French and Italian restaurants, but traditional Turkish cuisine, including meze, still reigns supreme. At Niazi's (00 90 392-815 2160, http://www.niazis.com ), in Kyrenia, you can gorge yourself on an overwhelming selection of kebabs and meze, cooked on an open fire in the middle of the restaurant, for less than a tenner a head.
Beyond that, a serendipitous approach to cuisine is a good idea. Restaurants will crop up on quiet hillsides or little- travelled back roads. You'll be the only customer. You might even sit at a table for an age, debating whether the place is open at all. Don't worry - you're on Cyprus time, and as long as there are guests, the kitchen will be open.
There is no Ayia Napa in Northern Cyprus, no clubbers' paradise or neon bar-crawling. But what it lacks in drunken Brits, it makes up for in thriving tavernas, particularly in Kyrenia and Famagusta. Not a bad swap, really.
Here's a complete guide to the hows and wheres of a trip to Northern Cyprus.
KYRENIA
ON THE north coast, Kyrenia is framed by the Five Finger mountain range and the crusader castle. Its fishing harbour is charming; you'll have to battle the urge to surrender each day to brandy sours in one of the harbourside bistros.
For the ultimate view of Kyrenia (and arguably its best cocktails), try the rooftop pool and garden of the recently opened Colony hotel (815 1518, http://www.parkheritage.com ) in the centre of town.
In the late afternoon - only mad dogs venture out at midday - wander around the narrow, cobbled alleys behind the harbour for shops selling wooden crafts and art at good prices.
Lawrence Durrell fans should take a 10-minute drive to the sleepy village of Bellapais, star of Bitter Lemons of Cyprus. If you can draw yourself away from the Tree of Idleness, it is worth exploring the remains of the gothic abbey, which hosts regular classical concerts in its illuminated ruins (see http://www.cyprustoday.net for listings ).
Further out into the mountains west of Kyrenia lies Lapta, where waterfalls shoot down to irrigate the olive groves.
Where to stay: the best beaches in the Kyrenia region are the Escape and the Denizkizi, which both offer scuba- diving. Stay at the stylish Denizkizi Hotel (821 8710, http://www.denizkizi.com ; doubles from £30), and enjoy the Sunday tradition of lamb cooked in a well.
Or, to get away from it all, book into the Bellapais Monastery Village (815 9171, http://www.bellapaismonasteryvillage.com ; doubles from £24), four miles from the nearest beach. This peaceful hideaway has 16 rooms and some small villas, set around lush gardens and a pool.
Further up the mountain is the Hilarion Village (822 2772, http://www.hilarion-cyprus.com ), which has eight simply furnished villas (from £25 a night) and a pool.
Where to eat: the Brasserie ( 815 9481) is set in the for- mer summer residence of Archbishop Makarios, above Kyrenia's castle. Outside, its biscuit-coloured stone walls are weathered, but inside, the wood-panelled bar and dining rooms are elegant - it's a place to dress up for. Cyprus is all about views, and you'll get a great one here if you bag a table on the stone-arched terrace. Great steaks cost about £9.
On Thursdays, the Jasmine Court Hotel (815 1450, http://www.jasminecourthotel.com ) serves up an extravaganza of 300 Turkish dishes to the sound of folk singers in its courtyard above the sea. And the Ani Fish & Kebab Restaurant (824 4355), in Catalkoy, is fantastic and ridiculously cheap.
For breakfast, pop into the Courtyard (815 3343), where the owner, Mo, serves delicious scrambled eggs and home-made lemon curd.
THE KARPAS PENINSULA
MODERN LIFE has passed the Karpas by. The region, also known as the panhandle, is at the eastern end of Cyprus, where the land stretches out towards Turkey. It is almost unpopulated, save for the tiny fishing villages of Bogaz and Kumyali. Birds aren't quite so scarce - the area is home to more than 300 species, as well as a sanctuary for sea turtles.
The wild beaches here - some sand, some rock - are great for walking, although there's little shade in the height of summer. In fact, the best time to visit the Karpas is in spring, when the temperatures are lower and the surrounding hills are carpeted in wild flowers. Ancient tombs, ruins and Byzantine churches, such as the Monastery of Apostolos Andreas, are scattered across the region.
Stop off in Bogaz for lunch at Kemalin Yeri (371 2515) and explore the harbour, which was paid for by local fishermen who sell their catches from the boats there.
Where to stay: the small and charming Theresa Hotel (374 4266, http://www.theresahotel.com ; doubles from £15) offers up the catch of the day at the rest-aurant above its private beach in Yeni Erenkoy. It's a good base for travelling around the peninsula.
FAMAGUSTA
THE MEDIEVAL town of Famagusta is rich in cultural sites - explore it on foot and make sure you tick off the Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque, which dates from the early 1300s and is considered to be one of the most beautiful gothic structures in the Mediterranean.
Take a day to see the nearby ruins at Salamis. They include a Roman villa, several basi-licas, a theatre and a stone forum for 15,000 spectators.
The ghost town of Varosha, a few minutes' walk from the Palm Beach Hotel, is worth a visit, too. The town's four miles of beaches and once-modern hotels have stood suspended in time since the Greeks fled amid fighting in 1974. It now forms part of the Green Line, the border that bisects the island.
Where to stay: for something that mirrors the larger resorts in the south, stay on the beach at the five-star Salamis Bay Conti Resort Hotel (378 8201, http://www.salamisbayconti.com ; doubles from £68). The 404-room hotel has a sauna and massage room, tennis courts and a casino.
Where to eat: opposite the hotel, the Akdeniz Tavern (378 8227) serves delicious, inexpensive seafood. Or there's Eyva (378 8235), at Salamis Junction, considered one of the most traditional restaurants in Famagusta. Try the famous Hirsiz ("Thief's") kebab.
Travel brief
Getting there: all flights to Northern Cyprus currently touch down in Turkey en route, though in light of the recent "Yes" vote, nonstop flights may well be established in the near future. Until then, Cyprus Turkish Airlines (020 7930 4851, http://www.kthy.net ) is the main carrier, offering flights from Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast. Return fares start at £219.
Getting around: a car is by far the best way to explore; expect to pay about £25 a day. Taxis are widely available in towns. Public transport consists of minibuses that can be very hot. Most of the larger hotels have their own rental facilities, or you can book in advance through a tour operator.
Tour operators:
Cyprus Paradise (020 8343 8888, http://www.cyprusparadise.com ) has a week's B&B at the five-star Colony from £429pp, including flights from Heathrow, Stansted or Manchester, and transfers.
Green Island Holidays (020 7637 7338, http://www.greenislandholidays.com ) has a week's B&B at the boutique Ada Hotel, in Kyrenia, from £329pp, including scheduled flights from Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Belfast, Glasgow or Manchester.
CTA Holidays (0870 600 1123, http://www.ctaholidays.com ) has a week at the five-star Salamis Bay Conti Resort Hotel, near Famagusta, from £249pp, including flights from Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester, Gatwick, Glasgow or Belfast, and transfers. Or try Anatolian Sky (0870 850 4040, http://www.anatolian-sky.co.uk ); Cyprus Direct Holidays (0870 460 1234, http://www.cyprusdirectholidays.com ); Direct Traveller (0845 123 5383, http://www.directtraveller.com ); The Discovery Collection (0845 456 4500, http://www.thediscoverycollection.com ); or Jewels of the World (0870 116 2233, http://www.jewelofmed.com )
Best guidebook: Northern Cyprus (Landmark Visitors Guide £9.95).
Further information: call the North Cyprus Tourism Centre on 020 7631 1930 or visit http://www.go-northcyprus.com.
Copyright The Times
Hi Mike
Thanks for that, I'm getting the impression that its best to go out and shop around before bringing any goods in. I did try the Kyrenia map route for street maps of Alsancak/Lapta but there were'nt any. Perhaps thats something I could have a go at when I come out in 2006. By the way, any thoughts on the Court of Human rights judgement on TMD land in TRNC, have you heard anything from local expats who have bought properties on that type of land. I understand 85% of the TRNC is classified as such.
Best Regards
Thanks for that, I'm getting the impression that its best to go out and shop around before bringing any goods in. I did try the Kyrenia map route for street maps of Alsancak/Lapta but there were'nt any. Perhaps thats something I could have a go at when I come out in 2006. By the way, any thoughts on the Court of Human rights judgement on TMD land in TRNC, have you heard anything from local expats who have bought properties on that type of land. I understand 85% of the TRNC is classified as such.
Best Regards
Thanks Wizard.
Xenos - added here http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/north-cyprus/kyrenia/dome-hotel/
Kath HT Admin
Xenos - added here http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/north-cyprus/kyrenia/dome-hotel/
Kath HT Admin
Apologies for the length of this report - and there's more under the Hotel and Resort report sections! Advance apologies also, if it turns out that the caps go missing. I typed this up in Word first and that's what happened the last time I copied and pasted a trip report in HT. Not sure why it happened and hopefully it may not happen this time.
Firstly I'd like to say that it took quite a bit of soul-searching before we finally decided to visit Northern Cyprus. As regular visitors to Greece, the current political situation made us feel as though it would somehow be disloyal to our Greek friends to go there. However, we finally decided to put aside our prejudices and principles and go there before over-development turns it into a carbon copy of the southern part of the island. I think we only just made it in time!
Getting there is a trial in itself since neither the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, nor its main airport at Ercan are officially recognised under international law. This means that direct flights are only possible from Turkey and our plane had to land in Antalya for an hour or so, before taking off again for the remaining 40 minute "domestic" flight. For some reason (possibly prevailing winds) the flight home takes about an hour longer than the outbound flight and this made for a total return journey time of around 10 hours from Kyrenia to our home near Manchester Airport, so it's not exactly a short hop!
Getting around:
We hired a car from Sun RentaCar and were very impressed, since it was a virtually new Fiat Panda with only about 11,000km on the clock. The driving is reasonably easy, with most of the roads well signposted and tarmacced, but it can get a little hairy up in the mountains with the hairpin bends and the odd development work where the road seems to be being widened and the tarmac suddenly disappears. We managed to get lost a couple of times - once near the village of Degirmenlik where we missed a right turn and ended up at the gates of a military establishment, with two armed soldiers guarding the entrance. They seemed quite friendly though and directed us back to the correct road! The other time was when what appeared to be a road on the map suddenly turned into what seemed to be an army tank track and concerns for the underside of our car and its tyres persuaded us to turn around and try another way. Maybe if we'd hired a 4x4 we may have been a bit more adventurous!
Kyrenia (Girne) Castle:
The castle dominates the eastern end of Kyrenia harbour and possibly dates back to the 7th century BC, although no definitive date has yet been determined for its original construction. It was captured by Richard the Lionheart during the Crusades and has been enlarged and extended several times throughout history and details of these changes are well illustrated within the Castle's introductory room. The structure is well-preserved and it offers wonderful views of Kyrenia harbour and the surrounding district from the upper walls. If you visit the Castle, do look out for the lovely beige one-eyed cat, which seems to befriend each new visitor as they enter the castle grounds. It took a distinct liking to my husband's jacket when he put it down on the wall and quite a bit of gentle persuasion was needed to stop it using it as a bed!
Inside the castle is the Shipwreck Museum which contains the remains of the oldest shipwreck ever discovered, dating back to 300 BC. There are several other displays within the castle, including the rather gruesome torture chamber and a model of a Bronze Age tomb discovered near to Kyrenia, along with artefacts which were recovered from inside it (following a raid on a local tomb-raider's home!) There is also an exhibition hall containing pictures donated by William Dreghorn, but unfortunately this was closed during our visit.
Bellapais Abbey and Village
A short drive southeast of Kyrenia, the Abbey dates back to around 1200 AD and was given to the Greek Orthodox church following the Ottoman conquest. It contains one of the few Orthodox churches which has been preserved in Northern Cyprus since 1974 and the icons, architecture and furniture are well worth seeing.
The original village of Bellapais, immediately surrounding the monastery is still very pretty and the Tree of Idleness Restaurant makes a pleasant stop for a coffee following a visit to the abbey. In front of the restaurant is an old tree which, it is claimed, is the "tree of idleness" referred to by Lawrence Durrell in his book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus. The village, however, has been much extended since Durrell's time and away from the Abbey it has the same sprawling modern villas as can be seen in much of the Kyrenia district. We were totally gobsmacked as we sat in the idyllic, peaceful setting of the village centre when some tourists approached the restaurant and the lead male was heard to say to his wife in a very loud middle-class British accent "Have you asked how much the coffee is here? I'm certainly not paying more than a pound for a cup of coffee". Just goes to prove the old saying that some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing!
St Hilarion Castle
Another short drive from Kyrenia in a southwesterly direction took us to St Hilarion Castle. This is the main castle of Northern Cyprus and its fairytale appearance is said to be the inspiration behind Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. It is situated on one of the highest peaks of the Kyrenia mountain range and can be seen for miles around. This means that the drive up to it is quite scarey - partly because of the steep winding road and partly because the majority of the road is controlled by the Turkish military - so there's no stopping and no photography allowed until you get to the Castle car park. The mountainside appears to be an army training camp and is guarded by gun-toting soldiers as you pull off the main road to start the climb.
Once you've braved the hairpin bends and the armed guards, the Castle itself is on 3 levels and involves a lot of steep climbing to see all of them, so it's not for anyone with walking difficulties and I should imagine it's quite strenuous in the mid-summer heat. However, if you can manage it, both the Castle itself and the breath-taking views over Kyrenia and the surrounding coast are well worth it.
East of Kyrenia:
As you leave the main town area, the road is some distance from the shore and for several miles all you see is villa developments, the majority of which were either unfinished or uninhabited at the time we visited. It gives the impression that virtually every patch of spare land is being built on and it seems a shame that the developers appear to be determined to transform the main reason for most people visiting Northern Cyprus (i.e. its rugged, unspoilt beauty) into just another Mediterranean sprawl.
However, carry on a little further and about 30km from Kyrenia, around the village of Esentepe, the building sites have disappeared (for now) and there are some spectacular views of the coast and the surrounding mountains. There is a small natural harbour here which, although totally undeveloped, is used as a mooring by the local fishermen and goats wander freely across the cliffs and down to the beach.
The road from here on is pretty much undeveloped, apart from a few small hamlets and the odd restaurant which were all closed when we visited in December, until you reach the small village of Kaplica. At the moment this village is still a pretty little, mostly undeveloped, harbour with the unspoilt main village of Kaplica a kilometre or so up the hill. I understand that there are plans for its further development which are supposed to retain the original character of the village and I hope that this will be the case. From here we carried on up the hill towards the village of Kantara and its castle.
Kantara Castle is situated about 55km east of Kyrenia. It dates back to the 10th century, but the majority of the remaining parts belong to the reign of James 1 of Cyprus who re-fortified the castle during his reign from 1382-1398. Much of the castle is now in ruins, but the outer walls still stand and, as it's 600m above sea level, a visit there is worthwhile for the spectacular views of the northern coast.
West of Kyrenia:
Once again, the drive out of Kyrenia heading west offers many more villa developments and I'm really not sure how they expect to sell all of these. Northern Cyprus currently only receives around half a million visitors a year, the majority of whom come from Turkey and it seems unlikely that Turkish people would want to buy holiday homes so close to their own homes.
Anyway, the development mostly runs out by the time you reach the villages of Alsancak and Lapta and more wonderful coastline views can be seen. The road starts to get a little rougher from Kayaler onwards and, rather than continue on to the cape at Korucam we turned off at Sadrazamkoy and followed the road south east along the other side of the Kyrenia mountains. The contrast on this side of the mountains is amazing, with rugged mountain views turning to lush green plains and at times we found it difficult to remember that we were still in a Mediterranean country - the landscapes were more reminiscent of the British countryside, until we caught sight of a small olive grove or citrus fruit orchard, which reminded us where we were!
South to Salamis and Gazimagusa (Famagusta):
10km north of Gazimagusa, the ancient city of Salamis is said to have been founded by the Greek hero Teucer, following the Trojan war. The Romans and Byzantines extended it further and many of its remains can be seen with archeological work still ongoing to discover further remains. Don't be fooled by the marble columns in the Gymnasium, which were actually erected during restoration work in the 1950's!
A short drive south from Salamis takes you to the walled city of Gazimagusa. Unfortunately, due to limited daylight hours in December, we were only able to spend a short time here, but I think it certainly warrants a longer visit and the ancient churches and city walls were very impressive - particularly the quirky Lala Mustafa Pasa mosque, which was originally a Latin cathedral, but which was coverted to a mosque by the addition of a single minaret some 400-odd years ago.
Firstly I'd like to say that it took quite a bit of soul-searching before we finally decided to visit Northern Cyprus. As regular visitors to Greece, the current political situation made us feel as though it would somehow be disloyal to our Greek friends to go there. However, we finally decided to put aside our prejudices and principles and go there before over-development turns it into a carbon copy of the southern part of the island. I think we only just made it in time!
Getting there is a trial in itself since neither the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, nor its main airport at Ercan are officially recognised under international law. This means that direct flights are only possible from Turkey and our plane had to land in Antalya for an hour or so, before taking off again for the remaining 40 minute "domestic" flight. For some reason (possibly prevailing winds) the flight home takes about an hour longer than the outbound flight and this made for a total return journey time of around 10 hours from Kyrenia to our home near Manchester Airport, so it's not exactly a short hop!
Getting around:
We hired a car from Sun RentaCar and were very impressed, since it was a virtually new Fiat Panda with only about 11,000km on the clock. The driving is reasonably easy, with most of the roads well signposted and tarmacced, but it can get a little hairy up in the mountains with the hairpin bends and the odd development work where the road seems to be being widened and the tarmac suddenly disappears. We managed to get lost a couple of times - once near the village of Degirmenlik where we missed a right turn and ended up at the gates of a military establishment, with two armed soldiers guarding the entrance. They seemed quite friendly though and directed us back to the correct road! The other time was when what appeared to be a road on the map suddenly turned into what seemed to be an army tank track and concerns for the underside of our car and its tyres persuaded us to turn around and try another way. Maybe if we'd hired a 4x4 we may have been a bit more adventurous!
Kyrenia (Girne) Castle:
The castle dominates the eastern end of Kyrenia harbour and possibly dates back to the 7th century BC, although no definitive date has yet been determined for its original construction. It was captured by Richard the Lionheart during the Crusades and has been enlarged and extended several times throughout history and details of these changes are well illustrated within the Castle's introductory room. The structure is well-preserved and it offers wonderful views of Kyrenia harbour and the surrounding district from the upper walls. If you visit the Castle, do look out for the lovely beige one-eyed cat, which seems to befriend each new visitor as they enter the castle grounds. It took a distinct liking to my husband's jacket when he put it down on the wall and quite a bit of gentle persuasion was needed to stop it using it as a bed!
Inside the castle is the Shipwreck Museum which contains the remains of the oldest shipwreck ever discovered, dating back to 300 BC. There are several other displays within the castle, including the rather gruesome torture chamber and a model of a Bronze Age tomb discovered near to Kyrenia, along with artefacts which were recovered from inside it (following a raid on a local tomb-raider's home!) There is also an exhibition hall containing pictures donated by William Dreghorn, but unfortunately this was closed during our visit.
Bellapais Abbey and Village
A short drive southeast of Kyrenia, the Abbey dates back to around 1200 AD and was given to the Greek Orthodox church following the Ottoman conquest. It contains one of the few Orthodox churches which has been preserved in Northern Cyprus since 1974 and the icons, architecture and furniture are well worth seeing.
The original village of Bellapais, immediately surrounding the monastery is still very pretty and the Tree of Idleness Restaurant makes a pleasant stop for a coffee following a visit to the abbey. In front of the restaurant is an old tree which, it is claimed, is the "tree of idleness" referred to by Lawrence Durrell in his book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus. The village, however, has been much extended since Durrell's time and away from the Abbey it has the same sprawling modern villas as can be seen in much of the Kyrenia district. We were totally gobsmacked as we sat in the idyllic, peaceful setting of the village centre when some tourists approached the restaurant and the lead male was heard to say to his wife in a very loud middle-class British accent "Have you asked how much the coffee is here? I'm certainly not paying more than a pound for a cup of coffee". Just goes to prove the old saying that some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing!
St Hilarion Castle
Another short drive from Kyrenia in a southwesterly direction took us to St Hilarion Castle. This is the main castle of Northern Cyprus and its fairytale appearance is said to be the inspiration behind Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. It is situated on one of the highest peaks of the Kyrenia mountain range and can be seen for miles around. This means that the drive up to it is quite scarey - partly because of the steep winding road and partly because the majority of the road is controlled by the Turkish military - so there's no stopping and no photography allowed until you get to the Castle car park. The mountainside appears to be an army training camp and is guarded by gun-toting soldiers as you pull off the main road to start the climb.
Once you've braved the hairpin bends and the armed guards, the Castle itself is on 3 levels and involves a lot of steep climbing to see all of them, so it's not for anyone with walking difficulties and I should imagine it's quite strenuous in the mid-summer heat. However, if you can manage it, both the Castle itself and the breath-taking views over Kyrenia and the surrounding coast are well worth it.
East of Kyrenia:
As you leave the main town area, the road is some distance from the shore and for several miles all you see is villa developments, the majority of which were either unfinished or uninhabited at the time we visited. It gives the impression that virtually every patch of spare land is being built on and it seems a shame that the developers appear to be determined to transform the main reason for most people visiting Northern Cyprus (i.e. its rugged, unspoilt beauty) into just another Mediterranean sprawl.
However, carry on a little further and about 30km from Kyrenia, around the village of Esentepe, the building sites have disappeared (for now) and there are some spectacular views of the coast and the surrounding mountains. There is a small natural harbour here which, although totally undeveloped, is used as a mooring by the local fishermen and goats wander freely across the cliffs and down to the beach.
The road from here on is pretty much undeveloped, apart from a few small hamlets and the odd restaurant which were all closed when we visited in December, until you reach the small village of Kaplica. At the moment this village is still a pretty little, mostly undeveloped, harbour with the unspoilt main village of Kaplica a kilometre or so up the hill. I understand that there are plans for its further development which are supposed to retain the original character of the village and I hope that this will be the case. From here we carried on up the hill towards the village of Kantara and its castle.
Kantara Castle is situated about 55km east of Kyrenia. It dates back to the 10th century, but the majority of the remaining parts belong to the reign of James 1 of Cyprus who re-fortified the castle during his reign from 1382-1398. Much of the castle is now in ruins, but the outer walls still stand and, as it's 600m above sea level, a visit there is worthwhile for the spectacular views of the northern coast.
West of Kyrenia:
Once again, the drive out of Kyrenia heading west offers many more villa developments and I'm really not sure how they expect to sell all of these. Northern Cyprus currently only receives around half a million visitors a year, the majority of whom come from Turkey and it seems unlikely that Turkish people would want to buy holiday homes so close to their own homes.
Anyway, the development mostly runs out by the time you reach the villages of Alsancak and Lapta and more wonderful coastline views can be seen. The road starts to get a little rougher from Kayaler onwards and, rather than continue on to the cape at Korucam we turned off at Sadrazamkoy and followed the road south east along the other side of the Kyrenia mountains. The contrast on this side of the mountains is amazing, with rugged mountain views turning to lush green plains and at times we found it difficult to remember that we were still in a Mediterranean country - the landscapes were more reminiscent of the British countryside, until we caught sight of a small olive grove or citrus fruit orchard, which reminded us where we were!
South to Salamis and Gazimagusa (Famagusta):
10km north of Gazimagusa, the ancient city of Salamis is said to have been founded by the Greek hero Teucer, following the Trojan war. The Romans and Byzantines extended it further and many of its remains can be seen with archeological work still ongoing to discover further remains. Don't be fooled by the marble columns in the Gymnasium, which were actually erected during restoration work in the 1950's!
A short drive south from Salamis takes you to the walled city of Gazimagusa. Unfortunately, due to limited daylight hours in December, we were only able to spend a short time here, but I think it certainly warrants a longer visit and the ancient churches and city walls were very impressive - particularly the quirky Lala Mustafa Pasa mosque, which was originally a Latin cathedral, but which was coverted to a mosque by the addition of a single minaret some 400-odd years ago.
Looks like I managed to retain the caps this time 
Anyone visiting north cyprus and needing car hire one of the cheapest is http://www.birdrentacar.com in Kyrenia we have used it quite a few times nowYou can expect to pay £12 a day all inclusive in Jan, and it is costing us £15 a day in May, this is a great price compared to the rest of the car hire firms in the north
It will cost us £168 for 13 days next week which is great.
thought you may like to know. The prices on the web page dont tally with what I have put, just e-mail the firm and ask for a quote.
Mike T
I'm staying in Northern Cyprus in the summer but am interested in going to Cairo on a 2 day cruise....Is it possible from the North?...Is it possible to travel down to Limassol and take a boat from there?...Are there any tour companies in Girne who run any trips to Cairo(or anywhere else away from the Island)cheers.......DT
Hi Dean. Only ferries from Kyrenia (Girne) sail to Turkey, as far as I am aware. Don't see why you shouldn't head to Cairo via Limassol. No problems now getting over the border, and in the summer there is a good service there to Egypt.
North Cyprus with direct flights and local departures too!With regards to all your debates.. there is a company called Direct Traveller - i saw them in the Mail on Sunday.. They offer Kyrenia or Famagusta with direct flights through Larnaca.
I spoke to them over the phone, the helpful chap called Ram' - he said they have been offering their direct flight services siince May 2004.
Well i've booked my trip this year with them.. a god send as i can also fly from direct from Bristol airport!
try them out http://www.directtraveller.com
tel: 0845 123 5383
Well, I'm trying something new, too, next month, flying out on the maiden Atlas Jet flight from Stansted to Ercan on the 22nd. After sampling Turkish Airways and Cyprus Turkish Air in recent years, the promise of a "smiling crew, champagne cocktails after take-off, complimentary bar, and 34-inch seat pitch" was too great to resist.
Mind you, like Turkish Airways, there is a stop at Istanbul (this time only 20 minutes), but Jewels of the World, who I have booked through, assure me I do not have to get off the plane before it heads off again to Ercan. All sound good to me. Await progress reports...
Mind you, like Turkish Airways, there is a stop at Istanbul (this time only 20 minutes), but Jewels of the World, who I have booked through, assure me I do not have to get off the plane before it heads off again to Ercan. All sound good to me. Await progress reports...
it will be interesting to hear the feedback on atlasjet - in Turkey they actually offer budget internal flights from domestic locations.. i hop ethis doesnt reflect on their service to the uk..
i know i mentioned it before but if you are looking for added service you can fly with british Airways through http://www.directtraveller.com from Heathrow. im honsetly convinced with this as yo umay have noticed.. the flights is 4.5hrs.. and a private car transfer too..
anyway i hope new airlines start cropping up! - maybe overall service will improve.
i know i mentioned it before but if you are looking for added service you can fly with british Airways through http://www.directtraveller.com from Heathrow. im honsetly convinced with this as yo umay have noticed.. the flights is 4.5hrs.. and a private car transfer too..
anyway i hope new airlines start cropping up! - maybe overall service will improve.
David,
I'm not sure exactly what debate you are talking about, but Direct Traveller have actually been mentioned on this thread many times before as offering a direct service to Larnaca. I too phoned them up before we booked to go to N Cyprus but unfortunately they didn't have any flights available from Manchester for Christmas week. I think the post below from Bazjea was one of the first to highlight their service. It's handy to have their details in a recent post though, to save having to trawl through the 22 pages of this thread. Isn't it about time that Northern Cyprus had a forum of its own?
I'm not sure exactly what debate you are talking about, but Direct Traveller have actually been mentioned on this thread many times before as offering a direct service to Larnaca. I too phoned them up before we booked to go to N Cyprus but unfortunately they didn't have any flights available from Manchester for Christmas week. I think the post below from Bazjea was one of the first to highlight their service. It's handy to have their details in a recent post though, to save having to trawl through the 22 pages of this thread. Isn't it about time that Northern Cyprus had a forum of its own?
Posted: Mon 26 Jul, 2004 2:45 pm Post subject: direct flights
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have just received details of package Holidays to Kyrenia in October.
Travelling direct to Larnaca. Transfer to Kyrenia included in the package,
the company listed below is running the deal.They quote a transfer time of about an 1 hour 30mins.
http://www.DirectTraveller.com
Baz
sorry - i didnt look that far back.. i thought i was giving everyone some ground breaking news about Direct Traveller!
i guess i just got excited with the service on offer.. as you said at least its closer on the message string.
A north Cyprus message forum would be good... im new to all this actually - would it be hard to set one up? but i guess this is good enough, getting a North Cyprus community together?
Dave
i guess i just got excited with the service on offer.. as you said at least its closer on the message string.
A north Cyprus message forum would be good... im new to all this actually - would it be hard to set one up? but i guess this is good enough, getting a North Cyprus community together?
Dave
Isn't it about time that Northern Cyprus had a forum of its own?
I will bring it up at our next review
Kath HT Admin
Yes, Kath, considering the depth of North Cyprus information on this site (and the number of "visitors"), a dedicated TRNC section would be hugely appreciated.
We are finally returning to northern cyprus after almost 20 years and parents after 50 years and have enjoyed reading everyones experiences, good and bad. We are travelling with direct traveller on recommendation of a friend (who will be having their second holiday out there this month), great as a direct flight from local airport with no visit into turkey. we are interested in imformation on the salamis beach hotel. Decided to stay on the west side, as we know the kyrenia area and part of farmagusta but never visited the pan handle as we always had to get to the miltary side before a certain time and the travelling distance.
Can anyone help me with any information as in safty deposit boxes; what not to drink etc or anything that might interfer with a trip down memory lane.
Thanks
Dave and Paula
Can anyone help me with any information as in safty deposit boxes; what not to drink etc or anything that might interfer with a trip down memory lane.
Thanks
Dave and Paula
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