We prefer the Paphos area as it has more history to it. We hired a car for 3 days the first time we went and there was more than enough to see. 5 days might have been better.

The Kykko Monastery on Mount Olympus is worth seeing and the Troodos Mountains. There is also the Tomb of the Kings, Curium, the Roman mosaics in Paphos itself, Aphrodite's Bath, Aphrodite's Rock, Nicosia, little villages such as Polis.

There are also 2/3 day cruises to Egypt and sometimes Israel. There is a topic on this at the top of the forum as well as one on car hire.

Wizard has also listed some things in this topic:-

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=142039

luci

Thank you! i have now been looking at Northern Cyprus. i went into Thomson yesterday and they have said in the last few days they have received a 'file' talking about possible flights there. They were going to ring me when the file had been found. Any areas in Northern Cyprus? I have just started reading the item on NC within HT. Thanks again, jazz

Don't hold your breath about direct flights to the north of Cyprus.
It was at the High Court last year and as it stands you would/will still have to land in Turkey before the onward flight to Cyprus.

The British government argued that the lifting of the ban would contravene the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Source
Edit to update link

A flight to the Turkish occupied area of Northern Cyprus will take around 6hrs by the time you take into consideration landing and taking off again in Turkey.

As for direct flights, it's not gonna happen at this moment in time - not after the recent court ruling on the Oram property case.

If you really want the North, you would be better to fly into Larnaca and take a transfer to Kyrenia from there. There are some tour operators that do this route but I'm not certain which they are.

For holidays with children, I would recommend the eastern end of the island such as Protaras or on the outskirts of Ayia Napa. Beaches are golden sand around Ayia Napa and Protaras rather than shingle to the central and western end of the island.

You can reach Larnaca and Nicosia quite easily from the east and also visit Kyrenia in the North if you want. You can walk through the Green Line crossing point from Ledra Street in Nicosia (you will need your passport) into the Turkish occupied area and do some shopping for fake Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton etc at some great prices.

Having been to Pathos /Pollis and Protaras, the answer , hire a car.
Its the only holiday I ever get a car. I would only drive on the right for two weeks a year, and having to concentrate , find I miss out. But still driving on the left makes car hire a pleasure.
Island being small e,g Pathos to Pollis is a nice afternoon

What to do in Cyprus and where to go ?

We like a little more peace and quiet so prefer Pernera on the South East coast of the Island, just down the road from Protaras. There is plenty going on but its not quite as hustle and bustly as somewhere like Ayia Napa or Paphos.

What can you do ? - Hotels and Bars have varying entertainment on, live acts, karaoke, magic, hypnotists etc... Some bars even have little play areas for the younger children (bouncy castles, swings etc)

Obvious things like beaches and all the water sports (hire jetski's, motorboats, towed on bananas, paracending etc)

Restaurants and Café's well worth visiting to try some really fantastic Greek/Cypriot dishes.

Then there are Waterparks around the island, the best and biggest being in Ayia Napa which is a great day out, but there is a small one in Pernera and more at the other ends of the island.

Varying trips, some based on having a laugh and a day out, some based on history and culture. -
Big Red Bus Tour around Protaras and Ayia Napa takes you out into the old red soil villages, shows you normal Cypriot life, explains about local culture, about the division of the Island, food, day to day life etc..
Numerous boat trips doing things like beach BBQ, Trips to Famagusta, Looking for Dolphins, cruising about etc..
Jeep Safari into the Troodos mountains, well worth seeing
Trips over the 'border' to see the otherside (still not been there ourselves after years of going to Cyprus)

Then there are places to visit which you can do yourself or get on a trip, see the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos and various other historical monuments and sites.

Hire a car and have a look around the Island, stop for coffee, have a bite to eat.. do whatever takes your fancy... !

There is plenty going on but thats a brief hint...

Steve