I know you have seen these, Cardiff Lad, but for the benefit of others, this is Protaras in January 07.
For info, the silver car is the second is mine - I think the car in the first picture was lost

We have just returned from a week in Protaras and it was dead when we arrived on 25th October and even worse when we left on 1st November. We was not aware that Protaras was not a winter resort (not informed by TC when we booked in January) and were bitterly dissappointed to find it practically closed down. Hotel we stayed in was a disgrace (see review); staff very rude (not at all what we expected); food (well if you like Pork you are fine) and to run out of drink and not be prepared to replace it because it is the end of the season..................unfortunately, we won't be returning to Cyprus

So no problem finding somewhere to park then.

fwh

You should have been informed that the season ends around the end of October but I think most places stayed open for half term week, so I'm surprised it was so dead for the last week of Oct.

Only Pafos and Limassol (and perhaps Larnaca) stay open through the year, but the east coast is very much a May - Oct resort.

We've actually been to Pernera (near Protaras for the uninitiated) during this "final week" and found it to be fine - some places closed, but plenty open, but your TC should have advised you of this.

As for the lack of stock -well yes - this happens. They don't open again for 7 months so they do run down on stock.

Shame you didn't like Cyprus, but I'd still suggest you try again perhaps in September.

Richie

same here found it really dead arrived on 28th oct and weather was terrible unfortunatly it has put me off cyprus stayed at tsokkos garden hotel in pernera

I'm shocked that people would not return to such a beautiful country as Cyprus and miss out because they were ill informed by their TO or didn't research properly

Did neither of you think to ask the question on here before booking ?

I went to Turkey late in the season this October and whilst it was quiet it certainly wasn't a ghost town where we stayed, however I was aware that the season ended on the 31st and we too encountered "sorry, we don't have it, it's the end of the season" but it wasn't an issue at all. We've already booked for next June & September 2010

yes i did ask the question and was told cyprus was an all year round resort and even thomas cook cant control the weather found cyprus very expensive thats why i wont return .

It was very quiet going into the last few weeks of the season. Main reason was the recession in Britain and the TO's wont knock the prices down to reflect this.

Sorry you find it expensive but wherever you go in europe you will get the same situation.

I live in Cyprus and find it a lot cheaper to live here than Britain.

I can assure you Miss Chief that like tezmand, we were under the impression that Cyprus is an all year round island indeed the advert that is currently running on all the main TV channels here (by the Cyprus Tourist Board) has on it "Cyprus - the all year round island". We travel all around the world and have never encountered "sorry its the end of the season" scenario; at the end of the day its not good enough. This was half term week in the UK and pps had paid top dollar for their holiday. The hotelier has had your money and is providing you with a service irrespective of the time of year/season. They just played us for fools. We too stayed at a Tsokkos hotel which is one of the biggest on the island I understand so there was no excuse not to open up more provisions/drink etc. How can a hotel run out of pasta? Its a staple of the buffet in any hotel. How can they serve Pork for lunch/evening meal for 5 consecutive days? Bad management in my opinion. They could quite easily transfer what wasn't used to another hotel but equally, it was locally produced spirits costing around euro 7 in the supermarkets so no doubt alot cheaper wholesale to the hotelier, so they had made their money out of the tourist. Thomas Cook did not inform us that the island was not all year round and we have taken this up with them. Unfortunately, it wasn't only this that has put us off Cyprus. Found the pps rude/arrogant, very dirty beaches (even at the end of the season there is no excuse not to clean up a beach) and cannot understand why pps say how lovely it is. Glad its back to the caribbean for us in the in future.

I've never in 20 years been sold the east of the island as an all year round resort. Everyone knows that Ayia Napa et al in that region close at the end of October as they're out and out holiday resorts.

Paphos on the other hand in the West is rightly sold as a year round destination.

With regard pricing, as Cardiff Lad says it's unfortunately down to the poor exchange rate plus the fact Cyprus has never been the cheapest destination.

I've been to Ayia Napa as late as mid Novemeber (for a Cypriot wedding) and found the beaches as clean as ever although all sunbeds packed away and only a handful of bars and hotels open in central Napa.

Miss_Chief1

Not everyone is familiar with Kipri [Cyprus] those of us in the know... will realise that although the east of the island is the warmest in the off peek only Pafos,Lemesos [limasol] and Larnaca are open as all year resorts, I have to agree the CTO advert dose say year round island, but doesn't clarify what parts of the island, to add to this there was a report in the Cyprus Mail some time back that over 60 hotels in the Pafos area that normally open 52 weeks a year have decided [due to low bookings] to close this year from end Oct to beginning may .

we are back to LOOK BEFORE YOU BOOK scenario unfortunately there are many thousands of people who don't, and it is those people who need [if they can find us ] our help.. if the ship has sailed then we must help where we can for the future so this doesn't happen again [no matter which country] the member wishes to go to

On a slightly different tack we have been to Cyprus many times including off season to Pafos and had a great time even though some of the bars and tavernas are closed even there,

Mitchy sorry you had a bad time please don't let it put you off a wonderful island try the west if going off peak or better still the east in the main season

Yasus
wizard

Wizard = many thanks for your reply. Sorry this seems to have become a bit of too and fro between myself and Miss Chief. We always have a winter week in October, February and March and never for one minute though that certain parts of Cyprus didn't open all year round. Maybe we should have done more research but as it was October half-term, again we presumed the resort would be up and running normally. miss Chief states that everyone one knows that the east of Cyprus doesn't open during October/March; sorry to say we have never been to Cyprus before and were unlucky not to know that the east closes at this time of year.

Maybe the beaches were clean in Ayia Napa when you went for a wedding Miss Chief because of that fact; there was a wedding taking place. We shall have just to differ on certain aspects of views on Cyprus; yes it is a shame we never saw it in its best light but for the money we paid for a "school holiday" holiday, we shall be looking further afield for the same cost.

We have been to Cyprus for the first two weeks in October for the last six years. Twice to Pahos and four times to the Ayia Napa area.
We (the wife) decided whilst we were there this year that we should go back to Paphos next year and have already booked. Well Thos Cook did quote us a silly price.
Sorry that it did not work out but it was simply that you went right at the end of the season which is always a problem wherever you go. I did note that a few places had closed early this year due to the drop in numbers so we were told.

fwh

Mitchy

We always have a winter week in October,

so do we but as my holiday is allocated it is usual in the first 2 weeks of the month, strangely enough this year we went on the 10th to Protaras and had good weather and a briliant time, but even then some places were selling off stock ready for winter

yasus
wizard

Sorry this seems to have become a bit of too and fro between myself and Miss Chief

Not strictly true, I'm just sad that people have been put off by a small area of Cyprus, when the TO seems at fault IMO.

Maybe the beaches were clean in Ayia Napa when you went for a wedding Miss Chief because of that fact

The wedding wasn't on the beach it was in a tiny village but we did visit all my usual beach haunts during our weeks stay

In my opinion the east of the island should be all year round.

Sadly the TO's don't sell for this end of the island between November and March.

To give you some idea, today is the 9th November and it was 28 degrees on my thermometer on my balcony which is in the shade.

I'm sure a lot of Brits wouls love to come over for that weather in the winter.

To give you some idea, today is the 9th November and it was 28 degrees on my thermometer on my balcony which is in the shade.

rub it in why dont you...lol!!!!

I totally agree that the resorts in the East should be open all year. I would like to know why the TO's / Cypriot businesses do not promote winter business. We had to fly to and from Paphos this October (as for some reason as of this year there are now no direct flights from Edinburgh to Larnaca ) and business was booming there. The Scandanavians appear to have the right idea and promote the East of the Island (especially Ayia Napa) but unfortunately for the Cypriots they do not spend a lot of money in bars or restaurants.

we honeymooned in Protaras (Capo Bay) in October 2005, arriving on 23 October. We had a great time and liked the fact that it was quieter, although busy the first week because of half term.

We were not warned by our travel agent that everywhere would shut on 31 October so it did come as a bit of a shock on 1 November to find that half of the restaurants we had been wanting to try were no more, lol. Also our travel company Argo did not have a rep in place as it was the end of the season. It was a shame that we missed what appeared to be several nice restaurants, however, we still found places to eat and shop and the hotel and beach were both busy especially in the first week, although there were not many guests left by the time we went home.

We had several great Cyprit meals at nicholas taverna, we even ate at Pizza Hut because of the lack of choie, but we found the Friends bar very friendly. The weather was fantastic, with only 1 rainy day in the whole fortnight. We swam in the sea every day and only found it cold at the end of the second week, which was about 6 November and we came home with a great suntan.

I would higly recommend Protaras, and we aim to go back for our wedding anniversay at some point (1 year old child has changed our plans to go back next year for 5th anniversary, lol). We would aim to go back around 14 October so that our anniversary (22 Oct) is about half way through the holiday and so that Protaras is still open.

I think you must have just been unlucky and if you could go back to Cyprus at another time or another part of the island, then you should have a much better experience.