Reply With QuoteJust like Aiya Napa, avoid Limassol. Full of dodgy Ukranian mafia run strip bars/brothels. I hear the north side of the island is very nice.
Hi all,
Cyprus had never really appealed to me for a holiday en famille. But when BA cut the number of miles by half over the summer we decided to give it a go, as we'd been to quite a few of the other Med destination BA flies to. And, as we like to spend a week away in the Spring half term, we will be guaranteed the weather.
Living it large in Ayia Napa is not quite suitable for forty something parents with a 10 and 7 year old. Maybe 15 years ago :wink:
Even over the Paphos side I've seen some mixed reviews. We like it fairly quiet with a low key cosmopolitan buzz, great beaches (of course) and restaurants that have never heard of the all day breakfast.
For the seasoned travellers out there, any recommendations.
Ta in advance,
noTAGlove
Just like Aiya Napa, avoid Limassol. Full of dodgy Ukranian mafia run strip bars/brothels. I hear the north side of the island is very nice.
Fig Tree Bay is a nice quiet area for families such as yourselves the beach itself is fantastic plenty of nice restaurants. Also the Northern side of the island is equally nice and not as commercialised Kyrenia Harbour is amazing. Whichever part you decide on hope you all have a great time enjoy 8)
I have a house in Larnaca which is less touristy. It has a couple of beeches one on the main promenade front and one further down next to the airport where you can watch the planes land. If you hire a car you can drive to Proteras and the better beach but that area is much more touristy.
Please also note it is an expensive place now compared to what it used to be, so no cheap holiday I am afraid. When are you looking to go as that will depend on how busy it is.
Given that the illegally occupied "Northern Cyprus" is only recognised by Turkey, condemned by several UN resolutions and 200,000 Greek Cypriots were driven from their homes and are not allowed to return and have lost all property rights. I am not sure i would wish to recommend such a place for a holiday. Protaras is a nice place to visit for family holidays. My parents also live in Cyprus in larnaca. Have you thought about the greek islands? much cheaper and less touristy
We've been to the Greek Island many times and love them. Also love the Peloponesse.Originally Posted by omegaUK
But this time we've managed to book 4 return flights to Larnaca on BA for a total £350 (plus a few BA miles), so not really worried if Cyprus is a little more expensive. But it has to have a resort/area that appeals to us, otherwise I'll cancel (it's only a £60 hit).
Paphos is nice, as is Larnaca. North of Paphos town, there are some lovely quieter areas as you go up into the hills towards the town of Polis.
Protaras & Paralimni are also very nice with really nice beaches.
Lived there - won't go back!
It's just a matter of time...
Protaras and Paralimini both nice and Pathos is ok.
I would defo recommend Cyprus, although as stated it is very expensive now,taxis used to be 2cypriot£ any where in the resort you were staying in,not any more.
I went to Protaras a few years ago on a late booked 4-star week's deal. Everyone said it would be great and that Fig Tree Bay was an excellent and beautiful beach. My wife and I thought the whole place was crap. The beach is essentially a billion cigarette ends covered in a half inch of sand. The restaurants are beyond poor if you like good food and the people who run the resort just want your money as quickly as possible without expending any energy. I would never set foot in that awful pisshole again. I travel a lot and Cyprus is really a 3rd World place. When you could go to Sicily or Sardinia or numerous places in Spain or Portugal why anyone would want to go to Cyprus is completely beyond me. And they say that Protaras is one of the best bits. I would prefer a week in the Canaries. Unexciting but at least it's clean.
Since it was 1985 when I went there, I guess my comments aren't much use but I loved the place. Got a BA late booking out of LHR and the stewardesses recommended Aya Napa, long before anyone had heard of it! It was a sleepy village at the time and £2/head for a room!
Bored with Aya Napa, spent a week on mopeds touring the island which I thought was fantastic. The Troudos (sp?) mountains with it's monastery, Aphrodite bay, a beach in the middle of nowhere where there was a turtle beach (I got a photo with a day old turtle in my hand!), the old Greek ruins somewhere, a nutter with an axe who had a bar/cafe on the Northern border, the rooftop pool on the Nicosia Hilton, etc, etc.
OK, things may have changed but if you get off the beaten track, I bet Cyprus is still a great destination!
i live here so i can help
try Protaras and Paphos and use only places that locals go
pm me for anything i can help
So many brits who stay here must be feeling like home ( I travel a lot and Cyprus is really a 3rd World place )
you probably ended up in a cheap holiday/deal and also skipped where the locals go
the cigarette thing is correct and i hate that too
Actually it was a newish and rather smart hotel and the food was so bad we had to eat out every night. They had themed food evenings. The Greek theme was a number of baked bones and the next night was an Indian theme where the same baked bones would reappear flavoured with some powdered Cumin. You can guess what the spare ribs were on the Chinese themed night. Local restaurants dished up the usual Greek dishes and were just edible. I complained to the tour company who offered me £100 off my next visit. Yeah right, like I'm going to go back. Now quite possibly I was beyond unlucky but I would say that a quiet resort on any of the Balearics would be better but I suppose one could have a bummer there too. I am really not trying to be anti-Cyprus here either.
So many brits who stay here must be feeling like home ( I travel a lot and Cyprus is really a 3rd World place )
you probably ended up in a cheap holiday/deal and also skipped where the locals go
the cigarette thing is correct and i hate that too
My experience of Protaras was in 2000 so things may have changed quite a bit but I enjoyed it,perhaps also my expectations were a bit lower then too!
What about the Nissi beach area, some nice hotels around there I think, Adams beach hotel looks a nice one.
Lots of Russians on the strip of 5 star hotels in Limassol
Paphos is a much better bet, the Amatheus Beach hotel was very nice
I`m going to Paphos next week.......I`ll tell it like it really is when I get back.
Visited Cyprus twice in the early 90s and really liked it; I`m told it's quite expensive these days....but I won`t let that bother me too much provided I enjoy the holiday :)
Paul
Went to Paphos last year. Great place depending on what you want. Lots of big modern hotels - out of town but fine if you like all inclusive or laying on the beach type holidays I suppose.
We stayed right in the centre of the town, at the Dionisos, as our idea of a holiday is to see and experience as much of a place as possible. Just can't understand why anyone would fly thousands of miles just to lay on a beach in the sun, what a waste of two weeks of ones life. :twisted: It's a 3 star but perfectly positioned and having an air conditioned room with balcony was all we needed. To us, hotels are for breakfast and sleeping and nothing else.
The town has two types of everything - 'for the tourists' and 'for the locals'. As has been said by others, stick with 'for the locals' and you can't go wrong. It's also split into two very distinct parts - Ktima at the top of the hill, and Kato Pahos by the sea. Kato Paphos is the place to stay, but Ktima is well worth the visit with some excellent shops and an 'interesting' market. There is a very good Watch Shop in Kato Pahos, on the front, with some very nice high end brands to ogle. :D
Lots of history in and around the town if you like that sort of thing. It's certainly something Lynn and I enjoy and it's all in walking distance. There are many archaeological sites in and around the town, all worth seeing, and the Tombs of the Kings were well worth the walk, though they have nothing to do with kings at all.
Quaint harbour full of fishing boats, though you have to fight your way past the restaurateurs vying for your custom at all time of day and night. The place at the very end of the run, just before the fort, is worth stopping at for a drink as they give you complementary nibbles and a discount voucher for the next time you call in. :)
Only one small beach in the town itself, though a short walk in either direction will find you plenty of sand.
Plenty of water activities; diving; parascending, speedboat hire etc.
Some very good restaurants preparing local cuisine, (avoid the obvious 'tourist' ones), also a number of 'international' types such as Italian and Chinese, (the Chinese on the front is very good indeed); there's even a fish and chip shop on one of the back streets for those who really want to be the British Abroad :roll: :lol:
Plenty of trips available to see the rest of the island and it's certainly worth taking one to the occupied area to see how the other half live - there really is a huge difference. The cathedral at Famagusta, which has been converted to a mosque, is an absolute must see - you have to take your shoes off to go inside.
We didn't like Ayia Napa at all, over commercialised and nothing there but beaches and tourists.
Limasol was an interesting and bustling place. Well worth a day trip but not sure we'd stay there though.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.
Would we go back? Definitely.
Where? Paphos again as a base, but still much of the island to discover.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
I have stayed in paphos several times, I think it is a great place: chilled out, nice walk along the harbour and beaches are also good. If you want any tips on hotels and restaurants feel free to pm me. :)
Just returned from a week in Paphos. Last time I visited Cyprus was 1992.......it's changed a bit since then.
Enjoyed the holiday but, overall, a bit disappointing. Stayed half-board in a very mediocre 4* Hotel (Avlida) opposite Tomb of the Kings....I really wouldn`t recommend it; full of Russians, poor service, boring food, scruffy, gym & indoor pool not fit to use.......and I had a bottle of whisky and can of deoderant (!) nicked from my room within 2 hrs of arrival :shock:
Best area of Paphos to stay is the road along the seafront leading out towards the airport, NOT Tomb of the Kings road. The place is much more commercialised since my last visit, basically full of apartments, bars and restaurants.
Some nice hotels around, plenty of decent eating places and bars, prices much more reasonable than I expected (around 2.00-3.00 euro for a pint of Keo, 3.5e in a few places).
Enquired about Taxi prices.....8 euro minimum fair :shock: so we used the local buses which run v. frequently (1 euro/journey) but get very crowded.
Plenty of good roads and they drive on the correct side......driving is easy and road manners surprisingly good.
The border with the Occupied North is more relaxed and, provided you take your passport, visiting is no problem (although we didn`t); oddly enough you can only visit Famagusta on a Saturday :?
My advice is to go B & B or get an apartment; don`t try skimping on the accommodation and be prepared to pay to stay in a nice place....not the Avlida Hotel.
I heard stories about the influx of drugs and crime over the past few years; rightly or wrongly this is blamed on the Russians and other East Europeans. Met a couple from West Yorks who own an apartment in Paphos; their complex has recently acquired a Russian prostitute :shock:
Would I go a again?....yes, but my missis wasn`t impressed so I can`t see it happening for a while.
One last point, managed to get a decent exchange rate (£-euro) of 1.13 by using the kiosks in the town centre and changing notes; Interbank rate was around 1.146 when I left so I reckon I did well. Hotel offered 1.02.... :roll:
Paul
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