A New York Times correspondent and blogger is embarking on a tour of Europe this summer and sharing his exploits, experiences and discoveries via video download and also blog entry on the Travel pages of the leading American newspaper.
Visiting nations such as Malta, Poland, Lithuania and Romania on his travels, imagine North Cyprus’ surprise when he landed at Larnaca on his exploration of Cyprus and promptly headed North and only North to discover the best that Cyprus has to offer.
Unless you’re immune to the gloom, by now the lack of a British summer may well be getting to you! It’s the middle of July and apart from a couple of sunny days in May, the clouds have yet to lift and the temperatures have yet to rise in the UK. Apparently we may be on track for a glorious September, but if you don’t want to take the risk that the weatherman’s got it wrong again, may we make a suggestion?
In this article we look at escaping the British weather in search of North Cyprus sunshine, and we take you on a trip round the beautiful destination that is TRNC and inspire you to reserve your flights and book your villa accommodation now!
There was a mini-property boom in south Cyprus last year ahead of the country adopting the euro as its currency in January 2008 – buyers were well aware that the price of property would rise once the euro was in place. Well, not only did the prices in south Cyprus rise under the veil of the euro’s adoption, but the euro has since risen in value in relation to the pound and so British tourists are finding they are getting more for their money in North Cyprus!
In Northern Cyprus the currency for purchasing everything apart from real estate is the Turkish lira which has fared much better against the pound compared to the euro. And this summer those who are heading for Cyprus and hoping to enjoy an affordable holiday in the sun away from Britain and Europe’s credit crunch situation should ensure they are holidaying on the right side (i.e., the North side) of the Green Line!
As the weather warms up and the flowers bloom across the stunning Northern Cyprus coastline, so the island welcomes walkers in their droves who come to examine the rare orchids for which Northern Cyprus is famous and who also come to explore some of the dramatic landmarks for which the island is also well known.
If you’re considering taking a break in TRNC why not spend some time exploring North Cyprus’s ancient castles? Even if you aren’t a keen walker or you’re coming to the island in the heat of the summer sunshine when walking too far is pretty impossible, you can still get close enough to each magnificent castle to be impressed – we promise you!
A brand new organization called Kyrenia Mountain Trail Association has launched operations in Northern Cyprus ready for the autumn season when North Cyprus biking and hiking tours will get underway on the 220 km long Bespamark and Kyrenia mountain chain.
This is the mountain chain that dominates the landscape in stunning Northern Cyprus and which spans the entire north coastline from east to west – and for the first time ever the Kyrenia Mountain Trail Association is organizing specialist biking and hiking tours and holidays which will be a welcome and unique boost to the tourism market in North Cyprus.
When you’re enjoying your hard earned two weeks in the sun, am I right in saying there’s actually nothing worse than hearing your little darlings uttering those immortal words ‘I’m bored’? After all, what that means is – ‘entertain me – NOW’ which is quite possibly the last thing you want to have to do when you’re trying to sunbathe and escape from it all!
Well, to save you having to come up with an idea of what to do to pass the time for your kids, here’s our guide to entertaining children on holiday in North Cyprus. The list is a work in progress because new business ventures and attractions are opening up all the time in Northern Cyprus - but hopefully it’ll inspire you and also save you from having to give up on your relaxing holiday.
Because Larnaca airport is so accessible from many airports across the UK, Ireland and Europe it’s a popular airport to use for those coming to North Cyprus; as a result many people have contacted us requesting driving directions to take them from Larnaca airport to North Cyprus across the Metehan crossing in Nicosia.
We, like so many others must have written this route out ten times at least and so now, to save us the hassle of ever having to do it again and to save you the hassle of getting lost (hopefully!) here are the ultimate driving directions from Larnaca airport in South Cyprus to Kyrenia (Girne) and Karsiyaka in North Cyprus.
One of the leading and most reliable and respected car hire companies in Northern Cyprus is Pe-To Car Rental. Pe-To not only supply their customers with quality cars at competitive prices but they offer all sorts of extras such as airport collections and returns and they even offer discounts to those who regularly use their services.
Now Pe-To car hire North Cyprus are offering their customers special winter deals and once again they are leading the field in terms of competitiveness…read on to find out more.
Northern Cyprus is serviced directly by one international airport called Ercan Airport; it’s located close to the capital of Nicosia (Lefkosia) and just a half hour’s drive from the centre of Kyrenia.
While direct flights are not officially available to Northern Cyprus from anywhere other than Turkey, flights to Northern Cyprus and UK regularly go direct with two flights leaving at the same time and one touching down in Turkey with the travellers wanting to alight on the mainland and the other flight continuing directly to North Cyprus or directly from Northern Cyprus to the UK.
As the wider world begins to realise the delights that North Cyprus has to offer them as an unspoiled and friendly location in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, so more people are planning and booking Northern Cyprus holidays where they can relax, unwind, get away from it all and enjoy the weather, the food and the hospitality.
Northern Cyprus is not your average Mediterranean island package holiday getaway location offering high rise hotels, frenetic nightlife and all day English breakfasts! Rather it is a sleepy, generally laid back location that benefits from not having been over developed or concreted over! This is a guide to the types of Northern Cyprus holidays enjoyed by an increasing number of visitors to the island.
Now that easyJet have announced that they will be flying daily from London to Istanbul from June, Ercan Airport and North Cyprus are suddenly far more accessible - and what’s even more exciting is the fact that flights to North Cyprus suddenly become competitive and even cheap!
Thanks to easyJet opening a new daily route from London’s Luton airport to Istanbul’s main airport, passengers wishing to fly to Northern Cyprus can book a cheap ticket from GBP 30.99 from the UK to Turkey and then get on one of any number of flights that connect Istanbul to Ercan throughout the day.
So many About North Cyprus readers have been contacting us this year asking about good value car hire in North Cyprus or reliable rental car companies that we embarked upon some serious research on behalf of all of you out there!
We’ve tried out cars and jeeps, motorbikes and even a minibus and finally we’ve come up with your comprehensive guide to Northern Cyprus car hire and secured you some good deals at the same time!
North Cyprus is often referred to as the secret jewel in the Mediterranean as it has received very little publicity over the years, following its separation from South Cyprus and its formation as an independent country in its own right.
Thankfully, this situation is finally beginning to change for the better and North Cyprus is growing in positive significance on the world map.
If you’re coming to Northern Cyprus on a package holiday your holiday company are sure to have some organised tours and day trips arranged for you.
From boat trips on the Med, day trips to the Karpas, shopping trips to Nicosia or organised castle tours - there is so much to do and see in Northern Cyprus that you’ll be hard pressed to fit it all in!
Because there is so much to do and see in North Cyprus it’s a great idea to rent a car and give yourself the freedom to travel to all the beaches, towns, castles and places of interest in your own time.
There are some organised sightseeing trips that your hotel or holiday village will be happy to help you arrange, and there are regular mini-bus services between all the major towns, but none of these options give you the freedom to set your own schedule.
There is only one main airport in Northern Cyprus that accepts commercial flights and that is Ercan Airport. Flights to Ercan come via Turkey where they are required to land before being allowed to fly on to Northern Cyprus.
Direct flights are forever in the news in Northern Cyprus and everyone is campaigning hard to allow them. It is universally accepted that it is only a matter of time before there are direct flights to and from Northern Cyprus from the UK, Germany and the US to name but a few destinations.
Package holidays are a relatively new but developing business in Northern Cyprus. Until recently it was mainly a destination for the independent traveller, but such is the timeless and universal appeal of the North that there are now holiday companies offering attractive packages to suit most budgets and holiday experience requirements.
If you’re looking for a holiday company offering package deals to the North the internet is probably the best place to start as few if any travel agents carry brochures dedicated to this side of Cyprus yet.
Holiday makers keen to visit North Cyprus will be rewarded with clear, warm beautiful turquoise seas, clean sandy beaches, stunning natural beauty, many historic and culturally fascinating sites to visit, an enviable laid back pace of life, fabulous and highly affordable food and drink and of course the famous Cypriot warm welcome.
In fact, if you’re considering going anywhere else on your holiday this year, don’t!
Check out further articles below or visit our archive for full listings
Click for archive »