All About Living and Holidaying in North Cyprus
So you are looking at where to go for your well deserved and anticipated, sun drenched summer holiday? Well let us tempt you with some very good reasons why you might well consider taking your holiday in North Cyprus!
1 – Beaches
The beaches in North Cyprus can cater for all your tastes and preferences. If your preference is solitude then take your pick of the beautiful stretches of beach dotted all along the North Cyprus coastline. [Read more...]
The Malpas 5 star hotel has been a wonderful addition to the recent surge of top class luxury hotel opening in North Cyprus, and after a few years in the making it opened its doors to guests in 2007.
The Malpas is finished to the highest standards and it has utilised modern technology in an effort to create an eco-friendly facility particularly with regards to its plumbing and re-use of water, (a small but significant step in the right direction). The hotel can offer both residents and non-residents a wealth of amenities and attractions too, and it has proved a welcome compliment to the range and location of hotels across the northern third of the island. [Read more...]
Launched in late February 2009 the Cyprus Airport Services run KIBHAS airport shuttle service is now in full operation serving customers with transfers to Ercan Airport. It has been quite a while coming but now has a fleet of twelve buses and coaches departing from all the major towns and ports in North Cyprus. [Read more...]
Ever fancied taking to the skies, floating on the thermals or just want to see a different view of North Cyprus than you have before? Why not take the opportunity to try your hand at paragliding which has become the most exciting way to see the breathtaking views that the island has to offer! [Read more...]
In the not too distant past hire cars were really the only way of seeing a lot of the island, and not much has changed! To be able to have the freedom to explore North Cyprus, it’s always nicer to do it on your steam and to a schedule that suits you. Hiring a car is obviously one of the best options available so that you are not restricted.
However, there are some organised sightseeing trips and walking tours that your hotel or holiday village will be happy to help you arrange, and there are regular mini-bus (dolmush) services between all the major towns and regions, but these options may not be flexible enough for you.
Firstly we will admit to perhaps using the phrase ‘eco-tourism’ a little too freely – however, there really are many ventures in North Cyprus which do try their utmost to offer the environmentally aware visitor a more eco-friendly type of holiday!
Whilst the rise of the 5 star hotel resort seems to be pretty much the dominant force at present on the island, there are major efforts to boost offerings for visitors who wish to experience a more traditional type of existence whilst on holiday. Projects often funded by the government, grants and aid from the European Union as well as NGO organisation assistance and expertise are already forcing the issue with some success.
When it comes to choosing the best accommodation in North Cyprus suited to your own requirements and tastes, take a look at this article which gives food for thought on the individual suitability of available accommodation. There are so many different types of accommodation from 5 star to 1 star, holiday villages, budget accommodation and guesthouses, that you should have no trouble in finding what you need.
Starting with luxury hotels, you may have a problem in deciding which one to choose! Classic, modern, themed, opulent are just a few of the words we can use to describe some of them, and you will not be disappointed as we can safely say that they are first class. With new players coming into the game on a regular basis, you are spoilt for choice. See our selection of luxury hotels for some ideas.
There is only one passenger airport in North Cyprus, it’s called Ercan Airport and in recent years it has seen massive refurbishment and now serves people wishing to travel to and from North Cyprus. It’s located a 40 minute car journey from the harbour town of Kyrenia and 15 minutes from Lefkoşa.
Direct flights are not officially available to North Cyprus from anywhere other than Turkey. If you’re flying to and from the island from any other destination you have an hour’s stop-over on the Turkish mainland. On the way to Cyprus passengers can alight in Turkey for onward destinations whilst other passengers remain on-board and new ones embark for the one hour continuation flight to Northern Cyprus. Plans for the future include challenging the UK government on their ban of direct travel to North Cyprus, so watch this space!
When travelling to and from North Cyprus these days passengers can find themselves spoilt for choice in terms of the airline they choose and the airport they fly into! It wasn’t so long ago that you had to fly into the old and unfashionable Geçitkale airport whilst Ercan, the current passenger airport, was undergoing a major refurbishment. With the border opening to the south, the choice is even broader too.
Several airlines now offer flights to Ercan airport via Turkey, and it’s worth checking them all out before committing to purchase your tickets. All of them have the facility to purchase tickets online, with many now changing over to an e-ticket solution meaning no good old fashioned triplicate slips! However, for some it’s still more preferable to have a travel agent do the searching for you, and to pay in cash at their offices or via credit card on the phone.
Since the borders opened between the north and south of the island, the option of travelling into either of the two airports in the south, Larnaca and Paphos, has steadily gained popularity.
The main reasons are sometimes cheaper flights, as most major airlines can be very competitive with their pricing, and the fact that there is no obligatory stop-over in Turkey. From most European destinations it is only a 4 or 5 hour journey time to the south, whereas it would be a 5 or 6 hour journey time to the north because of the stop over in Turkey.