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holidays north cyprus

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If you’re looking for a holiday on a budget then there is plenty of choice for you and your family.  You can take your pick from self catering to half board, as well as a choice of bed and breakfast accommodation and guesthouses.  Unfortunately there is no such thing as the Youth Hostel Association here just yet, but there is plenty on offer for those watching their pennies.

There are a number of bonuses to choosing this type of accommodation, as most budget hotels are small family run establishments – perfect if you prefer peace and quiet.  Some suit the more backpacker type of person with plenty of beach hut hostelries dotted around the Karpaz area for example, although there is plenty of slightly higher quality accommodation in this area which suits a smaller budget too.

If you are a couple in search of a romantic destination hotel or perhaps you’re retirees seeking some well deserved relaxation and peace, then there are some wonderful boutique hotels to try here in North Cyprus.

Often smaller and family run, they are more than likely to be very individual in style and therefore more likely to appeal to those who seek accommodation that feels more personal and sophisticated.

If total relaxation of mind, body and spirit is what you are looking for when booking a hotel for your holiday, then North Cyprus has a lot to offer for the earnest spa lover.  You can choose a complete spa getaway or a weekend full of the best treatments that the world has to offer, at one of the many 5 star hotel resorts.

Facilities are of the best quality, packed full of tasteful furnishings and mood calming music and lighting, so that you really do feel as if you are in a secluded and private retreat.  On researching this article, we were pleasantly surprised at how seriously the spa world takes itself here, with a wide range of treatments and pampering options to really go to town on!

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.

If you are looking for something different whilst planning a trip to North Cyprus and you enjoy the great outdoors, then there are a growing number of specialist tour operators adding itineraries to accommodate the likes of the walkers, bird watchers and divers amongst us.

North Cyprus has so much to offer those who love an environment orientated holiday, and the world seems to be taking a stand of sorts against mass tourism these days, so it’s nice to see that there are companies who are grasping all that is beautiful about this part of the island and promoting its unique qualities in terms of nature and the environment.

Package holidays are a relatively new but developing business in North Cyprus.  With this side of the island mainly a destination for the independent traveller until recently, holiday companies are now offering attractive packages to suit most budgets and requirements.

Due to the embargoes and restrictions placed upon North Cyprus you probably won’t find much in the way of glossy marketing material in your local travel agent, but there are plenty of dedicated companies offering package deals over the internet, so this is probably the best place to start your research.