Questions and Answers

Political Situation and Crime in Cyprus

I can assure you that Northern Cyprus is one of the safest Holiday Destinations Worlwide. There is no millitarypresenc eand no conflict in the streets. On a personal level both people get on well with each other some are even close friends. As this is a very small Island the crime rate is very low, and if you just act as if you were at home with the same procautions, you can feel as safe as at home if not safer.

Culture and language

As far as religon is concerned the Cypriots are not strict muslims. Many of the old Cypriots still posses old british passports Their culture is as influenced by the British as it is by the Turks. They drive on the left and usually you will find people that speak english Even if you get  unstuck in some of the small villages you then just resign to good old fashioned sign language. On the Karpaz peninsula you also stand a good chance of getting along in greek. In the village of Dipkarpaz for example 1/3 of the population is greek (about 500 people). The colonial influence shows in pretty much all walks of life The cypriot women do not wear head scarves and outside the mosques there is no dress code. However in the small village where a lot of the mainland turks live they hold on to their turkish Traditions. The women wear headscarves and the main income is in farming. Even during the month of ramadan there will be no major inconveniences apart from maybe some of the very small restaurants being closed during the day.

Shopping

Since the country is still under economic embargo there are only turkish or local products on offer. So there is no big emphasis on shopping, Nobody will call after you as you walk down the street to offer you apple tea and call you into their shop. Local product and famous in cyprus is the straw weaving and the crochet work of the village women As well as our local cheese the Helim, Halloumi as you might know it.
Apart from that you can buy cheap cigarettes and Raki.

Getting there

The since 1974  isolated North of Cyprus is still not internationally recognised  and therefore still suffers some problems especially as flights are concerned. For example there are no direct flights to Ercan (ERC), all the planes are made to stop over in Turkey is has happened for some flights to come directly from the UK as there were no passangers to get off in Turkey and they are working on direct routes but there are no garanties yet.
But why not use the chance to have a 2 or 3 day stop over in Istanbul which most of the time is possible without ticket price increase. On the other hand you can fly in through the south where the closet airport would be Larnaca and from there you can then cross over into the North at Famagusta.

Weather and diving conditions

...in Cyprus is allways sunshine. More information is coming soon.

Border/crossing   

The bordercrossing is problemfree on showing your Passport often you will have to fill out a little slip which will then be stamped rather than you passport. There are few controlls on the borders especially crossing from the South to the North But please do keep to international laws. On crossing from the North to the South they sometimes check for alcohol and cigarettes, Helim as well as other foodstuff is one of the things you are not allowed to take across.

Public transport

There is no publictransport to speak of/Every village got one or two buses that leave the villages in the morning and come back after school or after work. Between the North and the South there is no tranportlink at all. It is strongly recommend to hire a car to get around as Taxis are expensive especially if you are going all the way to the Karpaz.

Hire Cars

Flying into the North: You will find your hire car with the key on one of the tyres at the airport aqnd you leave it the the same way. Most of the time the hire car company asks to pop by their office on one of your excursion tours to pay for the bill.Credit cards will be accepted there. They might even wash the car for you while you are there. At the dive centre as well as in many small restaurants credit cards are not accepted since often there is no main phone line.

Flying into the South: Here you can choose between hiring a car in the South and paying the extra mandatory insurance upon entering the north of approximatly 20 pounds a week. Thich means that in case of an accident you will be covered by the Turkish insurance, since the hire company from the South will accept NO claim for any accident in the North. If you are prepared to run this risk I recommend that you do not tell the Hire Car company about your plans to take the car to the North. They may not like it but they cannot stop you.There is also the small possibility that the insurance office at the border is not manned especially if you do arrive dduring the night.Your safest bet is to hire the car in the north and have yourself picked up by the hire car company at the airport in Larnaca.Extracosts will be about 35 Pounds. They are happy to pick you up any time and you can then organise hire papers and other conditions
In peace and quiet in their office.

Roads and distances

The main roads Nicosia to Famagusta (about 40 min) and Nicosia to Kyrenia (about 15 min without the city traffic) are very good. Most of the minor roads are good too and if you don’t intend to check out every last corner of the Karpaz Peninsula it is not necessairy to hire a jeep. Once in Cyprus it would be a shame not to go sightseeing. From the dive centre you can get to Famagusta in approximatelly 45 min and to Salamis-Bogaz in about 25 min. Not far off that route is the amazing crusader castle of Kantara from where on a good day you can see the sea on 3 sides but always a minimum of 2. Driving east from the centre you get to the tip of the peninsula with its long golden Turtle Beaches and the wild donkeys (about 45 min). To Kyrenia it will be a 2 to 3.5 hour drive depending on the route you are taking Also to the far west another 1.5 hour where you will get to see the ancient Vouni and the antique ruins of Solis. To do all these excursions you should have a minimum of 2 weeks. I am always happy to give you more recommendations and tips once you get here.

Why Cyprus?

Cyprus,especially the Karpaz  is the ideal destination for everybody that is looking for that holiday with a difference.Nature and peace, with an overload of culture is what you will be getting here. The evening entertainment is made up by ‚sundowners’ with sunset views next to the sea and small restaurants which I can recommend to you. Please do not expect a lot of distractions and lots of people, if you are the kind of person – or in a group - that can organise their own interests and fun. you will find your own personal paradise on the Karpaz peninsula.