Cyprus

mutley74

visit Ayia Napa..some good places to hang around including the fair ground and shops.

loonygooner

saveapenny,


You may have to ask for Tashi (pronounced Tash e) as that is how a lot of Greeks refer to it. It is a Bread dip sauce and especially good with proper Greek bread which is usually round in shape. It is very garlicky so withold the dip if passions are aroused whilst away and only one of you has it;)

mentaljessie

Polis is worth a trip although thought the baths of Aphrodite is a bit of a let down although there is a beautiful coastal walk in this area. Kouklia the temple of Aphrodite is worth a trip and the Kykos monastery is good also but commercialised a better bet is the Kyrsorroyiatissa monastery (Virgin Mary with the goldan nipples!). The monks are very friendly and welcoming in fact the abbot invited me and and the BF to sit down and have a chat and a cold drink with him, (it's not full of tourists) I think he was surprised to see young brits. It's well worth hiring a car, buying a decent map and guide book and doing your own thing. Last year we stopped to have a drink at a little shack at the side of Kollosi castle the owner must of been at least 80 but provided us with freshly squeezed orange at the cost of 30p a glass, I felt guilty drinking it at that price. I love Paphos as you can tell can't wait to get back there later this year. Oh and if you can book your car with easycar it's on the bus route on the tomb of the kings road, the mans who runs it is lovely and it worked out slightly cheaper for us.

thetope

for fab grub go to the seven st georges tavern http://www.7stgeorgestavern.com/ on the outskirts of paphos. my best friend lived in cyprus for 3 years and took me there twice, totally awesome grub, as many courses as you can eat and nearly everything on the plate is grown or reared by george and his family. the bread is to die for. check out the reviews on tripadvisor if you're not sure! (actually it's not tripadvisor, sorry! http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=cyprus@263&cur_section=din&property_id=370966 )

Jay_Cee_Ooh

I think it may be closed so apologies but the best place to eat is a restaurant called the Last Castle, west of Paphos, past Agios Georgios towards Lara. Up in the hills, it only does chicken and pork, along with salad but this costs about £5 and it's absolutly superb, including the view. As I say, I think it's a Summer only place, so may be no use. But to anyone else in Paphos go there. You won't regret it.

Going back to Cyprus for the fourth time in five years this summer. Polis this time instead of Paphos.

saveapenny

Thank you all very much some great ideas.

BNU_2

saveapenny wrote:

Also a suggestion of a good car hire firm in the area of Coral Bay

CAR HIRE

My in-laws were at the Coral Beach Hotel over Christmas (their 3rd visit!) and they always use the car hire firm right nextdoor to Debenhams (used to be Woolworths) in the centre of Paphos. It is on the right as you are looking at Debenhams. They paid £10 per day for their car at Christmas, the paperwork was not too onerous, the people are friendly there, and they have never had a problem with them or their vehicles.

If you are driving up to Polis you might be best with a 4-wheel drive though as the coast road (clockwise round from Paphos) can seem a bit precarious in places, although there is a less picturesque route through the island. We did this coastal drive after bad floods a few years ago and as a passenger on the cliff face side of the car it was pretty hair-raising in places where parts of the road had simply disappeared in the storms! The scenary though, when I dared to look , was lovely.


I hope this helps you. Have a nice time!

loonygooner

BNU wrote:

CAR HIRE


If you are driving up to Polis you might be best with a 4-wheel drive though as the coast road (clockwise round from Paphos) can seem a bit precarious in places, although there is a less picturesque route through the island. We did this coastal drive after bad floods a few years ago and as a passenger on the cliff face side of the car it was pretty hair-raising in places where parts of the road had simply disappeared in the storms! The scenary though, when I dared to look , was lovely.

Are you sure that it wasn't your driving and not the roads that were to blame;)

BNU_2

loonygooner wrote:

Are you sure that it wasn't your driving and not the roads that were to blame;)

Definitely the roads! My partner is an excellent driver, but when half metre chunks of road have simply fallen down the hillside on a single lane track it makes for a :eek: ride!

This was a few years ago now, and caused by freak weather conditions (the worst December weather for 16 years we were told) and the roads will no doubt be fully restored by now, but the weather was bad enough to completely destroy the wooden walkway that links the Alexander The Great Hotel to the town. We were wading through a foot of water in some places, the storm was powerful enough to break windows on the seafront, and to lift and displace the paving slabs around the fort, if that gives you any idea of the destruction. Scary!

We were there for a family wedding, which luckily, on the day, had a break from the rain and a little sun, but unfortunately their marriage has proved rather stormy too.

margaretclare

loonygooner wrote:

I was born in Cyprus and lived there when the island was invaded in 1974, the Famagusta post is a very sad indictment of how the situation is still unresolved but that is another matter.

There is Curium near Episkopi not far away, Aphrodites Rock near Limassol and also Tomb of the Kings in Paphos for historical visits but Mt Troodos is very nice for a day out and well worth the visit. Nicosia (capital) is there for the shopping but bear in mind that this is always the hottest place and needs to be done early in the morning or at sunset. They have some wonderful restuarants everywhere on the island so make sure that you go to the non-tourist areas to see and taste the lovely Cyprus. The mezes are great as is the Tahini sauces and the Ouzo (hic!).
Whatever happens, do try the areas that aren't touristy as you will meet wonderful people, taste lovely food and have a great holiday.

Time I went back really, where is that passport????

Hi loonygooner

My eldest daughter was also born in Cyprus, at the RAF Hospital Akrotiri.

We lived in a rented house on the outskirts of Limassol. Came back in September 1962.

She's been back, and made contact with the local people we rented the house from. They stayed at Paphos last summer and seemed to have had a fabulous time. She even found the church where she was baptised, on Limassol sea-front.

Aunty Margaret