North Cyprus

[onefulham]

My wife is talking about going to North Cyprus, mostly because it is supposedly cheap! She loves Cyprus though, I have never been and she only the Greek part, and we have been told the Turkish side is by far the more attractive.

Has anyone any experience and recommendations especially reliable tour operaters as the big boys dont go there, I assume due to the political nature of things.

Thank you for any advice in advance

All the best

Paul.

 

 

[gemini52]

I went to Cyprus about four years ago,we done a day trip to the north,it opened my eyes to the way the turks have left a beautiful part Cyprus like a dump, we were driven down streets with borded up houses draped in barbed wire,just left to decay,we also walked on a beach with a hotel full of shell holes from the time when the Turks invaded in the eary seventys,the was a guy on the roof watching us with binoculars,we were told not to take any pictures as they could arrest you and take away your camera,i no dought there are some really nice parts but for me i would not go there again till the turks come to some sort of agreement with the Greeks,we had a meal and a drink and to be fair it was very nice but no cheaper then in the south,if i am honest i dont have much time for the Turks,went there about five years ago nice country just didnt like the people,found them two faced and grasping.

Edited May 26, 2015 by gemini52

[Konnie]

Went several years ago to a place 3/4 miles from kyrenia, beach had nappies etc floating about, walking about at night through what was like shanty towns wondering if you were safe ( nothing happened), when you came across a restaurant it was like a oasis greeted by waiter all dressed to the nines, drinks on silver tray some of the nicest food I've had, but the whole thing just didn't mesh together. Not sure if it's the same but due to air regulations on way home have to land in mainland turkey, then take off again, was another hour sat on plane. Go to Cyprus once or twice a year but not northern only the once.

[Cosd]

Yes I am biased, but why give money and support illegally occupied Northern Cyprus?

[steve_b_wales]

I went to Cyprus about four years ago,we done a day trip to the north,it opened my eyes to the way the turks have left a beautiful part Cyprus like a dump, we were driven down streets with borded up houses draped in barbed wire,just left to decay,we also walked on a beach with a hotel full of shell holes from the time when the Turks invaded in the eary seventys,the was a guy on the roof watching us with binoculars,we were told not to take any pictures as they could arrest you and take away your camera,i no dought there are some really nice parts but for me i would not go there again till the turks come to some sort of agreement with the Greeks,we had a meal and a drink and to be fair it was very nice but no cheaper then in the south,if i am honest i dont have much time for the Turks,went there about five years ago nice country just didnt like the people,found them two faced and grasping.

Totally agree. My wife and I crossed the 'border' into Turkish held Cyprus, and within 1/2 hour, came back over to Cyprus. Terrible is an understatement.

[Zapp]

I've been a couple of times and really liked it. This was 20 years ago though, so I can't give an up to date view.

[amateur]

Crossing the border on a day-trip from Paphos, 3 years ago, seemed like going behind the 1960's iron curtain, but with the added "attraction" of having to pay baksheesh to the border guards - or maybe that was just a Kyrenian thing.

 

The restaurant on the harbour-side that we used was deserted, superb fish and dirt-cheap.

 

We were relieved to return to Paphos

[fortune]

A couple of years ago we went on holiday to Southern Cyprus and toured all over the countryside from Protaras in the east to Paphos in the west, up into the Trudos Mountains and virtually everywhere. We also went up over the Turkish northern side. I think that post #2 refers to the ghost city of Famagusta which has been left by the Turks as a no go zone. One side of the road there are normal buildings and the other side is a chain link fence about ten feet tall behind which are bombed out buildings. There are hotels, shops, garages where the cars of the 70’s are supposed to still be in the showrooms as they were left and the whole place in an emergency evacuation situation as it was on that day. There is a lot of history as to why the Turks invaded to protect the Turkish citizens and how they had co existed alongside the Greeks for a long time. When this happened there was a Greek military junta in Athens and it looked as if the Greeks were going to declare Cyprus as a total part of Greece. Cyprus is a long way from Greece and turkey is just to the north so the Turks just invaded. The countryside is flatter up north and there are the best beaches up there. From what I saw the Greeks appear to be very disorganised and sort of hand to mouth in the south whereas the Turks in the north looked the opposite. I remember being on the road from Famagusta to Nicosia and seeing a yard full of agricultural machinery that was all parked up and had been cleaned after the harvest and there were mechanics servicing some tractors and combines. There were about ten large reversible ploughs that had the mould boards greased up not like the normal farm machinery that has done its job and been abandoned where it had been left. Just above Nicosia there was a large roundabout where the road went North over the mountains up to Girne ( Kyrenia) About a mile or so up this road there were military training grounds with fully manned machine gun positions and areas where troops were doing bayonet practice which must have been hard due to the heat. Alongside the road there were buildings where there were tracked self propelled guns and tanks being serviced. The tour guide told us in no uncertain terms that no one was to take any photos or the like along this area as if we were seen then the bus would have been stopped and possibly all cameras confiscated without question and we could be held up for most of the day or even arrested. This area looked like a serious well-organised military installation. Kyrenia (Girne) seemed like a nice clean place and overall I was left with an impression of the North being ok. It all depends on what you want out of a holiday. If you wanted a quiet lounge about then it would be ok but if you wanted shows and stuff I don’t think it is that kind of place. I don’t think that I would consider buying a house or property up north because one day there will have to be a day of reckoning as to whether it had been taken from a Greek citizen in an act of war. Read up the history of the time and research the North. I will try to upload a few pictures

[alfa taf]

Yes I am biased, but why give money and support illegally occupied Northern Cyprus?

+ 1

[Chris Bb]

I don’t think that I would consider buying a house or property up north because one day there will have to be a day of reckoning as to whether it had been taken from a Greek citizen in an act of war.

 

I'm led to believe that the reverse is also true but stand to be corrected.

 

I would like to visit the north but increasingly dislike long flights for many reasons. I have visited the south but didn't particularly like it.

[discobob]

My wife and I stayed overnight in N.Cyprus 20 years (my God!!) when I was stationed at Episkopi.

 

We stayed in an all inclusive resort to the east of Kyrenia whic was full of Germans, and had military training grounds around it!!

 

Back then, the Harbour at Kyrenia at night was absolutely brilliant - no pounding music or flashing lights - just chill time.

 

We also went over on a number of day trips, one of which nearly resulted in a diplomatic incident. It was winter and limited hours for crossing (10-4) and we went across with the in-laws to show them the harbour. Well, at 3.30pm I was there dragging them out of a bar - ****** as newts with me cursing them like anything. I made if from the bar to the crossing point at Nicosia (including getting to where the car was parked) in 27 minutes - powered by me in full swear mode.

 

4 minutes later would have resulted in me being in serious trouble

[Psyxologos]

I went to Cyprus about four years ago,we done a day trip to the north,it opened my eyes to the way the turks have left a beautiful part Cyprus like a dump, we were driven down streets with borded up houses draped in barbed wire,just left to decay,we also walked on a beach with a hotel full of shell holes from the time when the Turks invaded in the eary seventys,the was a guy on the roof watching us with binoculars,we were told not to take any pictures as they could arrest you and take away your camera,i no dought there are some really nice parts but for me i would not go there again till the turks come to some sort of agreement with the Greeks,we had a meal and a drink and to be fair it was very nice but no cheaper then in the south,if i am honest i dont have much time for the Turks,went there about five years ago nice country just didnt like the people,found them two faced and grasping.

Sums it up nicely...

 

[JimLondon]

Yes I am biased, but why give money and support illegally occupied Northern Cyprus?

+2

Edited May 26, 2015 by JimLondon

[Lampwick]

Not been up North for 45 years!!

 

It was great back then!

[wascal]

. There are hotels, shops, garages where the cars of the 70’s are supposed to still be in the showrooms as they were left and the whole place in an emergency evacuation situation as it was on that day.

 

Seen that car - it's a nissan 240z , it's in the Nicosia buffer zone still in the showroom with 37 miles on the clock , the engine still runs but the tyres have rotted away

I managed to blag a tour 3 years ago , it was an eerie place just like a film ,there are children's toys lying about and cutlery still in on tables

Was taken to the North for a meal ,the Turks stamped a piece of paper to keep in your passport so there would be no problems leaving.

Our friend fled south during the invasion , he can now walk past his old family home which is still empty but isn't allowed to enter it . He is hoping for some sort or solution before he dies.

[fortune]

Kyrenia harbour. A real dump

 

 

 

 

The Turkish side of Famagusta. Another dump

 

 

 

BUT these buildings are just the other side of the chain link and are in the prohibited zone and haven’t been used since the 70’s.

 

 

There are rough areas everywhere in all towns and cities in every country if you go to look for them. Again it all depends on what sort of holiday you want.

[bakerboy]

I go to the North every year and love it.

Un commercialised, lovely people and very peaceful .

The food is good and hotels generally family run with great personal service.

 

I do not dislike the South, just prefer the North.

 

You can fly into the South and drive or be collected by taxi's from the North this helps to reduce the flying time into Turkey and out again.

I will be out there again in September, lovely Hotel 20 bedrooms no children "Heaven"

[bakerboy]

 

Seen that car - it's a nissan 240z , it's in the Nicosia buffer zone still in the showroom with 37 miles on the clock , the engine still runs but the tyres have rotted away

I managed to blag a tour 3 years ago , it was an eerie place just like a film ,there are children's toys lying about and cutlery still in on tables

Was taken to the North for a meal ,the Turks stamped a piece of paper to keep in your passport so there would be no problems leaving.

Our friend fled south during the invasion , he can now walk past his old family home which is still empty but isn't allowed to enter it . He is hoping for some sort or solution before he dies.

I have a friend who owned a lot of what is know Paphos airport.

He is Turkish, and hoping for the same resolution

[Vince Green]

A lot of German tourists go there I am given to believe, I suppose they are used to places under illegal occupation

[evo]

I go to the North every year and love it.

Un commercialised, lovely people and very peaceful .

The food is good and hotels generally family run with great personal service.

 

I do not dislike the South, just prefer the North.

 

You can fly into the South and drive or be collected by taxi's from the North this helps to reduce the flying time into Turkey and out again.

I will be out there again in September, lovely Hotel 20 bedrooms no children "Heaven"

NO children,,sounds like real heaven to me

[Mentalmac]

A lot of German tourists go there I am given to believe, I suppose they are used to places under illegal occupation

[timmytree]

I haven't been to Northern Cyprus since I was a kid and dad was stationed at Akrotiri. It was the prettiest side of the island, places like Buffavento and Bellapais and the Panhandle were beautiful, hopefully they still are. The southern side was more commercialised then as it is now.

We are talking a long time back though, Nisi beach and Ayia Napa were just empty beaches where we used to go camping, not a building in sight, just a wooden shack back from the beach selling coca cola!

[Hamster]

The most heart warming part of this thread is how many people take illegal occupation as a cause for concern and believe in boycotting as a way of protest.

[Mentalmac]

Well apparently the other week the maps for 28 minefields near Pentadaktilos were handed over by Anastasiades, so that's some progress.

 

I hear the saga from both sides:

I had the pleasure of working with a Greek Cypriot in London for a few years and his take was interesting, he was displaced and family went from land owning with some wealth to refugees in an instant and lost their land and home and everything but the clothes on their backs. We still speak regularly and in fact I'm in Cyprus in July this year and will visit him.

My neighbour where I live is Turkish Cypriot and his brother owns a hotel resort in Northern Cyprus. Tunge tells me of his up bringing in Cyprus and co-existing peacefully in Farmagusta, but also tells me of the troubles and blames a lot on the Greek military Junta and that Turkey had to do this to protect them etc...

 

 

Personally, I haven't been to the Northern side albeit I've been to Cyprus 6 times this year.... Maybe I'll give it a go for a day trip

[timmytree]

We lived in Limassol before the invasion, we had Greek and Turkish neighbours and got on with all of them although it was noticeable that the Turkish areas tended to be the poorer end of town. The North West of the island around Morphou was a strong Turkish enclave and almost a no go area for Greeks, few British went there either.

Unfortunately Cyprus has been fought and argued over for millennia and I doubt that will ever change.

Like everywhere it has changed, Russian money and influence in the Southern sector, rocketing land and property prices. Some of the villages in the Troodos foothills are still retaining their character, friends in one village told me of an agreement between villagers not to sell property to outsiders/foreigners.