What not to do in Cyprus

Ilya Shatilin online FrequentFlyers.ru for advanced passengers told what things should be avoided in Cyprus, if you want to rest from the left only positive memories.

Maybe this summer you go to rest on Cyprus. Maybe even for the first time. And even if not for the first time, these tips you may find useful. We have collected 10 things that can not be done in Cyprus: this is not the best a waste of time and money. And each, of course, there is an alternative.

So, once in Cyprus, it is not necessary:

Buy halloumi cheese in the supermarket at the hotel

can be fried halloumi and in the pan, and on the grid. Dovezti cheese packaged in foil - no problems

And in general in supermarkets in the tourist areas. He was there quite expensive and often with the cheapest - in the sense that for the sake of cost reduction in the halloumi added cow's milk, while the real is produced only from goat and sheep milk. In the hotels, by the way, and fry it often wrong, in thin slices - so it seems that the portions are large. In fact, the right thickness - about a centimeter.

For the present halloumi can go, for example, on a donkey farm in the vicinity of Ayia Napa. No, it does not mean that there is in it add donkey milk, it's just a fun tourist attraction on the "rustic" theme. Included in the program of riding on a donkey cross country at first glance it gives terry pop, but really impresses even those who have always been indifferent to 'ride a horse. "

is trying to infiltrate Varosha

Varosha - an abandoned resort on the demarcation line between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turks pressed the breakaway territory. Photos on the Internet attract lovers of post-apocalyptic landscapes, but in fact the "object" is well guarded by the Turkish military, which in the same way, and semi-rest, so get in there unnoticed fail. If you need to "just look" - this can be done in the first place, during the boat ride from Ayia Napa: steamer fits pretty close, all issued binoculars, and gradually destroys the line of hotels along the beach can be explored in detail. Secondly, almost at the "border" (the Greek Cypriots do not consider it as such, because the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" is considered temporarily occupied territory, about how the Crimea Ukrainians) is the Museum of the Occupation, the roof of which all too well seen in binoculars, and still here to tell in detail about what happened in 1974.

Varosha from the museum of occupation. Take binoculars - and forward

Thirdly, if we walk around the abandoned, the more interesting hotel Berengaria looks in the western part of the island, where you can drop in on the way to Kykkos monastery, and then instead of the monastery.

CAT on the "border" in Famagusta

Go to the rental car at the turtle beach

This mosaic at the airport of Larnaca is actually taken out of the abandoned Nicosia airport. Compared with the version of 1967 remained not all fragments

Lara Beach - a place worth visiting. Not the fact that you will see sea turtles that lay their eggs there, but the place itself is quiet, clean and wonderfully deserted even by the standards of Cyprus, where the purity of the beaches - one of the main advantages for the campers. However, if you go there on a passenger car rolled, then, first of all, you will go a very long time. Secondly, there is a risk proporot road rubber on the sharp stones on the road (which is unpaved roads, passing mainly on rocky ground).

On the beach you will likely only see fences around turtle nests. Large turtles swim at night to lay their eggs, and small turtles, as you know, is also not hatched every day hatched and immediately crawl to the sea and swim away

Third, though frank off-road in the Russian understanding (swamp) there is not, but on the road irregularities easily attach the bumper, threshold or muffler subcompact, for which then will have to pay. The alternative - the so-called jeep safari. From Safari, of course, one name, but on the bench in the trunk "Defender" go once colorful. Most importantly, if the jeep in your group is more than one - to sit in the first jeep, because of dust swallowed the second. By the way, look for travel, providing a stop at the Gorge Avakas on the road: it is non-transferable in the form of text, video or photo natural beauty (and there are no crowds of tourists).

to settle in the hotel on the coast of Ayia Napa

Specially laid out very ugly picture of the gorge, so you went and looked at all the eyes

There will always be crowded in the worst sense of the word: the crowds of tourists will literally lie at your windows, from beach bars will continuously play music, and the people in the sea will be like in Simeiz.

Ayia Napa

He took off his room with a private terrace on the beach in Ayia Napa? Well done, your territory is limited to the paved area

For a quiet relaxing holiday is better to go to Paphos (we were at the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort: great place, though a bit old-fashioned), and if you are in the eastern part of the island, it makes sense to live away from the sea.

The Coral Beach in Paphos, peace and quiet. To escape from the crowds you need is here

In the end, you do not run between the sea and the number of back and forth, and come for a few hours. And if so, then the hotel can be reached within a few minutes by free shuttle. Yes, and the beaches on which such ride shuttles, not so crowded. An example of a good hotel of this type - St. Elias Resort, here you will live in small houses, instead of multi-storey buildings, swimming pools with slides, and above all, dear to the Russian heart Ultra All Inclusive, which is a rarity for Cyprus. Surprisingly, the Russian at the hotel a little - mostly British.

St. Elias Resort - pools is among the two-storey houses in a large area, just one hundred and fifty rooms and many pools. Some houses have their own.

To eat in tourist restaurants on the banks of

The furnace for cooking kleftiko

This, however, Captain Obvious advice, but what the hell, go - and there are people sitting and eating it is not clear what. What to eat in Cyprus? First, look for places where they cook "kleftiko" - is lamb stewed in special vats in a special oven is so long that it loses its distinctive lamb flavor and melts in your mouth; in tourist areas to find them difficult, restaurants can be found in places of concentration of the local population. Another mandatory program - a meze. Mesa is fish and meat, the second is more typical for Cyprus. The idea is that you turn, one by one bring tiny portions of different dishes: ideologically similar to Spanish tapas, but here most of the dishes - hot. Ideally, all still and drink local wine, for which is, by the way, visit a winery Kolios, where he also served meze (meat). Wine Persefoni local flood for 5 euros for a bottle worth it to buy it as much as you can take away.

Grapes growing on limestone; limestone during rains soaked with water, enough to supply the bushes; additionally no one pours. Therefore, berry less water, and therefore have a more intense taste of wine

And if you want a fish meze and all on the bank, it is worth at least once to go to the Sailor's Rest on the territory of St. Raphael Resort in Limassol vicinity.

That is the ocean liner on the beach - do not actually ship, and a restaurant. Expensive, but worth it.

To go to the source of Aphrodite

Another source of Aphrodite, we have not got to

No, if you live close by, and then we can go, but generally you will likely be disappointed. "Source" represents a small puddle in the cave, the walls of which water flows. Swim, you will not be able to drink water - also, in a word, just a beautiful legend of the authors of guidebooks, which was necessary to write another anything.

And by the way, here you can swim to the rocks

But if you do happen to go in that direction, then you should know that in the immediate vicinity of the source is quite an interesting arboretum, and more - beautiful wild pebble beach, where there is never a people. However, keep in mind that it is necessary first to descend the winding stairs to a high cliff, and then it is to climb back.

drink vodka pelicans on the waterfront in Paphos

Unfortunately, this idiotic entertainment characteristic only for "Rousseau tourists." Pelican better just to be photographed, but in general, once you are on the waterfront, then go look at the ancient mosaics.

Even if you do all your heart hate museums and all these thousands of years of ancient times, and your favorite entertainment - TV show "Dom-2", it is still you can at least say: "Ha-ha, the swastika!" Because a characteristic pattern It is repeated in most of these mosaics. At the same time it tells you that it has nothing to do with the symbolism of the forbidden, if you do not know.

To buy an adapter for British socket

Yes, Cyprus outlet others. This is not Greece (not to be confused with Crete), and the former British colony, and English-style outlet here. In the store you will be able to take with him, and 5, and 10 and 20 euros - depending on the advertised brand, but in fact you do not need.

Firstly, in decent hotels give adapter rental. In some cases even without collateral, and in some cases take 5 euros. Secondly, even if you do not give the adapter, there is life hacking: the central hole insert any available object (such as a rod from the handle, cotton swab, etc...), Thereby opening the shutter of the main contacts.

We put them in the usual European plug, pull out the auxiliary object. In order not to mess this way each time, take with them from Russia easiest extension cord with a tee. Unfortunately, in a number of hotels still meet the old sockets BS 546 British Standard with round holes; European plug does not fit, but the adapter is difficult to find in them (so that, again, do not buy an adapter).

To buy something in the Duty-Free at Larnaca airport

Some drinks in dyutike can be tasted for free, but in homeopathic doses

All local products there is much more expensive than in conventional stores. Foreign beverages in general do not differ too cheap. See better on non-food products - sunglasses, perfumes, etc., because you can have a drink in the Business Lounge, where, incidentally, has a lovely terrace, where you can watch the planes (and still there smoking is permitted).

Terrace in the business hall of the airport of Larnaca, where you can smoke.

This is not the whole range of alcohol in the LCA business lounge.

A look at the aircraft, by the way, it is possible to Mackenzie Beach and near the airport: few people, nice sand, swim right under the glide path, and the strip end is literally overlooking the beach. Just do not get too close to the fence of the airport: The car with a guard arrives from the other side very quickly and from there look at you with silent reproach.

To go into the season on their own to save

Fresh 737-800 "Russia" fly to Cyprus, some machines not yet a year

Many believe evil package tours and tour operators do not want to feed, but it's not about Cyprus and about the season. Yes, all hotels can be booked through the "Booking" or "islands" and buy tickets on their own, but it will be more expensive. For understanding: Cyprus hotel rooms gives the tour operator about two times cheaper than expose their "retail" online-travel agency.

Even taking into account the margin of the tour operator for the price you room for self-organization travel will get at least another and a free ticket, and a good airline. The main tour operator - "Biblio-Globus", he collaborates with "Russia", which flies to Cyprus mainly on fresh Boeing 737-800 and, by the way, is quite bad food (plus you can order extra food).

standard satisfying catering, although no frills, you can order an additional extra charge if you fly from Moscow

Of the regions it is generally almost the only option; Regular flights will tend to change in Moscow, but for a decent ticket carrier can give almost the cost of the tour package. Do not forget about the transfers included in the tour.

The aircraft "Russia" in Larnaca

Taxi Cyprus expensive (from Larnaca to Paphos, for example, 100 euros), while rental car, note that the movement of the left hand side, ie the right-hand drive cars. Accordingly, the cheapest options with manual transmission, where the transmission will need to switch the left hand, you probably will not fit.

In some hotels, "Biblio-Globus" there is even a separate children's animation in Russian.

At the airport, Larnaca flights for "Russian" works just a lot of racks airport tries to keep you from standing in line, and went to spend the money quickly.