An Insight in to the Akamas and Polis region, a rare treat unspoilt by tourism (Cyprus)

Member Name: anthmack

Product:	Cyprus
Date:	07/05/04 (557 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful Scenery, Friendly People, , Cheap Living, Full of activities, , Cheap Accomodation

Disadvantages: Specific to this area, there isnt much in terms of clublife, Can be unbearably hot during the summer

*Initial Note*

As with any review, you write your personal experience. So this is exactly what I am going to do.

The reason why I visited the Akamas peninsula was due to a field trip organised by my college in Dubai. There isnt much in terms of water, or streams in Dubai, being a desert, so my teacher was looking for the closest place where a river profile could be studied without having monstrous costs.

So she decided to take us to the Akamas peninsula, which may I say is absoloutley beautiful. Huge towering valleys, beautiful and sometimes unusual architecture, and extremely freindly people.

If you fancy a really relaxing holiday, where you have the freedom to do what 'you' want to do, this will be a good holiday for you. However if you want, really good faciltiies, with lots of organised activities, this really isnt for you, and will probably end up either lost or bored. Anyway off to the review.

* The Itinery *

Being in Dubai, we flew a direct flight with Cyprus Airways to Larnaca. Flight was terrible, if you can fly with anybody else, do (see Cyprus Airways review)

Once arrived in Larnaca, we had a coach trip arranged to take us up to the lodgings (however, if flying from the UK, I think that they do direct flights to Paphos, which is much more convenient as the bus ride is about 3 to 4 hours)

However, if youd prefer to sample the cypriot landscape, fly in to Larnaca. Buses leave daily to other airports, such as Paphos, for very little cost.

If you want to dare the local transport mind.

The flight cost us AED980 which is just over £160. In terms of accomodation, we stayed in a holiday home, which was very clean, spacious with a beatiful garden for approximately £20 a night - VERY CHEAP. This obviously doesnt include your food, but does include your heating, electricity, and water.

The village that we stayed in was called Kritou Terra (Meaning Fertile Land)
. The locals are very friendly, and with a local study centre being located there, there is often a lot of young people in the area. (Will mention that the average age of the locals in the village is about 70, so if you do decide to go, please give consideration for the elderly who may be sleeping)

There is also a shop, with the owner being a real character. We all named him Cheesy Pete (- he has a massive moustache, and always had lumps of food - mainly cheese stuck in it LOL. Why pete, I dont know)

he charges about £0.45 for a bottle of the local brew -KEO, which is an absoloutley delightful drink. He will also re-imburse you 20% of the value if you return the bottles to him. He also sells the infamous Araq aniseed drink, a speciality to cyprus. Although not to my taste, is loved by a lot of people.

* So, What to do you ask? *

Well, as I went on a field trip there, it was mainly visiting villages and towns, learning the demographics of the area, as well as visiting streams and rivers, studying the width, length and depth. - how exciting. NOT.

However, if on holiday, it has a lot more on offer. The local area is rich with history and culture. You will find it especially eerie, as I did when I went. As you may know if you are up with current affairs, Cyprus was seperated into a southern greek side, and a northern Turkish side.

The reason why they split, was because there was rumour that the country were to become part of mainland greece. As turkey was concerned about the turkish cypriots settled there, they invaded the northern part.

There was then a bill, that forced the Turks out of their homes in the south, and sent in to the northern part of the border.

There are therefore, a lot of abandoned turkish settlements, and as you enter them, you will notice that the damage hasnt been repaired. They are ghostly empty. I would however still visit them, as they are a part of cypruses history, and all
ow you to understand the extent of the conflict.

Trekking can also be a nice look out. We often walked among streams and rivers, stopping at odd places to sample the local food, which by the way, is very nice, and very healthy. The mountains in the area are very rugged, and lush with greenery.

Although we never had a pool facility, you can also go down to the beaches which are extremely clean, and the medittaranean sea being crystal clear, beautifully warm, and full of interesting marine life. I would advise going snorkelling whilst there.

As the area isnt very big on tourism, everything seems to be unspoiled, which is lovely. You really get spoiled yourself, in seeing the traditional ways of life, instead of the western society of the bigger commercial centres.

* Polis *

We visited polis, and to be honest with you, is very bare, and has almost nothing to do. There are a lot of restaurants with beautiful local culinary delights, as well as a few touristy shops and clothes shops. Apart from that, there isnt much.

* Paphos *

If you want to have a real good night out, I would travel to Paphos. Here is much busier, and is about 20 minutes drive from the lodgings in Kritou Terra.

The nightlife is busy, and the retail shops are very westernized, and if visit the pier, have some interesting shops.

One place that I will certainly advise, is a wine merchant on the coast, along a new shopping complex pier, and eating area. This shop sells absoloutley beautiful wine, in the most unusual of bottles, that you can continue to re-use.

Unfortunately I ruined my bottle and smashed it, which i was guttered with!! :( It cost me about CYP £ 15, which is about £20 GBP, but well worth it.

* Final Note*

Visit cyprus, its beautiful. Full of history and things to do. Definately should be on the BBC's 50 top places to visit before you die.

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