Self catering Larnaca, MacKenzie Beach,Protaras, Paphos,Cyprus

Self catering apartments larnaca Mackenzie beach

2011-05-29T10:51:00.006+01:00

In April 2011 we decided to see our friends in Nicosia. We decided on a two week break. Dave is close to retiring age and is allowed a holiday whenever he wants one. In the middle of summer we prefer to get away from the hot coast and stay up in a small village in the hills but April or May is a fantastic time to stay on the coast. It is not too busy and the weather is very comfortable. If it rains the rain is warm. We like to spend a week in Nicosia and a week on the coast and we do like to change our venue. We searched hard on the internet and eventually found self catering apartments called Sea and Lake View Hotel. This had some very good reviews so we gave them a ring on our internet telephone (a very good investment). They were absolutely charming and made the booking of a room so easy. We stayed a week and can honestly say we enjoyed every minute of it. It was traditional Greek hospitality, something that is very difficult to find in the tourist areas now and we have already booked to return. Because we found such a good Hotel we have even added a page called Self catering Larnaca on our website and we now only write reviews if we are completely happy with something
Update... we have booked another weeks holiday with them this year.

Evalena Protaras

2011-02-13T15:36:00.005Z

In October 2010 we stayed in the Evalena self catering apartments in Protaras. To say self catering is stretching the imagination as the cooking facility was an ancient two ring gas hob but we did have a fridge and electric kettle. A toaster would have been a good idea. The hotel was clean and the staff very friendly and the manager/owner must have got fed up with the remarks that he resembled Basil Fawlty. Where these apartments win hands down is the fantastic view across the Mediterranean from our balcony window, but the price we paid for this was the noise from the bar under us which often went on to 2am. We had a fantastic week here; the apartments were on a quite stretch of the beach just a short walk from the main drag of Protaras which has a good selection of Restaurants.

Self catering Larnaca area

2010-05-09T09:43:00.008+01:00

We love to stay in villas out of the way in the hills of Cyprus but for two of us this can work out expensive. If you have a party of six or more it can work out a much cheaper holiday so we often do it this way. As we visit Cyprus so much and like to be close to our friends in Nicosia we will often rent self catering Larnaca area.
At the moment new building developments are going on in many places and we have found that as these properties are not selling it is possible to get short term rentings on some very good apartments. In the Larnaca area places like Dhekelia, Pervolia, Kiti, Pyla and Tersefanou have many brand new apartments available all with swimming pools and many with few neighbours, especially out of the high season.

Secluded hotel Lysos Cyprus

2010-05-07T18:03:00.001+01:00

In August 2009 we stayed at this small secluded hotel called Paradisos Hills in Lysos for ten wonderful days. It is worth checking the name to see the reports on Trip Advisor
They serve fantastic traditional Greek food all day long and make one of the best Brandy sours on the Island. This Hotel is ideal for the hiker, a honeymoon, or just to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.
The view from this secluded restaurant and the rooms was indescribable; we had found a small part of Heaven in the hills of Cyprus.

Rooms although basic were very clean and you get maid service every day and for the internet fanatic there is a free Internet connection for your laptop

To be woken in the morning by a distant Cockerel crowing or donkey braying is an experience you cannot forget. This is a Greek Cypriot family hotel, run by sisters Nicki and Soulla who are always very helpful and very good company.

Winter in Nicosia

2010-05-01T11:20:00.003+01:00

In 2008 we were very lucky to stay with our good friends Toulla Petros and Marios in Nicosia
They have a large house and a secluded garden with a heated swimming pool and we had a barbeque in the garden in wintertime.
Nicosia is worth a visit, it is a divided city with the Greek Turkish border running right through it.
It has many architectural interests and the streets are full of multi national people, the fruit and vegetable markets are unlike anything you will find at home and to sit outside a taverna sipping Ouzo and watching life go by is a delight indeed. The Cypriots will park their cars in ANY available space.
Be warned, it is not advisable to be out walking in mid summer, it can be very hot, thank goodness for air conditioned cars.
You will find many good restaurants and we had the best kebab ever at a small kebab restaurant where we had to queue for 20 minutes before we got a table.
On a Sunday you will find the streets bristling with Philippines, Pakistanis, Indians and many other nationalities, it is the maid’s day off and virtually every Cypriot in Nicosia has an immigrant housekeeper, some treated very well, some abused.
We never spend more than a week in Nicosia, we prefer to be up in the hills or at the sea side away from the hustle and bustle that is Nicosia.

Villa Neovi Lysos

2010-04-25T08:20:00.001+01:00

In 2007 we returned once again to Lysos, we had visited Paphos on a couple of occasions before our stay and would always drive up into the hills in this area anyway. This time we stayed in Villa Neovi, a superb villa situated on the side of a hill with magnificent views. This is a new villa, furnished very tastefully and not using second hand unwanted furniture from other homes. It has everything you could need, a big American fridge, modern kitchen and several ensuite bathrooms. We only ever cook breakfast, and that is toast with a liberal measure of Marmite. Marmite really does stop the mosquitoes from biting.
We had our Greek friends Toulla, Petros and Marios stay with us and one occasion had a magnificent barbeque when George the owner also joined us.
Having stayed in Lysos on several occasions we were becoming quite well known, probably more for our efforts at trying to speak Greek, which often had everyone laughing hysterically, especially when Dot gave up trying to ask for toilet paper in Greek and demonstrated in her own special sign language what she needed.

Lysos has a special history, their people were amongst the first of communities in Paphos to organise guerrilla fighters in a campaign against British Colonial rule.

Villa Nicholas, second visit

2010-04-09T11:48:00.000+01:00

Later on in the same year we stayed once again in Villa Nicholas. On our first visit we had taken our daughter and grand daughter and they had always opened the main gate to the villa and we would unpack the four wheel drive. This time we arrived late in the evening, were told that gate would be open and the keys would be in the door. We discovered that we could not open the gate, it had a big ring handle and it would not turn. We wandered up to the coffee shop and explained to many Greek men sitting outside that we could not open the gate. Dot heard an old man sitting in the corner mutter “malaka anglaise”
It can be handy knowing a little Greek because she immediately let this person know that he had just called Dave an English wan#er.
The men in the shop loved this, shook our hands and told us to follow them back to the Villa. With great Gusto (The Greeks are very good at this) they demonstrated that the ring handle had to be lifted and not turned to open the gates. They turned on all the lights and showed us around. We made some good friends that evening and even agreed that Dave was indeed a Malaka.
This was our second visit to Lysos and we visited the Paradisos Hotel restaurant on many occasions. The restaurant has an open veranda with one of the most fantastic views across the valley and had Nicki and Soulla, two very friendly Greek sisters running it. We decided then that we would, at a later date spend some time in this fantastic hotel.
A car (we always get a four wheel drive) is essential because Lysos is up in the hills, the sea is about 15 minutes drive and Paphos Forest is on your doorstep.

Lysos, secluded villas cyprus

2010-04-02T10:23:00.002+01:00

After the holiday in Polemi we returned several times to our favourite Mediterranean Island, often staying in Paphos but saddened to see how so many hotels and building were starting to appear. We searched on the Internet for an available Villa and booked a nice looking Villa in Coral Bay.
The Villa suddenly became unavailable so we decided on a villa up in the hills in a small village called Lysos.
This villa was an original stone Greek house called Villa Nicholas that had been modernised and had a secluded swimming pool set in amongst beautiful flower beds and a lemon tree. Once again in the hot Cyprus sun you nearly always had a cool breeze drifting across. Our Cypriot friends have told us that in Lysos you get the best climate in Cyprus. This is a Greek village almost untouched by time. It is not a village like your pretty Kentish village but a working and sometimes untidy place but with much character and many friendly people. The only café is also the coffee house, run by Maria who always gives a warm welcome. Anybody who knows about Cypriot Coffee house will tell you that they can be very intimidating places, a place for the men to hang out, away from the wives and girlfriends. Maria was obviously in charge in this one and welcomed anybody. We consider ourselves very honoured when we visited another time to be invited to one of Marias famous family and friends get together in the back garden. A little like our BBQ’s but with many Cypriot Meze dishes, beer and Ouzo.
George the owner of Villa Nicholas met us one day and we found out that he was related to Petros, our good friend from Nicosia who stayed with us for a few days. Our relationship with Petros, Toulla and Marios the son had been developing and we had become very good friends. If they knew we were on the Island they would travel miles to see us and would often bring everything for a wonderful barbeque. If you are lucky enough to have a Cypriot friend you are very lucky indeed. We met up with George the owner and his wife Neovi and had some very special evenings with them.
George had grown up in the house we stayed in, was obviously much respected in the village and had another villa just down the road from where we stayed.
He showed us this and Dave immediately fell in love with it. A wonderful isolated villa set on the hillside overlooking the countryside and the bay at Polis.
We also stayed there but that is another story.
If anyone reading this is considering staying in Lysos and is concerned about the lack of restaurants there is, just a short walk out of the village, a hotel called Paridisos Hills. They serve some of the best Greek food we have ever had and welcome visitors all day long

Polemi Village, Traditional Greek hospitality

2010-03-28T11:43:00.002+01:00

Polemi 2006

After our stay in the Villa at Peyia we found that staying in apartments was not quite the same but if we visited Cyprus just by ourselves it was the cheaper option. On one of our stays in Paphos at Pandream apartments with our good friends Pandalitsa and Andraius we decide to look for other Villas available in the villages. We contacted Bettabilt homes in Paphos who rent villas in this area. It was quite funny because we were invited to the office and the manager intended to show us some of the properties but was under the impression we wanted to buy. We were given a tour of all available villas and when he discovered we did not want to buy his disappointment was obvious. At that time the British were buying a lot of property in Cyprus. They have a lot of trouble selling now.
We eventually found a villa we liked in Polemi and arranged to stay there with our family members on the next visit.
It was mid summer when we arrived in Polemi and it was a lot nicer and cooler than being in Paphos. True the seaside was a 20 minute trip by car but the peace and taste of traditional Greek life was worth it. The Villa had 3 bedrooms and it own swimming pool and had just been built. On the second day we decided to get some goods from the local shop 5 minutes away. The trip took us more than an hour because we are not shrinking violets and would say hello to the villagers sitting on their verandas. They were so friendly and would invite us in for drinks and give us grapes and tomatoes (so much flavour compared to the UK ones). Dot and Dave became quite well known as the crazy English couple.
Polemi is a taste of Greek life but at the same time is quite modern, it has a couple of mini markets, a betting shop, the obligatory coffee shop for the men to gather and a very good restaurant called the Olive Tree. We often return to have a walk around the village and intend to stay their again one day

Pissouri Cyprus .. no longer a quite bay

2010-03-21T16:06:00.002Z

The year after our trip to Peyia we decided to stay in Pissouri. We chose the Kotzias apartments close to the sea front in the bay. Reasonable basic self catering facilities but nothing to shout about. This holiday was arranged through a travel agent. I think it was First Choice. At that time Pissouri was a quite place with a few tavernas along the sea front but even then building work was going on all around us. Now days big hotels have sprung up and Pissouri has changed from a quite secluded bay to a very busy place in high season.
Up above Pissouri bay the little village of Pissouri still retains its Greek flavour although it has many British residents. The bunch of Grapes restaurant served excellent food at that time with a very friendly service.
Once again we hired a 4 wheel drive as the roads were not too special in those days and motorways had the habit of turning into dirt tracks. We would travel up into the mountains, find some of the beautiful picnic areas and have a barbeque.
BBQ’s are a favourite pastime of the Greek Cypriot and you will find whole families gathered in some of these picnic areas.
The men will cook and at the same time will taste little samples to make sure everything is OK and at the same time drink just a little Ouzo.
The women will lay out the picnic tables and prepare the salad stuff. This is not a matter of grilling a few beefburgers, it is a culinary delight that can often last half a day. Lamb, chicken, spicey sausages, pita bread and halloumi all grilled on skewers. Our Greek friends would join us and we would find that passers by would stop and talk and even join us for a glass of Ouzo.
Pissouri is one of the best places on the Island for wind surfing.

A villa in Peyia

2010-03-21T12:24:00.001Z

In 2001 we rented our first villa, we used Jame’s Villas and it included flights, car hire and Villa rental and we very fortunate to have first class seats on the way out because the aircraft had to be switched. This new approach absolutely spoiled us and we will always recommend a villa holiday. The villa was in Peyia, between the village itself and Coral Bay. It had all modern facilities including a washing machine (so handy) and its own private swimming pool attended to by two maids who called in daily. The price was not too bad as we had four in the party.
Peyia is well known as being a British colony but that did not worry us as we used it as a base and explored the countryside around us. Polis and Latchi have not been so spoilt by the tourist trade and that area is worth a visit.
A word of warning, hire cars have red number plates and seem to scream at the Greek drivers “here comes a tourist, we’ll pull out in front of him” maybe understandable as so many tourists trundle along at a steady 20 mph. Dave has noticed how much more respect he gets when driving our friends car with a Greek number plate.
We have never liked big hotels, wearing coloured wrist bands to denote your status, getting up early to get a good sun bed and having to eat meals at a certain time. A villa gives you total independence, you do not have to cook but can find some of the delightful local tavernas and sample some wonderful Greek Cuisine
The villa Peyia was good but in the years to follow we found even better places to stay

Paphos, holidays in the sun

2010-03-19T21:01:00.000Z

About the time we were visiting Protaras Dave had been in contact via his Amateur radio with Andraius a school teacher in Paphos. He had told Dave that his wife had built a small shop on a plot of land they owned close to the sea in Kato Paphos.
Over the months that followed Andraius told Dave that the shop had grown into a minimarket and they were now building Hotel apartments and he would have to retire from his teaching job and help Pandalitsa run these apartments. They were called Pandream Hotel apartments. Of course it was not long before we had to visit.
In those days the hotel had a typical Greek Cypriot feel about it, it had an olive tree growing in the middle of the restaurant and we spent many happy evenings sitting in the garden at the back with the family. These days the vacant fields around the hotel have been built on, hotels, supermarkets, tourist village complexes, ko karting and water parks have sprung up so that Paphos no longer has that Greek flavour. Its great for a family holiday if you want the sun, sea and fast food , not unlike Spain but a little more expensive. Pandream apartments have closed the mini market, have updated the restaurant and reception to give it an European feel about it and are really feeling the competition from the big Hotels that are giving very good all inclusive deals.

The beaches are not brilliant on this part of the Island and any sandy beach will be crowded in the high season.The hotels are mainly staffed by immigrants rather than local Greeks who can earn a lot more else where.
An alarming factor in Paphos is the Timeshare touts who can be found prowling in large groups, especially around the harbour area.
It is a waste of time to even say anything to them because they will become very obnoxious should you decline any of their offers once you have been given a winning scratch card (Every one is a winner)
Sadly Paphos has changed, buildings have been erected everywhere (many of them empty) and in the height of summer the smell of the big hotel cesspits can be overpowering. That said it still suits many tourists even if the UK tourists are in decline. The Arabs and the Russians will take their place.

The story I am telling sounds as if I dislike Cyprus, this is not true, I dislike what is happening to this beautiful Island and I am very sad to see it happen.
There are still amazing sights and Greek hospitality to be found, but not really in the tourist areas.

Protaras as it used to be

2010-03-18T20:32:00.000Z

The story about our love of Cyprus begins.
In 1995 we had our first holiday in Cyprus, 10 of us stayed in several self catering apartments in Protaras on the Greek side of the Island, just down the road from Ayia Napa. Protaras was just starting to become a tourist area in those days and just out of town you would find many beautiful secluded sandy beaches that you could while the time away on. We hired a car and would spend hours searching the sandy beaches on this side of the island. The Greek Cypriots would also do this at weekends and they were very friendly you always got a warm welcome from them. Little did they know that 15 years later all these secluded bays would become building sites with many unfinished and empty villas on the sea front. Sadly things have changed, Protaras is now a large Tourist area with many Restaurants, Tavernas, Discos and fast food shops. The big problem is that Cyprus is no longer a cheap place to visit, we have a global recession and the tourist trade from the UK is diminishing so even the height of the tourist season trade is not good from the Brits.
Our second visit was a year later to the same apartments and we were so fortunate to meet up with Toulla, Petros and Marios who were staying in an apartment under us, Greek Cypriots from Nicosia enjoying a quite break at the seaside. Since that day so many years ago we have become very good friends and they have shown us parts of the Island even Cypriots have not seen
We still visit Protaras but prefer to do so briefly and from the safe haven of an apartment or Villa tucked up in the beautiful hills of unspoilt Cyprus. That is a different story