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Nicosia Cyprus
PaphosPaphos Perhaps the best known of the Cypriot resorts, Paphos offers many attractions to the visitor ..... Nicosia or Lefkosa
The Divided Capital
Cyprus is known as the Island of Love…
… so why do Turkish and Greek Cypriots hate each other?
Nicosia is typical of the amazing contrasts and endless surprises of Cypriot life. You can experience the best of everything Nicosia offers in the way of sight-seeing, activities and shopping in a single week, and yet still be making delightful new discoveries about this divided capital when you’ve been a resident for many years.
Nicosia, Old and New
The one thing that doesn’t change is the friendly, hospitable nature of the Cypriot people. Greek Cypriot or Turkish Cypriot, it makes no difference - Cypriots of either nationality are delightful to everyone except the inhabitants of “the other side” (as the Greek Cypriots refer to the North, and the Turkish Cypriots refer to the South).
It’s hard for the visitor to Nicosia to understand why they hate each other so much, since they’re so like each other in every way, but there’s no question that there’s no love lost between North and South.
Cyprus VillasCyprus Villas Great villas and apartments are available all over Cyprus. Cyprus villas vary enormously in .....
The ancient Venetian Walls divide North and South and are locally known as "The Wall", but a stone outcropping is far from the only barrier between the two parts of this lovely island.
PIC ASR at the Wall
CyprusCyprus Home of Hospitality Welcome to Cyprus - romantic and exotic, quaint and curious, ..... The reality is, that the border may be open - even a money-spinning tourist attraction - but the hearts of Greek and Turkish Cypriots are closed to each other...
It’s easy and quick to cross the border. On the Greek side of Nicosia, the Bus Station is just across the road from the Holiday Inn and you can see 'the Wall' from either place. A few paces up to the Wall, follow the Wall around, and you come to my favourite spot in Nicosia, a wonderful newly opened restaurant
Café Bar Braga.
Café B’s cosmopolitan patron is a TV celebrity, a renowned chef who had his own TV program for 8 years, and who is now bringing a little affordable glamour and ‘high life’ to Nicosia’s 50-somethings.
Walk on by, and you soon come to the Greek border station, where the relaxed officials scarcely even bother to glance at your passport. Walk on through the UN buffer zone (which is sad with once beautiful houses falling into ruin) and soon you’re on “the other side” where Turkish officials glance swiftly at your passport and give you a small sheet of paper which is your permission to cross back and forth as often as you like.
There is NO visa fee [click here for info on so-called ‘visa’ fees and how to avoid them]
If you cross the border in a car, you will need separate car insurance policies for the North and South sides. This is very cheap and easy to get. If you should happen to forget, there are little insurance offices at both Greek and Turkish border posts, where for a few Turkish lira or Cypriot pounds (the Sterling pound hovers around 75c CYP or 3 Turkish lira) you can buy a holiday car insurance policy instantly.
Rental cars
Cyprus Cheap HotelsBest Cheap Cyprus hotels Best Deals, Extras, Well Located Rooms When choosing your cheap Cyprus hotels the first .....
On the Turkish side of the border, the Wall’s tourist attraction is a lot less glamorous than the South’s piano bar - just a little transport-caff type place built out on a platform over the Wall, whose claim to fame is that because the platform ‘bulges’ over the Wall, you can drink a cup of tea - and surprisingly good Turkish tea it is - on both sides of the border at the same time, one foot in either zone, much like the Greenwich Timeline.
However, what Nicosia’s North border lacks in glamorous restaurants, it more than makes up in obliging taxi drivers.
Right beside the checkpoint is a taxi rank PIC where amazingly courteous taxi drivers will take you wherever you like at less than one third of the cost of the taxis on the Greek side.
If your destination is the Old City (well worth a visit) then you won’t need a taxi, it’s less than 5 minutes walk from the border. But a ride anywhere further away is a great value buy.
These taxis will even take you all the way to Kyrenia, [link]
more than 40 kilometres away, in air-conditioned comfort, for the stunningly low price of £13 (Sterling)!
* TOP VALUE TIP *
In the North, it’s always best to offer Sterling rather than Cypriot pounds when it’s time to pay. First off, the Turkish Cypriots, still nostalgic for the British Colonial days, practically regard the British pound as if it were their own currency. Secondly, they hate the Greek Cypriots, so you won’t get the best exchange rate on Cypriot money. Thirdly, by paying in British pounds you’ll get around 20% discount on the already low Northern prices, because if you offer payment in Cypriot currency the drivers will claim that they quoted in Cypriot pounds, but if you offer Sterling then they will accept that fare without further ado.
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Nicosia’s Hotels [link] Great Places to Eat in Nicosia [link]
Nicosia’s Nightlife [link]
Sightseeing in Nicosia [link]
Travelling around Nicosia [link]
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KyreniaKyrenia Jewel of Northern Cyprus The curve of Kyrenia Harbour is the town’s most famous ..... FREE Travel Guide e-booklet
For loads more ways to make your stay in Nicosia memorable, why not download our Travel e-Guide to the Capital of Cyprus?
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BETTY ANDREWS runs www.Dogfav.com and works as a part time Administrator and full time Mom - to 2 kids, 3 dogs, and a guineapig! Betty's spiritual home is in San Francisco, but right now she's living in Cyprus because that's where her other half is stationed. Her hobbies are embroidery and ballroom dancing; her fav leisure activity is "anything to do with the ocean". Betty also has a column on Newsvine. You can get to know Betty better at FaceBook http://profile.to/BettyAndrews
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