If you’re looking for a real sun, sea and sand experience with some fascinating history and artefacts thrown in for good measure then Cyprus is the place for you.  An island that has been conquered and lost by many, visited by everyone else, it has a rich and diverse background spanning some 9000 years.  Romans, Byzantine, Turks and Greeks have all made a claim at one time to this beautiful island.  Even Alexander the great and Cleopatra have been here.  This is a culture that is a blend of Europe, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences where you’ll find old ruins intermingled with orchards and vineyards.  Monasteries, mosques and beaches all intertwined.

Whether you visit the north or south, now that the borders have been flung open although still policed on either side, visitors are now relatively free to cross and tour the other side.  This now means that if you are planning a back packing holiday or hiring a car you are no longer restricted in your choice of places to visit.  And there’s plenty to see in Cyprus.  The Salamis ruins on the north side of the island in Famagusta is a fascinating insight into what life might have been many centuries ago.  A large open air amphitheatre with plenty of old mosaics underfoot.  The Troodos mountains offer trekking trails for those that love to walk and Ayia Napa in the south has some of the best clubs around for the dancers amongst you. 

The capital, Nicosia, is a fantastic blend of modern and old sitting side by side.  Whether it is the north or south of Nicosia, there is shopping here and great places to eat.  Back in the North, Kyrenia (or Girne as it is known in Turkish) has a picturesque harbour which some say is the real heart of the north.  There are some delicious restaurants to try out or just sit back with a glass of cool, homemade lemonade and admire the passers by. 

Beaches are a plenty in both the north and the south with some brilliant hotels to suit all budgets.  All in all, Cyprus is a place that you will want to return to time and time again.  To get there you can either fly direct to the south and begin your journey from there or travel to the north via Turkey.  Flights are generally known to be cheaper to the south however the north has the benefit of being less commercialised and not so touristy.  Check out www.cyprusairways.com, www.kthy.com, www.easyjet.com, www.ba.com, www.aegeanair.com