has anybody been to the north of Cyprus,the turkish side?

Question

has anybody been to the north of Cyprus,the turkish side?

Answer 1

Yes though I haven't been to the South so I am unable to offer you a comparison.



Though, friends who have been there have compared them and here are the few advantages I can remember: Apparently it is considerably cheap, this I can believe since it was considerably cheap compared to Turkey as well, since it's not in the euro zone it might be advantageous to members of the EU. It's a lot less crowded, even in the summer, you can find Turkish tourists here and there but they have a tendency of not hanging around much (Northern Cyprus usually represents a stopover on their original holiday route). That might also be another advantage, its close proximity to Turkey, it's like 20 minutes to Adana, one of Turkey's biggest cities, so it's easy to prolong your trip. As far as I understand, the South is a quintessential holiday spot, the North much less so, it makes it a great area for natural untouched beauty (Oh you should see it in Spring! Flower meadows everywhere!) and secluded beaches though but I doubt you'd be able to find a lot of tourist informations and resorts so you're pretty much on your own (contrary to big holiday resorts where everyone does everything for you). Most people have a great level of English but I can assume the percentage of English speakers is higher in the South. Compared to the South, the North is much more dilapidated and you can actually see this yourself, there's a spot on a hill where there's a tea house that lets you view the South just at the border. It's quite funny actually, but I swear their streets are cleaner and more orderly. I'm not saying it's anything awful, it's really nice but it's not the European Union that's for sure!



Personally I really liked the North, especially in the season I was there, it wasn't too cold, it wasn't too hot in spring time and the nature was magnificent. From what I can gather it gets pretty hot in the summer. I'd personally prefer the North cause I'm not a big holiday person, the North offered me a lot of historic sites with NO crowds at all (I am NONE and it's wasn't like we were avoiding them or anything) and the beaches were pretty much empty as well. The only thing that bothered me was the amount of Turkish privates, usually boys from 18 to 25 completing their military service on the island that were loitering and harassing on their day off. Locals and even the Turkish students that attend the islands many universities are bothered by them, from my own personal observations I could gather that they had an all mighty attitudes to them, they would never act like that in their own countries but let themselves loose in Cyprus. I'm generalizing, they weren't all like that, plus it was only one day of the week usually around center areas. But you know, you get bothered by it when they start ruining the very calm and serene atmosphere you got accustomed to in the previous days. So yes otherwise it was very quite, very beautiful, very untouched, and very cheap. If you're asking to live than it may take some getting used to the culture but usually one adapts itself pretty fast once you learn the basics, I mean a lot of English citizens have properties on the island and they love it there. If you're looking for a beach side resort where you could rest your head for a week and relax, than the South might be a better choice. Otherwise if you're like me, and you like calm vacations without crowds with a little bit of adventure and exploring, where you could go on hikes and century old churches but still manage to drink a beer on the seaside at twilight, I think the North is ideal for that.



I hope this helps and I've answered your question!

Answer 2

I've been to both sides on a number of occasions so I feel equipped to answer your question:)



It really depends what you're looking for. Southern Cyprus is more of a typical holiday resort destination, and very crowded with British tourists in the high season.



The main resorts are Paphos (port, nightlife, shops, restaurants, historical sights) Ayia Napa and Protaras (very 'Brit abroad', with lovely, albeit crowded, beaches, such as Nissi Beach and Fig Tree Bay).



Limassol and Larnaca are also popular resorts but I can't say I was impressed, the waterparks were great but that was about it.



I loved the capital (Nicosia/Lefkosia), its very relaxed but pretty much dead in the summer when the local Cypriot townies go to the beach for the summer. However, its so laid-back, they have a great mix of international high street (Zara, Topshop, Debenhams, M&S) and designer (Louis Vuitton, Versace). The city Cypriots seem to spend their day shopping and smoking and drinking coffee in posh cafés and then partying in the evening. Zoo is the best nightclub there, but there's lots of clubs and bars to choose from. There's also archaelogical sights, such as the old Viennese wall around the centre, plus a handful of museums.



The green line that divided Lefkosia (UN patrolled) is interesting to see, the old shops and buildings in 'No Man's Land' are literally stuck in time, and haven't been touched since 1974. There's a small exhibition on the South side of the line, at the Ledra crossing point, explaining the events of 1974, I found it very touching, and sad.



You can now cross the line into the North with just your passport, but try to make sure you get your Turkish stamp on separate piece of paper, if you can. You'll notice a difference as soon as you enter the North. Bear in mind its not in the EU, and is less developed than the Turkey itself and the Republic of Cyprus, and English is less widely spoken. You'll find less in the way of tourist informations etc, so you're pretty much on your own, as somebody above pointed out. But that could be a good thing if you're a bit adventurous!



There is little to do in the Turkish side of Lefkosia, but you will be rewarded if you hire a car and venture further North past the mountain range (can't remember the name, sorry) and visit Bellapais (an old monestary, with a few restaurants and shops nearby) and then to Kyrenia/Girne. Here you'll find a beautiful port with plenty of shops with local crafts etc, plus a handful of bars and many restaurants serving fresh fish and seafood.



Overall, I found both the Greek and Turkish Cypriots to be very open and friendly, though it was easier to communicate with the Greeks, as 99% seemed to speak perfect English. It might be beneficial to learn a few Turkish phrases before venturing into the North. I'll be honest, some of the places in Northern Cyprus were very run-down and unattractive, and many Orthodox churches have been either left in sorry state or converted into mosques. But you will still find many places of natural beauty, and I really warmed to the Turkish Cypriots, and no doubt you will too.



Hope I've helped, email me if you want any more info:)

Answer 3

cost of living is cheap and the beaches have fine sand, and the sea is wonderfully clean. ( in Magosa)

Girne is more city like, more suitable for shopping, but the sand and beaches are not as good as Magosa.

The Turkish side is less developed than the Greek side, but at the same time less spoiled.

Answer 4

Friends of mine have a flat over there and I was once offered a job by the govt.

Answer 5

People were friendly!!!But their accent caused some difficulties for me sometimes:)

Answer 6

yer i been there a few times i love it an it half the price

Answer 7

yes