Hotels in Cyprus

Officially known as the Republic of Cyprus, Cyprus is an island country located in the Eastern Mediterranean. It has an area of 3.572 square miles. This country is the third largest and most populated island in the Mediterranean. It is geographically located at a distance of 300 kilometres of north Egypt, 60 kilometres south of Turkey and 90 kilometres west of Syria. Its coastline is concave and rocky with long and beautiful sandy beaches in the south. Covered with olive and carob trees, the coastal lowland is beautified by the slanted Pentadaktylos mountain range of limestone.  In the south, the widespread mountain sierra of Troodos which is shielded by pine, dwarf oak, cypress and cedar, ends in the peak of Mount Olympus. The abundant lowland of Messaoria lies in between the Troodos range and Pentadaktylos range. The Arable land has 46.8 % of the total land area. Since there are no rivers, people can only witness fast-moving water that flows after torrential downpours.

Despite being small in size, Cyprus is rich in history and tradition. The very first people about 8000 BC in Cyprus were mainly Stone Age farmers. In 4000 BC, they started making pottery and copper tools to survive. About 1500 years after that, the people learnt to make bronze. The people never stopped from developing and being more cultured. After 1600 BC, a form of writing was created.  Then, a greatly civilised and sophisticated society arose with many towns and palaces in Cyprus. In addition to that, trading with other parts in the Mediterranean began to prosper, and the association with other civilisations was mutual. After 800 BC, great empires emerged in the Middle East. It started with the Assyrian Empire. The empire did not dominate Cyprus, but they managed to force its ruler to pay tribute for a brief period from 708 BC to 669 BC. Afterwards, in 545 BC, Cyprus was forced to succumb to rule by the Persians. However, after 333 BC, the Persians were defeated by the Greeks which was led by Alexander the Great. Alexander’s empire was divided between his general after his death in 323 BC. One of them known as Ptolemy had seized Egypt. After a long time of fighting, Ptolemy and his heirs came to rule Cyprus which led to a dominance of Greek culture on the island. A new power, Rome, rose and took Cyprus in 58 BC and was unified into the Roman Empire. Cyprus was introduced to Christianity by Paul and Barnabas in about 45 AD. In the 4th century, the Roman Empire parted into two parts known as East and West. Cyprus was included in the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern part continued even though the west fell in 476 AD. The Eastern part is now known as the Byzantine Empire. Cyprus flourished under the Byzantine rule even when raids occurred between the 7th and 10th century. Unfortunately, in the 12th century, the Byzantine Empire went down. In 1184, Comnenus, a Byzantine prince, announced Cyprus free from the rest of empire. The independence, however, did not last long as the king of England known as Richard I, conquered Cyprus. He sold it to a Frenchman called Guy de Lusignan. The Lusignans got to govern Cyprus for three centuries. It was turned into a feudal kingdom where a Catholic elite ruled over the Orthodox majority. In the 14th century, with the fast-growing and powerful Italian cities of Genoa and Venice, Cyprus independence was intimidated. In 1425, Mameluke from Egypt invaded Cyprus. Finally, a Cyprus king married a Venetian lady. The king later died and left the queen as the only ruler of Cyprus. In 1489, she was influenced to renounce which made Cyprus came under Venetian rule. Nevertheless, the Ottoman Turks were the rising power in the Mediterranean, and they managed to seize Cyprus in 1571. Earlier, the first most Cypriots welcomed Turkish rule which was the opposite of the repressive Venetian rule. The feudal system was stopped, and the Turks accepted the Orthodox Church. However, an outbreak hit Cyprus which developed into revolutions were created against Turkish rule. In the 19th century, Britain was the world power. In 1875, Suez Canal was opened, and Britain was all out to protect the way to India. In 1878, the British were permitted to enter and govern Cyprus even though Turkey was still dominant. In 1914, the Turks decided to go with Germany in World War I and Britain officially conquered Cyprus. About 11 years after that, Cyprus became the British Crown Colony. Afterwards, Greek Orthodox Cypriots urged for union with Greece which led to riots in 1931. In World War II, Cypriots fought for the British. When peace began to settle in, Greek Orthodox Cypriots urged union with Greece again. Turkish Cypriots wanted the opposite; the British to continue ruling.  In 1955, a series of bombings in Cyprus was conducted by a Greek Cypriot organisation known as EOKA. Three years later, a Turkish organisation known as TMT was made and the intercommunal fight started. Cyprus was finally granted independence in 1960 with Archbishop Makarios as its president. The Greeks suggested amending the constitution in 1963. The Turks declined, and it led to the further intercommunal fight. A year later, the UN intervened by sending a peacekeeping force, but it did not change anything. In April 1974, hard-line Greeks threw a revolution. Archbishop Makarios was defeated and ran out of the country. In July 1974, the Turkish forces annexed Northern Cyprus and made the island divided into parts. The hardliners lost power, and in December 1974, Archbishop Makarios returned from abroad and later died in 1977. In 1975, the Turkish section announced itself as the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus. In 1983, the Turkish section of Cyprus declared full independence and named itself as Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. The sections of Cyprus remained parted. In 2004, the Southern Republic of Cyprus joined the EU. However, in 2008, Cyprus decided to join euro which then led to a serious and worrying economy crisis in 2013. In the present, the economy is booming again. The population of Cyprus is now estimated to be 1.2 million.

Cyprus is divided into six districts which are Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos. The largest community in Nicosia which is also the capital of the island country. All nationals of Singapore who plan to stay for more than 90 days must have a Schengen visa. Schengen visa is exempted for short visit which is less than 90 days within 180 days. An ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) is going to be mandatory for all Singapore citizens from 2021. It will be valid for five years and can be used unlimitedly.

The official languages of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. The minority languages are Armenian, Cypriot Arabic and Kurbetcha. The primary foreign language is English followed by French and German. The climate in Cyprus is mostly Mediterranean. The weather is hot and dry from June to September, mild and wet winters from November to March which is separated by brief autumn and spring seasons. Windstorms and heavy storms are rare. Snow does not fall in the plains and northern range but is normal for every ground above 1000 metres in the Troodos range.

The food in Cyprus mirrors the rich and unique history of the island. You will find a wide range of tastes influenced by the Middle East, Venetians and Asia Minor. Be sure to try delicious traditional food like meze, kebabs, souvlaki, kleftiko, stifado and many more.

How to Get There?

By Flight

The fastest mode of transportation to Cyprus is obviously by plane. The flying time from Singapore Changi Airport to Cyprus (Larnaca) would take around 10 hours and 40 minutes. A flight with one stop to Cyprus would cost around SGD 2336. Cheaper flights with more stops are available for travellers with a tight budget.

What to Do There?

Cape Greco

Cape Greco which is also known as Cavo Greco is a protected and preserved national forest park that has tranquillising nature trails, mind-blowing views of the sea and fresh atmosphere. This park offers nine nature trails that pass through juniper forests and along sea cliffs. Visitors will have the chance to discover and explore exciting sea caves. Numerous sea caves can be seen along the beautiful coast. Here, visitors can choose to swim, snorkel, cliff-jump or walk at low tide. Not only that, but the visitor can also enjoy the view of the church of Agioi Anargyoi, a nice picnic area and two picturesque stone arches.  

Hala Sultan Tekke

Also known as the Mosque of Umm Haram, this historic Muslim complex lies on the shores of the Larnaca Salt Lake. Constructed in 648 AD, this spot is believed to be the place where Prophet Muhammad’s relative named Umm Haram died from an Arab attack. In the present, the mosque is one of the most significant places of worship for the Muslims. Its beautiful architecture attracts a lot of people to come. There is no admission fee for the visitor to visit.

Where to Stay?

Marica’s Boutique Hotel

Situated in Eparchía Páfou, this boutique hotel offers a picturesque view of the beach during your stay. Priced from only SGD 56.96 per night, this three-star hotel has public facilities like coffee/tea in the lobby, parking, restaurant and Wi-Fi. Hotel guests can read in the library, swim in an outdoor pool, and sunbathe on the pool sun loungers. There is a gift shop available for guests who plan to bring back some souvenirs.

Golden Bay

Located in Eparchía Lárnakas, this five-star hotel is going to make your trip to Cyprus a perfect one. Priced from SGD 163.41, this hotel offers services like 24-hour receptionist, mobile, laundry service, medical service, multilingual staff, money changer and newspaper. Its public facilities include Wi-Fi in general area, parking, room service, safety deposit box, elevator and restaurant. Hotel guests can enjoy a lot of activities like diving, catamaran sailing, canoeing, banana boat, pedal boating, aerobics, beach volleyball and many more. In addition to that, hotel guests can go to the fitness centre, outdoor pool, sun loungers; children play area, entertainment club for adults or children, sauna or spa. Food and drinks with charges are available for all courses. With all mentioned above, Golden Bay Hotel has everything you could have asked for.