Crossing the line in Cyprus

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Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | March 5, 2016 | 19
Travel
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Visiting Northern
Cyprus, the setting
of bestselling writer
Victoria Hislop’s
latest novel The
Sunset, Hannah
Stephenson looks at
how tourism is trying
to cope with years
of conflict.
Steven Woodley, Premier
Travel’s Haverhill branch
manager, explains why
holidays by coach are a
great way to travel.
QUIET LIFE: Famagusta Bay and the Palm Beach Hotel;
inset, at turtle hatchling ready to be released
are the advantages of booking a
Q What
group departure?
Group departures generally use direct
A
routes from your local town straight to
the destination, meaning a much quicker
journey time and less frequent stopping
points.
You’ll also benefit from complimentary
luggage handling and a local tour manager
who knows the area well.
S
TANDING at the checkpoint
in Nicosia, the last divided city
in the world where the buffer
zone, or Green Line as it is known,
separates north and south Cyprus,
there’s an air of informality as a
group of policemen chat to passersby.
With trepidation, I show my
passport to an official at the kiosk to
cross the border, opened in 2003,
from north to south Cyprus. There
are now seven checkpoints across
this Mediterranean island, but it’s a
pretty relaxed setting considering the
years of unrest which have troubled
it.
The south side has a distinctly
commercial feel to it. In the
first street I enter, I come across
Debenhams, McDonald’s, Starbucks
and other familiar high street
shops. I pay in euros and the whole
environment feels like a European
holiday destination.
The northern side seems quieter,
poorer and somehow more
authentic. I pay in Turkish lira and
it’s cheaper.
Rewind to the early 1970s and
the atmosphere at the checkpoint
would not have been so relaxed.
This border is the setting of the
climax in Victoria Hislop’s latest
novel The Sunset, where Turkish
Cypriot and Greek Cypriot friends
and compatriots are forced to
part because of a conflict which is
out of their control, and remains
unresolved today. The Greeks cross
to the south, the Turks remain in the
north.
The conflict came to a head
in 1974 when Turkey invaded
northern Cyprus to foil a coup by
Greek-Cypriot nationalists who
wanted union (enosis) with Greece
and independence from Britain.
Violence erupted on both sides but
the invasion left the Turkish Cypriots
in a state of political limbo.
Today, the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus doesn’t exist
officially. When Turkish troops
seized the north, the island’s prettier
bit, the region became a political
pariah.
Aside from Turkey, no other
nation acknowledges its existence.
It has effectively been boycotted
type of audience does it appeal
Q Which
to?
Group holidays have a real ‘club’
A
atmosphere and many customers return
year after year; everyone gets on well and
Crossing
the line
in Cyprus
internationally and only Turkey
provides the economic support it
desperately needs.
There’s a ban on direct flights to
Northern Cyprus from anywhere
other than Turkey. Visitors have to
land in Turkey first, usually Istanbul.
Development in tourism has been
slow, yet its problems bring their
own advantages for the tourist.
Northern Cyprus is less
commercial and less disfigured than
its southern neighbour. Many British
tourists have been coming here for
years, escaping the crowds of the
busier Turkish resorts and loving the
hospitality shown by the Turkish
Cypriots. Some fly direct to Larnaca
in the south and then take a longer
transfer and cross the border to the
north.
A major marine turtle
conservation project on Northern
IDLE SPECULATION: The abbey at Bellapais, a
village enjoyed by writer Gerald Durrell
Cyprus is also a big pull for ecofriendly visitors. We join beachgoers
gathering round a nest that
volunteers are excavating on Alagadi
Beach, one of the main nesting
beaches in the region. Baby turtles
(hatchlings) are gently brought up
to the surface of their new world,
energetically flapping their flippers,
and later that evening, we join
others to release them into the sea.
Venturing away from the main
tourist hub of Kyrenia towards
the north-east, I take a step back
in time, as we come across tiny
villages, deserted beaches and even
rub shoulders with the native wild
donkeys, who will nuzzle up to your
car if you dare to open the window.
The Karpaz Peninsula boasts
miles of unspoilt Mediterranean
coastline – something that’s rare
among neighbouring tourist
destinations – and in many ways it
feels like Northern Cyprus is stuck
in a time-warp, until we come
across swanky developments such
as the Karpaz Gate Marina, a swish
new public marina with infinity
pool, sophisticated menu and chic
changing rooms.
Conversely, there is plenty of
ancient history to explore, which
remains unsullied by tourism.
We wander around monasteries,
churches and castles in relative
peace and quiet, even at the height
of the season, and often find free
tables at cafes serving traditional
homemade lemonade.
Hislop’s novel is set largely
Travel facts
1.Direct Traveller (dir
ecttrav
com; 0844 414 3071) offe eller.
rs
seven-nights’ B&B at the
Ship
Inn Hotel from £299 per
pe
including flights and tran rson,
sfers.
2.Atlasglobal (atlasglb.c
om)
flies daily to from Luton
to Ercan
via Istanbul. Return fare
s start
at £143.
3.Find out more
about North Cyprus at
welcometonorthcyprus.co
.uk.
in Famagusta on the east side
which was THE place to be in the
Mediterranean in the 1960s and
early 1970s, as a string of luxury
hotels sprang up along its stunning
beach. But when the Turks invaded
in 1974, it was evacuated.
Today the beach at Varosha still
harbours the fine white sand and
crystal clear waters which made
it such a magnet for tourists – but
the once-glamorous seafront hotels
form a skyline of derelict buildings
in what has become a ghost town,
fenced off and forlorn.
At the tip, there’s a stretch of
beach near the beautiful Palm Beach
Hotel which is still accessible, where
we see holidaymakers swimming,
snorkelling and taking out pedalos
as you would on any other
European beach. But the backdrop
of bombed-out buildings is a stark
reminder of its past.
Away from Varosha, Famagusta
retains an unhurried feel, its old
walled town steeped in Middle
Eastern history, with its Venetian city
walls providing excellent viewing
points. The city is also a great base
if you want to see the major site
Salamis, the first city of Cyprus in
classical Greek times.
On another literary trail, I head
for Bellapais, one of the prettiest
villages on the island and home to a
stunning Gothic abbey and fantastic
views of the Five Finger Mountains.
The author Gerald Durrell lived in
this village for several years, writing
about Cyprus in his book Bitter
Lemons.
He mentions passing the time
drinking coffee under the Tree of
Idleness in the village, but several
spots claim to be where he sat, so
I’m not sure how authentic any of
them are.
I’ll find my own tree, idle away,
indulge in a Turkish coffee, and
hope that the tourist trail doesn’t
find northern Cyprus too quickly.
usually leave on first-name terms.
Groups of friends often travel together but
it’s a great option for single passengers too,
with the chance to meet other like-minded
travellers who can share their experience.
Bournemouth
places are most popular, and
Q Which
what is the usual duration of travel?
Coastal towns such as the Isle of Wight,
A
Torquay, Eastbourne and Bournemouth
are always popular, as well as holiday parks
in places like Croyde Bay or the South
Downs Holiday Village in Sussex.
Each journey takes between four and five
hours, depending on the destination, broken
up with rest stops. Most coach holidays tend
to be either four or five nights with shorter
breaks also available.
Ventnor Beach, Isle of
Wight
does a coach holiday provide
Q How
value for money?
Accommodation, travel and most meals
A
are included, as well as transfers from
your nearest town. The reassurance of an
experienced tour manager means you’ll
learn about the area, but you’ll still have
complete independence during your stay.
Most hotels include entertainment and
half board for guests; two or three day trips
are often included too.
Coach holidays usually cost from £300£350pp for four or five nights and are
released every September for the following
year, although it’s wise to book in advance
as they do tend to be very popular.
n Premier Travel can offer a four-night
escorted coach holiday to South Downs
Holiday Village in Bracklesham Bay,
Susssex, from £299pp; based on two adults
travelling on May 2, 2016, as part of a group
departure from either Halstead or Haverhill.
For more information or to book, contact
Steven Woodley or one of the Premier
Travel team on (01440) 762661.