Cyprus

The Island of Aphrodite Divided into the north (the Turkish sector, the partially recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) and the south (the Greek sector, the Republic of Cyprus). The sea is as warm as fresh milk even in November. The beaches are white and often deserted, while the sun bakes the chocolate shades of happiness into your skin 🙂 Politics The Turkish part is described by Cypriots from the Republic of Cyprus as “territory temporarily under Turkish occupation.” The two republics do not get along, but with a visa for the Republic of Cyprus you can also enter the Turkish part freely. Remarkably, a majority of the Turks temporarily occupying the north of the island wanted to reunite with its southern part so that everyone could live together peacefully in one country. However, 75% of Greek Cypriots rejected the idea of living together with the northerners in a referendum held specifically on the matter in 2004. Prices are lower in Northern Cyprus, so you may be subjected to a customs inspection when crossing the border between north and south, as officials search for shuttle-trader bags stuffed with cheap goods. We only visited the Republic of Cyprus: Larnaca, Paphos and Limassol. We took a diving course there, theory followed by the actual dives. We rented a convertible and went on a road trip packed with mega-adventures, and also mastered the traditional sea–restaurant–sunset–and... cactus routine—the cactus being something we ate for some reason. Read more about our Cyprus adventure >>.