TRAVEL: Ayia Napa, Cyprus

Please note that everything I did on this trip was done with utmost care and attention to corona regulations. If you're going to travel, travel safe! 

After my fun days in Nicosia and Limassol (check that blog out here), how about another early morning trip the next day? Sure, why not, since today I was heading to Ayia Napa, baby! Again, my first stop was the tourist office where I was recommended to catch the bus onwards to Cape Greco, so I did.

About twenty minutes later, I was landed at the top of a hill and wandered my way down to road towards the bay. You know the turquoise blue seas they talk about in books? Cape Greco was just like that. Rocky outcrops to scramble over to look out at the sparkling ocean. Pleasure boats floated in the shallows with people jumping in for a quick swim to escape the scorching heat. Very beautiful.

On my way back up to the bus, I took a side road which took me past a natural land bridge and a tiny blue and white church that looked like it had been plucked right out of Mamma Mia.

I got off the bus early to walk through the Sculpture Garden. Here were hundreds of white stone sculptures from all around the globe, there seemingly just for me as the only visitor. Minotaurs, humans, hippos, and angels looked out towards the sea. Next to the sculpture garden was a large cactus garden, again completely deserted except for me. I assumed that most of the visitors to Ayia Napa came mostly for the beautiful beaches, but I appreciated that they also had cultural elements like this to enjoy too.

I carried on down to a large land bridge called the Love Bridge from which a few adventurous swimmers were doing backflips off of. From there, a long boardwalk led down to the beach, which was undoubtedly the busiest part of Ayia Napa, and it was no surprise why, just looking at the gorgeous water. I waded into the warm water and walked peacefully along the water's edge.

The beach ended at the harbour where I stopped for a leisurely lunch at Second Cup and a much needed cold drink given the scorching temperature of the day. I only had two things left to tick off for my day in Ayia Napa - the aqueduct and the monastery. The former had a 1.3km walk which allowed you to walk alongside the path of the aqueduct for just me and the lizards baking in the sun. Rather them than me! The latter was closed, so not too much to report on that!

I walked back to the bus stop through the completely deserted town. I know for sure that the restaurants and pubs here should be packed to the rafters, so it was a shame to see only the staff inside. I pray that a vaccine for Covid comes sooner rather than later, because the tourism and hospitality industry sure is suffering from it.

One more Cyprus blog to come when I return to Larnaca - make sure to stay tuned on my Twitter @CiarasCountry! Visiting Ayia Napa has gotten me in the mood to visit even more beautiful beaches - what's the most beautiful beach you've visited? I'd love to know - drop me a message in the comments below! Thanks so much for reading!

TRAVEL: Nicosia & Limassol, Cyprus

Please note that everything I did on this trip was done with utmost care and attention to corona regulations. If you're going to travel, travel safe! 

After my first week in Larnaca and my deep sea dive (read about that here), I had a big weekend planned, starting on Friday with an early bus to Nicosia, Cyprus' biggest city. First stop, the tourist office to pick up a map and find out everything that I needed to see and do. I started by wandering around some of the city's churches, mostly Orthodox with interiors coloured floor to ceiling in gold, portraits of saints and the like everywhere, and even chandeliers. I never would have linked decadence with religion, but these churches highlighted that it could most definitely be done in a tasteful way.

My journey brought me down to the border between South Cyprus and the Turkish side of the island, North Cyprus. Nicosia is basically split right in two and usually I think you'd be able to pass between the two sides without much issue, but due to the current situation, the borders were shut. Still, I found it strange to think that a city itself was completely divided like this, with barbed wire and gates literally slicing streets in two.

I headed down to Famagusta Gate, the old aqueduct, and the Liberty monument which seemed to be the main things to see in the city. The city was deserted, and it felt strange to be walking around what I assumed would usually be a fairly bustling city.

My day in Nicosia ended with a trip up to the 11th floor viewpoint at the Shacolas Tower which offered views of everywhere I'd walked around, as well as into Turkish Cyprus and the stunning Selimiye Camii mosque. I was also interested to see that the mountains on that side had huge Turkish flags painted on them, just in case you forgot where you were. From up here, the border was invisible, and it looked as if you could just walk right across to the other side. If only.

A few days later I made my way to Limassol, the second largest city in the country, and also the furthest from where I was. Indeed, once we arrived on the outskirts of Limassol, I thought we were already there, but it took about another half hour to actually get to the main part of town.

Being a Sunday, the tourist office was closed, so it was up to me to make my own route. Thankfully I stumbled across a pedestrian map which suggested a route I might like to take, so I walked from the old port to the upmarket marina, filled with expensive boats and nice restaurants.

From there, I spent an hour or so wandering the empty streets of Limassol, admiring the architecture of some of the churches, the boutique shops, and arty graffiti. My adventure brought me back to the Promenade which was probably the prettiest part of the city with a long palm tree lined avenue which was very well designed.
 

I knew that I wanted to head to Kourion that afternoon, and with only 3 buses running on Sundays, had ample time for a Greek lunch of halloumi gyros at Tavernaki and a refreshing bubble tea from Bubble Tale.

We walked up to the bus station only to find that the bus timetable was completely different to what was suggested online. Rather than waiting close to an hour for a bus which may or may not have shown up, we hopped in a taxi to take us to Kourion.

Situated about a 20 minute drive outside of Limassol, Kourion is a large amphitheatre high up in the hills. Not only was it interesting to explore the amphitheatre, mosaic, and ruins up here, but there was also a fantastic view out towards the sea.

Since the taxi service was getting little to no service at the time, we had agreed to stay with the taxi driver for the afternoon rather than catching the bus back, and this also meant that we were able to head to another destination - the Sanctuary of Apollo.

Here we found even more beautiful ruins - pillars and stairs and what looked to be part of a temple. It was just us and a resident cat (we nicknamed her Aphrodite) who loved belly rubs and showing visitors around her 2000 year old home. It was a shame to have to leave her behind as I'm sure she was happy to have the company. The Sanctuary was a wonderful place to visit, and I was glad to have seen some of the Cypriot ruins.

There's more Cyprus adventures to come, including a trip to the beautiful Ayia Napa, and even more excitement in Larnaca. Make sure to stay tuned by following me on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and I'd love to know where you're planning on travelling to once the world gets back to normal - leave me a message in the comments below :) Thanks for reading!

TRAVEL: Zenobia Wreck Dive, Cyprus

Please note that everything I did on this trip was done with utmost care and attention to corona regulations. If you're going to travel, travel safe!  

After my first few days in Cyprus (check that out here), I was so excited to do one of the top rated activities in the country. I was collected by Kyle in the early morning before heading to the Alpha Divers shop to get suited and booted. We made our way to the marina and aboard a small boat to set sail for the Zenobia Shipwreck.

About a kilometre and a half from the shore, we stopped the boat and got ready to descend. With dive guide Kyle, I headed down, down, down, to the uppermost side of the ship. Covered in 40 years of sea life, the ship was teeming with life - groupers, parrot fish, lionfish, sea cucumbers, and we were super lucky to even see a turtle!

The ship itself is vast, with depths ranging from around 15 - 42 metres, and I found it more serene than spooky to float around and see the railings, rotors, windows, and lifeboats.

After about 40 minutes, we headed back to the surface for a break before our next dive. While sitting on board, I saw something off to the side - dolphins! I gathered the crew to come look, and we drove the boat to follow them, eventually ending up with some dolphins jumping alongside our boat. I was later told this was the first time in over a year that dolphins had been spotted here - what luck!

We returned to the dive site for dive 2. This time, Kyle and I explored the rest of the ship, spotting starfish clinging to the sides. As divers can head inside the ship, it almost looked like it was breathing, with trails of air bubbles exploding out of open windows.

We dove in through a window into the canteen and it was crazy to see the inside, with natural light and divers torched illuminating the walls, staircases, and windows. What I found crazier still was a trapped air bubble that you could stick your head into and breathe without the oxygen tank. So very bizarre considering that we were 20 metres under the sea.

We began our ascent and waited 3 minutes below the surface to avoid problems. Looking up at the bottom of our boat, I understood what had attracted Nemo to touch the boat - it really does look quite special from down below. Taking one last look at the wreck and the beauty of all of rising bubbles from divers below, we made our way back to the surface and then towards home.

If you're into scuba diving and find yourself in Cyprus, I cannot recommend this excursion enough! I'm keen to try out some more dive sites around the world, so if you have any suggestions of must-dives, please let me know by dropping a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Thanks so much for reading!

TRAVEL: Larnaca, Cyprus (Part 1) - beaches, sunsets, and insanely good food!

Please note that everything I did on this trip was done with utmost care and attention to corona regulations. If you're going to travel, travel safe!

I know that my experience of quarantine has been nowhere near as bad as that for some people, but one thing I missed after all those months inside my house was, as this blog may suggest, travelling. I in no way wished to put myself or others at risk from the virus, but knew that if it was possible to travel safe, I was going to give it a shot.

Armed with face masks, hand sanitiser, and heaps of alcohol wipes, I booked myself a trip to Cyprus. Knowing the country was only letting travellers in from 'safe' countries, and insisting on tests before arrival, as well as being a fairly isolated island in itself, I figured that this would be as good a place as any to test the waters of corona safe travel.

Upon touchdown in Larnaca, I hopped into a taxi to head to my Airbnb for the duration of my trip. Finding it was a challenge in itself, as the directions I was given was Flat 202, Pacific Building (building name changed for privacy purposes!). As it turned out, there were 7 different Pacific Buildings, each with their own Flat 202. After walking up and down the street multiple times, I called the Airbnb host to confirm. 'Yes, Pacific Building'. 'Which one?' 'Pacific Building, at the front'. (What?) After getting nowhere, the cleaner came down to stand outside the correct building, which turned out to be 2 blocks further than the given address, and about 18 buildings away from the first Pacific Building. I sanitised the apartment, and then time for bed.

On my first day in Larnaca, it seemed right to get a lay of the land. My first stop was the Tourist Office which I imagined wasn't getting too much passing traffic these days. The lady there was able to suggest some day trips for me to do, and point out the main beaches, which seemed to be the highlight of Larnaca.

I walked up to Finikoudes Beach, a long stretch of sand lined with socially distanced deck chairs, with heaps of mostly chain restaurants across the road - Starbucks, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays. There were also heaps of kiosks where you could buy drinks and ice cream for next to nothing, which definitely came in handy when temperatures hit 34'C (feeling like 39!)

From Finikoudes I headed down the beach via the Church of St Lazarus, a pretty building filled with gold painted Saints inside. A long promenade brought me along the seafront and past about 20 ice cream shops in a row - it was only right to stop at one of them so I sampled a strawberry chocolate scoop from Da Vinci. Delicious.

I continued down to Mackenzie Beach where the lady at the tourist office had told me I could go for all my clubbing needs (in this crazy time? I think not) Again, the beach was full of deck chairs and bars and restaurants which I'm sure would usually be stuffed to the gills at this time of year.

I made my way back to the apartment to get away from the heat for a while before venturing out later in the afternoon towards the Salt Lake. Unlike the beaches, the lakeshore was completely deserted, and I found myself wondering were I to perish from the heat (quite possible), when anyone would find me... Thankfully I made it to the lookout point in one piece and get pleasant views across the lake and towards the hill topped with wind turbines.

Little did I know that I would be returning to the Salt Lake that evening after researching the best place to watch the sunset. Yes, whilst the beaches might be nice, they are facing completely the wrong direction for sunset! I wandered back to the lake and perched myself down to watch the spectacular sunset with not a soul in sight.  

In spite of already having done close to 40,000 steps for my busy day, I still had a bit of energy left, so walked back up via Mackenzie beach to see what life was like at night. Surprisingly, it was the ice cream shops that seemed to be busiest - obviously the best night time activity in Larnaca.

My friend arrived in the wee hours of the morning, which meant Day 2 would be much of a repeat of the first day so that he could get to grips with what to see too. But first, breakfast. At this point, I really should be sponsored by TripAdvisor since I rave about them so much, but they have yet to let me down yet. TA suggested Stoana Kato for breakfast. The menu was extensive, and I opted for Superfood Menu B - pancakes, a bowl of yoghurt with honey and granola, two poached eggs on toast, and what looked to be a whole avocado for under €9. That avocado alone would have cost me more than the whole meal in Australia!

Not only this, but it truly was delicious, and the staff were very helpful in helping us decide just what off of the massive menu we should order. My friend got an iced coffee with a scoop of their homemade cookies and cream ice cream, and let me tell you that that in itself was life changing.

The rest of the day was much the same as the day before, with the exception of actually getting in the sea today. Beautifully pleasant warm water and very shallow, so even the least confident of swimmers would have nothing to worry about.

As the day began drawing to a close, we decided to make our way to dinner at Maqam Al Sultun, at the foot of Finikoudes Beach. This Lebanese restaurant had yet another extensive menu, and I was happy to see they had the option of a Vegetarian Platter for one, meaning I got to try a variety of different dishes: falafel, baba ganoush, hummus, tabbouleh and more for under €15! Yum.

As you may have gathered, by this point I had seen practically all of the hotspots in Larnaca, but if there was anything else to see, you can be darn sure I was going to find it. My first stop was the Medieval Fort, which helped me pass half an hour or so wandering around the small complex, with the fortifications allowing an unusual view of the beaches from higher up.

I had hoped to visit the Salt and Pepper museum, because who wouldn't want to visit a museum dedicated to Salt and Pepper shakers, but sadly it was closed and looked likely to remain that way until further notice. The last thing I could think of doing was visiting the Panagia Faneromani Church which, like St Lazarus, had a pleasant architectural design, although it too was shut so I wasn't able to check out what it might be like inside.

Having thoroughly ticked off everything in the vicinity, the only thing left to do was eat. My destination was Refuel, a super quirky ice cream and juice bar along the promenade. The owner, Chris, served me two scoops of a traditional Cypriot flavour made with the syrup of what looked like a dried bean, and chocolate orange for the ridiculous price of €2. 3 scoops would've been just €2.50! I was tempted, but something told me I'd be eating more than enough this trip...

The afternoon's activity consisted of catching the bus to Kiti, which had been recommended as a nearby town worth visiting. We spent a little while trying to find the church which, whilst beautiful, was without a doubt the only thing to see in Kiti, and I think we ended up taking more time waiting for the bus on the way back than we did actually in Kiti.

At least wasting time waiting for the bus led us all the way up to dinner, and we headed to Alasia along the promenade for souvlaki and an unusual halloumi filled ravioli. Whilst the food was decent, the service was good but slow, and I was desperate to catch the sunset again, so I legged it to the Salt Lake right after our complimentary watermelon was served to watch the remains of the day from the olive grove. Couldn't have asked for a better end to the day...

Stay tuned for more of my Cypriot adventures coming soon, including travels to the country's biggest cities, ancient ruins, and a trip to the bottom of the ocean... To be the first to know, make sure to check me out on Twitter @CiarasCountry, and let me know where I should aim to travel to once the word gets back to some normality by dropping a message in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

TRAVEL: My travel bucket list (Part 2)!

We’re back with another instalment of my Travel Bucket List – if you haven’t read Part 1, check that out here. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading about where I’d like to travel to over the next however many years! All opinions are my own.

• Malta

I only realised how lucky I was to live in Europe after I’d left it. The ease of travelling from one country to another, spending a long weekend discovering a new European city quite unlike my own, is something that I don’t think I’ll take for granted again, and one place I’m keen to check out is Malta. The island is both naturally and architecturally stunning, and full of history, so a must for my bucket list.

• Poland

I can’t quite place my finger on what it is about Poland that appeals to me so much. Maybe it’s that I’ve really enjoyed visiting other countries in Eastern Europe. Maybe because I love the sounds of the Polish language. Maybe it’s because it seems like the ideal place for a European getaway – long days and late nights, exploring the bars and restaurants of the cities, walking down busy streets full of vibrancy. Only one way to find out.

• Turkey

One word: Cappadocia. Oh my gosh, I have fallen so in love with the photos and videos of hot air balloons taking off over Cappadocia, the beautiful buildings stretching off towards the horizon, and the stunning sunrise skies. I am always looking for experiences that take my breath away, and I have no doubt that this would be one.

• Azerbaijan

I have yet to hear another keen traveller say that Azerbaijan is on their bucket list, because I don’t think that it’s the first place that springs to mind when people think of where they’d like to go. Why not? Somehow the amazingly modern city of Baku seems to have sprung up with nobody noticing. It looks like a fascinating place to visit with some of the coolest buildings I’ve ever seen.

• Russia

I’ve missed far too many chances to visit Russia, so I certainly won’t be letting the next one pass me by. Friends and family who’ve visited Russia have told me that St Petersburg is my kind of city, and if someone tells you that a city like that is made for you, you have to go, right? I’m so keen to check out the history and culture of the city, and maybe hop on a train to visit the likes of Moscow too. Even writing this down is making me want to book a flight right now!

• India

Oh boy, there are so many things about India that appeal to me. Do I want to go on a street food tour to try out all of the delicious vegetarian food? A yoga retreat to search for inner calm? Sightseeing to the Taj Mahal and the Gateway of India? Search for a better quality of life that attracts so many expats? Race down the bustling streets in the back of a tuk tuk? Yes to all!

• South Korea

I’ve been fortunate enough to have travelled to many places over the course of my life so far, and yet the one continent I’d say that I’ve visited least and thus know the least about is Asia. As such, the next decade or so seems the perfect time to learn more about this part of the world, and one country I’d love to visit sooner rather than later is South Korea, indeed it’s even somewhere I could envision living someday. In my career, I’ve worked with so many Korean nationals who all seem so vibrant, and I’m sure that’s something to do with the culture they’ve been brought up with. I’d love to gather even an ounce of that vibrancy.

• Japan

I spoke previously about the thrall of Cuba being its position as a time capsule of the past, and I think Japan absolutely has to be an indication of the future. Whilst most of us are living in 2020, Japan already seems to be in 2050 – bustling cities full of neon, automation, robots, and just altogether more efficient ways of living. Checking into a capsule hotel and then hitting the streets for dinner served at a robot café (or maybe a cat café? Or a Pokemon café?) sounds ideal to me. Add to this the country’s exceeding natural beauty from sakura season in Spring, to bamboo forests, Mount Fuji, and hot springs home to monkeys; plus the wonderful traditional cultural elements of tea ceremonies and Minka houses. So much to see and do! 

 

 

• Philippines

If there was an award for the most beautiful place on planet Earth, I think the Philippines would certainly be in the running. Picture this: start off by exploring Manila, and then island hop to Boracay, Coron, and Siargao, cruise past rice terraces, dive in crystal clear waters, swim underneath waterfalls. Don’t mind if I do. 

Wow, writing all of these down has made me so eager to pack my bags and get going! I’d love to know whether any of the places I’ve spoken about in this series are on your bucket lists too, or indeed if you have other places you’d like to visit that I haven’t even thought of – leave a comment below or drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry with your own bucket list ideas. Stay tuned for more travel content coming soon. Thanks for reading!

TRAVEL: My travel bucket list (Part 1)!

We may not be able to travel freely at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t think about traveling and planning our next trips; and that’s certainly what I’ve been spending a lot of time doing in my lockdown! Some of you may have read my previous travel bucket list from a few years back – since then, I’ve managed to tick one of the destinations off, Jordan (read about my time there in this post!) and have added even more! It’s ambitious, but I hope you’ll join me in visiting all of these exciting places over the next however many years! Check out Part 1 below, with my bucket list for the Americas and Africa. All opinions are my own.

• Alaska

Perhaps part of a broader plan to make it to all 50 states someday, Alaska is top of my list of new states to visit. One only needs to look up pictures of Alaska in the summer to see why I’d like to visit – insane natural beauty and huge amounts of wildlife. There are a number of rail or cruise trips that take in Alaska, so maybe I’ll be able to take one of these and tick off some other destinations en route!

• Canada

It’s no secret that I’d like to spend some time living in Canada one day. Not only do the population have a reputation for being more than lovely, but the country is also full of truly awesome places. I’ve become obsessed with Banff having seen photos and videos of the place, and dream of walking along the shores of Lake Louise with those gorgeous mountains in the background. If budget allows, maybe I’ll even get the chance to stay at the famous Fairmont Chateau hotel which provides spectacular views in summer or winter.

• Texas 

Rumour has it that everything’s bigger in Texas, and I’m keen to see if this is really true. I’m thinking a road trip between Dallas and Austin to check out the music scene of both cities, admire the architecture, see the big skies, and most importantly, taste the food. Barbeque, brunch, Tex Mex: sign me up!

• Cuba

As time travel has yet to become widely available, it would seem that the closest I’m going to get to this at the moment is with a trip to Cuba. Whilst a shame that the country has not been able to develop much beyond the 1950s due to trade, its vintage nature is also much of the thrill of visiting for tourists. I’d like to walk down the cobbled streets, watching the old style cars roll by, and listen to the music pouring out of the shops and bars.

• Colombia

Colombia remains a bit of an enigma for me – I don’t entirely know what mysteries the country holds, I just know that I want to visit to discover them. There’s so much of South America left for me to explore, and I’m excited at the prospect of encountering some more Latin American cities like Bogota, as well as visiting the colourful facades of some of the smaller towns.

• Bolivia

Another must on my South American adventures, Bolivia has one of my top sites to see – the Uyuni Salt Flat. I have yet to see anything quite like this, and I love the thought of driving across the salt flats and seeing its mirror-like surface. I’ve also heard about the amazing food to be found in this country, and am keen to test out all the new flavours.

• Brazil

The last of my South American countries on this bucket list (I’m sure that will have expanded by the time I get around to revising this list!) is Brazil. In my line of work, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know loads of Brazilian people, and can assure you that they are some of the loveliest I’ve ever met. This has led me to become even more interested in discovering the country that raises such beautiful people, and get to know a bit more about their lifestyle. Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro also hold lots of mystery for me, and I’d love to visit the places I’ve seen in countless travel shows and Instagram accounts.

• Morocco

There was a plan for me to visit Morocco a few years ago which unfortunately didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean the appeal of the country has lessened for me. It only takes one look at pictures from the country’s souks to see why I might want to visit – who wouldn’t want to spend an hour or two wandering along the alleyways with the smell of spices in the air and glorious colours of clothes and fabrics surrounding you?

• Rwanda/Uganda

Basically, I’d like to go wherever I can see gorillas, and these two countries seem the best chance to do so. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen my fair share of primates across the globe, but gorillas are one I still have to tick off. Trekking through the jungle to see the family dynamics of such an interesting species? Sign me up!

So, where should I head to first? Let me know in the comments or by dropping me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry. And this isn’t even the half of my travel bucket list – I’ll be posting Part 2 with my ideas for the rest of the world soon. Stay tuned!