HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS
In Northern Cyprus there are many resorts which provide a wide range of accommodation, from cheaper bungalows and apartments to five star hotels and villas. You can choose from hotels with sea views or overlooking a swimming pool, town centre hotels, ideal for business meetings or city breaks, or hotels in the foothills of the Kyrenia Mountains.
Most accommodation is of a high standard with facilities such as air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, mini-bar, satellite television, swimming pool and fitness centres as standard. Good accommodation is available in all of the major towns.
During the months of August, September and October, it can be difficult to find accommodation, so it is advisable to make a reservation before your arrival.
Northern Cyprus offers a very wide variety of restaurants. You can choose from traditional Cypriot cuisine or from Italian, Indian, Chinese or British cuisine. The Cyprus cuisine is varied as the islands colourful history. Its position as the crossroads of the three continents has influenced its cuisine and the various nations and people who have invaded and occupied Cyprus have all left their legacy.
Much of the Cypriot cuisine is similar to the Turkish cuisine but there are noticeable European, Northern African and Balkan influences.
Below you can find some traditional Cypriot food, highly recommended to taste:
SOUPS
The soup in Northern Cyprus is served as a starter. Tarhana soup is a mixture of crushed wheat and yogurt.
The most common soup is lentil soup as well as chicken and humus soup.
PILAV
Pilav is cooked rice or cracked wheat, sometimes mixed with vegetables like peas or aubergine or with chickpeas or lentils.
It is served alone as a main dish or as an appetizer.
MEZES
A selection of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres is often served with drinks before a meal and this selection of small portions of various dishes is called "Meze".
A typical Meze might include the following dishes: cacik (a yoghurt dish), chakistes (a green olive dish), humus, tahin, fried hellim (traditional Cyprus cheese), various salads, calamari or fried aubergines.
KEBAB
Cypriot cuisine includes a wide variety of kebabs. Kebabs are mainly made of lamb but you can find vegetable, chicken, beef or fish kebabs.
The meat is either grilled over charcoal on skewers (Shish Kebab) or slow cooked in a clay pot (Kup Kebab or Kleftico), or sliced in bread (Doner Kebab).
MAIN DISHES
Famous main dishes are Kofte (meatballs), Dolma (stuffed vegetables, meat or fish), beans and vegetable dishes.
There are plenty of vegetarian dishes available.
DESSERTS and SWEETS
When tasting traditional Cypriot desserts and sweets, you should try Lokma (deep fried honey or syrup covered delicacies), Katmer (cream filled pastries), Ceviz Macunu (green walnuts in syrup) and Turunc Macunu (oranges in syrup).