Destination Turkey: Cyprus

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Amber Ashcraft
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  My husband and I have yet to have our honeymoon, so we used this past three-day weekend for a little getaway. We gathered up beach clothes, sun tan lotion, our passports and said, "See ya later," to our mighty pup, Thor. We knew our flight would be short so we eagerly anticipated first looks of the third largest island in the Mediterranean.

What we saw was not exactly what I expected.

When I picture an island, I envision semi-flat lands, a lot of green trees and a sandy beach. Sure, this may have been the foreshadowing in my mind, but as I pushed my face into the airplane window, I saw mountains and valleys littering the land.

We landed at Ercan International Airport in Northern Cyprus and while descending the steps from the plane, I could see those mountains in the distance and I was in awe, wondering what the scenery will be like when we arrive at our hotel.

The taxi ride provided by the hotel was a rather interesting 25 minutes. Though it was dark by this time, I could see, and feel, that we were traveling up, into and over the mountains and the left side of the road. Can you imagine my shock when I finally realized that? I'm in the backseat, watching vehicles fly by us in the opposite direction on the opposite side of the road that I'm used to. Note: we later found out that Cyprus, also known as Kypros, was a former British colony so some of the rules of the road just stuck.

The hotel was beautiful and is located just a short bus ride away from Kyrenia, a pretty hip and busy harbor town. We stayed in the two-month old suite on the fifth floor with a balcony and a view of the mountains and the ocean. The dinner buffet was rather large and we spent well over an hour picking out food, eating, talking and laughing. The hotel provides free breakfast and dinner buffets with more than 50 types of delectable entrees, salads, side dishes and desserts to choose from. The most interesting and popular appetizer was the "halloumi". It is a type of cheese that is served sliced, either fresh or grilled, and can be eaten alone or on a sandwich, etc. The next day, we rose early for breakfast and headed straight for the water. The hotel has its own private sector of beach. The sand in Cyprus is very clean and soft and the waters surrounding the island are amazingly clear, giving off a rich blue as the waters became deeper. I had an amusing time searching for sea shells in the sand and watching miniature crabs chase each other on the rocks. We spent half the day at the beach and the later half at the very large swimming pool behind the hotel. The pool has five different water slides, a pool-side bar and restaurant and many lounging chairs. We definitely got our tans that day.

Our evening consisted of exploring the resort and listening to the live band play Turkish music and rendered American rock songs. The stars are in amazing view at night and seeing them over the ocean with crashing waves was definitely a romantic picture.

Though we spent such a short time there, it was relaxing and fun time to spend away from base with my husband. A trip to Cyprus is definitely worth more than just a weekend and the island is family friendly. There is so much history and ruins to explore among the island and plenty of culture to delve into that dates back more than 9,000 years. Though we were surrounded by the Kyrenia mountain range, we heard a lot about the Troodos Mountains and how in the winter, the snow covering the area is a sight to be had. There are also many mountain trails for hiking and biking, 12th and 15th century frescoed churches and winemaking villages that are hidden in pine forests. You learn a lot speaking with the locals about the Turkish and Greek influence on the cultures of the island and I wouldn't hinder your visit to just the Turkish side.

We went through I.T.T. to set up our flight and hotel reservation but we were on our own to fend our way through the weekend. I would love to plan out another trip to visit more areas of Cyprus and to visit the Greek side as well. If you're looking for a separate beach scene from Kizkalesi or Antalyia, I recommend a getaway to Cyprus. 

NOTE: The Department of Defense and the State Department require State Department approval and a country brief prior to entering the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus since this country is not recognized by the United States. This requirement is unwaiverable and all servicemembers who travel there may be subject to UCMJ actions for not receiving this formal authorization.