Most Inspirational Moment
View from Buffavento Castle at 900 m.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gizer was an excellent leader, knowledgeable, organised and a good sense of humour. An ambassador for his country.
Reviews
Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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Reviews
Very enjoyable
A lovely sunny week in November in North Cyprus. A very enjoyable trip with a week of medieval castles, wonderful sea views and rewarding walks through pine forests and on mountain slopes. Interesting recent history of the island too.
Walking in North Cyprus 12th May 2024
Trip notes “Walking through areas teeming with wildflowers and wildlife” . I saw very few wildflowers and hardly any wildlife. “Leisurely/Moderate”. I suppose I took leisurely to mean easy rather than slow because of the rough terrain.
Most Inspirational Moment
Optional excursion to Famagusta. Should be included
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
The weather was exceptionally hot. If you want to see wildflowers go earlier in the spring.
Walking in Northern Cyprus
Whilst the hotel was good quality with a pool the hotel experience was spoiled by an in-house disco on both Wednesday and Saturdays. The noise made it impossible to sleep or even eat TV until after 11.30 p.m.. The Castles were interesting and whilst walking enjoyable the combination of heat and rough tracks made it feel more difficult than the advertised grade
Most Inspirational Moment
Views from the mountaintop castles
Thoughts on Group Leader
Very thorough in his preparation and control of the group
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be prepared for heat and rough tracks with some steep hills. Climbing the steps to the top of the castles is worth it for the views.
Superb walking holiday in this lovely country
The walks were amazing, the food was great, the hotel was excellent being about a 20 minute walk from the beautiful harbour of Kyrenia and the weather was warm after a wet first morning!
Most Inspirational Moment
Climbing the 680 steps up to and then back down from Buffavento Castle and being rewarded by the fantastic views, seeing only 4 other people on that climb, in fact maybe the whole day.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gizer was patient, helpful and knowledgeable with a good sense of humour. He provided us with a detailed history of Northern Cyprus with lots of other information and arranged some very tasty meze meals. He found a Chameleon and a Blunt-nosed Viper for us too!
Advice for Potential Travellers
You do need to be fit. Wear walking boots and long trousers for walks through the scrub. Take an extra water bottle as the hotel provides a glass bottle of water with the packed lunch which added to the weight.
A beautiful country.
A wonderful walking holiday in a beautiful part of the world. The highlight for me will always be the castles. Spectacular location and amazing views. Our guide Gizer was amazing and gave us a wonderful overview of North Cyprus.
Very centrally located accommodation with easy access to the charming centre of Kyrenia.
Most Inspirational Moment
The castles and the views from the top.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gizer was very helpful and a font of knowledge.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Generally an amazing holiday. However, I wouldn't call the two walks listed as "moderate" moderate. They are serious hikes and I thoroughly enjoyed walking them. But some may actually find it "strenuous". Also, if you have a problem with heights, the castles are not for you. I just loved them!
Great walking holiday learning about the history of North Cyprus along the way
Overall an enjoyable week of walking with a great guide (Gizer) and driver (Omer). The walks were as stated in the trip notes and places visited were definitely well worth the walks. A great group of 11 in total, that definitely helped make the week a lovely break. The hotel Pia Bella is well situated in Kyrenia, with excellent facilities, and the staff were all very helpful. If you enjoy walking and visiting historical sites, this trip is for you.
Most Inspirational Moment
I found the visit to Varosha on our 'free day' really interesting, especially hearing of why it is deserted. The views on the walks are also inspiring, well worth the climbs.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gizer was a knowledgeable guide providing the group with lots of information on the history of the island, also information on great places to eat and things to see in the locations we visited. Gizer looked after us all, making sure we had what we needed.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Some of the walks are through scrub which can cause scratches etc, so take long trousers with you for those walking days and walking poles if needed, as lots of 'undulations' to navigate. Some of the walks are also quite challenging, but Gizer ensured there were plenty of rest stops along the way.
Great Trip
This was a busy week of walking, sometimes on quite difficult paths. However it was combined with visits to beautiful cultural sites and a lot of information about Cyprus – both historical from way back and the more recent and current political situation. We also saw some wildflowers, lizards, and a chameleon.
Most Inspirational Moment
Difficult to choose. The views from the hills as we walked through them, the ruins at Salamis, and the chameleon were all highlights.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader, Gizer, was very engaging, knowledgable, patient and helpful. Our driver, Omar, was also helpful and professional and coped admirably when there was a problem with the minibus engine. They are both a credit to Exodus.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Much of the time we could use euros or our cards to pay for meals, etc. We did need some Turkish lira and Gizer very helpfully explained how to get money from ATMs or to exchange currency on our first walk into the old town of Kyrenia. Walking poles are essential for some as in places the paths are steep (up and down) and a little unstable with loose stones and large boulders.
Great views, fabulous scenery and lots of history.
A really good trip with excellent walking. Our guide Gizzer was very knowledgeable and good company.
Most Inspirational Moment
Kantor Castle and the walk that day.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gizzer was informative, has a good sense of humour and made us feel looked after.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Remember good walking boots with ankle supports. Also the weather can be hot so be prepared for this on the longer walks.
Excellent mix of culture and walking
This week had it all treading a good balance between some culture and the lovely walking in the hills of northern cyprus. Our guide, Gizer, made the trip very relaxing giving us just the right amount of information at the right time so we were always aware of what to expect the next day. It was also very interesting to hear about the situation between northern cyprus and cyprus. I would definitely recommend this trip. The three meals that Gizer organised for the group were delicious.
Most Inspirational Moment
The views from the castles having climbed many steps to get to the top.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
Good walking boots as the paths are quite rocky
Great trip
A really interesting trip with enjoyable walks, good company and a great leader.
Most Inspirational Moment
There were great views from the castles at the top of the mountains. A good reward for climbing steps.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gizer was a great leader, organising interesting optional trips on the free day and final day. He also arranged 3 evening meals for those interested at varied, excellent restaurants. He also gave good restaurant recommendations. He is very knowledgeable about the area.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take walking poles for some of the downhill sections. You do need a decent level of fitness.