Useful Tips
North Cyprus is a small island 100 km away from Turkey in the southeast corner of the Mediterranean. This is one of the grandest holiday spots. The national language is Turkish with a smattering of English but not spoken grammatically correct. Property is the most flourishing sector especially in Kyrenia.
Climate
The island experiences extreme Mediterranean climate with the summers being extremely dry and hot and the winter's cold. You will experience most of the rainfall between the December and January months. The center of the islands faces much extreme climate than the coastal areas.
Visa
A valid passport is required. Those having TRNC immigration stamps may be denied entry. Free passage from Nicosia across the Green Line is permitted as no visa or entry stamps are required for these visits.
Currency
The Turkish Lira is the currency used here.
Transportation
You can hire a car for your tour of the island with the driving license that you have. You have to drive on the left side of the road and seatbelts are compulsory. Another way of transportation is by taxis which are pretty reasonable and you need to fix the fare before you board it. Bus services are frequent between the towns and public transport is less after 5 pm and on weekends.
How to reach Cyprus
There are flights from England and other European countries to the island which are in the evening. All flights from Europe must be scheduled via Turkey as the island has direct links with only Turkey. There are ferry services thrice a week throughout the year between Merzin and Gazimagusa. There is also a ferry service between Tasucu and Kyrenia all the year round.
Restaurants and Hotels
You can find lot of restaurants dishing out the local fare as well as other continental and Asian cuisine. The best restaurants are located around Kyrenia. If you wish to taste the local cuisine then you should try the meze and the Turkish coffee where the coffee beans are ground and cooked with sugar to form a thick cream. You can also find take-away restaurants in the bigger towns and all sorts of local liquor as well as alcohol which are imported.
There is a wide range of hotels from cheap to the luxurious ones. You can find good hotels in the town where you can go shopping or near the beach to be far from the madding crowd. You can find hotels even in the mountains and by the road side for easy access to public transportation.
Shopping
North Cyprus has a variety of shopping materials to offer like designer jewelry stores and optical showrooms having an impressive collection of sunglasses and designer frames offered at discounted prices. You can find handcrafted goods in a pottery studio where you can get your wares made in front of you. There is an English supermarket with all sorts of European eatables like baked beans and imperial soaps. The Wednesday market is a must see to experience first hand barter scene.
Festivals
North Cyprus hosts the music festivals such as orchestra, tango flamenco and rock. The International Spring Concerts are for the lovers of classical music. The International Famagusta Festival is one of the best. You can check out the grape festival where you can taste wine and sujuk and the Morphou Orange Festival.