Almond Village Reviews

The downside with Northern Cyprus is always the travel to and from the UK. No direct flights to Ercan airport a mandatory stop over in mainland Turkey and only two airlines servicing the route makes for a trashy transfer.But once there, the climate, the scenery and the food make the basis for a good vacation and providing you secure good accommodation then all the essentials are there for a good time.

As other people who have reviewed North Cyprus have said it's growing popularity is resulting in a lot of investment in both infrastructure and property development, and the obvious result is construction, which is taking place throughout the island.

The village of Alsancak was in the process of road and pavement development while we were there and when complete will undoubtably benefit the tourist's and residents alike. The main road which connects Kyrenia (Girne) with Guzleyurt and runs through Alsancak is a busy one and with no pavement the pedestrian needs to be very carefull especially at night.

Our accommodation at the Almond Village we found to be superb, it is set back from the main road in a veritable garden paradise, with an excellent pool, spacious split level villas, bar and restaurant facilities on site and run by the Asik family who cater for your every need should you require it.
This particular centre will deal with you on a direct basis should you wish to book with them and thier daughter Gulten who handles P.R. and reservations will quote you for any format of stay, room only to full board, for any period of time, including all flights and transfers and will even arrange transfers from Larnaca airport for those who wish to fly there and avoid the stop over in Turkey.

Check out thier website at almond-holidays com and see the place for your selves.

We stayed at the Almond Holiday Village at the end of Sept and thought it was one of the best holidays in the Mediterranean we've had.

Ali, Dervise, and their family were wonderful hosts in that they make you feel welcome from the minute you arrive to when they personally see you off at the door like you are old friends. As this is a small complex you are on first name terms with them and the other guests within hours of arriving (assuming you want to be that is).

The 'villas' consist of a downstairs toilet/shower room, lounge area and kitchen area with a galleried bedroom upstairs with air-con plus a patio area from where you can see the pool and the beautifully kept gardens with an amazing selection of shrubs, trees and flowers. Although fully booked, sunbeds were always available. Ahmet, their son, runs the pool bar which is normally open until late and can get a bit noisy - but then you are on holiday and we had many laughs and met some great character round the bar. We didn't have a problem with noise and our villa was only feet away - we just closed the windows and shutters.

Lunch and dinner at the Almond is reasonably priced but you need to confirm dinner by 5.30pm as it is all freshly prepared. Gulten, one of the daughters is usually at reception and is very knowledgeable and can sort out car hire, taxi's, restaurant bookings etc. and there is a little typed brochure in the villas which gives lots of info and detailed directions on how to get to places. Nothing is too much trouble for any of them and their staff are very trustworthy - many have worked at the Almond for years.

As the family have lived in the UK their English is good so there's no problem communicating. We were told that 80% of their guests are returning ones and many go back year after year, some for 3 weeks or more so you can't get a better recommendation. The Almond is in Alsancak which is about 20 minutes west of Kyrenia (Girne) but at the moment, due to road and pavement improvements, it can take longer.. The locals drive like they are in a rush but are very polite towards tourists (hire cars have red no. plates) and the dolmus (buses) run very frequently but you would need to hire a car if you wanted to see the island fully and it's around £20 per day. We hired a car for one week and used local transport or walked for the 2nd week (although other guests offered us lifts).

We would recommend visiting St Hilarion Castle as the views are breathtaking, Bellapais Abbey, Salamis Ruins near Famagusta and a little known place called the Blue House on the west side near Camlibel which is on an army base (you need to take your passports) which was owned by a Greek lawyer who also dealt in arms smuggling and is still as it was when he fled. The tour is conducted by one of the army lads and is very interesting and only costs 1 lira (45p) to get in!

Also a drive up the Karpas Peninsula is a must. You will see cows being milked, goats being herded , children will call hello to you and the locals will give you a wave. Stop off at a restaurant for a traditional lunch of chicken, roast potatoes and veg casserole for just a few pounds. A nice beach is Escape which costs 8 lira p.p and you get a sun bed and umbrella on the beach or go up on the elevated grass area and lie on massive cushions. The Kyrenia harbour is lovely both day and night and we ate at the Roof Restaurant which had a set price of 28 lira (£12) for a great view and 3 course dinner.

Our favourite restaurants were the Saint Tropez (yummy sauces on fillet steaks, chicken breast etc) which is just outside Alsancak on the way to Kyrenia. The owner trained in one of the hotels in Park Lane, London so it is first class for service and food without the London prices. They also give you complimentary coffee and liqueur. Another 2 restaurants we liked were The Ambience and the Messina, which are very close to each other, and both overlook the sea. Once again the menu and service were very good. We also liked the Legend restaurant at Camelot beach Alsancak but as it had only been open a couple of months they don't have the reputation of the others and was very quiet but give it a try and it is only a few minutes walk from the Almond. All these restaurants charge around the same price. If you want a mezes then try the Cenap in Alsancak village, we counted 32 dishes! The locals use it too.

We booked with Cyprus Direct Holidays but most of the people at the Almond had booked direct (look at their web site on almond-holidays.com). We were told that about 3 years ago there were 4 estate agents and now there are about 50 who are all advertising on billboards along the road where new builds are going up - hopefully this will not spoil this lovely country and its people. If you are debating whether to holiday on the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus then go on and give it a try, and would definitely recommend the Almond Holiday Village.

We stayed at The Almond Holiday Village in October 2004. We had very little idea what to expect as we knew of no one that had been to North Cyprus before. We thought the flight would be a pain with a stop in Istanbul but we need not have worried as we only stayed for 40 mins.
When we arrived at the airport (early hours) we were met by Ali the owner of the complex who welcomed us to his country.
After a journey of about 40 mins we were at The Almond, and what a pleasant surprise it was. Even the dog had stayed up to welcome us.

After a good nights sleep we woke up to a beautiful sunny day and a full english breakfast. The Almond is an excellent place to stay. The accomodation is superb. We looked at several other hotels and complexes in the area, but not one compared with ours.

The people who run the Almond (Mum, Dad, Son and two Daughters) could not be more friendly and helpful.
We met some good friends there - Chris and Howard (not forgetting Rowland) and are making plans for Oct 2005.
One tip - to get a good idea of the Almond look up thier website it is very good.

Having stayed at Almond Village last year in June 2004,we are now looking forward to going again this year in june 2005 for 3 weeks,This will be our seventh visit to Northern Cyprus in six years,

We absolutely love the place,and would highly recommend it to people of our age group,We used to stay at LA Hotel in Lapta which we were very happy with but since discovering Almond Village we would not stay anywhere else,it is run by a fantastic family led by mum and dad Ali and Dervishe and son and daughters,One of which is Gulten who takes care of all the bookings for you,Arranging flights,accomodation,car hire very efficiently.It is a beautiful complex,just 20 villas surounding a massive swimming pool,in spectacular gardens where nothing is too much trouble.

Our top tips for place to eat are Niazzis in Kyrenia,opposite the Dome Hotel,The china Garden ,chinese Restaurant opposite the Ship Hotel,Fantastic food on a par with the chinese Restaurants in China Town in London where we are regular visitors. For a really fun night out with good food and entertainment,you cannot beat Cheers Bar and restaurant in Lapta opposite Club Lapetos,They Have Music Night three times a week,were you are serenaded by the Bars owner Katie B who is something of a celebrity on the Island,While her husband Jimmy supervises the Kitchen.Ably assisted by sons Zeki,Sami and Little Jem who sometimes helps mum out with the singing.It is a great place to watch the sunset and boogey till midnight,and very child friendly too.

We would advise Car hire while you are there,but the local taxis and buses are very cheap, The only downside we have encountered since our first visit is all the building works taking place just about everywhere you go,but it certainly hasn,t put us off going back yet again,Can,t Wait.

We had a troublefree flight with CTA via Antalya and on arrival we were met by Ali the hotel owner.

The villas were lovely and the setting beautiful (so clean).

The staff are so friendly and helpful - very good with children and breakfast was very good (especially the fresh bread).

North Cyprus is a great place to visit if you like the sea, friendly people and fantastic food (the best weve had ). We found some great resturants - a must is Niazis..the full kebab is wonderful!!!!!!! also The Address, Kybela,and Jashans (Indian) are all fantastic. Also the Dive center at the Jasmine Court was excellent especially with Alex

I would recommend the Almond over and over again and are returning again this year and cannot wait.