Where in Cyprus??
 

Hi,
Me, my husband and our 2 children (3&2) are looking to move to Cyprus for an initial 6 months trial possibly leading to permanent if we like it.
Can anybody recommend what parts of Cyprus would be most suitable, i.e low crime, family friendly, ex pat community etc.
Work not an issue as my husband works offshore so would stay in his current job.
Any help appreciated

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Can't be of much help, but I've been a number of times to the Paphos area..seems to be alot of expats around. If you are looking for a place with more to do, I guess Nicosia is better. As far as I understand, crime isn't really an issue on the island..especially not if you are used to living in the UK.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

i know lots of girlies who live in Paphos whilst there other half is working abroad - using cyprus as a base - i would also suggest Paphos as there is winter and summer life - although Larnaka / Protaras would be better if his flights only operate out of Larnaka there isn't much of a winter life and they become ghost towns ... go for it - lots of families with young kiddies and women in the same boat as you - great idea :)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Thank you, we will definitey look into this.
Is i easy to get by speaking only english as we currently cant speak greek at all!

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Not speaking Greek is not a problem as most Cypriots speak English.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

I found nearly all people living in Cyprus spoke English, the only time we encountered language difficulties was because the people were from other Non English speaking countries.

Paphos would be my advice, never closes down, all age groups & good to mix with everyone not just Expat Brits.

Can be very hot in summer, winters not nearly as cold as the UK or other parts of Europe) & they are but brief. Road upgrades are frustrating & chaotic, but hey this is the charm of Cyprus.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Hiya

I have been pretty much everywhere on the Island and I would say Paphos also for family life. Its not as pretty as the the West of the Island ( Potaras etc ) but it has many things the West does not, like the stunning Akamas peninsula.

With Cyprus being so small, you can commute to Nicosia but I wouldn`t want to live there, its very hot being off the coast and there are much nicer places to live :)

Paphos is surrounding by little villages and hamlets, which is another kettle of fish in my opinion. There are thousands of properties to rent so have a bit of trial and error! good luck! :thumbup:

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

I think you have got Paphos and Protaras mixed up. Paphos is on the West and has the Akamas peninsula while Protaras is on the East of the island and is boring and flat while Paphos has lots of green hills, orange groves, vineyards etc.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Read it again I know where Akamas is! :)

I dont think we will ever agree you and me on Potaras vs Paphos!

Think we always come to blows over it LOL

But no, I defo havn`t got them mixed up. I prefer Paphos over anywhere but I`m sorry V Potaras is beautiful!

I wouldnt say it was boring though. Cape Grecko is amazing!

Depends what your after, I find Pafos boring but it provides a better life style all year around.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

you said "Its not as pretty as the the West of the Island ( Potaras etc)"

Protaras is in the East. Paphos is the West.
As for agreeing on which is better we most definitely do as you say you prefer Paphos. I hate the East side of the island. I live just outside Paphos and when we have to go over to the Larnaca side on business I can't wait to get back 'home' to Paphos.:)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

My Goodness what a plonker! I`m so sorry you are correct!

Methinks me east and west is all over the place.

End of the day V you were the one that gave me lots of advice before I came to Cyprus so I know who boss is here!

Yes you are right, I just feel like all the Cyps are miserable on the (( checks compass )) WEST! of the island, I guess its more party party over on the EAST! and feels more holiday-like. Ayia Napa should be bombed! awful place!

Limassol just baffles me, not sure what it is trying to be, a russian state? :) I do love the villages around pafos, Peiya / Tsada especially. I`m in England at the mo but I`m coming next week and I cant wait! xxx

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Cyprus is one beautiful island. It kind of has it all. It has beautiful beaches in Paphos in the Southwest and Larnaca in the Southeast (this is where the airports are). And some very beautiful ones in the Northeast around St Andrews. It has Ayia Napa for a great night out. It has a beautiful historic Capital Nicosia. It even has skiing and snowboarding in the winter at the summit of the Trodos Mountains. Why would you ever want to leave?

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Thank you for your replies, we are planning a holiday soon to have a look and if we like it we will go from there.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

2 week Holiday booked for end of july/beginning of august.
Hopefully we will like it.
:)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

I am sure you will enjoy it. Hottest time of year so take sun hats & sun block. Plan your days around doing more late afternoon when it cools down a little. Remember it gets very hot around noon & early afternoon, not the time to be out sun bathing. Drink lots of water. Make sure you have accommodation & hire car with air con. When yo return home let us know your thoughts on your trip.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Thank you for the advice. We have added aircon units to our villa as it was a optional extra.
Now looking into car hire so will definitely make sure that has aircon.
Will report back once we are back, hope we like it.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Auklanders advice is very wise. July and August are our hottest months and the danger of sunburn and dehydration is high. Try to stay out of the sun from about 12noon until 3pm if possible.Plan your sightseeing for late afternoon/early evening if you can.
If you must go out in the midday heat make sure you are wearing high factor sun cream and sun hats. Make sure you have a bottle of water with you all the time.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Girne or Catalkoy are nice, the North of Cyprus is low crime,family friendly and has a nice expat community. If you are going for a look see... go and have a look across the border :)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

The North of Cyprus is illegally occupied and is not recognised as a legitimate country by the international community..

also most of the land in the North belongs to Greek Cypriots and most new houses are built illegally on land that does not belong to the developers. Whatever you do if you decide to go to the North do not allow anyone to persuade you to buy property there. Rental is the only safe option in the North. There are a great many British expats who have bought there who now stand to lose their properties as they were illegally built.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Veronica-K Good advice, thanks for warning people.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

We have just got back from 2 weeks in Pegeia. Everyone was really nice and friendly and it was more english than i expected so would be real easy to live there however it was nice but it didnt feel like somewhere i would like to live at the moment.
Thanks for everybody help and advice

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Peyia would not be my first choice of somewhere to live either. It is TOO full of expats, too many ugly apartment blocks full of empty units. It has lost much of its tradional Cypriot village charm.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

This is absolutely correct, the north part of Cyprus is an illegally occupied territory and the so-called trnc is an illegal entity recognised only by the occupying force - turkey.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

It all depends on your lifestyle, job sector and life expectations. The crime rate is everywhere the same. Your chances of getting your home bulgarized or your car jacked are the same weather you live in paphos, larnac, nicosia etc. The question is, what is your expectations in general? Who are you planning to hang out with and what kind of job are you looking into? Jobs are easier to find in nicosia. You dont need to learn the greek language as the majority of cypriots speak or understand english or both. I personally prefer limassol over other parts of the island but this is just a preference. I feel like limassol has a lot to offer as a city. Beach, Amenities, weather, services, jobs etc

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

hi, can anyone tell me about executive head chefs jobs or just chef jobs in paphos area? is it hard to find or they are in need for chefs? i ask because we were thinking of moving there (me,husband and kids 3 and 1.5 years old)

thanks

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Hi,

I think that you will find jobs are very hard to come by. Many restaurants are struggling as hotels are now doing fully inclusive deals so holiday makers eat in the hotels. The pay level for such jobs is low compared to the UK even if you can find one and bringing up children in Cyprus is very expensive. My advice is to think very carefully before making the move.
Do lots of research, look at job sites to see what sort of jobs are out there and the pay scales. You would both need to be working in order to make ends meet here and that means childcare costs. Most young local familes both partners work but they have the support of parents and grandparents who look after their children when they are at work. Without that family support it is very tough.
Good luck in whatever you decide.

Veronica

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

if you are an executive head chef - there are lots of hotels and newly refurbished ones in the pipeline opening 2013 - who might be interested - if you have wow qualifications & exposure wise - contact the tourist board for a list of 5*hotels and send out your cv - contact some of the luxury travel providers -golf courses for sure are all boasting of their culinary skills / yacht charter companies / villas etc - have a look on Twitter too -
like Victoria says, it wont be easy but Cyprus is a great place to live so i wish you the best of luck! :)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

thank you very much for fast reply veronica and susiecy. we don t have family support but i was hoping to start working when the kids are old enough for school and we were thinking to put them in local school. still need to do some research on that. my husband is Gordon Ramsay trained and works in one bank as a executive chef for past 7 years. I think we have wow effect susiecy :) thanks for advise to contact tourist board!

Can you tell me more about the areas like tala etc. where the scools are and is there some area where i can walk with kids to stores, post, bank etc. without using the car?

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Tala is a very nice village but you would need a car to get to any decent shops. There are a couple of little local shops where you can get the basics and there is a bank.
Peyia is a bigger village and has more shops so would be easier from that point of view, also I beleive there are quite a few British children in the local school.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Thank you very much Veronica. Every information means a lot really.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

There is nothing wrong with Peyia, a myth, I lived there for many years and it is a perfect location, ex-pats? good grief what are we all then? remember Sea Caves has the most expensive property on Cyprus, where is it, that's right Peyia! I do not live there now I live in a traditional Cyprus village, have to warn all those looking for an idyllic life out here is to avoid villages that the local are in the majority, why, well noise, they are lovely people in fact half my family are indeed Cypriots, they are very loud people, even when using mobiles you can hear them a hundred yards away ;o) surly we have all witnessed this.

I found living with my own kind is preferable, I am not being argumentative just honest, I love Cyprus I have been living and holidaying for over 25 years, I know the locals very well, but more than happy my near neighbors are indeed ex-pats....by the way not been off Cyprus in twelve years!

Jim

<snip>

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Hi this is my first post and am glad to be able to give my opinion.

The best city to live in matter of family it is by far Limassol!

It is a cosmopolitan city with many things to do as a family , fantastic beaches for the summer and just in 30 minutes you can be skiing up the mountains in the winter time.

Limassol is packed with foreigners specially English people since in Akrotiri which is in the Limassol district is a British Army base.

By far the best place to be don even think about it :)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

What sort of vehicle do you use to get to the mountains for skiing? A helicopter? Try talking the truth and not exaggerating:)

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Hahahaah :)

Seriously Troodos mountain is just 30-35 minutes and you can get with a normal 2 wheel car :)

Ok in days that it snows heavy then u need a 4WD or a Car equipped with chains on the wheels.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

You said you can be skiing in 35 minutes from LImassol. It takes that long to get to Platres, then you have an other 10-15 minutes to Troodos and another 5 minutes from Troodos centre to the ski slopes.
So you CANNOT be skiing in 30 mintues from Limassol.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

well i live 35 years in Cyprus and it takes me max 40 minutes to the Ski area ... anyhow , my point for this thread is to say that overall , Limassol is the best place to live in Cyprus since you have the sea and in a very short distance the mountains!

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Cyprus is really lovely whereever you go.

Moreover, it is not a huge place, so everything is about an hour's drive away.

Most British ex-pats tend to move to the Paphos area, which is on the west coast of the island. As a result, house prices there tend to be a bit more expensive compared to other similar parts of the island.

If you have children, you may consider where the best English Schools are in the island. Most of these are in Nicosia (the capital), although this is in the centre of Cyprus, and there is no sea/beach close by.

The east coast provides by far the best beaches of the island. They are Carribean-style beaches and they are very beautiful. Protaras is amazing. However, although these places are very popular with tourists and have thousands of visitors during summer time, they tend to be quite quiet over the winter period, so I am not entirely sure whether this is what you would be looking for.

On positive things about Cyprus is that they drive on the same side of the road as in Britain, so you can easily get a car and move around without any problems. The food is fresh and very delicious, and the people are extremely friendly. Just try and avoid the touristy places.

At the moment the island has some financial difficulties, being affected by the economic crisis in Greece, but taxes and everything else is still much better than in England.

I hope this helps!

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Very well said!

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

Veronika said earlier (somewhere) that it's relatively expensive bringing up children in Cyprus. Was she referring to the cost of international schools in particular or just kids stuff in general? Can a 9yo girl already speaking a little Arabic & French as well as English not be able to cope in a local school? Just curious as we are looking to leave the Middle East in the next 12 months.

Re: Where in Cyprus??
 

She needs to speak Greek to go to a local school so the ones she already speaks won't be any help to her.
As for the cost, even ifshe goes to a local school there will be a lot of after school lessons to pay for which is what many Cypriot families haveto do as the general schooling is not adequate if you want your child to be able to go on to University etc.
As for costs of kids stuff I can only tell you what people I know who have children say and they tell me that kids stuff in general is expensive compared to the UK.