Air traffic between Russia and Egypt is closed. How to fly to the "Land of the Pyramids" on your own and see Cyprus? The experience of an emigrant from Hurghada.
Flight route
There was another flight from Russia to Egypt. The starting point was Irkutsk in Eastern Siberia.
First, they had to fly to Moscow or any other city in Russia, and then make a transfer through a third country to get to Egypt. Such a difficult route is due to the fact that since November 2015, direct communication between the Russian Federation and the Arab Republic has been suspended. How to save money on the flight?
The closure of flights did not affect the desire to see parents and resolve some cases that had accumulated in Russia. In addition, this trip allowed two dreams to come true: I managed to visit Istanbul. There I saw the palace of Sultan Suleiman, the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorus. And on the way back I visited Cyprus. When planning a flight back to Egypt, I thought that I could combine a trip home with a walk around the ancient island of Cyprus. How I managed to combine several cases in one flight, in detail.
What do you need to travel to Cyprus on your own?
First, I chose the flight route to Egypt. Tickets for the route were purchased through Aviasales - cheap air tickets. The airlines offered several options:
• Irkutsk - Moscow - Istanbul, Turkey - Hurghada, Egypt; • Irkutsk - Moscow - Georgia - Hurghada; • Irkutsk - Moscow - Athens, Greece - Hurghada; • Irkutsk-Moscow - Larnaca, Cyprus - Hurghada.
After comparing prices and ease of docking, I chose the latter option. Moreover, I wanted to visit Cyprus for a long time. The option with a transit flight through Istanbul had to be abandoned. Firstly, I have already been to the capital of Turkey, and secondly, Turkish Airlines (Turkish Airlines) work only with Vnukovo airport, where flights from Irkutsk take off once a week, and getting to another Moscow airport is expensive and inconvenient.
Visa for Cyprus
If you are looking for a holiday destination, I would recommend Cyprus. Entry to a European country is carried out for Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians in a simplified regime - on a pro-visa.
Receiving the document takes 10 minutes via the Internet. An application is sent to the website of the Consulate of Cyprus on a form, after 5 minutes a letter comes with a stamp and personal information about the traveler. It must be printed out and inserted into the passport when passing the border control at Larnaca airport. The issuance of a permit is free of charge. A pro-visa entitles you to stay in the country for no more than 90 days. It is possible to fly on such a document only to the cities of Larnaca and Paphos.
How to book a hotel in Cyprus
The trip fell on the peak of the tourist season at the end of September. The Mediterranean Sea warmed up over the summer, the sun is no longer very scorching, a light breeze. Hotel prices in the "velvet season" in Cyprus have increased significantly.
After inexpensive reflections, the choice settled on a hostel - a room in the Onisillos hotel for four girls. The price of a seat is 1700 rubles. I had to spend the night all night. In addition, this option increased the likelihood of meeting someone and having fun.
For comparison, the cost of a separate hotel room would cost 3400 - 4000 rubles. per night, and there was no point in overpaying. In addition, I did not know the city at all, and the bus from the airport drove to the very doors of the hotel.
I found information about the location of the hotel in the description and reviews on Booking.com.
I must say that choosing an option that is not very attractive at first glance, I was right. New acquaintances and only pleasant memories remained with me from visiting Cyprus.
The hotel is located in the tourist center, 5 minutes walk from the beach of Finikoudes, close to historical sites.
Arrival in Cyprus
The first feeling that gripped me when leaving the airport was delight! The gray sky and bald birches in the yellow fields, visible from the window window during takeoff to Domodedovo, still remained in my memory. The fresh scent of the sea cannot be compared to anything.
To enter the city, you need to go up to the second floor of the airport, where I was kindly escorted at my request by the guards, showed the stop and greeted me. A regular bus goes to the city. The cost of one trip is 1.5 euros. Payment is made at the entrance and you need to tell the stop right away.
Cypriots are a polite and benevolent people. They reminded me of the Egyptians. After the rudeness and mental coldness in Russia, meeting them was like a breath of fresh air.
I drove to the Finikoudes beach, although I could immediately come to the hotel, but I did not say the name of the hotel when boarding the transport. Which way to go, I had no idea at all, and I did not print the map. As a result, I opened an email with a hotel reservation on my tablet from Booking, and, to my surprise, Google Maps started working even without the Internet. I got to the hotel along a short path by roundabout ways - dark alleys. At the same time, I felt completely safe.
I made the same mistake when I arrived in Istanbul. I never found the hotel paid for through Booking, having rented a room in the first comer. The Internet was not available even while roaming.
It's evening outside, but the walking area was full of Russians. I have not met such a number of vacationers from Russia since the 2011 revolution in Egypt. However, there is a different contingent in Cyprus. They prefer to speak English and do not communicate with their compatriots. You will not find the openness and simplicity that you find in Egyptian resorts.
The atmosphere of communication and prices in Cyprus
As I expected, at the hotel I was lucky enough to meet an interesting girl from St. Petersburg who traveled all over Europe. I was lucky, because because of my olive skin color, English and light clothes, acquired over many years in Egypt, she mistook me for a foreigner. It turns out that not everyone wants to go abroad to communicate with Russians there.
We spent the evening on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea on the beach with real Cypriot wine. We were pleasantly surprised by the prices: shampoo - 1 €, drink of the Greek gods - 4, 5 €, olive oil - 2 €. The biggest plus is the fixed prices.
In the morning I went for a walk in search of an ATM, but I never found one. I didn't reach the beach, as I got lost, I returned to the hotel by 10:00 - the time of departure for an excursion to Camel Park. I was very surprised that Cyprus has such entertainment as riding a two-humped animal, since this is not Africa. Once, having arrived in Egypt, I took a ride on the "ship of the desert" and in Cyprus I just went "for the company." The entrance to the park costs 3 €, and 8 € is paid by those who want to ride a camel. Special food for animals is sold at the entrance. Cost 1 - 3 €. We got to the place by city bus.
Cyprus Restaurants
After the park, we went to the Alexander restaurant in Finikoudes. The menu is varied, excellent seafood. Prices are several times lower than in Moscow. For example, shrimp soup cost 3, 5 €, natural juice - 2 €.
What to see in a day in Larnaca: Cyprus
It was decided to set aside the day for sightseeing.
The plan included: • Church of St. Lazarus; • Finikoudes beach; • Salt Lake; • French fort.
You can see all of them in one day. Finikoudes was 5 minutes from my hotel, next to the French fleet, St. Lazarus - 5 minutes away. For a vacation in Cyprus, 5 - 7 days are enough to see the entire Greek part. When crossing the border of the Turkish Republic of Cyprus, there may be problems with returning back, so I would not risk it.
It is better to take a car for these purposes. Traffic in the country is left-hand, there are few cars, everywhere, basically, there are two lanes. It is very convenient for a leisurely acquaintance with the island.
I left the venture with a survey of all the sights of the island for the next time.
Most of the historical sites turned out to be within a 5-minute walk from the hotel - this is what I counted on when planning my trip. We managed to see the salt lake during a bus ride to Camel Park. I did not see anything surprising there. In September, it becomes shallower, and pink flamingos fly away somewhere for the winter.
Flight to Egypt
I went to the airport in 2.5 hours by bus, which leaves every 20 minutes from the hotel. On the way, I met the staff of the Egyptian airline Egyptair. First, I flew to the capital of Egypt, Cairo. There were famous movie actors on the plane, apparently returning from vacation. Then I switched to another plane to Hurghada and arrived at the city's international airport.
Cyprus is a magnificent country with a noble people. If you are still in doubt whether to go to the island on vacation, be sure to go. The advantages are obvious: free instant visa, reasonable prices, free beaches, European atmosphere and Mediterranean tan.
