"Ayia Napa - beach and boogie! " a Ayia Napa Travel Page by glamourprincess

In June 2002 my friend and I jumped on a last-minute flight to Cyprus. We didn't know which hotel we'd be staying at, but we were open-minded and prepared for anything. The flight took about 5 hours from Oslo and we were quite excited and nervous when we arrived as we had no idea if we were staying in the peaceful Fig Tree Bay or in crazy Ayia Napa. The airport was packed with tourists eager to get out of there and out in the sun. We found out we were staying at the Maria Apartements in Ayia Napa. It was in the middle of the town, right next to the bars and clubs. It was better than expected, large apartement with spacey rooms. Everything OK. We had a balcony as well and we could see the ocean in the horizon. All in all, I think we were quite lucky with our hotel and location, we were never bothered by music or noises, despite being so close to the core of it all. The pool was nice as well.. even though we were staying in another building and had to cross the street to get there.

When we went clubbing we kind of went everywhere.. Ambassaden was a pub-like bar with cool new commercial music where they had great drink offers and we also got discount tickets or free tickets for clubs when we bought something. We bought 1 drink and got 4 free shots.. it was crazy. The drinks taste horrible.. I remember with disgust a watery pina colada with cream. Beer is a much better choice! Though more expensive (cheap in the stores though). We also tried Black&White, a club that played new and classic r&b and hiphop. Carwash had a 70s/80s theme. Caste Club was huge, shaped like a fortress/castele and with space for up to 3500 people. We went there early in thhe season so it was quite empty, but I think it could be quite an experience in the peak of the season. They had different sections playing different kinds of music. Among Scandinavians Grabbarna Grus and VIPS were popular. Grabbarna Grus had a stone age/jungle theme with animal-pillows, stone tables/chairs, and live entertainment such as dancers. The music was a mix of commercial pop/dance and Scandinavian songs. They had the best drinks on the island and the place was packed. When it was closing time people moved on to the club VIPS where they had foam and popcorn parties. They played house/trance and r&b/hiphop. Clubs and bars change every year, so it's ahrd to make recommendations. But you'll have lots of choices!

Nissi Beach is amazing. A long white silky sandy beach and perfect turquoise crystal-clear blue water, it's paradise. Nissi Beach is a partyspot as well, loud music and lots of young people. The food served at the diner/cafe was crappy and expensive, stay away! The sun is burning hot, so be careful! We got burned bad! We had to walk for 20 minutes or so to get to Nissi Beach, it's a shame you have to choose wether to stay near the beach or near the town.

We tried to find descent restaurants during our holiday, but the food was overpriced and tasteless.. We did enjoy a better meal at a restaurant in the middle of the 'piazza' in the bar/clubbing-area. Tasty steak! But apart from this overpriced meal, the best value was found at McDonald's and Pizza Hut. Prices are quite high.. alcohol is expensive, clothes too..and food. You also have to pay an entrance fee at many of the clubs as well. A local popsicle was priced $3 at Nissi Beach.. Be prepared and if everything else fails.. head to Mickey D's.