Happy New Year
It’s January, my favourite month!, mostly because it’s the start of a new year and lets hope 2022 isn’t as messed up as the past 12 months? As many of you know I love Cyprus with a passion and I’ve always said; “Cyprus is versatility to the extreme!” How extreme? well, tell me where else you can ski in the Troodos mountains in the morning and just over 45 minutes later you can be swimming in the med? Come to think of it; why not do it the other way around, then you can get into some ‘Après Ski’ chilling out next to a lovely open log fire, in a gorgeous log cabin, in the Troodos Mountains and then you can do it the other way around the next day!
Fruity!
Another reason I love January is coz it brings us my fav fruit, Cyprus thick skin oranges are in season, not to mention the world famous Cyprus new potatoes, Mmm! and at this time of the year the air is still so fresh and clear, with no heat haze, so we’ll be topping up the tan at breakfast out by the pool. In fact in January the air is so clear you can often see the mountains, really vividly and don’t you just love it when everything is so green? It also means that summer is getting closer, the days already getting longer and warmer and, that’s another reason I love it here, I reckon Cyprus boasts the best climate in the world!
Unheard of!
January also gives us a chance to catch up with our seasonal workaholic friends, light a few barbies on lovely sunny days, or gather round an open fire on chilly nights, crack the ice for a Bailey’s left over from Christmas and catch up with the years events. As usual, Cyprus went from summer to winter in just a few days, those storms in December were probably worse than last year, lol? and omg, its cold at night, we even had to put the duvet on the bed by mid December, which is unheard of!
Skiing Season
It’s surprising how many people don’t realise that’s its skiing season in The Troodos Mountains, normally covered in snow by mid December, through ’til March. I love Troodos in the winter, it’s a totally different Cyprus up there, some say ‘the real Cyprus’ and in January it really comes into its element. There’s a unique skiing experience in Troodos, all geared up for their very short season and you can even hire ski and board equipment if you’re into a little spontaneity and some of the accommodation is a dream, total tranquillity comes to mind! For more info visit www.skicyprus.com
Huskey Sledding
I love finding new things to do and last year I met the wonderful Ali who launched her Husky Sledding in Troodos back in 2018, so if you wanna try something new give her a call and get ready for something a little different! Check out our cover shot of Ali and the team … Did I say versatile?
Winter Walks
Naturally we all miss the vibe of the summer months, but I do love the peace and quiet walking the dog along those fresh sunny coastal paths, catching the aroma of those sea breezes and spray, invigorating to say the least! Maybe finishing off with a stroll around one of our many harbours or fishing shelters and of course sampling their fresh fish taverns, with a backdrop of those gorgeous winter sunsets, an explosion of reds, oranges and purples!
Eateries
There’s still many good restaurants open, providing traditional Cypriot cuisine and hospitality and tbh, just about every other cuisine you can think of. If eating out isn’t your thing at the moment, currently many offer a takeaway or delivery service … there’s normally plenty of bars and stylie cafes serving proper coffee, with lovely open fires and those tall gas heaters, with some even providing live entertainment.
Kids & Grown Ups
Why not take the kids to Paphos Zoo or The Camel Park in Mazados, near Larnaca, both must be finding it very hard to feed all those animals at the mo, so please give them some support … another great idea is the Cyprus Maze in Avgorou and just wait til you see what they’re doing at the awesome Sayious Adventure Park, in Asgata, Limassol
Shopaholics
It’s also shopping season, with the February sales starting earlier every year, I think they started on Black Friday this year … Ladies, check the stylish Brouska and guys, BrouskaBlu in Paphos, Larnaca and Nicosia or The unisex in style of Y2K in Napa and Protaras or London Clothing Company, who have shops all over Cyprus.
Tattoo Time
I’m led to believe, if you live in Norway, you can pop over to Cyprus, with accommodation and get a tattoo for less money than staying at home, check out our excellent tattooists here …
Let it Rain
We are of course in rainy season and I just love the winter storms! You know, we need all the rain we can get and as we only average 35-40 rainy days rain a year, who cares? … Cyprus is of course an all-year-round destination. Well, the fact is, we’re moving in the right direction, expecting visitors to increase by 60% in the next few years targeting 5 million visitors a year, naturally this can only happen by increasing the number of tourist beds available, which is totally evident and of course by providing more Things to Do for our visitors, inevitably making Cyprus an all-year destination!
Looking Ahead
It would be nice to see a few more golf courses, especially on the east coast to match the 5 up west and with more and more sports clubs choosing Cyprus for their winter training sports facilities and training grounds. It also seems we’re destined to be the new Monaco in the med with at least 3 more new modern marinas on the way and gyms, leisure complexes and boutique hotels with luxury spa’s and, cinemas and most of our theatres are open all year, well, I’m sure you’re getting my drift. In turn, this of course will increase winter tourism. I know it’s on its way, all you have to do is believe, oh and, rely on private enterprise 😉 and btw, I’ve got lots more ideas if you’re interested?
Cultural Cyprus
I also love the way Cyprus has become more cultural, especially after Paphos’ hosting of The European Capital of Culture back in 2017 and it seems Cyprus has finally got the cultural bug and we’ll continue to see an increasing swing towards the modern world and it’s natural and cultural lifestyle … click here for a more extensive cultural guide by the Cyprus Tourist Information offices.
The Network
The Website is looking cool, it has almost 1,800 pages of information about Cyprus with more than 25,000 photos and videos all one word searchable! Our Facebook page is our daily stuff, with links to our website and YouTube Channel and not forgetting everyone following us on Instagram and Twitter … oh, and you can help us too, if you’ll please tell your friends about us … I Hope you find what you want, if not, phone me! … or go www.whatsoncy.com and try a one-word search!
Finally
I just want to close by saying a big Happy New Year to everyone that has helped me make this network the official, most original and I believe the best guide to Cyprus!
And really finally
If I can leave you with just one tip for January … make sure you do at least one thing you’ve never done before!
2022 is gonna be my favourite year!
Na Da Bou’men !
Tony Dynamou
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