Staff: smart, friendly, efficient. The age contingent speaks Russian, the youth speaks English. Animation: rather weak, unobtrusive, but it is. There is a mini club during the day, water aerobics, mini disco. Entertainment: discos, karaoke, shows on weekends (we got to parrot shows and fire shows). There is a spa, sauna and gym on site. The hotel was not fully populated, there were enough sunbeds for everyone, there were no queues anywhere, everything was calm.
Beach: very close; there is an exit from the plate to dive and through 50 meters the city beach-bay. Sunbed rental - 2.5 euros, umbrella as well. But we calmly walked from the sunbeds by the pool to the beach right in swimsuits. Lots of locals on weekends. In general, everything was pleasant, you can come back here again and again.
Hotel. Our hotel at the transfer was the last, it is at a good distance from Protaras. The hotel itself looks nice, clean and tidy. It is located on the 1st line, half of the rooms have a balcony on the sea side, the other half - on the city side.
We were settled quickly - it took about 5 minutes. It was obvious that we were waiting, because I filled out a simple form (name, where we came from), and we immediately saw a pack of cards that were already on the alert.
The tavern (which served lunch and dinner) and the a-la carte restaurant are located in separate rooms, not near the main building, but they will be located right on the beach, and you could have lunch and dinner enjoying the sea and fresh air.
The hotel has a gym and sauna, but we did not go there.
Number. I'll tell you straight, at first the room upset us with its modest size. Since we were four (two parents and two children aged 2 and 6), we had a Family Room. But it turned out to be an ordinary Double (for two), where a bunk bed was delivered. In addition, this bunk bed looks like a box attached to the wall, and the beds themselves can be removed / lowered like shelves in a train. These "shelves" are quite narrow, and the first night the son even fell out of bed (it is good that he slept on the lower tier).
The younger child slept with us on a large double bed, so we removed the ladder to another tier (the ladder is also kind of unreliable in appearance, very uncomfortable for children) and used the top "shelf" to put things there. Due to this additional construction of the beds, the passage between the large bed and the bunk bed was very narrow, the height of the second "shelf" was such that someone constantly hit it: the son - the head, my husband and I - the shoulders. There were also only two bedside tables (indicating that the room is not designed for 4 people), the closet is not large and had 8 hangers. There was nowhere to put the suitcases, and they took up the rest of the free space on the floor.
It also turned out that the air conditioner hung directly over the bunk bed, the distance from the top shelf to the air conditioner was 70 cm (I did not hesitate to measure), and if someone really slept there, we would not be able to use the air conditioner.
The bathroom is spacious, clean, with quality plumbing.
In addition, we did not have a shower room, but a bathroom. Soap, except for the arrival, was applied once, shower caps, shampoo or shower gel was not at all; there were no interruptions with toilet paper.
For those who think that Ukrainian (well, Russian) tourists get the worst numbers, I will say that foreigners lived next to us in the same rooms; and in larger (respectively, more expensive) rooms housed both Ukrainians and Russians, who paid extra for the size. So if you are going here, remember that it is better to buy a more spacious room from Kiev.
Food. Now this hotel operates on an all-inclusive basis for all tourists. This is very convenient for the Perneri area, as there are not as many restaurants here as in Protaras, and you can't get there by bus or taxi every time.
There was a lot of food, quite tasty, there was a choice of dishes.
Breakfasts can be called monotonous, because nothing has changed, but if we assume that at home I still cook for breakfast not 18 dishes, then there was plenty to choose from (4 types, vegetables, olives, fried potatoes, beans with sauce, French toast, sausages , sausages, baked tomatoes, grapefruits, slicing cheese and ham, something like baby cheese with different flavors, pastries, cookies, fruit, a bunch of different toasts, butter, jams, tea and coffee you make yourself in the coffee machine).
Lunches and dinners were more varied, there were always different types of meat: chicken and pork, fish, turkey, several times lamb; puree soup (most soups, despite their different names, had the same taste); potatoes cooked in 3-4 ways, pasta, rice, several salads to choose from (some salads were quite bizarre in their combination of products), chopped vegetables and seasonings for them, olives.
Desserts were frankly weak, only the baklava was pleasing once a week (although I broke a tooth with a walnut shell in the groin lava).
Drinks are unlimited during breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were vending machines with wine (white, red, pink) and beer near the tavern (where lunches and parties took place) and everyone could pour as much as they wanted.
Also in the bar from 11.00 to 18.00 were snacks (french fries, burgers, pizza, spaghetti). Ice cream during the day.
Beach. The beach starts 20 steps from the hotel. This is a small bay with calm water, no waves, a gentle entrance into the water, which is extremely convenient for children. Unfortunately, the sand on the beach disappointed me: during the whole hour of rest I didn't notice anyone cleaning it, so there were a lot of cigarette butts in the sand, there were pieces of some balls, plastic cups and so on.
Sunbeds and umbrellas are paid (2.5 euros each), rent for the whole day, the beach worker issues a check for payment.
But you can come with your blanket and lie quietly on it. The hotel can take beach towels (they are exchanged for fresh 1 time in 3 days).
Mini club. The hotel has a mini club for Natalie Tours clients. However, it turned out that he worked only until the end of September. He worked in three "blocks": 10.00-13.00 (at this time we did not go because we were on the beach), 15.00-18.00 and 20.00-22.00 (including mini-disco). The girls-animators treated the children well, were attentive and patient, tried to entertain and interest. The theme of the mini-club was "Pirate Summer", so the animators were pirates with appropriate names, children received bandanas as a gift, earned piastres (for which they could then receive a gift - a flashlight, T-shirt, bag, etc. ).
Animation. We are good at entertaining ourselves, so we were least interested in animation. In the afternoon I saw some water aerobics in the pool, table tennis and darts competitions, etc . ; in the evening the bar had bingo and karaoke games.
Since the children got tired during the day and went to bed early, we did not go to these evening entertainments, we only watched the parrot show once (on Tuesdays) - the children liked it.
Excursions. We decided not to go on group excursions, because it is difficult to do with a 2-year-old child. They went to Protaras and Paralimni, walked, looked around. The guide from "Natalie Tours" saw us with a price list of excursions, and it turned out that the cheapest of them costs 40 euros, most tours for 70-90 euros per person (and before a trip to Israel for 300 euros). And in Protaras you can buy all this much cheaper (for example, ride a yacht for 10 euros per person, not 40).
Overall impression. Despite some of these disadvantages, the positive features far outweigh; we are very pleased with our choice of vacation spot and hotel; And, having some experience of traveling to many other countries and beach holidays, I would come back here, to Perner, especially if I went on vacation with children.
Tips and warnings.
The couple from Kyiv, who was standing in front of us in the queue for registration, generally had 1 suitcase for two, weighing 27 kg - they also had claims and demanded to pay a fine. I don't know what those couples were doing, but I bought the cheapest bag (11 euros) in a shop on the territory of the airport, and we repackaged the extra kilos there.
Departure from Minsk is 2.3 hours 5 minutes in the air and we are at Larnaca Airport, at the exit we are met by the Natalie Tours counter and sent to the minibus number 15 in the parking lot. There, a friendly Cypriot checks our names, loads the suitcase and, after 10 minutes, we set off. On the way, we stop at Larnaca and Ayia Napa, dropping off vacationers at their hotels, an hour later to Protaras, there is Pernera (the last hotel on the bus route), we and another family stay (it turned out to be a pleasant company to relax, especially since the children the same age).
The hotel meets with an English-speaking administrator, we are given a key, cards for towels and a food guide in Russian. Room on the first floor next to the kids club and breakfast room, view of the green lawn and side sea, at first we didn’t like it very much, and then we appreciated the silence and convenience of the location.
In the room, in addition to the standard set, a free safe, kettle, disposable cups, tea, coffee, sugar, cream. Cleaning in the room daily - cleaned cleanly, change of towels and linen every 3 days.
The hotel is located directly on the shore: right in front of the hotel there is a swimming pool, then a sports ground and immediately the sea, a little to the right a large green lawn with sunbeds and umbrellas and a descent to the water - swimming from a concrete slab, to the right a bay with a sandy municipal beach. It’s good for small children to swim on a sandy beach (although in the end our daughter really fell in love with swimming from the stove), but the water from the stove is a little cooler and you need shoes or don’t get off it, because there are a lot of hedgehogs, but the water is clean, the fish swim .
The sea was cool for the first couple of days in the afternoon and it was cold on the stove, but the rest of the time it was just wonderful - warm, azure and salty. By the way, foreigners mostly lie by the pool and very rarely swim in the sea, which is not clear to me - how can exchange such charm for a trough with hot water.
The contingent of vacationers is families with children and English pensioners. The British - 60%, Russians - 25%, the rest - Germans, Swedes and a few others.
Adult animation in English, but if you wish, you can: shoot a bow, play volleyball, darts, jump in the pool twice a day (like aqua aerobics), some other game with balls in the sand, tennis and tennis , in the evening bingo (to admit I got tired of it in 15 days), disco (the British don’t dance, but sit and watch), well, various performances - dances, songs, magic tricks, fire shows, live music.
Children's animation is Russian-speaking, the animators are very good, the children go to the club with great pleasure and cannot wait for a break to go to the club again. Every day there is a mini disco for children - they dance on the stage next to the bar, and parents can watch them sitting at the tables.
All inclusive. Plenty of food, delicious, never ends, no queues.
Breakfast is closer to English: boiled, fried eggs, scrambled eggs (with and without fillers), bacon, sausages, beans, french fries, baked tomatoes, oatmeal, hot pancakes, cheeses, sausage, breakfast cereals, milk, yoghurts, vegetables, fruits, pastries, juices, toast, coffee machines and vending machines with various sodas.
Lunch and dinner are served at the Tavern. The menus are almost the same, only for dinner there are much more desserts. Soup - only puree soup, delicious mushroom, chicken and tomato.
The meat is always something grilled or baked, with a la carte sauces and all sorts of different delights (there were all kinds of meat, I really liked the lamb). Meat dishes at least 5.1 kind of something fishy or with tentacles brrr. 8 kinds of salads, dressed, marinated, without dressings, just chopped vegetables, sauces. Side dishes - a sea of u200bu200bvegetables and grilled and boiled and baked and fried and solo and mixes, rice, pasta, french fries. Fruits - watermelons 3 times a day, incomparably delicious oranges - 2 times a day (peeled pink sweet without bitterness and yellow grapefruits for breakfast), peaches, apricots, delicious green plums, apples, sweet melons. Desserts - pastries, jellies, mousses, creams, I really liked the warm biscuit with custard and the national sweet - warm deep-fried balls (insanely delicious). In the halls there are faucets with beer, wine (white, red, pink dry), well, vending machines with drinks and coffee.
Bar - from 10.00 to 24.00.
00 in unlimited quantities 4 types of beer, including local Kappa (good beer), dry wine (all colors), 15 types of alcoholic and 3 types of children's cocktails, optional pure alcohol - rum, vodka, whiskey, juice, drinks, tea, coffee, ice cream.
Snacks from 11.00 to 18.00 french fries, pasta with tomato sauce, hamburgers, hot dogs, fish sticks and variations on the theme, cucumbers, tomatoes.
Drinking water - near the bar and pool vending machines with water - warm / cold
The staff at the hotel is friendly, attentive, any request is fulfilled very quickly (the air conditioner did not work for us, it was repaired within 15 minutes).
The hotel has a good shop, with prices no higher than in nearby shops.
The hotel is located on the outskirts of Protaras, for this it is calm and there are no outsiders. The cheapest - the nearest 3 stores, the closer to the center - the more expensive.
We also rented a car, went to Cape Greco, Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Nicosia.
the proximity of stops for trips to resort towns (the center of Protaros, Ayia Napa, Paralimi),
sea to choose from (sand, stove), everywhere is good,
food (especially dinners),
service (especially restaurant, tavern, lobby bar, reception)
multinational staff, there are Russian speakers, but those who do not understand - study,
the animation is super! I really liked that all adults are occupied throughout the day with a variety of games, both in the pool and on the sports grounds. In the evening, shows that have never been repeated in 10 days, plus pranks, quizzes, etc. There are no beach towels. Free sunbeds and umbrellas during the day, by the pool and on the grassy lawn. Quiet place to relax. Distance from entertainment centers (2 stops from the center of Protaros, 30 minutes from Ayia Napa). Proximity to stops for trips to resort towns (center of Protaros, Ayia Napa, Paralimi). The bus runs every 20 minutes. From Paralimi to Ayia Napa 102 , back 101. The board on the bus is electronic, everything is written. To stop the bus, you must press the stop button. The cost is 1 euro per trip (yellow ticket). pink ticket), it is valid on any bus for one day. Designed more for the English public. In the tavern - lunches and dinners are varied and very tasty. Service (especially the restaurant, tavern, lobby bar, reception), friendly, smiling, multinational staff, there are Russian speakers, but those who do not understand - learn . We also learned to speak English.
The animation is super! I really liked that all adults and children are occupied throughout the day with a variety of games, both in the pool (water aerobics, morning and evening, water polo), and on sports grounds (football, volleyball, tennis, ping-pong and etc. ). At the same time, they organize competitions with the presentation of awards. In the evening, the show, which has never been repeated in 10 days, plus drawings, quizzes, etc. The shows are in English, but they insert translations in German and Russian. Despite the poor knowledge of English, everything is clear. Many thanks to Mike, Nicholas, Dora, Carolina and Sylvia. We took two excursions to the water park (for the whole day - 31 euros per person from the guide, at the box office - 33 euros) and dancing fountains (16 euros from guide, at the box office 17). Liked both.
1. The hotel is on the very seashore. I took a room with a sea view - the picture from the balcony was very, very relaxing. As for the hotel - everyone is very polite and friendly. Girls and women from the reception are responsive and always happy to help solve any problems, explain what and how, tell about Cyprus, where you can go and how to get there. One BUT - no one speaks Russian, and does not understand Russian. I watched a picture in a restaurant when an elderly woman from Russia tried to order a beer for 10 minutes using Russian speech, mooing and gestures. Of all these, the latter is the most effective. In order not to get into such stories, you need to know English. Everyone there knows him. It's very difficult without it.
The room is clean, spacious, everything you need is there - a double bed, a shower room, a hairdryer, air conditioning, TV (although what for it is not needed there), a safe is built into the wardrobe - rent is 17 euros for 10 days. I took - but it is not necessary. For food, I took breakfast and dinner - everything is very tasty and plentiful, everything is fresh and varied. Dinner is generally a chic meal, worse than any restaurant. Animation at the hotel - I don’t know anything about it - I only spent the night and ate at the hotel. But advertising for some parties from the animation team always hung. Others say they liked it.
The city itself - I will immediately say that this is a resort for a relaxing family holiday. The average age of vacationers is 35-40 years. More than half are families with children from newborns to 16-17 years old. No matter how much I clambered there, I didn’t see a single club or a single disco. Those who wanted to hang out in the evening took the bus and went to Ayia Napa (20 minutes by bus). The main leisure option is all kinds of cafes / restaurants / bars / pubs / taverns. In general, places where you can safely sit, eat, watch football on TV, play billiards, sing karaoke, listen and watch twins of stars, of whom there are a lot of performers in cafes - Elvis Presley, Abba, Madonna, CC Ketch, Blues Brothers etc. You can see from the repertoire - music for older people. Contemporary music is practically nowhere to be found. There are also very few Russians. Mostly British (nice people), Germans, Scandinavians, Greeks. Those. there are no discos, no clubs, no foam parties, no beach discodances. There are very few young people who are of age and without parents.
The places themselves are great. The sea is crystal clear, the city beaches are sandy, but there are not so many of them. I practically did not appear there - there are a lot of people and nothing interesting under water. The shores for many kilometers are sharp stones strewn with sea urchins. I swam in such places - I bought safety shoes for such extreme sports - a few meters over sharp stones - and you are in a completely different world - magnificent landscapes, fish, crabs, and no people. Dangerous, but it's a real vacation. Getting out, however, is even more difficult. Once I even took the skin off my hand on one pebble, but you have to be ready for this. Not far from Protaras are Mountains-hills that are completely not intended for tourism. This is not Troodos, there are no paths laid. Make your way to the touch, through thickets of thorns and stones. The area is deserted, at the very top of the mountain there is a military base and a lot of spent cartridges on the ground. Nerves tickle. There is nowhere to go down at all. I had to climb down the tree, there are private lands and peasant lands. Dogs are running. In general - extreme.
I rested well.
What can I say in the end - the sea is beautiful, the Russian language is useless there, a loaf of bread costs 80 rubles for our money, the most picturesque places, rocky shores, peace and quiet. You can go to Fig Tree Bay - a local gem - a great beach, but you're not the only one so smart - there are crowds. The service is good, the people are very friendly and smiling, both locals and vacationers, no cattle were noticed. Lots of temples and churches. The people are mostly middle-aged. If you want noisy discos, wild frenzy and fun all night long - you are not here, there is nothing for this. If you want to relax with your family in a calm and nice place - here it is, or look for adventures far from civilization - like me - there is also space for this. Good luck.