Flight.
It takes only 3 hours, 15 minutes to fly from Moscow to Larnaca. We were transported by Ural Airlines. Fed, watered, delivered on time and without delay.
Larnaca Airport in November is not as crowded as in summer, so we went very quickly, got our luggage, sat on the buses. Meeting representatives of the tour. The operators were shown where the buses are, everything is nearby, it is impossible to get lost.
A big plus of the Flamingo Beach hotel is 10 minutes from the airport.
There were no difficulties with the road and in general the journey turned out to be not tiring.
Hotel.
The hotel is located next to the sea (it is right across the road).
The hotel is small, no frills, but overall leaves a good impression. While we were there, the halls had already begun to decorate for Christmas, there was a festive mood.
The territory of the hotel is reduced to its only building, there is no territory around the hotel.
On the roof there is a swimming pool (in autumn it no longer worked, not heated), a recreation area, a bar.
The rooms (numbers) are small, they have not been renovated for a long time, which can be seen from the condition of the furniture, carpets ..
There are no rooms with a frontal view of the sea (the building is built in such a way that the windows of the corridor look at the sea, because there is still a road, in fact). And the balconies of the rooms are located on the left and right of the building, respectively, on one side a piece of the beach is visible. On the balcony there is a table and 2 chairs.
The room has air conditioning, beds, a table, a mirror, bedside tables, a cabinet for suitcases.
Our room did not have a locker for clothes, and in the "corridor" there was an open area with hangers and shelves for shoes below, and one shelf above (where they store warm blankets). Placed things on the bedside cabinets and shelves in the table opposite the beds.
There was no refrigerator in our room (there was a niche for it, but it was empty), which, by the way, violates the format of a 3 * hotel.
TV (Russian channels for some reason did not work, some kind of poor antenna reception), but there is a large TV in the lobby, it worked and was tuned to 1 channel in Russian. Who needs it. We hardly watched TV, so it was not critical. They turned on the channel with music and that's it.
On the floor, either carpet or tile (in different rooms in different ways).
In dignity. node has a bathroom, hot water poured as soon as you turn it on. The pressure is good, the water did not stagnate, the plumbing is white and clean. 1 large towel per person, one small. And plus 1 under the feet.
From accessories - shower gel, shampoo, soap. There is a hair dryer.
There is a safe in every room, but the key to it is paid (1.5 euros per day and a deposit of 10 euros, which is returned after use).
If you have a suitcase that can be locked with a combination lock or padlock, you can store valuables there (as an option).
Valuable things were left and just in the room (cameras, cameras . . ). Nothing was missing.
The staff at the reception is very friendly, there are Russian-speaking girls. There were no communication problems.
Please note that the sockets in the room are European, with 3 pins. You can either take an adapter at the reception against a cash deposit, or buy your own adapter in the nearest market (it costs about 2.5 euros).
Cleaned up in the room for C grade. There were hairs on the floor in the bathroom, dust on the shelves.
If we made the bed behind us, then during the cleaning sometimes they didn’t make it for us.
But we did not pay attention to these trifles and this did not spoil the mood.
Towels are changed approximately every 2 days. They are white, pleasant, not worn out.
There are no tea facilities in the room. The teapot too.
Those who wanted to have tea could do it at breakfast (there is tea bags, coffee from coffee machines, milk) or went down with thermo mugs during dinner and collected boiling water (only water is served at dinner, tea / coffee is not served).
Take a map of the area at the reception (they have it in Russian as well). It has all the nearest roads, a salt lake, the church of St. Lazarus and others.
The hotel has free Wi-Fi, the password will be given upon check-in (as in cafes and taverns).
Nutrition.
We opted for half board (HB).
For breakfast, sausage, cheese, 2 types of soft cheeses, cereals, milk and 2 types of thick tasty yogurts (with strawberry flavor and just milk, without additives), toast, jam, margarine (not butter) are served.
In closed warm containers - boiled eggs, bacon, scrambled eggs, sausages, vegetables. Tea, coffee (coffee machines, not with ground grains, but the taste is quite normal).
For dinner - salads (2-3 types), soft cheese 2 types, there are always several side dishes to choose from (vegetables, rice, pasta / pasta, potatoes). 1 main course (alternate - fish, poultry, meat).
From drinks for dinner, if you do not have all-inclusive, only water
In general, the food did not complain, you can always find something to eat.
In the nearest market you can buy yourself bottled water in a 5-liter volume, and there will be no problems with thirst (take a small empty bottle from home, throw it in your suitcase, or just buy water in a small volume on the spot, so that later you can take it in a convenient container with you on trips and to the beach).
Beach.
The beach at the hotel is located right in front of it, across the roadway. The coastal strip is not large, the sand is not white, but generally pleasant, the water is clean. In November, surprisingly, we found good weather, swimming and sunbathing.
On the beach there are sun loungers, umbrellas (paid).
Take a beach towel from home with you for comfortable lying. It is forbidden to wear white towels from the room to the beach.
The nearest markets also sell beach mats (wide and long with a foil bottom cost 4.5 euros).
If you go to the right of the hotel and then along the sea past the palm trees, you will come to Mackenzie Beach.
In Larnaca, residents call it "the best". Clean water and sand, climbing frames and swings are provided for children.
Excursions, walks.
Tours can be purchased from a tour representative. operator or in Larnaca in agencies.
We walked to Larnaca, looked at prices and directions.
On the trail. the day after arrival there was a meeting with a guide from our tour operator ICS (a very adequate, intelligent young man Alexei, who answered in detail all the questions of tourists). They questioned him. It turned out that the price of the trip we chose was the same as the street agency. Therefore, they took the tour. operator.
We chose a trip that the guide jokingly called the "golden ring of Cyprus. "
We went to the village of Lefkara (where craftsmen produce handicrafts made of silver and embroidery), then to the Kikk Monastery, where the very revered icon of the Mother of God, written during her lifetime and blessed by her, is kept, then we stopped at another monastery, had lunch and after lunch we went to to the winery, where you can taste drinks and buy what you like. Full day tour, very rich, we really enjoyed it. They drove us in a minivan, the drivers were great fellows, in the mountain range on these sharp turns and slopes they drove confidently and professionally. And very interestingly on the way to the mountains they told about the country, history, about their current times.
In addition to the trip to the mountains, we also traveled around the island ourselves. Fortunately, there are buses to different cities and you can walk everywhere, see something.
The bus stop is located in Larnaca itself: if you go left from the hotel along the promenade, walk for 30-40 minutes, you run into the fort, bypassed it and further along the promenade. Do not pass by, the stop is indicated, next to the scoreboard with the schedule and directions.
Larnaca itself also has many interesting places (a local map will help you navigate the area).
Be sure to visit the church of St. Lazar, go to the salt lake - it is near the hotel (flamingos winter there), take a walk along the narrow streets with colorful doors, cafes and taverns, shops and shops. Eat national dishes, drink Cypriot coffee and try local ice cream, it is sooo delicious.
Rent a bike (there is a rental 7 minutes walk, to the left of the hotel), there are bike paths along the embankment
The staff is just wonderful, responsive... did not even expect this from a 3 *... had a great rest!