Cyprus for a perfect holiday.

Cyprus is the third largest Island in the Mediterranean, it is an island of beauty and a country of contrasts. Cool, pine-clad mountains are a complete scene-change after golden sun-kissed beaches. Tranquil, timeless villages are in striking contrast to modern cosmopolitan towns. Luxurious beach side hotels can be exchanged for large areas of natural unspoilt countryside. Yet in Cyprus all distances are easily manageable, mostly on modern roads and highways - with a secondary route or two for the more adventurous. The summers are long and hot, fruit trees buckle under the weight of their bounty as do the vines, the grapes of which go into producing some fine local wines. The Island has long been of great strategic importance and boasts the legacy of many of its occupying empires, fortifications built by the Crusaders still stand. A holiday here is idyllic, there is lots to see and plenty to do, the welcome is warm and the weather likewise.

Local shopping.

Part and parcel of any holiday is the question of what to take home. Leather is very good value. The shoe shops stock up-to-date styles at very reasonable prices. Handbags, suitcases and jackets are a good bargain. Shoes and jackets, as well as men's suits and shirts, can be made-to-measure within a week or so. Handicrafts abound on every shopping street. A good spot to view them is the Cyprus Handicraft Centre in Lefkosia, with retail shops in every town. Small items of the distinctive, traditional pottery make good gifts, and so does Cyprus copper ware and filigree silver. Always popular is the beautiful 'Lefkaritika' or ' Lefkara Lace'. Folk weave, needle and crochet work, woodwork and basketwork are a few more of the things visitors like to take home with them, not to mention Cyprus brandy which can be bought by the demijohn, Commandaria and even Halloumi - the Cyprus cheese.