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Cyprus, Greece & Turkey selling tips
Darren Philips Jeanette Penman
owner, travel agent,
Darren Philips Travel Thomson/First Choice
Weddings and
Families
honeymoons
T
here are a few good hotels in
Cyprus that stick out and these W
est Cyprus has a good number of
Blue Flag beaches, which means
they are among the cleanest and
most environmentally friendly.
tend to offer everything a bride Limassol also has excellent sandy beaches,
and groom could want. Coral including the brilliantly named Ladies Mile,
Beach, Intercontinental Aphrodite Hills, which, thanks to its shallow water, is great for
Adams Beach, Capo Bay, Grecian Park and kids and windsurfers. The Electra Apartments
the Elysium all specialise in weddings. is an all-inclusive property on Nissi Beach.
They can take place in chapels, gardens, Family activities here include a range of sports
on terraces overlooking the sea or on the as well as a swim academy, children’s section
beach. Cyprus has some fantastic sunsets
ys
in the main pool and a mini-disco. Transfers
to complement weddings late in the day. take 50 minutes from Larnaca airport.
The Elysium boasts the Opium Health Planet Holida For an excursion to remember, Cairo by Air
Spa, making it a particularly relaxing offers a whirlwind tour of the Pyramids,
option for wedding pampering. Coral Cyprus means weddings are ideal year- Sphinx and a sunset cruise with return flights
Beach can organise a horse and carriage round. I mostly book Rhodos Beach and from Cyprus. This is sold by most of the major
or classic car so the bride and groom Corfu Palace, and Crete’s Elounda Beach is tour operators.
travel in style from the registry office to spot on for a really luxurious celebration. Turkey offers a range of family resorts
the hotel. For a religious ceremony Adams In Turkey I’d recommend looking at the along its three coast lines. Antalya on the
Beach has St Andrew’s Chapel within its Alanya Coast, which has upmarket hotels Mediterranean coast (closest to Cyprus) has the
grounds overlooking the sea, while for a that are just out of this world. Mardan highest temperatures. There are always a
civil you can’t beat Capo Bay’s outdoor Palace in Antalya offers a ballroom for number of local excursions and activities on
wedding deck overlooking Fig Tree Bay. opulent weddings. Prices tend to be on a offer. Dedeman Aqua Park with its superb
The Cypriots bend over backwards to par with Greece – you might think Turkey slides, near Bodrum, is worth mentioning.
help and that’s part of the appeal of would be cheaper, but the hotels are so Greece has the shortest flying time – Crete
getting married in Cyprus because the fantastic they tend to hold their pricing. is a 3.5-hour flight away from London airports.
people are so lovely. Operators with dedicated wedding A villa can provide an ideal solution for
Prices start from £2,500 per couple, programmes include Olympic Holidays, families, offering a
including flights, accommodation and the Cosmos, Sovereign, Thomas Cook, First relaxing space away
wedding package, so it’s a lot cheaper Choice, Thomson and Allbury Travel from it all for adults
than a wedding in the UK, plus you get Group brands Libra Holidays and Argo while children have
guaranteed sunshine! Holidays. Anatolian Sky has a weddings plenty of room to
The bigger Greek islands of Crete, Corfu brochure for Turkey. I regularly use Planet roam. Meon Villas
and Rhodes provide a good standard of Holidays – they’re professional, friendly has many family
wedding that tends to be a little cheaper and I know the job will be done right. properties across the
than in Cyprus, starting from £1,800- You deal with Mathilde Robert, the Greek Isles, such as
£2,000. But the Greek season only runs managing director, and no matter how the Threshers House
from May to October while the climate in finickety the request, she never falters. in Corfu sleeping six.
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