Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Going green
Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is always on the hunt for new initiatives to help preserve it. And tour operator Passions of Paradise is now offering experienced divers the chance to work with conservationists on this stunning World Heritage Site.
It involves surveying reef locations and monitoring the health of corals and the diverse marine life. The full day experience costs £220 and will include catamaran travel, two scuba dives and a guide. passions.com.au/eco-tour
Cottar’s Safaris in the Maasai Mara, Kenya has just launched exciting new experiences. Not only will you be able to get up close to some extraordinary wildlife, there’s the opportunity to get involved with conservation projects.
During the lockdown, Cottar’s has developed more meaningful activities for visitors, including working with the local Maasai community. And you can learn about vulture rehabilitation, riding with a researcher to help identify nesting sites, in an area where more than half the vulture population has been wiped out.
It is also offering a drive, again with researchers, to help collar some of the Mara’s predators, and a walk with a hunter gatherer of the disappearing Il Torobo tribe to learn about the medicinal values and uses of the flora surrounding the camp. cottars.com
sizzling 38C, though if that’s a bit too strong a trip into the Troodos Mountains offers some respite at a typical 24C.
Temperatures in the sea are kind too, with the water around 22C from June to November, climbing to 27C in August.
CULTURAL SIGHTS
There’s something for all with monasteries, churches, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites and places associated with Greek mythology.
The Theatre of Kourion, just outside Limassol, is one of the island’s most impressive archaeological sites, dating from the 2nd century BC.
It seated up to 3,500 spectators for gladiator and wild animal fights and is still in use today for less gory entertainment including cultural activities and theatrical performances (entry €4.50). Further west, the Archaeological Park of Kato Paphos has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980 with numerous monuments that date from the 4th century BC to the Middle Ages. Highlights include the Tombs of the Kings and the intricate mosaic floors of four Roman villas (€4.50).
Kolossi Castle, nine miles west of Limassol, was first built in the
13th century and was used as the Grand Commandery of the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, then was taken over by the Knights Templar and rebuilt in the 15th century.
During this time, the Knights produced and exported a sweet wine, which became known as the vin de Commanderie.
When to visit: The castle is open all year round but opening hours do vary per month so check before travel. Entry costs €2.50 per person.
BEACH BLISS
The beaches in Cyprus are top-notch, with 64 having the coveted Blue Flag status. Lara Bay on the Akamas Peninsula and Sirena Bay in Protaras are standouts.
‘‘ Aphrodite met Adonis here when he stopped for a drink while hunting
FEEL THE LOVE
Cyprus is forever associated with Aphrodite as the Greek Goddess of Love was said to be born from the foam of the sea around the island.
Aphrodite’s Rock, a large sea stack near Kouklia, is her mythical birthplace and swimming around the rock at midnight is said to make the swimmer younger by a year for every lap (the beach here is excellent too).
The Baths of Aphrodite is an attractive natural grotto with a pool near Latchi on the Akamas Peninsula and it’s here that the goddess bathed in the waters. According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite met her mortal lover Adonis here when he stopped at this lush spot for a drink while hunting.