CHILDREN, I’VE FOUND HEAVEN...
As the success of the annual getaway can be judged by the number and scale of children’s tantrums, it obviously pays to choose a resort packed with family-friendly features.
The numerous pools at the huge Elexus Hotel & Resort & Spa, a 30-minute drive from Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus, are lined with sunsleepy adults, all relaxed and smiley, while a selection of wonderful amusements keep their offspring occupied.
The sparkly Elexus is one of the latest hotels to open here, and it’s already a favourite holiday spot for Turks and Russians. It also has a massive conference centre and, in common with a number of new properties here, a casino, but all that’s in a separate building.
The main resort has its own Aquapark full of slides and pools, a mini-village kids’ club with separate rooms according to age, two massive pools and a couple of supplementary ones, masses of sunloungers and acres of space.
For grown-ups, there’s a nice spa and watersports on offer at extra cost, and an alfresco nightclub. Babysitting is available if you want to strut your stuff. Other evening entertainment was in short supply though.
There’s a handful of restaurants, but you have to pay extra to eat in the speciality ones even if you book the Ultra Extended Full Board option – we never managed to pin down exactly what this meant, but all consumed our body weight in ice cream and soft drinks without extra charge.
The drawbacks? The Elexus is a very big hotel catering for many guests, so buffet meals can turn into a bun fight, but the food is tasty enough. And it’s weird sharing space with convention delegates in suits.
The resort undoubtedly calls itself five-star based on the number of the facilities, but if it is quieter luxury you’re after, Northern Cyprus can provide it these days. Should you find yourself surrounded by whining children – other people’s, of course – hire a car (pacific-rentals. com) and head for the beach at Karpaz Bay, or go to the Karpaz Gate Marina for the day. You can spend the day by the small but exclusive pool and enjoy nice food, cocktails and solitude. Go North Cyprus (gonorthcyprus.com) offers seven nights at the Elexus with Ultra Extended Full Board from €1,298pp, including flights. Half -board at the Korineum Golf & Beach Resort costs from €893pp. Other tour operators to Northern Cyprus include Cyprus Paradise (cyprusparadise.com).