As the world begins to emerge from lockdown, top resorts are beginning to open for business, anxious to promote their attractions to holidaymakers.
The popular island of Cyprus is beginning to come out of lockdown with the first hotels on the island reopening on Friday, 05 June as flights from abroad begin to arrive on 09 June 2020.
Larnaka Tourism has launched a new video as the island prepares to welcome tourists back to its shores. The video is entitled ‘It’s time to return’ and is being shared across Larnaka Tourism Board’s social media platforms.
This video marks the opening of Cyprus to foreign countries and uses Larnaka Tourism Board’s slogan: “They Always Come Back”. A slogan launched at London’s World Travel Market in 2016 to highlight Larnaka’s high percentage of repeat visitors.
The Great Flamingo was chosen for the slogan because of the flamingos’ enduring love affair with Larnaka as they visit annually and can be observed at Larnaka Salt Lake and Voroklini Lake between November to April. Over 60 per cent of visitors to Larnaka and its region are repeat visitors, one of the highest amongst seaside regions on the island of Cyprus.
“The high repeat visitors to our shores shaped our slogan and the message on this new video, as we prepare to re-open for tourism. We are certain that it is the strength of our repeater guests which will also result in the visitor numbers we receive during this challenging year” comments Dinos Lefkaritis, Chairman of Larnaka Tourism Board.
The video captures the town and the district of Larnaka, its competitive advantages as well as the special interest forms of tourism including water sports and gastronomy and was made with the support of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism of Cyprus and produced by local company, Content Hub. Larnaka Tourism Board thanks all that contributed including: Windsurf City Cyprus, Kahuna Surfhouse – Kaveh Photography, Larnaka Rural Women’s Association – Marrena Photostory, Alexandros Papandreou, Golden Donkeys FARM, Lush Beach Bar.
Crashing a Spitfire on landing is not my finest hour. Luckily it was in a flight simulator at an aircraft museum and I was so agonisingly near the the perfect flight after an extraordinary few days in Kent, but more on that later.
Ramsgate may not trip from the lips as a must seaside destination for Midlanders, but it a fascinating place with a history of famous sons and daughters as evidenced by a plethora of blue plaques.
The celebrities who have lived or worked in the Kent town include Elizabeth Fry, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, John Le Mesurier, and artist Vincent Van Gogh, who taught in the town.
It was also significant during the Second World War and has the only royal harbour in the country (a status granted by George IV in 1821) and some of the finest hotels and dining.
One of these, the Royal Harbour Hotel, proved the perfect base for all things Ramsgate, a town also famous for the part it played in in the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.
The hotel is divided across three Georgian-style buildings with 27 individually styled rooms, most with spectacular sea views and easy access to all amenities. The hotel is a mix of quaint and modern with quirky old furniture melded with ultra-modern bathrooms.
An iconic wartime Spitfire at the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum
Memorabilia is everywhere, celebrating the town’s seafaring heritage. Our bedroom, with a view over the harbour, featured a four poster bed, complimentary bottles of water and biscuits.
For extra comfort, there were also couple of armchairs and even a TV above the bath.
In the main hotel, there are a couple of sitting rooms one, with honesty bar, roaring fires and an eclectic mix of vinyl records to play on the vintage record player.
A truly relaxing atmosphere in a superbly comfortable environment.
Fine dining is offered in the hotel’s two restaurants, the Empire Room, which is in a basement part of the complex and The Little Ships, just a short walk down the seafront. Having eaten in both, it is fair to say that one is excellent and the other outstanding. You will need to visit to make your own mind up.
The men behind them are hotelier James Thomas and Michelin-trained chef Craig Mather who have put together imaginative and competitively priced menus for both venues, whether the more expensive a la carte or cheaper set menus.
The Empire Room is decorated with red walls and furnished with Victorian and Georgian wooden tables and chairs, original Empire magazine covers on the walls and history books on library shelves.
Down the road The Little Ships is a more contemporary affair, a kind of continental restaurant come bistro/cafe, with modern furnishings and open plan kitchen.
Both offer varied menus, with the Little Ships seafood a particular delight. Having chosen squid, admittedly not something I would eat on a regular basis, it was by far the best I have ever tasted, while the seafood linguini was nearly as good. My wife, in customary fashion, went with the meat and got stuck into a pork chop the size of a dinner plate. I know that doesn’t sound exotic, (there are more exotic dishes), but the food is truly exceptional and served imaginatively. Incidentally, both restaurants score highly with Tripadvisor.
The award-winning Empire Room offers a slightly different menu and the Kentish loin of beef proved a real winner for me in what is a charming and atmospheric dining experience, while the other half went for a meal I thought she would have at the other place, shoulder of lamb.
You could wax lyrical about both restaurants, suffice to say both offer fantastic food with first class service.
Out and about, the Ramsgate Tunnels are really a must visit.
A labyrinth of tunnels criss-crossing the town, built during the war, that became shelters for many and home for some.
A guided tour gives an understanding of what life was like during the the Blitz, while Margate and Broadstairs are just a few miles away
Down the road is the RAF Manston History Museum, where you can lose yourself with the history of ancient and modern aircraft and get an understanding of the 100-year plus history of the RAF with some fantastic exhibits.
Just across the car park is the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, which concentrates on the iconic aircraft that won the Battle of Britain and, returning to the beginning, where you can take a virtual flight, or crash a Spitfire, in an exhilarating flying experience. Worth every penny of the £30 on a special few days
Fact file
The Royal Harbour Hotels is at 10 Nelson Crescent, Ramsgate
Double start at £90 a night with a full cooked breakfast and evening cheese board included.
Contact: info@royalharbourhotel.co.uk, or call 01843 591514
On the road 