Akamas Jeep Safari
A wild journey through the area of Akamas.
Definately my favourite of the two jeep safari's that i'm reviewing and the one I would recommend above all. You can book this safari, aswell as boating trips through one of many of the small booking offices dotted around Paphos. This jeep safari was booked through 'Steve's Safari's' so keep a look out! You get picked up outside your hotel at around 8:30am-9am and depending on which jeep you ride in, you can sit either facing forward or sideways. The jouney does through you around a little but its a good laugh and an exciting experience.
The first stop off of the day was the Sea Caves which are just past Coral Bay. It was our first opportunity to have photos taken and each jeep driver introduced himself. They gave us an outline of the day ahead so we knew what was in store and how far we would be travelling. The sea caves themselves were impressive and stretched quite a distance.
The second stop of the day was the Avakas Gorge which to me was one of the highlights of the day. The drive to this location is very perilous with numerous corners taken above sheer drops of over 100 feet. It's a slow process getting there but the drivers have so much experience so you are in very safe hands! Its a good idea to be wearing good footware for this part of the day as lots of walking is involved over rough and slippy ground. The jeeps park up and off you walk along a stone covered path towards the centre of the Gorge. The walk is roughly 1km each way so its handy to have a drink on hand and a hat to keep you in the shade as its a real suntrap. We are told about the natural wild life and spotted some mountain goats up in the shade on the hillside. We soon reached shelter and had to walk along a river bed which is inaccessible during certain periods of the year as the river reaches heights of over 10 feet. The walk here is very slipperly so take your time. You finally reach the narrowest section of the Gorge. Again the drivers tell us a little about the Gorge before we head back to the jeeps.
We then jumped back into the jeeps and off went went for a bit of offroading on the way to our next location, Lara Bay. The drivers really have fun on this section speeding around and giving us passangers a very exciting ride. We stopped off above Lara Bay which is the home to the green Sea Turtles. They visit the bay each year to lay their eggs on the sand. Very few baby turtles make it back to the sea once they hatch due to natural prey and other circumstances. In the past few years a conservation project has helped the Green Turtle population grow. You stand in a small hut as the guide tells you all about the turtles, their history and how people help the creatures survive. Its very informative and well worth paying attention.
The next destination is high up inland where you are taken to the home to the cypriot driver Andreas. If you are lucky enough to be in his jeep, he is a lovely man who is full of stories and keeps you entertained on the long drives. Its quite a long journey, if your lucky you will spot a donkey or two! Its nice being able to see how the locals live high up in the hills off the beaten track. You then travel back down towards the coast taking a tour through a deserted turkish village which is very much a ghost town and has been since the 70's.
Once at the coast you stop off near the town of Polis which is on the north west coastline. For a very small cost you get drinks and a selection of meats and cypriot foods to enjoy. Its a nice chance to chat to some of the people who are also on the safari, aswell as the drivers. The view from the restaraunt is fantastic as always.
After a fairly short drive you arrive at one of the main destinations of the safari, the Baths of Aphrodite (The goddess of love and beauty who used to bath in the small pool of water). Perhaps my expectations of this place were high but i was dissapointed when I finally got there. To me it was just a small pond in a cove. There is a water source in which its said if you bath in it, you will forever be beautiful.
Next up its the chance for a swim, which gives you a chance to stretch those legs and relax for a while, so make sure you bring swimwear and a towel. I'm not sure if it's always the case but we were given the choice to visit a small reptile house, home to Snakes, Scorpions and Turtles. If your a fan of reptiles then its worth a little pop in, you get the chance to hold a live snake. It doesn't cost much to view the reptiles, if you dont wish to then again take the opportunity to stretch your legs in the sun.
The tour is over and you head back to Paphos through the hills. Our driver pulled over to show us a small town where the rich and famous like to stay. There were some nice views of the coastline before we headed back to Paphos.
The price of the tour is great value as its a full day with plenty of sightseeing. I would quite easily go on this trip again and i highly recommend it for everyone. Troodos trip report
