Our Budget Winter Family Trip to Cyprus - A Wonderful Success

I'm currently sitting above the clouds, at the top of Mount Olympus writing this post. My kids are busy playing in the snow while I sit here enjoying the cool weather. I know better than to try to walk around on slippery snow because my balance isn't great as it is, and because of my EDS, any injury from such a fall can cause long term damage. But just sitting enjoying such a view and the crisp air does so much for my soul and I feel close to a state of bliss, no exaggeration.

That is how I started writing my post this past Wednesday. We arrived in Cyprus last Sunday evening, but I haven't had a chance to update here about my trip as I usually try to do as my trips unfold, since we've had such packed days and once we got back to the Airbnb I was busy taking care of my kids in a way that I don't need to do when traveling on my own. I thought that on the top of Mount Olympus I'd finally have a chance to write a post but then my kids needed me and that was the end of that.

I think I mentioned it in my other post about the trip, but when I asked for suggestions in travel groups about things to do in Cyprus with my family in the winter I got ridiculous answers like "Don't go". Fiddlesticks. 

Yes, I know that Cyprus is known for its summer water activities, especially its beaches. But I don't need to travel to places for warm beaches since we have that where I live. The other thing it has plenty of is old churches, which isn't my thing. And in fact, that was why I initially avoided it as a vacation destination because I didn't see the purpose of just traveling to another country for beaches and churches. (I avoided it so much to the extent that whenever Skyscanner showed me the cheapest flights and Cyprus showed up as one of the cheapest, I just ignored it to look at everything else.)

But once I decided to go to Cyprus with my family for their US passports appointments, I knew that I would find plenty to do. I don't need to do the kitschy touristy things or what everyone does when they travel somewhere. Lately I've been watching travel videos, enough to know that there are so many hidden gems all over the place that tourists often are clueless about and I was determined to see as many of those as we could while we were there.

I am going to have a series of posts on this trip. Instead of daily posts of my travels as they happen as I usually do, I'm going to have the following posts:

1) What my family did and what we saw on the trip, including what was on our itinerary but we didn't get around to doing.

2) Total cost of the trip.

3) A list of the frugal things to do in Cyprus in the winter, from my research, including things that didn't make it onto our itinerary.

4) Foraging in Cyprus 

5) Important things to know about visiting Cyprus.

6) Expenses related to getting my kids' American passports abroad without their father present.

Beautiful scenery of Cyprus.

I have to say, a big part of me is quite sheepish that for so long I avoided traveling there. We had such a wonderful trip, and honestly, I am especially glad we went in the winter, because not only was it perfect weather, it was also so lush and green. I can't wait to share about our adventures in Cyprus in the winter, how much fun we had, what we saw... And best of all, how we did it frugally! 

Sneak peek- total cost for all the attractions we went to? 31 euros. Period. Not only is there so much to do in the winter, it is also all mostly free!

For now, I'm signing off; our plane is about to take off.