2001-10-24 Comprehensive, detailed and reliable

I have just returned from TRNC (21/10/01) where I used four guides: This one, the Landmark N Cyprus guide and the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet offerings. Of the four this was the most up to date (despite all 4 having similar publication dates of early 2000), and the most detailed in its descriptions of towns and places to visit. Together with the Landmark guide it had the advantage of being dedicated to the North of the divide. The LP and RG, however were better for listings of hotels, restaurants, etc, the Bradt guide tending to scatter them within the context of describing a tour of an area. The Landmark guide had more and better pictures and a less dry and wordy layout, which I found better for choosing where to go, but this, the Bradt, guide was the best reference once there, with good advice on how to find and tour sites like Salamis. It is also significantly lighter than the glossier Landmark guide.

As a general note the military presence in coastal and other resort areas has reduced significantly and the roads have improved rapidly since any of the guides were published. The other big change that I found was the widespread acceptance of credit cards (dominantly Visa, but in many cases MC too) and far more ATMs not only in the major towns but also in some resort areas.