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House
rules & regs + more local info.
Please
take no offence but, whilst we hope you have an enjoyable stay in the
villa, we must ask that you respect the amount of money and TLC we have
injected into the property. Although there are cleaners to tidy up after
you leave we do expect that you will keep the place reasonably tidy and
take care not to damage anything.
Villa
Arrival and Departure Times
Don't
forget to make sure you have copied a printout of MAPS 1 & 2 –
“how to find the villa" and details of how to collect the
keys well before you leave!
Most
outbound flights arrive in Cyprus somewhere between
mid afternoon and late evening and most homebound flights depart
between late afternoon and mid evening.
Rather
than force departure at 10am I
offer the extended use of the villa, if it does not clash with the next guests . I
have to assess and operate this on an individual basis, and will inform
you prior to your UK
departure as to the latest villa departure time acceptable. However,
you must understand that Julie and Karen, my cleaners will need to get
in and do their magic before the next guests arrive! This would give
you longer in the villa on the last day, which is useful if you are
expecting a wait at the airport.
On the
same basis, the default arrival time is 15.00 hours (3pm) unless otherwise agreed in advance. This
gives us time to vacate and clean the villa, if arrival and departure
are on the same day.
The
Pool Area
The
pool is over 2M deep at the deep end and there is a considerable bottom
slope. There is no lifeguard. Parents will be entirely responsible for
their children's safety at all times.
There is a shower beside the pool. Please wash down before using the
pool, especially if you have been using sun cream. It greatly reduces
the amount of work needed to keep the pool water clean and free of sun
cream scum! Dave, the pool guy spends a great deal of effort keeping
the pool in excellent condition. Please help him keep it that way.
There
are lights around the pool and one in the pool, which switches off on a
timer after 01.00 hrs.
The pool is not heated. In summer it's lovely but in early spring its
only for the brave. We find it acceptable from May to September.
Cleaning
There is a vacuum cleaner, broom, dustpan and brush etc. if you need
them during your stay.
Rubbish Bin
There should be plenty of plastic bags in the sink cupboard that will
fit the bins in the bathrooms, but you may need to buy some for the
larger kitchen bin. Place bags and other rubbish in the large Council
green bin over the road. It is emptied once a week, (twice a week in
summer) but the days are constantly changing. Ask one of the neighbours
to find out which day. They usually but not always pick up early in the
morning.
Toilets
Although the villa is new, unfortunately it is still the case that the
sewage disposal pipes they use are still only 4”Ř which means
they are not able to cope with over-use of toilet paper. It is
therefore a common practice in Cyprus not to put toilet
paper in the toilet but to use sanitary bins provided. Regrettably, too
much toilet tissue in the toilet could result in blocked pipes and
consequently could impair the enjoyment of your holiday should repairs
prove necessary during your stay. Please try to limit the bulk of paper
used, and Ladies, PLEASE dispose of sanitary items directly into the
aforementioned green council bin provided.
We
would like to thank you for your understanding and your co-operation on
this matter.
Towels
and Laundry
Hand
and bathroom towels/floor mats are provided for bathroom.
Please
bring your own beach towels.
There
are additional sheets and towels in the villa for you to change them
but we do not provide a maid service for this (this could be arranged
on request at end of 1 st week, but would cost extra).There is a
washing machine and clothes horse for your use in the villa. Please do
not try to wash the duvets, as they are too bulky for the machine and
have to go to the laundry.
Electricity Supply
The electricity supply in Cyprus
is not as reliable as in the UK . However, we have had 3
phase installed, and to date, have had no loss of power (watch this
space). Cyprus uses
the same 240V and 3 pin plugs as used in the UK so no need for
continental adapters.
The Cooker
The cooker runs on electricity and the ceramic hob has 4 rings.
Water
It's possible for the water supplies in Cyprus to get cut off at
any time. If the direct feed water tap in the kitchen (the small silver
knob under the main tap lever) does run dry the water has been cut off
(usually without warning) so take extra care with your tank supply. The
water tanks on the roof should last until the supply comes back on.
Cyprus
is a dry country and water is precious, do please think about how you
use it.
Hot Water/Immersion Heater
The solar heater panels automatically provide a plentiful supply of
hot water during the summer months. Even in winter the water is warm
enough for a shower after a sunny day.
The immersion heater switch is the illuminated switch on the wall just
outside the main bathroom door at the top of the stairs. It takes about
an hour to heat the tank from cold in winter. You are unlikely to need it in summer. Please
switch it off after its done its job, it saves electricity
and stops the element from burning out.
Air Conditioning
Due to the high costs of running the air-conditioning units (we
have 4 medium and one big one) we have no choice but to charge extra.
This has become the trend in recent years. HOWEVER, for lets of 2 weeks or more, the air.con
will be included in the price.
Experience
has shown that, unfortunately, some guests leave it on unnecessarily.
Its very easy to forget and leave the Air Conditioning on all day even
when you are not there. Please do not forget to switch it off when not
needed because it can cost a fortune in electricity!
It can
also be used to heat the house in cold weather should you need it
(heaven forbid!). Also remember to keep the windows and doors
closed when the A/C is on or else it just won't work properly as well
as sucking up electricity.
The
Cooler
A water cooler is provided in the kitchen. Replacement bottles (they
just pull off) are widely available in the shops /supermarkets etc, and
cost CYŁ4-5.
Smoking
Although we would wish to make it a non-smoking villa, we accept that
smokers will smoke irrespective. We kindly request therefore, PLEASE PLEASE do not smoke
inside. If you want to, then please sit out on one of the balconies and
NOT inside.
There are a couple of stainless steel ashtrays in the kitchen cupboard.
Please don't drop cigarette ends in the garden as it takes years for
them to decompose.
The Front Door
Please be careful you do not lock yourself out. The front door
locks on shutting. We normally use the side door during the day for
general use, to avoid the
possibility of being locked out.
TV
and Video
We
have installed a SKY satellite dish, which receives all of the main
channels. Please refer to the guest book at the villa for further
instructions on how to find channels etc.
Reception
can, from time to time, be a little problematic because of the weak
signals and the size of dish needed so don't be surprised if reception
is lost in rain/heavy cloud. If you have a power failure it can take
some time for the satellite receiver to sort itself out and start
working again. Do not
disconnect the SKYBOX- even when you leave the villa on
departure. This can lead to losing the signal.
Headphones to Watch the Movie
on the Plane
Unless you want to buy another set to watch the film on the plane
don't forget to bring last years. Most airlines also require an adaptor
from stereo 3.5mm to dual mono 3.5.mm. If you've got one of those take
it else they usually sell them on the plane for a couple of pounds.
Telephone
There is no fixed line as its impossible to limit its use. However
if you wish to ring back to the UK we thoroughly recommend
that you buy a "pay as you go" SIM card/number from any
shop/supermarket. Use "so easy" cards - and insert one into
your own mobile. See: www.soeasy.cyta.com.cy/
Re-charge/top up cards cost from CY Ł5 and can be bought from
any kiosk. It's MUCH cheaper ringing back to the UK than
using your own mobile. Also there are no nasty incoming call charges if
someone calls you. The system will tell you how much time you have left
at the beginning of each call. If you want to ring home then you must
use "+44" and not "0044" at the beginning of the
number or it won't work. You can get the + symbol up by pressing the *
(star) key twice. Also don't forget to knock off the first zero.
If you do want to be called from England , I suggest that
you also give the following website to your friends: www.telediscount.co.uk .
If you come across better please let me know!
Local
Wildlife
Lizards,
ants, wasps, spiders, field mice, snakes, etc. are not uncommon in
Cyprus (after all, they were there first!) although no more numerous
than anywhere else in the Mediterranean. As the villa is in quite a
rural area at the edge of a small village you may see these things
around occasionally.
Nearest
Supermarkets
The nearest supermarket is probably Chris Cash n Carry, which is
the one most British and Ex-pats use. You can buy just about everything
here, and they also have a cafeteria. Its on the Polis road, about 5
mins from the Villa. “Chris Cash n Carry” is the size of a
large Tesco's and open 6 days a week until 9pm, 5pm on Sundays so
you've got no reason to starve!
You
can find seasonal fruit and vegetables much cheaper although less
scrubbed and polished from smaller roadside kiosks out of the town
centre.
Duty
Free Alcohol and Cigarettes
Now
Cyprus is in the EU so you wont get any duty free allowances, sorry!
Motorway
Speeding
If
you have a heavy foot I suggest you read my advice on speeding along
the motorways on the "flight search" page before, not after
you try it. Paphos airport is less than half an hour away. If you avoid
driving through Paphos to the airport you should not have any trouble
with traffic. Allow at least 2 hours for the journey to Larnaca
airport. Don't forget that the drive can take longer than expected if
there are motorway rush hour traffic jams around Limassol. Rush hour
also means around lunch time on weekdays. There is a petrol station
just outside Larnaca airport, useful if you have to leave a full petrol
tank when you return your car.
Weather
With over 300 days a year of sunshine, Cyprus is a year round
destination for holidaymakers. For an up to date 5 day weather
forecast, see link:
http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/CYXX0006.html
Pets
Sorry, but strictly NO pets allowed.
Car
Hire
Please click here for link to car
hire companies and advice
And
finally, when you leave.....
Minor accidents such as broken cups, plates etc. happen all the time.
Please let me know about any problems as soon as you come home so I can
do something about it. Drop me an email and let me know what you liked
and even more importantly what you didn't like! If there is any extra
info that should be on this page I'd be very grateful for that too.
Check that all the lights, taps, immersion heater and air conditioning are
switched off and that all the windows, window shutters, patio doors,
side door and front door are locked then drop the keys on the kitchen
table and leave via the front door which self locks. The cleaners have
spare keys, but should you lose a set of keys, we would have to make a
charge of CYŁ20 for replacement keys. We would also have to make a
"call out" charge of CYŁ20 payable to Julie and/or Karen for
going to get the keys cut. So please hang on to your keys to avoid
these charges.
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