The summer months of July and August are the island’s busiest; if you would rather avoid the crowds, try visiting in spring or autumn, with the low season seeing lower prices and fewer people. Safety: Cyprus is considered to be a very safe holiday destination and sees little violent crime. Locals often go out for the day leaving their front doors and cars unlocked. This being said, it is still important for you to remain alert as pickpockets do operate at some resorts. Drink spiking has also been reported, particularly in the popular resort of Ayia Napa. If you are a woman travelling to Cyprus alone, you may feel uneasy about the attention you get from local males. Normally, the men like to stare and despite this being intrusive, it is generally harmless. Women are advised to ignore men who give them unwanted attention and to threaten to call the police if they feel threatened. When to go: Cyprus is a popular destination year-round, although the peak summer months of July and August see the highest number of tourists arrive. This is the hottest time of year and can see temperatures reach a stifling 35°C. Summers are long and winters mild, attracting people looking for winter sun. Money: the currency of the Republic of Cyprus is the Cypriot pound (CYP), which is divided into 100 cents. Banknotes can be found in denominations of 20, 10, 5 and 1 Cypriot pounds, while coins can be found in 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 Cyprus cents. The currency in Northern Cyprus is the Turkish lira (TL). Banknotes can be found in 10,000,000; 5,000,000; 1,000,000; 500,000; 250,000 and 100,000 Turkish lira, while coins come in 100,000; 50,000; 25,000; 10,000 and 5,000. The Turkish lira experiences high inflation. Language: Greek is the official language of the Republic of Cyprus, but you will find that English is widely spoken at hotels and throughout the resorts. Northern Cyprus is different from the Republic as the official language is Turkish, not Greek. You will find Turkish place names are different than the Greek names for northern cities. For example, Nicosia is known as Lefkosa. Emergency: 199
Ambulance: 199
Police: 199 Business needs: Cypriots are very punctual people and tardiness is frowned upon. Always try to arrive for a business appointment on time. A brief but firm handshake is the accepted greeting and also signifies the end of the meeting. Even though most Cypriots will dress fairly casually, always dress in appropriate business attire when attending a meeting and never remove your jacket or tie before a colleague does. It is important to respect the religious beliefs of all business acquaintances and never schedule meetings on national holidays. | 
