Family visiting Akrotiri

[heights good]

Random question - what accommodation options are there for family (wife and 2 kids) to visit for a couple of weeks when deployed on Op SHADER at RAF Akrotiri?

I have been told categorically that the welfare house is strictly for personnel that are permanently based at Akrotiri, not for those visiting. Apparently it is in the constitution for the welfare house and has been agreed by the Stn Cdr!

Any help is greatly appreciated as I have a (not quite) welfare case but would like to fix it without making it a bigger issue, if possible.

HG

[Pontius Navigator]

See if the mess could accommodate as you might in UK?

I'll ask my daughter through she is a little out of date.

Alternatively, how about a hotel?

[Avtur]

In my experience of doing frequent and longish dets from Akrotiri, was to find a hotel in Limassol. Chris kebab used to have some tax dodging properties around and about that were not too bad either. I'm not sure anyone really wanted to subject their loved ones to the H&S hazards of Akro.

[Doobry Firkin]

I'm sure Lady Lamps used to have some accommodation that could be rented out

[glad rag]

In the "good" old days of 8+ week APC's it t'was always the same.

You found out pretty quickly you weren't wanted, and were, at the minimum, an unavoidable inconvenience for the permies.

[Pontius Navigator]

Here you go, fairly recent:
They rented a flat in Kolossi. Mess is a non starter. It will probably be full and chances are he would be in transit accommodation if unaccompanied. Tell him to look into a villa or flat in the surrounding vilages. Then they would need to hire a car but personally it would be more fun to go to Polis, or Paphos. If he is working the commute from Polis isn't too bad. cyprusvillas.com (http://Www.cyprusvillas.com) is good, rented a few from there. He could contact the Hive and ask about contact housing. They didn't have any when we were there but they might have now.

Hope that helps, Hive is his best bet. He will have to call first thing in the morning uk time because of the time difference :)

[Wander00]

Try "Holiday Lettings", had a good flat from them 15 months ago

[heights good]

PN - thanks for the swift reply, when I was referring to the welfare house I was meaning the contact house; categorically not an option under any circumstances. I thought contact houses were provided from a central fund and were for all personnel, not just those based at AKI? That is why I am able to use a contact house at an RAF station in the UK, it appears that AKI is very 'them' and 'us'. As for using the Hive, it was the Hive that stated the contact house can't be used, I am waiting for a reply to an email enquiring for other options.

I will look into the other options and see what is available as the Mess is not an option with a baby! The complaints after a few nights of midnight feeds would likely cut the stay prematurely short :-)

Thanks for all of the replies so far, they have been really helpful.

[salad-dodger]

it appears that AKI is very 'them' and 'us'
has it ever been any other way at that place? Certainly was that way through the 80s and 90s!

S-D

[Brian W May]

For some mysterious reason I too found Akrotiri to be one of the most unhelpful places in the RAF and I went there from 70s through 00s.

Best of luck.

I fly out to Paphos on Wednesday . . . Keo, Commandaria . . . oh yes!

[heights good]

For some mysterious reason I too found Akrotiri to be one of the most unhelpful places in the RAF and I went there from 70s through 00s.

Thank god for that, I thought I had inadvertently upset them, it's not just me then :cool:

[wub]

If you consider Paphos to be an option I can recommend Paphinia Sea View apartments. I'm going there on Saturday for my fifth visit and although simple accommodation, the apartments are very well equipped and inexpensive.

[Al R]

I'm looking at renting in Limassol for three months this summer - there are lots of good sites out there. Flip key is one of them.

[dctyke]

Are they letting op shader personnel off base now? As for the base, outsiders were never wholeheartedly welcomed, much prefered Deci.

[Genstabler]

Lots of affordable villas and hotel accommodation in Pissouri, easy drive to Akro and it's a delightful spot. We stayed there several years when son was temporarily at Akrotiri.

[Jumping_Jack]

As I remember it in the 90s it was generally the behaviour of the APC folks that didn't endear themselves to the permies. A new bunch would appear every few weeks, trash the place and think themselves highly original in the 'japes' they got up to. It all got thoroughly boring for those seeing it all week in week out.

As far as the accom goes, find a nice hotel down town, there are plenty to choose from!

[Dougie M]

I'm not sure if it's still there but the YWCA bookshop had an adjoining bungalow apartment which was available to all. It was mainly for junior ranks but bookable for a couple of weeks. My family were turfed out because of a priority booking from a retired brigadier! Well impressed.

[glad rag]

As I remember it in the 90s it was generally the behaviour of the APC folks that didn't endear themselves to the permies. A new bunch would appear every few weeks, trash the place and think themselves highly original in the 'japes' they got up to. It all got thoroughly boring for those seeing it all week in week out.



And the reason for the "trashing" ?

FYI the "accomodation" at MPA is like the bloody Hilton compared to the ****hole that the guys are stuffed into. New abulitions or no new abutions.

[Pontius Navigator]

JJ and even earlier. The visitors worked hard (maybe) and partied hard (certainly) with a party atmosphere every night. Most nights there would be someone going down route that you knew. As a permi we soon realised we could not party every night.

The divide extended to work too. Residents didn't want their working routine interrupted by extra work. Cease work at 1 and down the yacht club was sacrosanct.

[OldnDaft]

I stayed in one of the Welfare houses when I visited in January. Old style bungalow round the back of the rugby club, was perfectly acceptable if basic. Had TV, wifi etc. Booked through the Unit Welfare Officer.

[Jumping_Jack]

Glad_rag.....What a great reason, 'the accommodation is ****e because the APC before us trashed it so lets trash it some more for the guys following us.' Says it all really.

[Pontius Navigator]

JJ, if the accommodation had been 5* at the start, and any trashing afforded the five times fine it might still be good. Trash breeds trash I guess.

[thunderbird7]

I was once told the transit blocks (100/101/90 etc) had originally been in Aden, then taken to Sharjah and then Akro. Not sure where the limitless supply of ironing boards and fire extinguisher cartridges came from though..... ;)

[glad rag]

Glad_rag.....What a great reason, 'the accommodation is ****e because the APC before us trashed it so lets trash it some more for the guys following us.' Says it all really.
Well at least the foods top notch............Now they use the erroe, sorry Euro, I can't think of one single thing Akrotiri has going for it, not one.

[glad rag]

I was once told the transit blocks (100/101/90 etc) had originally been in Aden, then taken to Sharjah and then Akro. Not sure where the limitless supply of ironing boards and fire extinguisher cartridges came from though..... ;)
Actually I was talking about the Sgt's Mess Annex but those blocks are a disgrace.

[Dougie M]

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag76/dougiemarsh/e14f1521-acdf-4e6f-9032-f76b484d1325_zpsgubkwu70.jpg

[Dougie M]

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag76/dougiemarsh/aa35d391-d797-44ec-a95d-2d7af80f76aa_zps6ktmdosw.jpg

[Pontius Navigator]

Having spent three years in the upper block that Dougie illustrated, they were superb 45 yrs ago :), far better than the large, room Secos from the 60s near the No 1 Mess. The APC block was least desirable as it was furthest from the Mess and closest to the main drag.