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What to do over summer is always a dilemma for expats living in Bahrain.
If you're a Brit you could go back to Blighty and guaranteed dreary drizzle or choose somewhere closer to the Middle East, despite having already 'done' Dubai earlier in the year?
The alternative is to choose somewhere in between with a taste of life back home but offering guaranteed sunshine. Cyprus certainly fits the bill and we decided to take up the offer of 'living like a Lord' in a holiday investment property owned by Bahrain stalwarts David and Vicky Lord in Paphos.
Lordies Lodge is a new Leptos semi-detached villa on the impressive Regina Gardens complex.
It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and is luxuriously furnished throughout. The two main bedrooms boast patio doors leading to a large balcony and the lounge/diner also has patio doors leading to a terrace overlooking two large swimming pools and a baby pool.
Regina Gardens is just a short walk to the main Tomb of the Kings Road where a main bus route runs from Coral Bay to Paphos town centre and harbour.
Paphos is on the south-west coast of the island and Lordies Lodge is ideally situated on the edge of the town with a beach, supermarket, bars and tavernas within a short distance.
The coastal city in situated in the south west of Cyprus and is steeped in history. Paphos is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty and the founding myth is interwoven with the goddess at every level.
In Greco-Roman times Paphos was the island's capital, and it is famous for the remains of the Roman Governor's palace, where extensive, fine mosaics are a major tourist attraction. The town of Paphos is included in the official Unesco list of cultural and natural treasures of the world's heritage.
In the founding myth, even the town's name is linked to the goddess, as the eponymous Paphos was the son of Pygmalion and his ivory cult image of Aphrodite which was brought to life by the Goddess as 'milk-white' Galatea.
Today Paphos is a popular sea and a fast developing tourist resort and home to an attractive fishing harbour.
It is divided into two major quarters: Ktima, on the sea terrace, is the main residential district, and Kato Pafos, by the sea, is built around the mediaeval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and the entertainment infrastructure.
Apostolou Pavlou Avenue connects the two quarters of the city. It begins near the city centre and ends outside the magical Mediaeval fort at the marina.
The Paphos Fort, or castle, was originally a Byzantine fort, but was remodelled by the Lusignans. In 1570, the Venetians destroyed the castle, but during the Ottoman rule it was restored to it old glory, expanded and reinforced. Built of strong and large stones, the castle is connected to the harbour via an arched bridge. There are very few windows but the view from the top is superb.
Beaches and family attractions are easy to find and include a bird sanctuary, water park and go-kart arena to name but a few.
The restaurants are geared up for offering fine food and a variety of evening entertainment from Elvis impersonators to a full-on theatrical show between courses at the fabulous Fat Mamas.
The latter is particularly popular and it might be best to book a table in advance or you'll have to wait in the queue!
When you want to chill you can escape the seaside and set off for the marvellous mountains and even stop for a paddle under natural waterfalls for a relaxing day out.
Since 1982, holidaymakers have been served by Paphos International Airport located 10km southeast of the city, near Timi. It serves approximately 1.75 million people every year. A new terminal opened in late 2008 adjacent to the old one.
However, we flew from Bahrain to Larnaka airport - a number of airlines were offering super deals at the time. There were direct flights available but I picked a budget carrier with a three-hour stop over at Kuwait Airport - not the most thrilling of destinations.
We picked up a hire car from the airport and were surprised at how quiet the roads were despite it being the height of the summer.
Since converting to the euro prices have sneaked up so it's not the cheapest of places to eat out nowadays but one thing that is guaranteed is the weather as Paphos enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate.
It practically never rains in the summer. All seasons of the year are ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities. Summers are always hot and rarely wet. Heat waves are relatively common and mostly happen during the months of July and August, when hot air masses come to Cyprus from the Sahara desert and the temperature can reach over 35 C.
But for those used to summer in Bahrain that's relatively chilly.
Lordies Lodge has an AC unit (for cooling & heating) and ceiling fans in every room. The kitchen is fully-equipped with oven, fridge/freezer, washing machine, microwave, kettle and toaster, an iron and ironing board are also provided.
The lounge/dining area has a TV with satelite, DVD, TV and video upstairs with variety of films, CD stereo system, board games and books.
There is a shower room on the ground floor and a wide sweeping spiral wooden stairway takes you upstairs to the family bathroom and three bedrooms. All bedrooms are brightly furnished with plenty of wardrobe space. Linen and towels are provided.
There are also two adult fold-away beds that can be set up to sleep eight. For families with babies there is a cot with bedding, highchair, playpen with various toys, baby bath and bouncy chair.
If you wish to 'live like a Lord' check out www.holiday-rentals.com/lordieslodge for further details.
