How worried should I be about ayia napa? DD17 just booked to go with 11 friends

All the usual things as PP’s have suggested, but to add specific to Ayia Napa in my own experience- if she is going to have balloons when out most of the bars sell them BUT the police regularly drive up and down the strip and if they catch you they can arrest you. I’ve seen many people while we have been there caught out by this, not realising the police would be bothered because they were being sold in the bars but they are bothered, so watch out for that. Ideally don’t do them at all, so dangerous, but if she’s going to then out of sight.

I went to lots of party islands when I was between 16-23 (I’m early 30s now) and I went to ayia napa when I was 17 and found it the best one out of all of them. Not as rowdy as others. Do warn her about not leaving her friends or going off with strangers when she’s drunk though obviously

TRAVEL INSURANCE and insist on seeing the evidence.
Friends all stay together in the evenings and watch each other’s drinks in bars etc
Sun block and avoid balconies.
I hope your daughter has a good holiday.

Drink beer. You will throw up before getting alcohol poisoning. If drinking anything else have at least 1 glass of water with each drink for the same effect.

oh god this thread just reminded me of that awful case a few years ago when a teenager reported a gang rape. The police told her she had to withdraw the complaint otherwise they would arrest her mum and friends, then when she withdrew it they said that her withdrawal showed she had lied about it so she was charged and convicted of lying about rape. In her court case she wasn’t allowed to show any evidence that she had been raped (even though she had lots of photos of bruises and had been examined by a doctor at the time who supported her) because “it’s not a rape trial”. she was eventually pardoned i think much later but it must have just been so horribly traumatic for the poor girl.

so yeh maybe talk to her about the police being corrupt.

Under no circumstances hire a quad bike or be a passenger on one.
Buy the best insurance possible.

She’s going in a big crowd, she’ll be fine.

Travel insurance with adequate medical cover.

No camera phones then, fewer drugs, a very different age.

then tell her to rehydrate when she suffers with her first hangover from hell on the first day 😂

Make sure you've got a copy of her passport and details of her travel policy and that her friends know each other's parents contact details.
My adult DS travels alone quite a bit and I always make sure he gives me these documents as there not much use with him if he's incapacitated.

This just about sums it up! Although I would just add GET TRAVEL INSURANCE

Methanol. It smells and tastes similar to ethyl-alcohol, can be a by-product in cheaply made spirits or can be added to drinks as it's much stronger than ethyl-alcohol, but even in small amounts it can cause death or lifelong disabilities. It takes up to 24 hours for symptoms to show so you could keep drinking it not knowing the damage it's doing. 6 tourists died in Laos in 2024 and more were hospitalised. More of an issue in the far-East than Cyprus but it could come up anywhere where food safety standards are relaxed and a lot of people are drinking.

Bringing back memories of my Club 18-30 holiday 😂

Mine went. We had a talk that freaked her out but it was better safe than sorry. They all had a great time and no problems at all.

huh? 😂😂

same as above
travel insurance, sunscream, email copy of travel documents

Be as sensible as anywhere else
It's not "safer" because it's a party place

the way it's not "safer" because it's your home town.

DD may be 18 by the time of the holiday, even so some sensible advice from others. I'd only add having a photocopy of your passport kept separately.

Stay hydrated with water during the day and make sure you go home together so no one is left behind

Avoid spirits, especially free shots, due to the risk of methanol poisoning. Stick to wine if possible.

I wouldn't be allowing my 17yo daughter to go abroad with a gang to be perfectly honest.

Do you really need it spelling out to you ?

Same advice you’d give her in this country, except more sun cream is needed.

What Holly hock said