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

[IwishIwasacaterpillar]

Is there any advice I should be giving her?

Does she know basic stuff like staying together? Not going back to a shared hotel room because there's no guarantee that you won't be gang raped? Going to trusted bars and not leaving drinks unattended etc? Making sure the car you are getting into is a authorised taxi? Watch being surrounded, that's how sexual assaults/pickpocketing happen. Dont be polite, get loud if feeling threatened. No valuables that make you a target. Passport away safe, full insurance. Then the drug polices and how being young and British won't bring her favours. Are her friends older and already out in pubs etc?

Be sensible.
Stick together.
Don’t get sunburnt.
Use condoms.
Don’t drink to excess.
There will be a fall out - try not to get involved.
Don’t get into a fight.
Don’t take drugs.

This is the advice I’m giving my son when he goes to Crete this year. Will he follow it? Who knows!

Travel insurance - full package, just in case.

You’ll know what she’s going to be like from her current behaviour when out partying with her friends. It’ll just be more of the same.

On top of that, tell her to trust no one and to keep her wits about her.

The same advice you would give her going out in a town or city in the UK, plus being sunburnt AND hungover is a real bitch!

Be careful on balconies.

Not going back to a shared hotel room because there's no guarantee that you won't be gang raped?

Dear me, what is that about?

What Holly hock said

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

Do you really need it spelling out to you ?

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

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

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

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.

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.

huh? 😂😂

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.

Bringing back memories of my Club 18-30 holiday 😂

She’s quite sensible but keen to experience life. She never comes home drunk and we live in a city. Okay thanks all

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.

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

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.

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

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

Travel insurance with adequate medical cover.