Malta | Hello965 Friends

Malta, The Hidden Beauty!

• I was very stunned and amazed with Malta’s beauty. It wasn’t on my list but I have added it in my plan in last minutes because I wanted my trip to last longer, so I decided to spend 3 nights in Malta between my 3 nights in Cyprus and 3 nights in Greece.
• Location: A three islands (Malta, Gozo and Camino) in the Mediterranean Sea located 80 km south of Italy, 284 km east of Tunisia and 333 km north of Libya.

• Currency: Euro
• Languages: Maltese and almost all the people there speak English. Maltese language is very interesting as it is a mixture between Arabic (one third of the vocabulary), French, Italian and English. Just ask a local to count the numbers in Maltese and see how it is similar to the numbers in Arabic. I was very happy to be able to understand a language without even learning a single word from it 😀
• June to August is the peak season when the weather is perfect for the beach and the island is packed with tourists. If you are looking for moderate weather that is perfect for walking and sightseeing then May, September and October is the best time to visit Malta.
• Emirates Airline goes to Malta once a day from Dubai in 8 hours with 1 hr 20 minutes stop in Cyprus. I went to Malta from Cyprus with less than 2.5 hours flight time with Emirates airline and it is the only direct flight from Cyprus to Malta.
• It is a small country but very rich in history and culture, not just a beach destination, so if you are interested in history then Malta is the place to visit.

• Accommodation:

  We have stayed at The Palace Hotel in Sliema and we absolutely loved it. It is in the city center of the town and only 20 minutes from the airport. It is near the sea but the beaches there are rock beaches and not the most beautiful in Malta. If you are looking for a beach holiday then you need to book your hotel in one of the below towns/cities:

  • Ċirkewwa
  • The Fisherman’s Village of Marsaxlokk
  • Mellieha
  • Birżebbuġa
  • Gozo Island

• Day 1:We’ve arrived in the afternoon and spent the time walking and exploring Sliema and St Julian’s. We fell in love with the place just after exiting the airport on the way to the hotel. The façade and colors of the buildings are lovely and just by walking and interacting with the people you will notice the mixture between North Africa and Europe in Malta in all different ways. Malta was part of the British Empire for many years that’s why you do see the red phone both everywhere.

• Day 2:In the morning we took the vintage bus for two hours. A special ride on a 1928 bus that drives you through Valletta, the capital of Malta, and the three cities which are Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea. The English commentary driver will explain the interesting history of Valletta and the three cities.

• In the afternoon we headed to the east of Malta and our first stop was The Fisherman’s Village of Marsaxlokk where there is a small outdoor market that sells the finest Maltese sweets and souvenirs. You can take a boat ride and enjoy the beautiful Marsaxlokk bay. After that we drove south to the famous Blue Grotto where we took a boat trip that coast 8 Euro per person for half an hour. The trip was absolutely amazing and the views and caves you get to see are awesome.

With less than 15 minutes drive from the Blue Grotto we reached the Hager Qim and Manjdra temples location. They are temples that dating from 3200 BC. It is a world heritage site recognized by the UNESCO since 1992.

Before the sun goes down we were in Mdina City, a city that is confined within its walls and has a population of less than 300. It was the capital of Malta and it is contiguous with the town of Rabat. Mdina was built by the Arabs for defensive purposes. Game of thrones part 1 was filmed in here. It is a nice experience to walk through the narrow streets of Mdina and see the beautiful Malta from the top. There is a famous restaurant there that has a great view for the city from the top called Don Mesquita but unfortunately it was fully booked and we needed to book in advanced. We had our dinner in an Italian restaurant called Trattoria 1530.

Day 3:

The last day in Malta was fully spent in Gozo, an island that is located west of Malta Island and it is the second largest island after the Malta Island itself. From paradise bay in Ċirkewwa there is a ferry every 1 hour to Gozo port and the journey takes half an hour. We booked a jeep safari tour in Gozo with Malta Travelnet that includes hotel pickup in Malta Island and lunch. It was a fun tour and we almost covered all Gozo in 7 hours. The tour coasts 62 euro per person and covers the following attraction:

• Calypso Cave
• Ramla Bay
• Saltpans
• Dewjra Bay
• Victoria, the capital of Gozo
• Kercem Heights
• Our Lady of Ta’Pinu Basilica
• The Citadel
• Xlendi Bay
• Qala Belvedere
• Speed boat via Comino Island caves and then to Paradise Bay in Malta

Unfortunately we had to spend only 3 nights in Malta and if we had more time we would definitely visit
Popeye Village in Mellieha and Upper and lower Barrakka Gardens.

Food & Restaurants:

Just like all Mediterranean food, Maltese cuisine is delicious and rich with meat and fish. We had tried the famous Ta’kris Restaurant in Sliema and we loved it! Their octopus salad and beef steak were yummy! You need to reserve a table in advanced. Mint restaurant in Sliema is also a great choice for breakfast. They have delicious and fresh cakes, tartes and cookies. Their flat white coffee is great. We also had dinner in Little Argentina Restaurant in Sliema and we really liked their steak and caramel crepe. Some of the recommended restaurants that we hadn’t try:

• Wigi’s kitchen in Sliema
• Dinner in the Sky and Guzo Bistro in Valleta
• Bouquet Garni, Rebekah’s Restaurant and Commando restaurant in Mellieha
• Venus Restaurant in Bugibba

Guys if you have any questions feel free to ask #hello965friend @360voyage ! ♡