I have flown with Air Malta many times over the last few years or so. I have always found that the flight is good with varying service. On all occasions the flights both ways have always been on time (sometimes it has left early) and…Read More

I have flown with Air Malta many times over the last few years or so. I have always found that the flight is good with varying service.

On all occasions the flights both ways have always been on time (sometimes it has left early) and have never had a problem with the check in staff as they are always polite and friendly. They are also very accommodating and were able to book me a vegetarian meal even though I had not booked one for the flight preiously to arriving at the airport. You can book for extra baggage, seat selection, insurance and make hotel reservations all through their website.

The seats on the plan are not very comfortable and sometimes feel like they aren't very secure which I imagine would be off-putting for someone who is afraid of flying . There is not much space for leg room especially when the person in front puts their seat back, I hate in when people do this as it really stops me from being able to do things that I want to do on a flight like crosswords or puzzles. There also isn't much room for hand luggage especially as lots of people take on large holdalls which again takes up more room.

The planes that I have been on previously have not been very clean, especially between seats and on the trays. I feel this should be addressed as it is not really good enough. The toilets also are not very clean during the flight and should be cleaned however I do agree that it's the people who make the toilets dirty by not using them hygienically.

The air crew were very kind and helpful. But on a few occasions I have found that some of the staff were rude and unwilling to go out of their way for the customers but this has been rare. The food is very good (if you have the vegetarian option) but family who have the meat options sometimes do not like the food as it can be overcooked and the meat does not always look appetising.

The last time I flew with Air Malta it was very cold on the plan due to the air conditioning. This was a problem as it was a late flight and I wanted to sleep but was too cold. When I asked the staff for a blanket they were very rude instead of just saying that there were none available politely.

The flight is very good if you get it at a good price which I always have done so far and it is a lot better than many other airlines. One of the major problems though is that there is no inflight entertainment which does get boring and I can imagine would be difficult if children were on board.

My baggage does always seem to get a bit battered on this airline but I have never had any major problems with breakages. Overall good as long as you get a good price.Close

Bugibba is a beautiful holiday destination situated on the small European island of Malta. With a rocky landscape and tropical waters this town is a great place to stay or visit (especially for its night life) as it has something for everyone. The views of…Read More

Bugibba is a beautiful holiday destination situated on the small European island of Malta.

With a rocky landscape and tropical waters this town is a great place to stay or visit (especially for its night life) as it has something for everyone. The views of St. Paul's Island and the Maltese fishing boats in the bay are spectacular.

During the recent recession this beautiful town has slightly gone downhill due to the closure of many of its popular shops and many buildings have been left half built. Desipte its touristic nature and atrractions you do still get a feel for the local Maltese charm as it has not been ruined like other European countries that were once beautiful (e.g. parts of Spain).

There are no natural beaches in Bugibba but there is a man mamde beach which is okay in appearance but a ladder is needed to climb down to the sea because it is very rocky.

Bugibba is sitauted perfectly on the island of Malta as it has a main bus station where, for very cheap (if you buy a day saver), you can travel to any part of the island quickly, as it is very small. Some of the most popular destinations to visit from Bugibba bus station are; Valletta (the capital), Mdina (the silent city), Craft village, Golden Sands beach and Sliema water park.

The town itself has many good hotels and these are situated near the main strand which runs parallel to the sea. On the main strand you can find many shops, restaurants and bars as well as tourist attractions such as bumper cars, boat trips and Bokki (a local game similar to bowls). There are also many karaoke bars that I have enjoyed going to.

The nightlife is a truly brilliant experience, there are many lively bars and clubs around but these are not situated near to many hotels, they are within a short walking distance but do not disturb the peaceful nature of Malta. One brilliant point of this night life is that you never feel threatened. Although it is lively it is not like Faliraki and Ibiza which have pretty much been ruined by their reputation and clubbing features.

The Maltese people are generally very polite and helpful. Their English on the whole is superb and they always go out of their way to accommodate holiday makers and my family have made many friends whilst visiting this town throughout the years.

Since leaving the Maltese Lira and adopting the Euro, prices in Malta have increased. However there are still many deals available especially in the bars where drinks can be found for very cheap especially in 'Happy Hours.'Close

Malta is a small European island in the mediterranean sea. It takes about three hours to fly to from the United Kingdom. In the summer the weather can always be relied upon to be extremely hot and sunny, I have travelled there many times in…Read More

Malta is a small European island in the mediterranean sea. It takes about three hours to fly to from the United Kingdom. In the summer the weather can always be relied upon to be extremely hot and sunny, I have travelled there many times in the summer and have found that temperatures normally hit around the high thirties. I have also been in the winter and it is still quite warm, a shawl is needed (even though the Maltese walk around in woolly jumpers!).

The landscape is very dry and rugged, people generally seem to either love or hate the landscape. The beaches are sandy but most are very rocky so it can be difficult entering the water. The sea is beautiful but in some areas can be quite rough and unpredictable, but there will always be flags on all of the beaches to advise swimmers on sea conditions.

There are many beautiful towns, villages and cities which are easily assesable by bus or foot, you can travel around the island in one day if you hire a car! There are also boats that will take you to the near island of Gozo which also has an amazing charm.

The people of Malta are very friendly and generally speak fluent English. The main religion is Christianity and there are many breathtaking churches that can be visited but you must remember to respect their beliefs upon entering them by being fully clothed (women need to cover their shoulders and not wear revealing clothes.) The churches also bring with them many amazing festivals that you can join in with, these will end in spectacular fireworks and commence every friday night in different villiages.

I have travelled to Malta about 7 times and have enjoyed my trips there every time.

For anyone who has ever thought of going on holiday to Malta or are going than you will have an amazing time.Close

We had crossed from Malta to Gozo by sea. We returned by air.Those that know something of Gozo might be surprised by this due to one key factor... there are no airfields on Gozo. I was not about to let a small detail like that…Read More

We had crossed from Malta to Gozo by sea. We returned by air.

Those that know something of Gozo might be surprised by this due to one key factor... there are no airfields on Gozo. I was not about to let a small detail like that deter me however. You see, one form of transport that I had always dreamed of utilising was seaplane. Seaplanes seem to belong to a bygone age, which was always sure to appeal to me. Plus, it’s what Indiana Jones always used to leave his dotted red lines across the sepia map of the world. In many ways seaplanes were the sinews holding together the creaking European empires of the interwar era, which makes Malta’s commercial service somewhat appropriate.

The company operating seaplanes commercially these days is Harbour Air (www.harbourairmalta.com). They are based in a terminal down on the rather horrid Valletta Waterfront development where the cruiseships disgorge their human cargo to ‘do’ Malta in a day. Past the cordon of touts and the string of carbon-copy waterfront bars in renovated warehouses showing Premier League football we found Harbour Air’s offices and landing stage. They offer aerial sight-seeing tours of the island as well as running two return flights a day between Grand Harbour and Mġarr. These cost €80 return. To save money we just paid for a single ticket each at €44 for the day upon which we knew we would be returning from Gozo.

Armed with our tickets in advance we arrived at the Mġarr terminal in plenty of time for our flight. I say ‘terminal’. The correct phrase should really be ‘Portakabin’. After a while a young man arrived to unlock and weigh our luggage (we were just under our allowance). And then we waited. The afternoon air hung heavy and silent above the harbour. We were the only two people there. Then a faint buzzing could be discerned in the distance. We scanned the sky ahead of us above Malta and Comino. Then we spotted the plane sweeping in from the west. It looked tiny. We watched as it tipped into a steep banking curve and dropped down towards the congested harbour mouth. With a series of skips it hit the water, bouncing clear each time, before finally halting its progress. It would be accurate to say that at this point our hearts were in our mouths!

As it putt-putted over towards the pontoon below us we could make out faces at the windows. As it halted the pilot disembarked… but no one else. The other eight passengers had simply booked a return flight to Gozo and back. This meant that when we climbed up into the cabin we had no choice of seats. As it was, I ended up sat on the right hand side of the craft. If you get the chance to choose a seat I would recommend you try to sit on this side too as it turned out to afford the best views of Malta. No sooner had we stowed our bags in the back and seated ourselves then the pilot was back on board and the engine started up, worryingly quickly. He had manoeuvred the craft away from the jetty before he even shut the door. The pilot spun the plane to face the harbour mouth. He gunned the engine. With a start we began charging forwards towards the narrow opening between the breakwaters, bouncing as we hit waves. Then we were aloft!

The rate of ascent was not very steep. Through the domed windows we were able to watch Gozo disappearing behind us. Over Comino we flew, getting a bird’s eye view down into the sparkling turquoise of the so-called ‘Blue Lagoon’. Before long we were over the eastern flank of Malta, looking down at its bays and resort complexes. Inland I could see that the hills were contoured and terraced, evidence of hundreds – or thousands – of years of cultivation of the island. From the ground the network of dry-stone walls had appeared a confusing jumble; from above I could make out an ordered unity about the way the land was worked.

We had barely been up any time at all before Valetta could be seen ahead of us. Once again, the order and planning of the city could be appreciated from on high. Marsamxett Harbour shone bronze in the late afternoon sun. Ahead was the north-western scarp of the city and the dome of the Anglican Cathedral. Then we were over the sandy stone of Fort St Elmo, seemingly deserted, and swinging around to approach Grand Harbour head on for landing. As we dipped lower I had a great view of the Siege Bell Memorial and the Lower Barrakka Gardens.

We landed sluggishly, one thick plough into the waters of the harbour bringing us to a smooth and easy halt. In total the flight could not have taken more than ten minutes.

So what did we get for that €44? Well for starters we cut down the journey time considerably, from two hours to little more than thirty minutes (counting the checking in formalities). But more than that we were treated to some excellent views over Comino, Malta and Valletta through our windows – windows that were designed to provide a good field of view. The terrain and towns made more sense from up here than they had from the ground. And lastly I was thrilled to be able to fly on a seaplane, which had been a goal of mine for quite a few years. Accustomed to taking off from dry land there was a rather surreal edge to launching ourselves up from the sea itself and once more in coming in to land without a runway below us. Additionally it was not as nerve-wracking as I had thought it might be. It really was a great experience to save up for our last afternoon in the country and one that I thoroughly recommend.
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One of my abiding memories of Malta will be of it as an island of walls.The walls are everywhere, though in slightly different guises. They could be the ancient weathered remains of the megalithic temples that dot the country, the oldest free-standing structures in the…Read More

One of my abiding memories of Malta will be of it as an island of walls.

The walls are everywhere, though in slightly different guises. They could be the ancient weathered remains of the megalithic temples that dot the country, the oldest free-standing structures in the world. They could be the mighty bastions of Valletta and the Three Cities surrounding the Grand Harbour, towering ramparts and impregnable fortifications hiding the civilised ‘city of palaces’ that the Knights of Malta built for themselves. Or they could just be the web of dry stone walls that cross-hatch the countryside, the white stone standing proud of the dusty fields like the skeleton of some giant creature. All these walls have different functions and different uses, and they were built centuries – millenia even – apart and yet they have one thing in common: the stone. All are built from the local pale limestone, sandy-fawn in colour. This is literally the very body of Malta itself, a bare rocky outcrop at the heart of Mediterranean. Malta is naturally blessed with neither trees nor rivers. What it does have in abundance is the soft versatile stone beneath the feet of its inhabitants. In a way this rock sums up Malta and its proud people. The stone has always provided protection and enabled the Maltese to bravely defy overwhelming odds. On a basic level one can look at Valletta’s impregnable walls – walls built for defence in the 16th century. Yet the stone provided a different kind of succour during the second world war. With the island the target of bombing raids night after night for months on end its inhabitants and locals were able to dig down into the very rock of Malta to excavate shelters to protect them from the aerial bombardment. Plus the houses and buildings that were exposed to the blitz were all made of the same stone. Stone smashes, it cracks, it gets beaten to dust. But it doesn’t burn. The lack of wood in Maltese construction prevented the great firestorms that destroyed Coventry or Dresden. Malta’s sturdy construction meant that damage did not spread beyond the point of inpact. Rubble could be cleaned away once the all-clear sounded; Malta could be rebuilt. Malta could endure.

The nation of Malta is essentially a nation of two islands – Malta itself and its smaller northern neighbour Gozo. There are a handful of other islets (Como, Cominotto, Filfla) but Malta and Gozo house the bulk of the population. In fact the island of Malta alone houses the bulk of the population. It is not a big island, around 95 square miles, with a populatuion of around 388,000 (over ten times that of Gozo). As such to me it often seemed to be one big continuous sprawl of towns and villages, particularly spreading out from Valletta itself. Its countryside was limited to strips of fields and vineyards between the towns. But each town had its own imposing domed Catholic church towering over the houses (Malta has 365 churches – practically one for every 1,000 inhabitants). Catholicism is still strong here, supposedly brought to the island when St Paul was shipwrecked here in AD60 and converted its Roman governor. Malta is the only country in Europe where divorce is illegal. Ona more personal level each house seems to have its own nameplaque by the door, often with religiously-inspired names – Ave Marija, Santa Lucija, Annunziata etc. Spotting them is one of the fun things to do do while travelling around the island, as is noticing how, due to the small population, the same names keep on apperaing over and over again – Borg, Zammit, Camilleri, Caruana.

The Maltese language is a fascinating hybrid itself. Their alphabet is full of zs, js, ġs and ħs. Some phrases clearly derive from the same root as Arabic – merħaba (welcome), akbar (great), gebel (hill), halap (milk) and the walled town of Mdina. Yet there is a lot of Italian influence thrown in there too, with ciaos, grazzis and pjazzas abounding. English has left its mark as, surprisingly, has French (bonju and bonswa mean ‘good day’ and ‘good evening’ respectively). The best phrase I overheard was the mind-boggling "ciao alaykum"!

Getting about Malta is a doddle – within certain limits. The public transport network is solely composed of buses, and these bus all commence their journeys from the Floriana terminus outside the main gate to Valletta. A doddle if you want to get to or from Valletta, but if you want to get from somewhere else to another somewhere else it does mean that you will have to change in Floriana. However the buses are absolutely dirt cheap – in general the tickets are around 47 cents. So to get from the airport to Valletta or vice versa would cost €0.47 by bus compared to €15 by taxi. The buses are an experience by themselves anyway, yellow dated charabancs gaudily decorated with model cars, football colours, rosaries and religious exhortations. There is honestly one at least whose front is emblazoned with the statement ‘Only Jesus can Save you’ – not too reassuring when the bus in question is a ricketty old 1960s thing with no seatbelts, no suspension, and not much more in the way of brakes!

Although small Malta has more than enough quirkiness to absorb you for a week or two, even if you do not go anywhere near the resorts along the north-eastern flank of the island. I certainly came away with the feeling that there was more on the island to see – though I admit that I did have a lazily relaxing time on my trip. But I imagine that what I missed will stay there until any future visit of mine. Like the limestone that it is made up of Malta endures, proud and independent, with a charm and tranquility that belies its troubled past.
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Upon its foundation in 1566 the new city was given its name: Humilissima Civitas Valletta, "the Most Humble City of Valletta". From the very beginning however the name was flawed. It was never imagined to be humble. For starters, it took the name of one…Read More

Upon its foundation in 1566 the new city was given its name: Humilissima Civitas Valletta, "the Most Humble City of Valletta". From the very beginning however the name was flawed. It was never imagined to be humble. For starters, it took the name of one man, Jean Parisot de la Vallette. De la Vallette, a French nobleman, was Grand Master of the Military Order of the Knights of St John, a brotherhood of Catholic knights who ruled the islands of Malta and Gozo. He had led the knights in fierce resistance the previous year during the four-month Great Siege of Malta when they found themselves vastly outnumbered by an Ottoman invasion force (30,000 Turks against 700 knights and 8,000 local Maltese irregulars). When, against the odds, the Turkish forces were driven back tribute and treasure flowed into this fly-speck in the Mediterranean from grateful monarchs across Europe. This was used to plan a new capital city for the Knights. The tip of the Xiberras peninsula was walled off, with mighty bastions and formiddable defences. Valletta was to be a fortified redoubt, yes, but the space between the walls, less than a square kilometre in area, was then filled with an elegant grid of streets and squares, with ornate baroque churches and towering baroque palaces. Courtly knights from the aristocratic families of Europe trod its boulevards. In the 19th century Benjamin Disraeli described it as "a city of palaces built by gentlemen for gentlemen". The end result was in no way Humilissima, ‘most humble’; instead it acquired a new moniker: Superbissima - ‘most proud’.

Valletta is a small city. It stretches maybe 1 km to the north-east from the landward Great Ditch to Fort St Elmo at the tip of the peninsula. It is perhaps half-that wide. There is a main spine running for most of its length and the terrain falls away ahead of it and to either side, resulting in a streetscape of long sloping roads and sudden flights of stairs breaking up the route. And everywhere the blue waters of the encircling harbours (the Grand Harbour to the south-east and Marsamxett Harbour to the north-west) can be spotted twinkling beyond the buildings. Yet it packs a fair amount of interest into a small area. The Grand Master’s Palace, headquarters of the Order until Napoleon Bonaparte’s seizure of the island in 1798, still conjures up the majesty of the Knight’s era, though it cannot even attempt to match the extreme ornamentation of the mighty Co-Cathedral of St John with its glittering treasures and surprisingly colourful tombs. These were born of the Knights’ victory against the odds during the 1565 Great Siege. Memories of another triumph against the odds can be found at the National War Museum which chronicles the far-longer siege Malta survived during the Second World War. As a lonely British naval base stranded in the middle of the Mediterranean it held out implausably against the combined navies and air forces of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy from 1940 to 1943. This history of standing up to would-be conquerors is yet another reason for this tiny capital city to be proud.

More than these individual attractions though Valletta is all about its own individual atmosphere. It has a very harmonious air about it. Partly this is because most of the buildings are all constructed from the local fawn-coloured limestone. And partly because it was built within a short space of time. The regular grid of streets was largely devised by just one man, Francesco Laparelli, and many of the churches and palaces situated within it were created by just one other man, Gerolamo Cassar. As such the city is a snap-shot of urban planning and architecture from the second half of the 16th century. Little wonder that UNESCO have inscribed the entire city as a World Heritage Site.

Wandering the streets reveals a typically Maltese environment. Buildings are dotted with box-like enclosed and shuttered balconies. Corners are marked with baroque statues of saints and madonnas. Walls are the original sun-bleached stone. Strollers can climb to the tops of the impregnable encircling walls in many places. Pleasant and tranquil spaces like Hastings Gardens or the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens give enviable views out over the harbours. Yet it has the faded mournfulness of a 1960s British provincial town too, a testament to the 150 years this island was ruled from London. Outside the walls the Floriana bus terminus is crowded with yellow past-their-best British Leyland and Bedford Dominant coaches. The streets are dotted with red pillar postboxes and red phoneboxes. Dated shop signs advertise stores like ‘Amalgamated Haberdashers (est. 1910)’ or ‘Pearl’s Gowns’. The grandest and most modern-looking shop in town is probably the local branch of Marks & Spencers.

A party town Valletta ain’t. The nightlife takes place further up the coast in the resort-towns of Paceville and Sliema. However the city does not necessarily shut down when dusk falls any more either. I was impressed by the number of really good restaurants we were able to find. Plus, once it gets dark we felt that we almost had the city to ourselves. Day-trippers from the resorts had headed back to their hotels. Cruise-party tours ("If it’s Tuesday it must be Malta") had retreated back to their cruiseships for dinner and may have already set off for their next destination. What this means is that rather than basing yourself elsewhere in the island and visiting Valletta for a day it makes sense to base yourself in Valletta and visiting the rest of the island from there. Certainly the hub of Malta’s public transport infrastructure is the Floriana bus terminus. Most routes start and end there, radiating out like the spokes of a wheel. To get from the south of the island to the north one would need to change in Floriana anyway. The buses are an experience by themselves, dated yellow ‘60s throwbacks emblazoned with religious exhortations. They are also dirt cheap. A taxi from the airport to Valletta would cost €15. One of the regular buses costs just €0.47. You can get practically anywhere in the island for under a Euro. The one downside is that the hoteliers of Valletta seem to still have a long way to go to equal the resterateurs.
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As Malta is such a small island you are never too far from the coast. And In the sweltering heat of a Maltese summer that can’t be bad. This island is a great place to visit if you enjoy sightseeing with ease. Buses and…Read More

As Malta is such a small island you are never too far from the coast. And In the sweltering heat of a Maltese summer that can’t be bad. This island is a great place to visit if you enjoy sightseeing with ease. Buses and taxis are easy to use and, as in Malta they drive on the left, this makes things easier for the British, at least.
I have stayed in various Maltese resorts over the years, but whenever I go, and wherever I stay, I always like to take a boat trip of some kind. What better past time on hot afternoon?

Whilst walking around the bustling town of Bugibba, my family and I thought we would like to spend some of the afternoon on a boat but we didn’t want this to be an all-day event.

Boats are to be seen in abundance in Bugibba, so we were spoilt for choice.

We all agreed that we would probably most likely enjoy a speedboat trip. Well, we couldn’t have missed this particular boat with ‘Okey Kokey’ written on it. The boat was quite large and very bright –orange and yellow. Driving the boat is its owner. What a character. Showing of his brown deeply tanned Maltese skin, clothed only in his swim shorts,his dark curly hair way down his back, probably in the same style he has had since a teenager. He seems ageless and fearless. As we stood watching, he called out in his Maltese accent, for us to join his boat trip. He was so insistent that we went.

He helped the ladies onto the boat and kept up banter until he had enough passengers to begin the trip. We were promised a rip around the islands coast, and we would visit caves and the crystal clear waters of the blue lagoon near Comino, a tiny island of the Maltese group.

My daughter, an animal lover, seemed more fascinated by the brown mongrel, dog that seemed to understand his owner’s every word. He would obey commands to move to different parts of the boats. Sometimes he had a swim. The dog appeared unmoved and not at all phased by passengers on the boat who tried to talk to him. He only had ears and eyes for his owner.

I can’t remember how much we paid, but I know it was reasonable compared to other boat trips, and if it had been double the cost then I am sure it would still have provided great value for money.

We left the coast at Bugibba, traveling at speed: skimming across the blue waves of the Mediterranean. At times (I shall call him Okey kokey!) the driver delighted in getting us wet. He laughed as the spray reached us. No matter as it was refreshingly welcomed.
We sped around the coast for a while with Okey pointing out places of interest in the distance, and making c jokes. Any boats that sailed near were subjected to his pretend derision.

When we reached the wonderfully clear waters of the blue lagoon we were invited to swim. He joked that he would come and pick us up later. The water is deep here. Some of the passengers chose to swim.

Then Okey took us as afar as the boat could safely squeeze into several caves. He was quite excited to show some of the weird rock formations that were supposed to look like certain parts of the anatomy.

As we went into an especially dark cave he told us it was infested with bats. I think he lied but we all jumped as he made a bat like squeak (I assume it was close!) I probably jumped the most, being terrified of bats.

We went as far as the island of Comino. Here the water is clear and the sand white. I think it a shame though that this spot has become so popular. When I first visited it many years ago it was idyllic, but now it is difficult to even find a spot to place a towel. We didn’t alight as this was a shorter boat trip than this would have required. Okey did say that he often took parties out to Comino to swim and snorkel for a few hours before returning.

This boat trip is fantastic if you want character and aren’t too serious. I believe Malta is full of character and fun. Okey drove the boat well and gave us a wonderful, memorable trip. He was knowledgeable as well as being entertaining and funny, and never too rude. Everyone found him hilarious. Although we went on this trip as we love a speed boat trip, and wanted to again (It wasn’t our first trip to Malta) see the caves, we were all in agreement that this was more than an ordinary boat trip; it was something special.

The Okey Kokey returned us to Bugibba. Once there we went into a cafe for refreshments before taking a bus back to our hotel at Paradise Bay.
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Malta is a lovely, very friendly island in the Mediterranean sea. The weather is always clement. Even in winter it's mild. Malta is an ideal place to visit all year round due to it's temperate climate, but is especially enjoyable during the Spring, summer and…Read More

Malta is a lovely, very friendly island in the Mediterranean sea. The weather is always clement. Even in winter it's mild. Malta is an ideal place to visit all year round due to it's temperate climate, but is especially enjoyable during the Spring, summer and Autumn.


I have visited this island four times over some years, first as far back as 1975 then in the 1980's, and twice in the last decade. So I have been there as a young teen, one of a newly married couple with the company of another couple, and also twice as a family, taking my youngest two children. I have been self catering three times and catered for once.

The island has changed quite a bit since my first visit, and maybe grown a little too popular. Also, I hear that it has been hit by the recession and some of the quaint little shops have closed.

This country is a great place to take a young family as the Maltese love children and make them welcome in bars and restaurants. It is usual to see Maltese children eating out in restaurants quite late into the evening.

It takes just over three hours to fly here from London. I find the Maltese quite like the British as they have strong ties with us, especially from the second world war when they were awarded the George Cross for their great courage when the island was under seige. If you're into history there's plenty here, going back long before World War 11.

I wouldn't say the food is wonderful but it is varied and influenced by British, Italian and local food. Local food can be a rabbit stew or squid (not for me!) and a vast variety of sea food with swordfish being very popular.

If you want a lively holiday with bars showing international football and karaoke then B'gibba is probably for you. Bear in mind that although it is on the sea front there isn't a beach but many areas where you can access the sea by steps and sunbathe upon flat rocks. It isn't far to get to one of the many small bays and coves around the island as it is so small. I believe about 30 miles across.

Sliema is lively but I didn't really like staying here as it's very built up. If you are missing British shops though you might like to visit. Although it isn't my favourite part of the island it is popular with tourists.

St Julien's is more select but very busy of an evening. This area is mostly popular with young couples and singles, although not by any means comparable with Aiya Napa or Ibiza. Everything is quite small. If you want lots of clubs and riotous times then Malta would be best avoided.

Millieha Bay is ideal for a family as it has a long sandy beach and enough shops and bars for a stroll in the evening. There are some nice hotels here.

Paradise Bay is beautiful. I stayed for two weeks in the Paradise Bay Hotel and had a bay view room, and the view was spectacular. Blue sparkling sea and the occasional sighting of a cruise ship going into port. From this area you can catch the ferry for Gozo (Malta's smaller sister island) or go on a trip to Comino with it's clear waters. It does get crowded in the summer and it's best to go weekdays as the Maltese are out in force on the weekends enjoying their country.

The thing I like best about Malta is that there is a lot to see and do on such a small island and it's so easy to get about. You can go on 30 minute speedboat trips or half or full day cruises. The buses are fun and cheap and you can easily manage without hiring a car.

I find the Maltese language hard to understand as it has been influenced by many invaders of the island. It sometimes seems a little IItalian but it has strong Arabic influences too. It is hard to read and quite different to English. This isn't a problem as most Maltese are fluent in English, as well as other languages.

You can visit Mosta Dome which has it's own story to tell of a bomb dropping on it's dome and bouncing. I won't go into details as if you visit the island you will be told about this often.

And M'dina the silent city is worth a visit too.

Valetta the capital has great charm. It has many shops and much of the shopping area is pedestrianised.Restaurants and bars can be found in abundance. Horse and carriages can be hired to take you around Valetta for a guided tour, but please haggle as the prices start very expensive but they are very competitive. Valetta is beautiful at night and in the amazing fortified harbour you can see the many cruise ships.

My children swam with dolphins in the Marine Park at Sliema. You can book this over the internet before you go, as it does get booked up. You can request to be collected from your hotel and returned later by mini bus or taxi.

During the summer many Festas are held in Malta (Fiestas, saint's days ) and the fireworks are spectacular.The first time I took my children here, as our plane was landing in Luqa airport we could see an explosion of fireworks. What a welcome party!

Malta truly comes alive at night. I have never seen so many lights. Churches, hotels, bars are decorated with colourful lights. It's beautiful and when the fireworks start things get even better.

Well I could go on and on so l'll try to sum up. This island is not to everyone's taste and I can see why. It's landscape is arid and not noted for sandy beaches, although they can be found. Indeed, you wouldn't call the beaches wonderful BUT the sea certainly is.

You should deduct a star from the hotel ratings. There are some super hotels but generally the standard is not as high as in some other Mediterranean resorts.

Malta is varied though and you can go to a bay for watersports or one such as G'uintafea (It's not spelt quite like that!) for large waves or go to Armiier where you can walk a good distance out on smooth sand.

Also, it's only fair to warn you of the smells that can come up as the island's drainage isn't the most modern. But I love it for it's character, it's friendliness, the outstanding views over the med and the blue skies and sunshine.
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Rabat is a word you’ll hear a lot in Malta and its smaller sister island of Gozo. The word is of Semitic derivation and roughly means suburb but is more commonly used to mean a principal town or city; the capital of Morocco is called…Read More

Rabat is a word you’ll hear a lot in Malta and its smaller sister island of Gozo. The word is of Semitic derivation and roughly means suburb but is more commonly used to mean a principal town or city; the capital of Morocco is called Rabat, and on Gozo, the main town of Victoria is less formally known as ‘rabat’. In the centre of the island of Malta, though, is the Rabat that is better known to foreign tourists; Rabat is so called because it was a suburb of Mdina, which was once the capital of Malta.

People mistakenly view Rabat as some less interesting appendage to Mdina; it’s hardly surprising really, because with its impressive fortifications, its magnificent cathedral and plethora of fascinating museums, Mdina is one of the highlights of this little island. A visit to Mdina could easily fill a whole day but, if you have time, it is worth strolling over to Rabat to take a look around and if you have more time, you could visit one of two of its museums.

There are some other advantages to stepping across to Rabat; the cafes and restaurants in Mdina tend to be quite up-market and expensive but there is a wider choice of places in Rabat and they tend to be cheaper and, because there are more of them, less crowded.

We visited on a Sunday, and spent the morning in Mdina and a few hours in the afternoon in Rabat. It was a good day to visit because it gave us an insight into Maltese life that we wouldn’t have seen on a weekday. In spite of only spending a few hours in Rabat we managed to get a good feel for the place. When we arrived the town was quiet but when the main church spilled out the streets took on a lively buzz and the bars and cafes started to fill up. Lots of families were stopping at the baker’s to buy pastries to take home but many people were meeting friends and having a Sunday lunch out.

The main attraction of Rabat is the catacombs. There are two sets of catacombs in the town, those of St Paul and those of St. Agatha. Figuring that one set of catacombs would probably be much like the other, we decided just to visit the catacombs of St Paul which are a two minute walk from the main square. In Roman times it was considered unclean to bury the dead within the city (the city being Mdina of course) so the catacombs were created outside the walls (in Rabat). The catacombs were also used as a secret meeting place by Christians who were not permitted to worship freely until Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Heritage Malta looks after the catacombs but hasn’t really done much to make the place more visitor friendly. There are the obvious drawbacks to something like this – it’s no good for someone with mobility problems or for people who suffer from claustrophobia, for a start, but there’s not much in the way of written information and no guide was present when we visited. Entrance wasn’t expensive but I’d strongly suggest using a guided tour to get the most out of this attraction.

What is much more interesting (and visitor friendly) is the grotto of St. Paul, and the Church of the Shipwreck which is on the main square directly above the grotto. St. Paul is supposed to have taken shelter in this grotto after he and his party of missionaries was shipwrecked on Malta. Sometime during the three months he sheltered here, St. Paul was bitten by a snake, a mishap which did him no harm, prompting locals to declare him a saint. Later he healed the father of Publius, the governor of the island.
This church was built in the seventeenth century and is a very handsome building, internally and externally but it’s most impressive architectural feature must surely be the beautiful dome which has lots of gold ornamentation and exquisite paintings of scenes of Saint Paul in Malta. A silver galley hangs from the ceiling and it was presented to the church in 1960 to commemorate 1,900 years since the shipwreck.

Rabat was an important settlement on Malta during Roman times and the Roman Villa (also known as the Museum of Roman Antiquities) has some features that demonstrate just that. Situated just by the outer walls of Mdina, the museum has some remarkable fragments of mosaic floors which could only have been part of a prosperous house. The mosaics are really beautiful and, having heard how good they were I was not disappointed, but the rest of the museum is not so exciting or interesting – well, certainly not if, like me, you were brought up on a diet of Roman history (school children who live near Hadrian’s Wall get Roman overload). We paid £6 each to enter this museum and didn’t really get our money’s worth.

Having been immersed in history for a whole day we passed on the Wignacourt Museum which in retrospect might have been a more unusual diversion for us Roman foot soldiers. It’s housed in a rather grand baroque palace but it’s also attached to the Church of the Shipwreck by means of an underground tunnel. As well as being home to an extensive exhibition on all manner of things Maltese, including archaeological items, costumes, coins, paintings and loads more, you can also go underground to see a vast Second World War air raid shelter.

Rabat has, over the centuries, attracted several religious orders and there are a handful of monasteries in and around the town. Most are closed to the public but some can be visited by prior arrangement. What you can do, though, is nose over the walls at the lovely grounds as you stroll through the town. There are lots of handsome buildings around the town including a number of baroque palazzos such as Casa Barnard which has the typical studded wooden front door and a fabulous three storey lookout tower.
If you’ve never been to Malta you probably don’t know about the strong brass band tradition; every town has several bands and they draw their members from across the generations. Bands have their own premises, usually with an adjoining bar that is open to the public. It’s great fun to sit with a cold Cisk (the main beer in Malta) listening to the sound of the band rehearsing up stairs. People who didn’t know about this popular pastime usually do by the time they leave. Rabat has a couple of bands, including one that rehearses just opposite the Church of the Shipwreck and if you’re lucky you might get to hear them.

I can’t say I’d rush back to Rabat but it is worth at least an hour to stroll around the streets as an add-on to a visit to Mdina if you have time. There are a handful of diversions though I’d be lying (or at least exaggerating) if I claimed that any were must sees. On the other hand I liked Rabat because of the easy going contrast to Mdina which takes itself rather seriously. Somehow I can’t imagine a brass band being allowed to practice within the walls of "the Silent City".

To get to Rabat/Mdina, take bus 80 or 81 from Valletta bus station.

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Good things come in small packages and Malta is a perfect example. Located in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and Tunisia, the island nation of Malta is smaller than Martha’s Vineyard and has a population of about 400,000 people. But the sites for…Read More

Good things come in small packages and Malta is a perfect example. Located in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and Tunisia, the island nation of Malta is smaller than Martha’s Vineyard and has a population of about 400,000 people. But the sites for the traveler are extensive and impressive.

Our first visit to Malta, and its capital, Valletta, was a year ago, a one-day stop on a cruise ship. As we entered the Grand Harbor, we were smitten, captivated by the golden stone of the fortifications built by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century and we knew we would be back. This year we are staying two weeks which we hope will give us enough time to really get to know the place.

The Knights of St. John were driven out of Rhodes in 1522 and were given a new home, the island of Malta, by Charles V of Spain. They arrived in Malta in 1530 and settled in the fishing village of Birgu on the Grand Harbor. They built the magnificent fortifications on the harbor and Auberges, one for each "langue" (literally, tongue, but meaning nationality) in the village. Their greatest adversary was Suleyman the Magnificent, head of the Ottoman Empire, who attacked them often. The Knights withstood the Great Siege of 1565 and, under Grand Master de la Valette, built a new capital city, Valletta, across the harbor from Birgu. Valletta today, with its churches, palaces, auberges, hospitals, treasuries, and so forth, is a World Heritage Site. The Knights remained until 1798 when they surrendered control to Napoleon.

But the history of the island is much older than the story of the Knights. The earliest inhabitants, thought to have come from Sicily, built farming settlements in 5200-4000 BC. The oldest extant monuments are megalithic temples built between 3600-2500 BC, the oldest surviving freestanding structures in the world. My favorite statues from these temples are the "fat ladies" of Malta, well-endowed fertility figures.

Later invaders were the Phoenicians (800 BC), Carthage (400 BC), Romans (200 BC). In 60 AD St. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta and stayed for three months, converting many of the islanders to Christianity. The Arabs invaded in 870 AD and retained in control until the end of the 11th century when the Normans arrived.

During WWII, Malta, important in the line of defense for the Allies, was bombed for 154 straight days and the islanders were close to starvation and surrender. King George VI awarded the Malta citizens the George Cross for civilian bravery. Malta gained independence in 1964 and became a republic in 1974. Malta is now one of the EU countries and uses the euro as its currency.

With such a history, you can imagine the varied things to see: from the Hypogeum, a three-level underground necropolis, to Caravaggio’s "Beheading of St. John the Baptist" in the Co-Cathedral of St John to the Grand Master’s Palace to the beaches and fishing villages to the Noble City of Mdina and on and on. We also enjoyed a two-day trip over the the island of Gozo where we explored the Citadel in Victoria and the Ggantija Temples.

The Maltese center their lives around Family, Church, and Work. They are quite strict Catholics: even as we were visiting they were debating whether or not to accept divorce. Malta is the only EU country which allows no abortion. They speak an interesting language, Malti, the only Semitic language written in our alphabet, with influences from Italian. Almost everyone also speaks English and many are fluent in Italian.

One of the things that really struck me while we were here is that the air is so clear it seems like I am seeing with new eyes. My husband tells me that it’s because there’s no pollution. We’ve seen no beggars on the streets although there seem to be plenty of young men around during the day.

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