Malta is a country that I wanted to visit ever since I watched a music video. It's limestone cliffs and clear water was calling to me and it has been on my bucket list every since. So I was over the moon when me and my kids landed in Luqa Airport in this beautiful country! And it did not disappoint (except the public transport).
Malta is an island located between Italy and Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of 3 islands - Malta, Gozo and Comino. The island doesn't have a railway system and you can bus it literally anywhere on the island. That is how small the main island of Malta is. However, despite it's small size, it is absolutely stunning and each area offers something different. You can go hiking anywhere and never be disappointed by the views. There are beaches everywhere and can snorkel anywhere and see beautiful sea life! However, beware of jellyfishes. We didn't see any but it can be a big problem, I hear. It's literally a piece of heaven for nature lovers.
Most of the attractions do not need to be booked in advance except the Hypogeum which sells out weeks in advance. The best attractions can be booked via https://heritagemalta.mt/. As mentioned, we used buses to get everywhere and the buses had great connection. We used the Explorer card which allowed us to use it for a week and worked out cheaper for us. We downloaded the Tallinja app which was very useful to know the buses to get to whatever destinations we needed to go. The buses however do not run on time, even if the app says so! That is the only hindrance to our trip. Uber and Bolt are quicker ways to get around the country. The country is extremely affordable and cheaper than spending in the UK so you definitely get your money' worth. We stayed at an Airbnb in St Paul's Bay at the north of the country and away from the popular places, as we like it. Eating out was great with great choices! There are no specific Maltese cuisine except Pastizzis which are basically sandwiches. The people are nice. One thing which surprised us was by the amount of Indian people which we were not expecting! This is the 2nd country, outside India, after the UK where I've seen this number of Indians! We went in April and the weather was in the mid-20s with always a slight breeze! English is one of the national languages of Malta alongside Maltese.
Here's what we have done in the 6 days we've been there and seen the whole country including the islands. Do bear in mind, we only did what we wanted to see and do. We only did unusual things as detailed below.
1. South of the Island - Birzebugga. Not too far from the airport, we headed south to enjoy Pretty Bay witH beautiful view of the beach and harbour while munching on really good food in one of the restaurants right by the beach. We then decided to hike to Ghar-ir-Rih with the stunning cave overlooking the sea. The cave itself is quite hard to find but thanks to youtube, I was able to find. The views was absolutely worth it! On the way to Birzebugga, there's the Ghar Dalam cave as well as the Playmobil Funpark for the younger kids.
2. West Coast - Valetta and The 3 cities. There's so much to see and do with its many museums and art galleries. We did an Underground tour of Valetta which I highly recommend. The tour was in English he literally took us underground to learn about the history of Malta and takes us through WW2 tunnels were civilians took cover. Did you know Malta was the heaviest bombed country during WW2 and that until 1964, it was under the reign of the UK? Do wear suitable shoes as it foes get slipppery. You will be provided with helmets and light. Next, we went to the Grand Master's Palace which is where the current President's Office and was built by the 'founders' of Valetta. The ceilings were what caught my eye. Next to the palace is the National Library which is free to visit. We then walked to Fort Elmo which had significant history going all the way back to Ottoman Empire. The walk was up and down hills but again so do take care. After Fort Elmo we then visited both the Lower and Upper Barakka Gardens with amazing views over The 3 cities. You can take the ferry to the 3 cities and visit Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua by foot.
3. North of Island - Melliaha. There were 2 hikes that you could do. The Xemxija Heritage Trail in Xemji with its roman ruins amongst other things. The Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park overlooking the sea. You can start at Popeye Village which is where the Popeye movie was filmed and well worth a visit with all the different activities your can do. There's a water park which only opens during the summer time. There are also lots of character interactions. The trail will lead you to Golden Sands Bay which is another gorgeous beach. However, it is the busiest beach we have visited as it's very popular with the tourists. However, if you swim further out, which is safe if you are confident swimmer, it is much quieter and best for snorkelling. It was tiring day but I cannot tell you in words how beautiful views were and how calming it was to swim in the clear waters.
We stayed in St Paul's Bay so aprt from the beaches there was the Salina nature reserve and Bird Park (beware of the smell) and the National Aquarium. There was a water park but it only opens during the summer season.
4. East Coast - Mdina and Rabat. The ancient city of Mdina is a must-see. People still live in the Old City. We visited the Mdina Dungeon exploring the dark history of crime and punishment in Malta. We also visited St Paul's catacombs which was a bit eerie. We also spent a small fortune on tasting Maltese snacks which were all yum. There were other catacombs too but this one was the biggest and most complex one. We then took the bus to Dinghi Cliff which was on my bucket list. You can do a 2hour hike from Dinghi Cliffs to the Blue Grotto via Ghar Lapis (a great swimming spot) and Hagar Dim (which is a pre-historic site - fascinating by the way! It is 2 different sites and I find it fascinating how they can build such amazing temples with limited tools but great imagination and skills!) Blue Grotto is like the many other Blue Grottos you have heard however it is cheap. You can't book in advance. You will have to pay in cash for a boat trup which doesn't take long and the rides only run between 9.30-4pm during good weather conditions. Unfortunately, the day we picked was rainy and windy so couldn't do the trip but there's a viewpoint you can see the stunning arch of the grotto.
5. Gozo - The 2nd biggest island has so muchto offer. You can take a sightseeing tour bus which will take you through all the main attractions of the island. You can take a ferry from Malta to Gozo either from Valetta or Cirkewwa and do a day trip if your time is limited. We visited the Salt Pans of Xwejni. We also visited Ta'Pinu Church which is beautoful with it's mosaic depictions. I also love the place where it is overlooking verdant, lush valleys. There are pilgrimages that happen at this church too. Victoria is the capital and so much to do for free such as the Citadel and the Gunpowder Magazines. There are also caves and Azure Window that I wanted to do but didn't have time to do unfortunately.
6. Comino - The smallest of the 3 islands and only inhabited by 2 people (yes, only 2!!!), it was stunning with its many majestic sea caves, hiking trails and of course the Blue Lagoon. The only way to get to Comino was through private ferry. You can easily spend a day there. When researching about the island, I saw there was the Santa Marija Tower and also an abandoned hospital which made up its own hike hence headed there. I cannot describe the view or the colour of the water. We also saw lots of lizards which made Mahi was excited about. You are not permitted to enter the abandoned hospital and it looked very creepy with beds and mattresses thrown around, It also used to be a school so you saw desks too. You can climb the Santa Marija Tower and overlook the island. Lots of hisotry behind these 2 places. The Blue Lagoon was very busy wit tourists and boats so we walked somewhere quieter in the island to do swimming and cliff jumping. Again, lots of snorkelling too.
So this was our trip and we loved every minute of it. We needed the sun and hot weather as well as being amongst nature and Malta didn't disappoint. We packed swimming suits wherever we went if the temptation of jumping in the turqoise water was too tempting which was through most of the trip! You won't regret it!
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