After a 20 month hiatus from International travel, I finally decided it was well and truly time to get back out there. Malta appeared a safe and convenient option, and as well as having never been, there’s the appeal of Mediterranean food, a promise of sunshine, renowned architecture, and historic sites. It was a no-brainer. Oh yeah, they were also on the “Green list” ( something that in a few years time, many may well have forgotten, but I doubt everyone will have )
Arriving at Luqa Airport after 7 pm, I caught my shuttle to my hotel in Sliema without issues, but upon arrival, the receptionist tried to assign me to a two-person room under the name of Juan. Now number one, I am one person, secondly; he knew my name definitely is not Juan (he had seen my passport by this stage and taken payment from my credit card which clearly displays my name) and for three I don’t look even remotely male. I put the check-in card for him to see against his protective perspex shield, upon which I didn’t realize was unstable and it fell on him. Great start. I was mortified. He must have thought, oh boy, this one is trouble. This isn’t entirely a misnomer but I’m certainly not out to hurt anyone.
So the first need after getting the correct room and dumping my bags: food. I had bookmarked some venues near my hotel but decided as it was a Saturday night, to just take a wander around and find something. I coincidentally stumbled across one of those bookmarked venues: Il-Merill Restaurant (Triq San Vincenz, Tas-Sliema). Soooo worthwhile the visit! I had the traditional rabbit stew, vegetables, and a half bottle of dry Malta wine – they don’t mind you taking away residual wine and water. It’s a tiny little place (i.e. book ahead!) and I met the owner afterward, we chatted about how hard it had been during the pandemic but he had stuck it out, taken care of his staff, and occupied himself with redecorating the restaurant – which has a rather intriguing assortment of old cameras and charming clocks that go ping at all different times.
Frankly, Malta is a really amazing place. The architecture is just incredible. The impressive Fort St Angelo is worthy of a couple of hours wandering around. Featuring immersive presentations on the history, the battles, and the importance of Malta for control of the Mediterranean.
My first day there included a hammam at the Intercontinental – and it was well worth the visit – something to note is that there is a rooftop oasis with a large pool and deck chairs.
It is easy to catch the ferry to Valletta, followed by a free shuttle bus over to the next ferry for the Three Cities. However one can walk in the same time that the shuttle bus takes – I confirmed this on the return journey. If you buy a return ferry ticket all the way from Sliema to the Three Cities it is only 5€. A large chunk of Sunday was spent exploring the very impressive Fort St Angelo. Adult tickets are 10€, with the option for tickets to include the inquisition palace and another museum, but having seen a medieval torture museum in Italy, and finding that awfully gruesome, I passed on that “opportunity”.
Monday included an interesting guided walking tour around Valletta, being introduced to the history, culture, and poignant places of value. Our guide highly recommended visiting St John’s Co-Cathedral. From the outside, it would be very easy to pass by, however, once you enter this baroque overload of glory slaps you in the face like a hot day. Oh My Lord. Never seen anything so spectacular! These guys really went overboard and swam to the next country. Not even the floor misses out – covered in ornate marble to signify the Knights of St John.
I hired a quad bike to head around Gozo – the best way to explore this beautiful little spot. After walking around picturesque Victoria, I biked over to Xlendi and enjoyed lunch watching the waves crash in. A visit to Gozo is not complete without seeing the Ramla Bay beach – known for its red sand and enjoy a dip in the ocean.
I had prebooked a catamaran day trip which was very relaxing and visited the Blue Lagoon and caves. I was surprised though to have arrived almost an hour early, yet people were already lined up to board – and it was obvious why – the best seats are for the taking for the early birds.
I think the best time to visit the Mediterranean is outside of full summer – it’s a little cheaper, but you’ll have enough warmth to swim in the ocean but not melt in the sun.
So for getting around, install the app: Bolt – it’s exactly like Uber (my hotel applied a 15€ surcharge to call a cab – something I did not take up). Buses are cheap – 2€ for 2 hours – and I think you can get even better prices with a travel card. Quad biking – excellent around Gozo – see Daniel at Gozo Quad Rentals. And a visit to Malta isn’t complete without at least one or five ferry rides!