Thank you all for your votes. Malta was a great win; especially as it’s such an affordable, hidden gem to choose a getaway. Just a few hours’ flight away, it’s great for those even with a fear of flights!
My sister and I (and now we’ve dragged my husband into the clan!) love to travel as you know. We’d love to see the world. So how does one pick? Simply have a world map on your wall, close your eyes, and randomly pick a spot. That’s somehow how Malta came about. A great, cheap, local destination to celebrate my brother in laws’ birthday. It wasn’t a “must go to” destination, but certainly a “we’re ticking off another trip off our world list”. And it didn’t disappoint.
If you like a good level of accommodation, then I would advise 5* minimum. Why? Because 5* is affordable out in Malta, but, as we tragically found out, 3* was far below standard. On arrival, I, my now husband, sister and brother in-law had to leave our pre-booked accommodation (we didn’t even last 10 minutes) in search of another hotel. And boy were we glad. Just a straight walk from Sleima to St Julien’s bay, we found Le Meridian (a brand that hubby & I now love, thanks to Malta!). The hotel was absolutely lush and a great way to celebrate my brother in law’s 30th 4 years ago.
Easiest thing is to get the hop-on hop-off bus. Takes you round the whole town. Personally I’d avoid staying in Bugibba – it’s the typical tourist location. St Paul’s Bay or St Julian’s being the best. St Julien’s is also great for a night out. Why not also try horse and carriage when in Valletta, but make sure they drop you back at your destination! Ours dropped us off in a random place we still had to walk back on ourselves to get back to where we started – but isn’t that what makes the adventure fun! Ensure to get the tour bus that takes you across to Gozo. Absolutely picturesque location; great for hubby at the time who had recently started photography and the scenery was great for his shots.
We went in January which had sunshine but still a bit windy, so I was glad to find a drink in my name (you’ll see the picture) to keep me warm from the inside. It’s a great place to relax but enough sightseeing to do also. And off course, enjoy the food, if you’re a foodie like me (I think there’s a pic that might just give that away!)
My highlight was the Popeye village. If you’re an 80’s child and watched Popeye the sailor man, you’d be excited too! And being a Christian, the most random thing that stuck in my mind was the numerous stories about St Paul being shipwrecked on the island (yes, it’s usually the weird stuff we remember!)
For our travellers, let google be your friend. Once our holidays are booked, I simply go to google to check top 10 things to do in that location, and then create my own to-do list from what tickles my fancy. For tours that would get booked quickly, I go to viator to pre-book tickets so I’m all prepared on arrival.
Enjoy our pictures and forgive my husband for defiling mini!
T&T Consultancy 