Malta - Observations

More than one guide book mentions the fact that Malta is the sort of place that tourists will either love or hate. Well – we loved it. True, if a sandy beach is all you crave for then you might wish to settle for the Costa del Sol. However, there is a lot to see and do in Malta. Here are some general observations:

-  Friendly and hospital people who are pro British and passionate about UK football teams
-  Anyone from Britain should feel at home here
- The telephone boxes and post boxes might look familiar
-  They drive on the left – hurrah
- English spoken by almost everyone
- Old people looked after and respected ( younger folk give up their seat on the bus for the elders – we used to do that in the UK once – remember? )
- UK plugs and sockets
- You can buy a Mr Whippy ice cream
- Excellent cuisine and some good Maltese pastries
- Civilised, relaxed and laid back atmosphere
- The Yellow buses – an unforgettable experience
- You can get a Mc Donalds, a Turkish kebab, a Chinese take away, shop at M&S, Doroth Perkins or Boots and a host of familiar trappings that will make you feel at home.

Bad Points
We will try and think of some.........
You could do a lot worse than Malta. Give the Maltese your holiday money this year. You won’t be disappointed.

For more photographs of Malta click here or view on  You Tube

Malta - General Interest

Police
There is very little crime Malta compared to that of most European cities. The police are called Pulizija and dress similarly to the British Police. Other than the obvious precautions with regard to leaving valuables around and not making yourself a target for pickpockets, Malta is a delight and visitors will feel quite safe here.

Ancient Temples & Historic Sites

Hagar Qim – Copper age temple built around 2700 BC. The site is close to the sea near Qrendi and was first excavated in 1839. There are two sites here, one better preserved than the other due to its location. The stone structures are thought to have been designed around a fertility based religion and small carved large female figures in stone have been found at both sites.

Hal-Saflieni – This is basically a complex of underground temples built around 3000 BC. It was discovered in 1902 and consists of three levels of catacombs which reach a depth of around 11m underground. Human remains, various artefacts and vases were found here. It’s location is in Paola and it is not that far from the Tarxien Temples.

Tarxien Temples – The oldest temple here is about 6,000 years old. These Neolithic Temples contained many remains and evidence of the Tarxien period. The site comprises of 4 temple units around a courtyard. Evidence of Bronze Age settlers has been found here.

St Paul’s and St Agatha’s Catacombs - are a labyrinth of tombs under Rabat. They date back to the 12th century.

Malta - Craft Village at Ta’ Qali

At first sight Malta does not appear to have much in the way of unique crafts and locally produced giftware. However, there is actually a thriving industry in gift shops and giftware and much of it is produced locally.

Some of the glassware is unique and of Maltese design and at the Craft Village at Ta’Qali a company called Heritage Homes Ltd produce some very intricate hand-made and hand-painted miniature buildings.

The craft village is situated on an old British military airfield and the Second World War Nissen huts have been converted into shops and workshops. The Malta Aviation Museum is situated here.

Malta - Countryside

Malta does grow its own fruit and vegetables although sadly farming is on the decline. Typically a Maltese farmer will grow potatoes and sell them at a premium to countries like Holland and then use the profit to import fruit and vegetable from Italy.

Water is actually more plentiful than one might imagine for such a small island with a large population. This is due to the fact that Malta has invested heavily in de-salination plants which enables the island to be self sufficient in terms of its water requirements.

Travelling around the various towns and villages a visitor will notice a fair number of vacant, often dilapidated properties. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, peppercorn rental rates which have been inherited provide no incentive for landlords to renovate or improve the properties. Secondly, in the case of vacant or neglected buildings there is often an inheritance issue where owners working overseas or with extended families have yet to traced.

In the case of The White Rocks Holiday Complex, an ex British army residential complex, the situation is less clear. Abandoned and derelict it blights the landscape and acts as a dumping ground for refuse and fly tipping.

Malta is very green in April as the photos in our gallery clearly illustrate. It is obviously much drier and significantly less green in the height of the summer.

Malta - Coastal Resorts

St Paul’s Bay
Once a small fishing port this is now a popular tourist destination. The cafe bars, restaurants and pleasant views over  the bay make it quite a delightful location to spend your holiday time. The popular resorts of Qawra and Bugibba are close by.

Mellieha
If you like beaches then you will like Mellieha, home of one of the few sandy beaches in Malta. There is also a bird sanctuary in Melliaha – The Ghadira Nature Reserve.

Anchor Bay
This is known for its film set village used in the making of the film Popeye by the film director Robert Altman. After the filming it was turned into a fun park.

Golden Bay
There is a good beach here and although it is quite small it is very popular with tourists during the summer months.

Paradise Bay
From here you can take the ferry to the Island of Gozo and a pleasure boat to Comino. Had we spent more than a week in Malt we would probably have taken the trip across the short stretch of water but unfortunately we ran out of time.   

Malta - Mosta

Mosta is well and truly on the tourist route as a result of St Mary’s Church and the Cathedral Museum.

Almost the centre of Malta, the church features the third largest dome of any church or cathedral in Europe, surpassed by only those in Rome and London. On the scale of historic buildings it hardly qualifies since it is fairly recent, having been built over an existing church and consecrated in 1871.

Malta - Mdina & Rabat

No visit to Malta would be complete without a trip to Mdina and Rabat. Although situated inland, this was originally the capital of Malta before Valletta.

There are many buildings of significance in Rabat including the Museum of Roman Antiquities. Tourists can take a 20 minute motor train ride around the walled city of Mdina. The running commentary provides interesting information about its historic past in addition to pointing out the main landmarks along the journey.

Under Arab rule the city of Melita, as it was then called, was divided in two with Mdina becoming the walled and protected city that we see today and Rabat as part of the unprotected suburbs. This small city is truly magnificent with its stunning architecture, small backstreets and historic heritage.

Malta - Dingli Cliffs

The highest point in Malta are the Dingli Cliffs at 250 metres. Panoramic views of the sea and the uninhabited island of Filfla provide a spectacular vantage point on a clear summer’s day. Nearby you can visit the Verdala Palace ( closed to the public ) which is used by the president for official visits and heads of state.

Buskett Gardens which surround the palace is the only forest area in Malta. It is very popular with locals in the summer months, especially at weekends.


 

Malta - Blue Grotto

This is a popular tourist attraction. Essentially this is a deep sea cavern with an intense blue sea. It can be viewed from the cliffs or by taking a boat trip from the foot of the cliffs. 

Give yourself plenty of time in the summer months as judging by the number of boats this is a busy place in the height of the season.

Masaxlokk

Essentially this is a picturesque harbour and fishing village where you will see the highest concentration of fishing boats in Malta. The Sunday market is well worth a visit and fresh fish is in abundance here.

Look closely at the local fishing boats ( the Luzzu ) and you will see that they are protected with eyes on the bow of the boats, believed to protect the boats from danger.

The Church of Our Lady of Pompei is another fine example of one of Malta’s churches.  

Malta - Valletta

Valletta is a walled city with impressive ramparts on a grand scale. It was one of the most advanced defensive systems of the 15th century and one of Europe’s first planned cities. Visitors to Valletta enter via the city gate and its large round bus station and majestic Triton Fountain.

Upper and lower Barracca Gardens provide spectacular views of one of the most beautiful deep water harbours in the world. At noon each day the row of cannons known as the Saluting Battery fire a single salute in keeping with tradition.

Take a stroll down Republic Street. If you follow it all the way through to the end you will find yourself at Fort Elmo. You will have witnessed some fine buildings, monuments, churches and the Grand Master’s Palace with its Armoury and State Rooms. The Palace was originally built in 1569 and is now home to Malta’s Parliament. Check opening times as visitors are not allowed while Parliament is sitting.

In Valletta you must visit the Aberge de Castille, first built in 1574. It is now the prime minister’s residence and an ornate example of fine architecture. Other impressive structures and places of interest might include the National Archaeological Museum, The National Museum of Fine Arts, St John’s Co-Cathedral, The National Library in Republic Square ( overlooked by a statue of Queen Victoria ) and the Church of our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Publius in Floriana.

Fort Elmo, built in 1551 to defend the island against the Turks, now houses the Police Academy, The National War Museum and the Malta Experience. The National War Museum presents the history of Malta through two world wars and illustrates the hardships and bravery of the Maltese in the Second World War.

The Maltese loyalty and support of the British prompted  King George VI to award the whole island , in recognition of their suffering ( almost 4 times as many bombs fell on Malta as they did on London during the war ), the St George’s Cross for bravery. It is the only nation to have ever been granted this prestigious award.

Around the vicinity of Valetta, the shops of Sliema, with its harbour and expensive apartments, link up to the old fishing village of St Julian’s and the residential and commercial district of Paceville where the most concentrated and active night life of Malta can be found.

The tall Portomaso Tower dominates the skyline here. It features offices, shops and a conference centre.

Across from Valetta and the Grand Harbour are the three cities – Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. Fort  St Angelo and Fort Ricosoli are visible reminders of the significant efforts that have gone into the fortification of Malta over the centuries. At Senglea the hexagonal watch tower is a popular attraction with panoramic views of the Grand Harbour.

For those using the yellow buses and arriving at Sliema, there is a tour around the city by boat or a direct ferry to Valletta across the short stretch of water from Sliema.


       

Malta - Getting Around

Almost the minute you set foot outside you will be subject to the street hawkers intent on selling you tours, timeshares or car hire. On a commission, they will try and get you interested in other hotels and future package holidays with approaches that are ingenious, often seemingly helpful , but never without an ulterior motive. The worst of it is they are all from the UK and not Maltese.

We found the best way to deal with them was to not engage in any kind of conversation at all. With your best dodgy French or Italian accent you can shrug, mutter ‘non comprende’, and smile like the village idiot and they will leave you alone – it works a treat!

Car hire is cheap. However, the buses are even cheaper and extremely reliable despite their age. They cover almost every part of the island. Wherever you are staying, head straight for the nearest bus terminal and get your free Bus Router Map or visit www.atp.com.mt

The Public Transport buses are yellow with an orange stripe, not to be confused with the double decker tour buses that cover the island but which cost a lot more.  They operate a walk on – walk off day ticket service at 14 Euro per day with running commentary and guides.

Although the yellow buses are often old and cranky, some of them being over 50 years old, it is of our opinion that there is no better way to see Malta and get around the island. A weekly bus pass for the whole island costs only 14 Euro for unlimited use. This represents incredible value for money for what must be one of the most reliable and frequent bus services in Europe.

Taxis are actually harder to find in Malta. You really need to phone for a pick up or know where the few and far between taxi ranks operate from. They are not cheap either.

Malta is basically a rock rising steeply out of the sea so don’t expect lots of sandy beaches. There are a few – but not many. The water is a beautiful turquoise and crystal clear blue and very clean in most places of the island.

All across Malta you will find solid square fort towers along the coastline, evidence of a more turbulent past. Many of these were built in the 1600’s.

Another common sight are the large cactus plants with threateningly sharp thorns, often grown and used to make enclosures in gardens and rural areas. The fruit from these plants is a delicacy and the Prickly Pear Liquor on sale from off licences is made from this fruit. In the Autumn much of the fruit is lost to passers by who can’t resist the temptation to sample its tasty treasures.

Malta is a mixture of new and old. There are many impressive buildings in Malta and a host of delightful Roman Catholic churches. The architecture is a photographers delight and the sheer scale of some of the old defences in Valetta and Mdina will take your breath away.

Malta - Introduction

Introduction
This guide is not intended to provide an in depth review of Malta or any accommodation on the island. It is based purely on observations and the experience of a one week stay in self catering accommodation in April 2009. The views of the author are not necessarily the views of Birmingham UK Com and the information provided is intended for recreational purposes only.

White Dolphin Apartments, Qawra
Good value for money and reasonably well equipped self catering units with a small swimming pool and bar / restaurant facilities. The establishment has friendly staff and is ideal as a base for those that will be spending the majority of their time exploring the island of Malta.

The White Dolphin Apartments do have a small swimming pool, cafe / restaurant with outside tables, a games room and indoor leisure room. There is a separate charge for the use of a TV, safe deposit boxes and air-conditioning .

We visited in April so were unable to use the pool. It was clean and well kept but the sun only shines on the courtyard in the mornings so in the afternoon your balcony and pool area are in the shade.
The hot water is by means of an immersion tank and the water can get very hot so be careful if you have children. Children will also need to be supervised around the pool area. Despite the notices requesting guests to be quiet after 11 pm there are inevitably the selfish few who will keep you awake later than you might have liked.

Malta in Brief
Malta is a republic. It is part of the EU and has strong cultural ties with the UK. Malta is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The island is approx 90km from  Sicily with a population of around 400,000. It is the most densely populated place in Europe.

Malta has a rich heritage due to the fact that it has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, French, and more recently the British.

Malta became developed under the Order of the Knights of St John. The fine palaces, churches and impressive fortifications make this an unique Mediterranean experience.

Official languages are English and Maltese although Italian was the language of the knights and is still reasonably common today. Most of the signage is in English and almost everyone speaks English – often better than many English people do!

The plug sockets are UK standard so no travel adaptors are needed here. The locals are extremely friendly and helpful and there is a general laid-back atmosphere typical of many Mediterranean resorts.

Hopefully you didn’t come to Malta for the shopping, since almost everything is similar to what you can find in the UK, aside from the usual tourist souvenirs of course. With the exchange rate of the Euro almost on a par with UK sterling, prices in Malta, particularly food, are about 30% more expensive.

However, don’t let this put you off. Malta is still a very good destination for a reasonably priced holiday abroad and during the latter part of 2008 / early 2009, the £ has lost its value in most other countries too.