Malta Islands (Gozo, Comino, Malta)
Overview
** MALTA ISLANDS (GOZO, COMINO, MALTA) TOURS **
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We did one day in Valleta, Malta in August 2019. It is beautiful. We visited a filigree jeweler, which is quite interesting to see. A glass blowing factory. Several neighborhoods. A winery, which is one of their exports and it was quite good. A beach, which had the clearest blue waters. St. John’s Co-Cathedral, where you do need to cover up to enter. What is interesting in the church is the fact that tombs are under the tiles, so you’re walking around on top of tombs. It is right on the water. Lots of Game of Thrones scenes if you’re in to that. Its a small island, so you can get a lot in, in a day, but I’d go back. The food is the only thing that isn’t very memorable to me.
If you are looking for warm weather, crystal clear waters, picturesque villages and an incredible medieval history Malta is a perfect destination.
Right between southner Europe and North Africa, Malta has all the assets for a relaxing and historic stay.
They don’t have a lot of sandy beaches but around the Golden Bay area you can definitely find some nice sandy spots (Ghajn Tuffieha on the northwest coast of Malta).
You need to plan some snorkeling activities in Comino, Crystal Lagoon and Blue Lagoon. Absolutely stunning !! I recommend http://www.luzzucruises.com they have a very nice, clean and safe catamaran (glass bottom boat ). We did the day cruise for under $ 40.
Valletta is nice to visit but I would not recommend staying there, it is very very small, crowded and a full day trip is more than sufficient unless you want to visit all the museums. For historical and cultural tours plan your visits with http://www.robertarrigo.com, they have great guides and programs.
For accommodation, it depends on your budget. We choose comfort in the Dolmen hotel (4 *) very well located in Burgibba. The central bus station is 3 minutes from the hotel. From there you can easily reach the whole island by bus, taxi or boat.
The food is very similar to Italian cuisine, this is the right place to enjoy fresh seafood (cheap and well served).
Travel while black was great, remember Africa is not very far :)
A week is enough to visit Malta and Gozo the sister Island. For more info/ pics & vidéo check my insta @nandieeheart
I celebrated my Birthday this past September in Malta. It was one of the countries that was open for travel without any covid restrictions. Having known a couple of people that have visited and raved so much about it, I quickly added it to my bucket list. The city has an active night life for those that are looking to party, however after our evening dinners my friend and I enjoyed drinks and Hookah.
Airport: Malta International Airport (about 30 minutes from St. Julian’s (20 Euro)
Where I stayed: Hugo’s Boutique Hotel. This hotel is an Adult’s only, centrally located as well as affordable. It also has a rooftop pool and bar area.
Currency: Euro
Language: Maltese and English (there was never a language barrier)
Getting around: Taxi or City bus. It was fairly reasonable taking a taxi to most places
Top things to do: Blue Lagoon, If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you have to see where King’s Landing was filmed. The boat trips are a must and just walking along the city.
If you’re thinking about planning a trip I would advise going when the weather is warm so you can take advantage of the boat trips. Even in the latter part of September it was still warm and enjoyable. The people are extremely friendly and because many black British people travel there for holiday, they are use to seeing people of color.
Bottom line up front: Malta is lit!!!!
Getting around: I rented a car. You can anywhere you want in less than 30 min. The island is very small and the traffic is manageable.
Valetta: Easy to walk around and explore. I highly recommend checking out the Saluting Battery when they fire the artillery cannons.
Nightlife: Paceville! It is a bit ratchet but there are also some chill bars away from all the hoopla.
Adventure: St. Peters Pool for some rock jumping was very awesome. The crowd is very young and energetic. I was able to fly my drone with any issues and got some pretty good shots.
Highlight: Blue Lagoon on Comino. This place was very cool. The ferry ride was $10 or $20 roundtrip if I remember correctly. The crowd is large but it is a fun time. You can do a little bit of trekking or just chill under an umbrella amongst the huge drove of folks near the water.
Historical: Mdina is the called the quiet city and the former capital. I highly recommend making a visit and walking around. i was lucky enough to be present during the filming of a Bollywood movie.
The Dingli Cliffs offer an amazing view of the sunset. An absolute must. I had a fun time flying my drone around the cliffs.
Traveling while Black: I did not encounter any problems. There were no other blacks around but I had no issues during my trip. The level of customer service was on par with everyone around me.
During my trip to Malta my mom and I stayed in Buggiba in a hotel called Hotel Santana, the hotel was very well placed (only 1mn walk to the bus stop where buses take you anywhere) the staff were very kind. 7mns away there was restaurants and the sea. My mom and I visited the Upper Barraka Gardens, Gozo and Comino Island as well as few shopping center and it was so beautiful with very friendly people. Malta is a very small place tho so I wouldn’t recommend to travel there too long. Activities and food were not too expensive, I highly recommend!
I visited Malta in November, and the weather was perfect.
I went here on a solo trip and felt very safe. I didn’t have any problems travelling alone.
I stayed in Melleiha, it felt like it was off the grid and took ages to travel to the main city but i loved it there. If you want to calm and quiet place to stay i’d recommend this area.
I also stayed in Ramla Bay hotel which was very pretty. It had a perfect view of the ocean and comino island. The balcony and apartment was lovely and big.
When i landed in Malta i felt as though i’d stepped back in time. The buildings had a very ancient feel to them. Make sure you visit Valetta, Comino Islands and Three cities.
I loved every single thing about Malta. It is truly a hidden Gem. There was so much beauty here. I loved it so so much. I had the best host in the world on Couch Surfing and it was incredible. I reccomend that you go to GOZO. It was amazing. I had no problems while I was there. I went to Gugar restaurant to eat and they had a lot of healthy meals to eat.
Malta is a currently coming up. It’s still being established and built. It’s really affordable and beautiful. Down side is too many racist foreigners who work there. The locals are not racist, it’s the foreigners who work there who are so behind and very racist. Especially Germans and Russians.
“In the 1500s, the Knights of Malta turned their attention to increasing the defense infrastructure of the islands – and these fortifications can still be found all over Malta and Gozo.
All of these former inhabitants left their mark on modern-day Malta – and it’s this mix that made me fall (hopelessly, head over heels) in love with the country during my time there.
“What I loved about Malta was that it can be exactly what you want it to be. Looking for history and culture? You can use Valletta as your base and tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient temples and medieval forts. You want beaches and relaxation? Stay in Sliema or St Julian’s and enjoy the ocean, take a sailing trip to the Blue Grotto or the Blue Lagoon. You want culinary revelations and shopping? There are loads of great restaurants and shopping facilities to keep you busy for at least a week!”
Malta wasn’t short of things to do, as it’s a small island, everything can be done in a few days or scattered over a week.
We stayed in St Julian’s and was able to get a bus to all the main places from our hotel. Mdina and Rafat were our personal favourite places in Malta, the streets were so pretty and picturesque, it’s genuinely hypnotising. The people in these areas were also really friendly and smiley, people kept stopping to wave and say hello and I couldn’t work out whether they’ve never seen black people before or whether they were just really nice, but it seemed to be just us who got the greetings! Nonetheless, Maltese people are incredibly friendly and polite regardless, compared to other places I’ve visited.
The blue lagoon was a little underwhelming, it’s been ruined by tourists and honestly I wouldn’t waste your time going there, instead get a boat trip from Marsaxlokk and see St Peters Pool and the surrounding bays. Then enjoy some seafood from one of the restaurants in Malta’s fishing district.
Valletta and Sielma are stunning cities, and amazing for those who love to shop. Malta is home to some of the most amazing beaches and there’s so many to choose from, our personal favourite was Meliha, it’s a little far out from St Julian’s, but worth the bus journey.
The rest of Malta is incredibly peaceful and historical, and if you’re looking for night life, go to Paceville St Julian’s, we didn’t realise how close our hotel was to Paceville and is perfect because we love to eat late! But there’s a lot to choose from, lots of clubs and bars that we didn’t go to, but looked very busy. There’s a few shisha lounges and restaurants that are open til as late as 4am, so you really have so much to choose from.
One thing I would bare in mind with Paceville, there are lots of working girls on the strip, many of which are Nigerian women who unfortunately, liked to pick a fight with black female tourists. Maybe we were just unlucky, but I’ve heard from other Black British female tourists that they had experienced a firm cussing from some of them. So bare that in mind!
Overall, Malta was a stunning place, with lots to see and do. I definitely recommend doing a day trip to Gozo if you get the chance. Locals are very friendly and willing to help you, as well as English being widely spoken throughout the island, which is always helpful! Definitely make your next trip to Malta, because this was one of my favourite places I’ve visited so far.
As a world traveler, when visiting any country, my goal is to see and do as much as I possibly can, and that includes day trips to neighbouring countries or sister islands.
On a very spontaneous trip to Malta in April 2018, not only did I learn that Malta was pretty much off the north-east tip of Africa, but also that the country of Malta were a 3-sister country. I had NO idea!….actually I new nothing about Malta prior to visiting. Little did I know that I’d be on a 31hr trek to paradise.
The island of Malta which is the largest of the 3 islands is densely dotted with narrow, meandering streets, beautifully adorned with bright coloured flowers and is any photographer’s dream. There is no shortage of churches/ cathedrals/sanctuaries and beautiful, immaculately built baroque style buildings. This mythical Mediterranean island has warm temps all year round but for some reason, at nights, temps fell to the high 40s to mid-50s but the days were bright, sunny and enjoyable.
Getting around in Malta is a breeze as there is a reliable, public bus service. Depending on the duration of your stay, purchasing day or weekly bus passes work out a lot cheaper than purchasing a pass for every trip.
Malta is an island and geographically located very close to Africa and Italy so it goes without saying that there is quite an interesting and varied mix of cuisine, fresh seafood and land-based meat. Traditional Maltese food is seasonal but you are guaranteed to find rabbit stew and some form of sheep or lamb on any menu. I’m quite the foodie and will try most foods, but didn’t feel adventurous enough to try rabbit on this trip. The whole idea of eating a bunny isn’t very appealing to me. If you’re a wino like myself, there is also a great variety of Maltese wines. Although not renowned like it’s neighbour Italy, Maltese wines are still something to talk about.
Speaking of talking, the two official languages of Malta are English and Maltese. Maltese is quite a unique language (at least in my mind).
A few quick facts and history about Malta– Mdina (pronounced Em-dina) is called the Silent City because it was once the country’s capital, but once Valletta was made capital in the 16th century, Mdina was pretty much left bare. Bare and beautiful. If you’re in Mdina, take a self-guided tour through this sand-stone, medieval city. I was mesmerized by the detail and craftsmanship that went into building this walled city.
Game of Thrones, Season 1 was filmed in Malta and in 1980, Popeye Village was built as a “set village” but remains a huge tourist attraction today.
Gozo, the second largest Maltese Island is much quieter and laid back than Malta. To get to Gozo, you have to take a ferry. I was staying in Naxxar so the drive was very long to the terminal and by bus, it was have taken even longer. If you drive, the ferry can take you and your vehicle over to the island. What was meant to be a weekend trip to Gozo ended up being an overnight trip as I was traveling with my 1 year old baby and packed for warm weather, but to my surprise, it was COLDDDDDDDDDDDDD in Gozo. I found an apartment through Booking.com which was located in Xlendi (another long drive from the ferry terminal) but with the long drive came beautiful land and seascapes.
Simply based on my week long trip to Malta and the very little that I experienced, I would give a full 10 out of 10. The rich history, immaculately built structures, meandering alleyways and paved streets, tasty food and friendly locals left me yearning for a longer trip next time.
Malta is a beautiful island that’s very relaxing and chill. However, there’s partying available if you’re looking. Just go to Paceville in St. Julian’s and options are endless with very affordable drinks. Travel to Comino and Gozo is easy and cheap, you may also opt to do a tour with an open bar and lunch. The blue lagoon at Comino is a highlight but can get crowded depending on the season, Gozo is quieter. Enjoy lots of local dishes and Mediterranean food. Valletta, the capital is beautiful with wonderful sights to see.
I visited Malta May 3-6. I stayed at the intercontinental. My stay was nothing short of AMAZING!
I stayed in a standard room on the 11th floor. The best features of the room were the bathroom and balcony view. The hotel staff was amazing and very accommodating. I especially loved the excursion concierge (I don’t recall his name). He was very patient in helping me find the right adventures. On Friday I missed my group tour and he called around the island at my request to arrange a private tour of Gozo Island. Initially I was afraid to venture out on my own but I am so glad I did. I took a 35 euro taxi ride to the ferry to Gozo island where I met my tour guide Joseph (Barkuna1977@hotmail.com
+356 79557168). He took me on what we in the states refer to as an “ATV” ride tour across the whole island. To my surprise, there is no crime in Gozo and Joseph told me to leave my belongings on the atv at each stop. I trusted him and did so without a problem.
Saturday I stayed at the hotel and visited the exclusive roof top pool. The infinity pool looked over the city with breath taking views. The food at the bar was great as well, I suggest fried calamari.
Sunday I ventured off and took a taxi back to the ferry to visit the Blue Lagoon at Comino Island. My driver was amazing and had the most entertaining personality (jimmy’s taxi 000356 99495088). We took a ferry to the lagoon and a speed boat back. I highly suggest taking a speed boat both ways. The food at the lagoon was great and well priced as were the souvenirs.
If you’re interested in action, stop by the orphanage umbrellas to purchase boat rides and water sports. To get to the other end of the lagoo we took a boat ride across for 5euros. To my surprise once we arrived we had to walk up and across a very dangerous mountainous hill. It was so scary that I swam across the lagoon rather than hike back though I purchased round trip tickets. Near/under the cave the lagoon is very slippery with rough currents and filled with rocks. Though there were small children there I only recommend the lagoon for adults and teens. It was dangerous but definitely some of the best fun I have ever had.