Travelogue: Malta

Now that I have completed some preliminary information on how to plan for your trip, I thought I would jump into providing you some information on places I have gone, to give you some information on these locations from my point of view.  And these will be from my point of view, no matter how much I try to make the information general, it will necessarily reflect my experiences at these locations, based on my travel ideas (remember, I am cheap), on my travel companions (almost always a family of five), and my location (most travelogues will assume you are also in Eastern Sicily).  So, individual results may vary, void where prohibited, test in an inconspicuous location, and all other appropriate warnings...  Here is my first Travelogue: Malta.

Background:

Malta is a country located on a small group of islands about 50 miles south of Sicily.  The primary island, Malta, has the countries main attractions, as well as the international airport and port.  The second island, in terms of size, is a couple of miles to the northwest, called Gozo.  In between them is the third island, Commino, which is essentially uninhabited (only a few people live there full time).

Malta is a member of the Eurozone, meaning that their official currency in the Euro, and are a member of the Schengen Area, meaning that you do not have to go through customs to get there from Italy (or any of the other 24 countries which currently make up that area).  As a former British possession, they use UK plugs, not European or American style, drive on the left hand side of the road, and almost everyone speaks excellent English.

Malta is probably best known as being the former home of the Knights of Malta, who ruled the island from 1530 until 1800 (they technically leased it from the Holy Roman Empire for the price of one falcon per year, quite a deal), when it became a British protectorate, which it stayed until 1964, when it gained independence.

Getting There:

Being an island, there are two main ways to get to Malta: airplane or boat.  Air Malta flies several times per day from Catania Airport (which acts as their secondary base), and also has flights from other European and a few African cities.  All fly into the only airport in Malta, Malta International Airport (sometimes referred to by its old name of Luqa Airport, or by its location as Valletta Airport).  Other airlines also fly into Malta, but with less frequency.  One notable operator is the low cost Ryanair, which flies inexpensive flights from several of its locations, including Trapani.

The other option, and my preference, is to take a ferry.  The ferry leaves from Pozzallo, on the south coast of Sicily, and takes about an hour and twenty minutes to make the crossing (it is a very fast, very smooth, high speed catamaran ferry).  Pozzallo is about an hour south of Catania, and there is plenty of parking there at the ferry port if you do not want to take your vehicle.  Another option, if you do not want to take your vehicle, it to take the ferry company's bus from Catania, which drops you off and picks you up right at the ferry.  My preferred option, however, is to take my vehicle with me.  It costs about the same as a ferry ticket for a person, and gives me a lot more flexibility with my travel plans while on Malta, since I don't have to take taxis, or figure out the buses.  Additionally, it allows me a lot more flexibility when packing, as I don't have to worry about meeting any airline restrictions on what I bring or how much luggage I have.  Plus, arriving into Valletta Port by boat is just cool.  From the water, the whole city looks like a giant castle, and I always imagine what it would have been like to try to attack it in an old sailing ship, and how intimidating it must have been.  Even if you would normally fly, I would recommend taking the ferry at least once just for this view.

The ferry company is Virtu Ferries (www.virtuferries.com), and on their web site you can check on their schedule (at least one round trip per day, two on some days), find prices, and book your tickets right from your computer.  You print out your tickets, and don't have to worry about it when you get there.  Optionally, there is a ticket booth right at the ferry port, so you can buy your tickets there as well.  I just like knowing I already have tickets before I go.

Lodging:

There is an incredible range of lodging options on Malta.  Everything from super cheap hostels to exclusive resorts in private coves, with prices as high as $650 per night.  When I stay on Malta, I go for the lower end, and use hostelbookers.com to find a place.  I have been there twice, and both times have stayed at The Bugibba Hotel, where I get a two-bedroom apartment (sleeps five with a free additional bed) with a small kitchen and private bathroom for $25 per night (total, not per person)!  Now, this is not a luxury resort, and it is not newly renovated, but it is acceptable, if a bit dingy, and it is in a pretty nice part of the island.  Because my wife (who is a bit of a germaphobe) did not like the dinginess of the place, we did bring sleeping bags on our second visit, and laid them out on the bed, and she felt much better (another benefit of driving over on the ferry).  Bottom line, use the feedback on hostelbookers.com and tripadvisor.com to help determine if the lodging you are looking at will meet your particular standards.

Food:

Malta is known in particular for one type of food, and that is rabbit.  Any of the restaurants that specialize in local cuisine should have one or more rabbit dishes, and I have found them quite tasty.  In particular, we have been to Ta' Kris in Sliema (just north of Valletta), and have loved the food there.  Even my kids, who were hesitant to try a "bunny", finally did try it, and loved it.

Another food favorite of mine in Malta, surprisingly, is Chinese food.  We have had several good meals, and there seem to be a lot of Chinese Restaurants, particularly in Bugibba.  The one I particularly like is called Shanghai Cooking (you can find it right on the map in Google maps).  They do an all you can eat meal, where you order items right off the menu, and they make them fresh.  Do yourself a favor and have the lemon chicken, it is amazing.

Finally, for those of us used to a slightly larger breakfast than you can typically find in most of Europe, they have several places that specialize in "English Breakfast".  This consists of eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes, toast, and tea or coffee.  You will leave full.  The place we go, right on the main plaza in Bugibba, charges about 3 euro for this large amount of food, and they serve it all day, if you would like.  Plus, you get to sit outside with a view of the plaza and the water, with no cover charge.  Gotta love it.

 ...... To be continued.......