Malta

[GandolfBold]

I know Malta is a bit like marmite on MN, people either love it or they say its boring.

But can I have honest opinions. Looking to book a week with the DC when DH goes away next year (May).

We went to see the history of the island and visit Gozo so were out of the hotel everyday. Our hotel was in Bugibba; nothing wrong with the hotel but we we very surprised how run down everything was on the nearby streets and along the bay and could not understand how at the start of the season no one seemed to care. Also bars cheap and 'cheerful' rather than a more sophisticated vibe. So, history great, enchanting beach destination no. We would have been very disappointed if we had gone for this reason.

There aren't many beaches in Malta, so if that's what you want from a holiday, go elsewhere.

It has fantastic diving - can't recommend too highly. And then sightseeing for the day or so before you fly (easy to get around, plenty to see)

We're in Malta at the moment and we're loving it! It's not picturesque like some of the other Mediterranean islands - it's very rocky which means not many beaches. Doesn't bother us at all - we've been swimming and snorkelling off the rocks (no sand!) in water that is clean and beautifully clear.

There is so much history. We've been to Valletta and Mdina, and are planning a boat trip to Gozo/Comino.

It's definitely not a party island, which suits us cos we're with our DCs, so that means no Magaluf 18-30 style hordes of young revellers!

Me and DH had a great holiday in Malta but I'm wary of recommending to certain people as I can see why they wouldn't love it like we did

For context, we went in sept 2015 and were just about to go through ivf so we wanted:

Somewhere that would be quite hot outside school hols
Somewhere fairly cheap
Sonewhere with good public transport as we didn't want to hire a car
Somewhere that had the beach and pool thing but also the cultural/historical side

So Malta has all of that. It was boiling! Around 30c every day. One day of rain in 2 weeks.
We stayed in Sliema which has a lovely boat taxi to valetta which is a lovely small city. It was much cheaper than tourist areas of majorca or italy we've been to. Obv not sure since brexit.
It isn't a beautiful island as a whole but there are beautiful parts of it.
Lots of history to learn about!
It's small and buses are good so you can really explore it as a whole country.
Sliema has loads of lovely bars and restaurants but is also a town with many locals so you get more of a community feel with parades and churchgoers etc (very catholic country)
Feels very safe and friendly
English widely spoken
Not many sandy beaches at all which wasn't ideal for me as I'm not a strong swimmer so it was often straight into deeper rocky bits
Loads of boat trips to gozo and comino (smaller islands and gozo i would maybe stay for longer next time)

There's loads i could go on about :) but i wouldn't recommend buggiba it was not nice.

We liked it but we loved things like the prehistoric tombs, the catacombs, the war museums etc. Mdina and Rabat are a good day of walking round.

We went when DC1 was 8 months. Also a bonus that evening meal is taken much earlier than the rest of the med so we all ate out together then DS slept and we had cake and wine on our balcony every night.

I didn't like it. I stayed in Sliema, and everything looks concrete, no grass or greenery at all. The buses were ramshackle things - I went on a couple that had no doors - the passengers are crammed in (lots standing when seats are all taken) like sardines. The locals were bad-mannered, not "Please", "Thanks" or anything. If a group of locals were standing on the street, they wouldn't move aside to let us past.

Gozo was pretty, but the ferry there was packed and scruffy. Valetta was too busy, everyone dashing about. The public toilets were expensive.

Croatia (Porec, Split, Hvar, Ravinji) is much nicer

If you do want sandy beaches there are two lovely ones at the top of the island (melliliha and golden bay) spelling is questionable there sorry! They have hotels nearby and you're then near the ferry port i think to go to gozo and comino. Gozo has lots of sandy beaches and restaurants etc. Comino is tiny but has the blue lagoon which is beautiful and a secret beach. Not too much else from memory

There is a lovely beach at Xlendi on Gozo - a small sandy beach and very clear water. Would be ideal for young children.

What about food? DS is super fussy due to Asd and will only eat spaghetti bolognese and DD is vegetarian.

Will we struggle to find somewhere to eat?

We have done lots of Greece and I think that major a may be too expensive.

The one thing I don't like about Malta is all the 'English' restaurants. So if you have fussy kids, then you will be fine. Lots for them - they have Iceland supermarkets.

There is lots to do that is not beachy, and they drive on the left like we do and car hire is cheap, making getting around easy.

Lynne1Cat you've not been for a while. The old buses were all scrapped back in 2011. They're all air-conditioned now. As for the rudeness, I've never experienced it.

Food is pretty much Italian, with lots of fish. You won't get swordfish or lampuki in May, so always ask what's fresh in. Spaghetti Bolognese is always available, vegetarians are reasonably catered for.

Beaches: Mellieha, Golden Bay, Xlendi are the sandy ones. Otherwise look for steps into the water.

Outings: if Okikoki boat tours are running, take the Comino trip. Look up Okikokibanis on FB and give him a ping. Best boat trip on the island.

History: huge amounts. Take the bus to Valletta, walk down to Fort St. Elmo along Republic Street, then back along Grand Harbour. Saluting Battery fires at 1300/1600.

There's lots of Italian restaurants, so spaghetti bolognese won't be a problem, also probably a good choice for vegetarians . Portions are generally very large, so you'll probably find a starter portion of pasta is about right for a child's main meal.

I like Malta, it's shabbiness is part of it's charm. It's not a rich country and was heavily bombed during the war. There's a Popeye village near the north of the island, which is probably good for DCs.

Not sure if there is much else in the way of children's entertainment, unless they're outdoorsy and happy to swim, play on the beach, wander around islands etc. Definitely visit Comino and Gozo - the Gozo very is cheap and you just turn up and get on the next one. You can walk through the caves on Comino and you might even find divers popping up in some of the caverns. We dive and surfaced in a cavern and were surprised to see hikers walking through.

We went in Agust 2016 and really liked it, but a week is about right. We stayed in Bugibba - which I actually thought had a nice nighttime vibe at that time in the year. We found the Malteese generally friendly (except taxi drivers, who were universally grumpy) especially bus drivers and the buses are brilliant, cheap and regular. Their concept of customer service is a bit 'British' (ie hit and miss) and not as efficient and friendly as somewhere like Cyprus, but generally fine.

I loved the clear waters - I almost never sea bathe, but loved it in Malta because it's clear, calm, and the fish are fab - my DS was 14 and spent the whole week snorkelling. It can look a bit run down in palces, and there is almost no greenery, but it's historic and beautiful in its own way. Gozo and Comino are worth a visit - take boat tours, and Valetta has interesting museums.

As for food, you'll fine the usual tourist fare alongside Malteese specialities, I'm a vegetarian and managed fine (France is more difficult)