Malta

[Gomev]

Looking for sage advice from those that know the best/nicest/interesting things to do in Malta. We are finally making the holiday we promised ourselves a while back later this month. Timing not ideal would have preferred the Autumn months for the temperature but hey ho as they say.
We're staying in Sliema overlooking the bay not too far from the ferry to Valletta and intend using public transport to get around.
Looking for anybody that recommend bars, resataurants, places to visit - Mdina very much on our list, is it worth it ?
Any inspiration welcome.

 

[Bam Bam]

Looking for sage advice from those that know the best/nicest/interesting things to do in Malta. We are finally making the holiday we promised ourselves a while back later this month. Timing not ideal would have preferred the Autumn months for the temperature but hey ho as they say.
We're staying in Sliema overlooking the bay not too far from the ferry to Valletta and intend using public transport to get around.
Looking for anybody that recommend bars, resataurants, places to visit - Mdina very much on our list, is it worth it ?
Any inspiration welcome.

We went there on our honeymoon about 10 years ago. Amazing place full of history.

One thing you have to book far in advance is the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. This is in an unassuming suburban area but below it is a unique historical site. They restrict the numbers quite heavily as it is a small site/entrance, so booking is essential.

That was the main recommendation I got from a Maltese colleague.

We hired a car for a couple of days. Same side of the road as the UK but very different attitude to roundabouts - everyone just goes all the time so you have to be very brave. One day we went to Gozo, the other we toured the ancient sites of the main island, ending with a meal by the sea at Marsaxlokk.

Gozo was recommended as 'like Malta used to be before we overdeveloped it.' It is indeed very pleasant but still has the ridiculously fantastic churches/cathedrals and also impressive sea cliffs etc. You could do it yourself with buses if you were feeling like doing a lot of planning.

In Valletta we enjoyed the archaeological museum which explains the history of the island cultures, and the St. John's Cathedral. There is loads of history on the island due to its important location so I imagine there are museums about the different periods.

Day trip to centre of the island: Mdina is the place I would recommend if you are going to take a bus trip into the centre of the island. It is an old fortified town with a Cathedral in the middle and pretty good views of the east side of the island (including the St. Guilians built up area) from the top.

If you have time in Mdina you can walk down to the adjacent town Rabat which has a lot of religious sites (we went down into a tour of one of the catacombs - there are about three I think). Mosta isn't too far away as well and that has an impressive church (which has a Nazi bomb in it and you can see the hole it made in the roof). You could perhaps do a three-stop triangular bus trip during the day.

Marsaxlokk
We drove to this fishing village after the hypogeum for a nice meal by the bay watching the fisherman come in with their catch. There are buses there though. Fairly quiet and lots of nice restaurants - mostly fish oriented. Tartarun was recommended to me as (at the time - a few years ago) the best fish restaurant in Malta. That wasn't open yet when we got there so we went to a different place which was nice too.

Beach
The beachy areas in Malta aren't that close to Valletta but if you were keen you could go up towards the north of the island. Perhaps there is some kind of coach tour from Valletta you could join.

Other than that we just wandered around the heavily populated areas which you are right in the middle of. Got a ferry across to Valetta etc.

 

[salty]

We went there on our honeymoon about 10 years ago. Amazing place full of history.

One thing you have to book far in advance is the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. This is in an unassuming suburban area but below it is a unique historical site. They restrict the numbers quite heavily as it is a small site/entrance, so booking is essential.

That was the main recommendation I got from a Maltese colleague.

We hired a car for a couple of days. Same side of the road as the UK but very different attitude to roundabouts - everyone just goes all the time so you have to be very brave. One day we went to Gozo, the other we toured the ancient sites of the main island, ending with a meal by the sea at Marsaxlokk.

Gozo was recommended as 'like Malta used to be before we overdeveloped it.' It is indeed very pleasant but still has the ridiculously fantastic churches/cathedrals and also impressive sea cliffs etc. You could do it yourself with buses if you were feeling like doing a lot of planning.

In Valletta we enjoyed the archaeological museum which explains the history of the island cultures, and the St. John's Cathedral. There is loads of history on the island due to its important location so I imagine there are museums about the different periods.

Day trip to centre of the island: Mdina is the place I would recommend if you are going to take a bus trip into the centre of the island. It is an old fortified town with a Cathedral in the middle and pretty good views of the east side of the island (including the St. Guilians built up area) from the top.

If you have time in Mdina you can walk down to the adjacent town Rabat which has a lot of religious sites (we went down into a tour of one of the catacombs - there are about three I think). Mosta isn't too far away as well and that has an impressive church (which has a Nazi bomb in it and you can see the hole it made in the roof). You could perhaps do a three-stop triangular bus trip during the day.

Marsaxlokk
We drove to this fishing village after the hypogeum for a nice meal by the bay watching the fisherman come in with their catch. There are buses there though. Fairly quiet and lots of nice restaurants - mostly fish oriented. Tartarun was recommended to me as (at the time - a few years ago) the best fish restaurant in Malta. That wasn't open yet when we got there so we went to a different place which was nice too.

Beach
The beachy areas in Malta aren't that close to Valletta but if you were keen you could go up towards the north of the island. Perhaps there is some kind of coach tour from Valletta you could join.

Other than that we just wandered around the heavily populated areas which you are right in the middle of. Got a ferry across to Valetta etc.

That's your holiday, sorted. Gomev. Enjoy.

 

[JohnV6]

We stayed in Gozo but had a hire car. Gozo ws lovely being far less busy than Valetta but it was 20 years ago.

 

[Gomev]

We went there on our honeymoon about 10 years ago. Amazing place full of history.

One thing you have to book far in advance is the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. This is in an unassuming suburban area but below it is a unique historical site. They restrict the numbers quite heavily as it is a small site/entrance, so booking is essential.

That was the main recommendation I got from a Maltese colleague.

We hired a car for a couple of days. Same side of the road as the UK but very different attitude to roundabouts - everyone just goes all the time so you have to be very brave. One day we went to Gozo, the other we toured the ancient sites of the main island, ending with a meal by the sea at Marsaxlokk.

Gozo was recommended as 'like Malta used to be before we overdeveloped it.' It is indeed very pleasant but still has the ridiculously fantastic churches/cathedrals and also impressive sea cliffs etc. You could do it yourself with buses if you were feeling like doing a lot of planning.

In Valletta we enjoyed the archaeological museum which explains the history of the island cultures, and the St. John's Cathedral. There is loads of history on the island due to its important location so I imagine there are museums about the different periods.

Day trip to centre of the island: Mdina is the place I would recommend if you are going to take a bus trip into the centre of the island. It is an old fortified town with a Cathedral in the middle and pretty good views of the east side of the island (including the St. Guilians built up area) from the top.

If you have time in Mdina you can walk down to the adjacent town Rabat which has a lot of religious sites (we went down into a tour of one of the catacombs - there are about three I think). Mosta isn't too far away as well and that has an impressive church (which has a Nazi bomb in it and you can see the hole it made in the roof). You could perhaps do a three-stop triangular bus trip during the day.

Marsaxlokk
We drove to this fishing village after the hypogeum for a nice meal by the bay watching the fisherman come in with their catch. There are buses there though. Fairly quiet and lots of nice restaurants - mostly fish oriented. Tartarun was recommended to me as (at the time - a few years ago) the best fish restaurant in Malta. That wasn't open yet when we got there so we went to a different place which was nice too.

Beach
The beachy areas in Malta aren't that close to Valletta but if you were keen you could go up towards the north of the island. Perhaps there is some kind of coach tour from Valletta you could join.

Other than that we just wandered around the heavily populated areas which you are right in the middle of. Got a ferry across to Valetta etc.

Thank you, there is some good info there. Will certainly look into further info on the hypogeum and other stuff you mentioned.
We're not beachy peeps more history and architecture hence this promised trip for ourselves .

 

[Gomev]

That's your holiday, sorted. Gomez. Enjoy.

Certainly looks that way some good info from @Bam Bam.
Oh and by the way Soltez i'm still not related to the Addams family.

 

[Gomev]

We went there on our honeymoon about 10 years ago. Amazing place full of history.

One thing you have to book far in advance is the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. This is in an unassuming suburban area but below it is a unique historical site. They restrict the numbers quite heavily as it is a small site/entrance, so booking is essential.

That was the main recommendation I got from a Maltese colleague.

We hired a car for a couple of days. Same side of the road as the UK but very different attitude to roundabouts - everyone just goes all the time so you have to be very brave. One day we went to Gozo, the other we toured the ancient sites of the main island, ending with a meal by the sea at Marsaxlokk.

Gozo was recommended as 'like Malta used to be before we overdeveloped it.' It is indeed very pleasant but still has the ridiculously fantastic churches/cathedrals and also impressive sea cliffs etc. You could do it yourself with buses if you were feeling like doing a lot of planning.

In Valletta we enjoyed the archaeological museum which explains the history of the island cultures, and the St. John's Cathedral. There is loads of history on the island due to its important location so I imagine there are museums about the different periods.

Day trip to centre of the island: Mdina is the place I would recommend if you are going to take a bus trip into the centre of the island. It is an old fortified town with a Cathedral in the middle and pretty good views of the east side of the island (including the St. Guilians built up area) from the top.

If you have time in Mdina you can walk down to the adjacent town Rabat which has a lot of religious sites (we went down into a tour of one of the catacombs - there are about three I think). Mosta isn't too far away as well and that has an impressive church (which has a Nazi bomb in it and you can see the hole it made in the roof). You could perhaps do a three-stop triangular bus trip during the day.

Marsaxlokk
We drove to this fishing village after the hypogeum for a nice meal by the bay watching the fisherman come in with their catch. There are buses there though. Fairly quiet and lots of nice restaurants - mostly fish oriented. Tartarun was recommended to me as (at the time - a few years ago) the best fish restaurant in Malta. That wasn't open yet when we got there so we went to a different place which was nice too.

Beach
The beachy areas in Malta aren't that close to Valletta but if you were keen you could go up towards the north of the island. Perhaps there is some kind of coach tour from Valletta you could join.

Other than that we just wandered around the heavily populated areas which you are right in the middle of. Got a ferry across to Valetta etc.

Just checked tickets for hypogeum and no tickets available until 23rd August

 

[Bam Bam]

Just checked tickets for hypogeum and no tickets available until 23rd August

Ahh, sorry for tantalising you. Didn't pick up that you were going so soon. I think they may close for part of the year as well so many people miss out.

I remember when we were in the lobby of our hotel a young couple were bothering the concierge who was trying to get them tickets to Hypogeum which we had arranged long in advance after the tip from the local.

Maybe contact them to see if they are open during your visit and to ask if you can be put on a waiting list (I have no idea if they do that or not). As a rule you have to organise your whole trip around the particular slot you get booked into - they are like gold dust!

Also, I didn't realise until a few years later that the Cathedral contains a world famous painting (a Caravaggio I think). I found out when another colleague of mine went on a trip to Malta just to see that painting. I'm clearly a philistine!

 

[salty]

Certainly looks that way some good info from @Bam Bam.
Oh and by the way Soltez i'm still not related to the Addams family.

Ooops. Apologies. I'm blaming predictive text. Now edited.

 

[Julian Edwards]

Looking for sage advice from those that know the best/nicest/interesting things to do in Malta. We are finally making the holiday we promised ourselves a while back later this month. Timing not ideal would have preferred the Autumn months for the temperature but hey ho as they say.
We're staying in Sliema overlooking the bay not too far from the ferry to Valletta and intend using public transport to get around.
Looking for anybody that recommend bars, resataurants, places to visit - Mdina very much on our list, is it worth it ?
Any inspiration welcome.

It's a while since I was in Malta, but have been many times in the past. The roads were dreadful and hire car's worse. But I didn't notice much in the way of public transport. Valetta and Medina certainly a must.