It is an early start from Bristol Airport, and the morning is cold and miserable. Perfect weather to leave behind.
After an uneventful three hour flight, Malta greets us with warmth and sunshine. Our hotel room at the AX Palace isn’t ready, so we wander down to the nearby promenade, and have a wander around. It all looks agreeable, with plenty of food and drink options. The buildings are all made of solid stone, and the coastline is largely rocky.
After a drink at the Hotels rooftop pool and bar, we wandered done to a restaurant on the Promenade, called Compass, for dinner. We were all happy with our choices, and the local beer is good too.
After a solid nights sleep, we found a great little cafe down from the Hotel,called the Giorgio, for breakfast. Today we are doing a Hop on Hop off bus tour, included with the holiday package.
We catch the bus from near our hotel in Sliema, and decide on the north route option.Firstly, it passes through Valletta, and we will hop off firstly at historic Mdena, Golden Bay for lunch and check out the beach, then back to Sliema. It is a great way to see a lot of Malta, which is quite a small island.
Our dinner for the evening is at a nearby Spanish restaurant called La Vida. Essentially tapas and small plates. Great food and service.
Breakfast once again at The Little Cafe, and the group decide to take their complimentary harbour cruise. Another beautiful fine day, and from our positions at the front of the boat, we enjoyed taking in the sights.
From the Harbour cruise, we took the short ferry ride across the water to Valletta, the capital of Malta. It covers quite a small area, but is very busy with tourists. We wander around, have some lunch, and take a boat taxi back to Sliema, and our hotel.
Another bright, sunny day, another breakfast at the Little Cafe, and we are set for the days adventures. Today we are going to the south end of the island, by Uber, to St Peter’s Pool, and the fishing village Marsaxlokk. St Peter’s pool is an idyllic swimming spot, set amongst the rocky coastline. Andrew and Neethd jump the few metres into the clear blue water, and enjoy the swimming.
The walk to the fishing village is about 20 minutes, and mainly downhill. We wander around the markets, and have lunch at a waterfront cafe. Nice and relaxing, before getting an Uber back to Sliema.
Dinner is at a popular Maltese restaurant called Ta’Kris, where bookings are essential. The food was basic but hearty, with meat dishes, including local favourite, rabbit, and pasta and seafood selections. Overall, very good, although the service was a bit slow.
The next day, the Pharts are to explore the nearby island to the north of Malta called Gozo. This is accessible by high speed ferry, taking just over an hour to Mgarr Harbour on Gozo. The youngsters have decided to stay on Malta and do their own thing.
From Mgarr Harbour, we pack on a local bus and head for Victoria, the main town on the island. The main attraction is the Citadel, the centre of activity since possibly Neolithic times, and fortified during the Bronze Age, around 1500BC.
From Victoria town, we catch an Uber to take us to Xlendi Bay, a picturesque little seaside village. An excellent swimming spot, it is also popular with scuba divers and fishermen. The Pharts find a waterfront cafe for a peaceful luncheon.
Dinner for the evening is at a Sliema waterfront restaurant called Trattoria del Mare, which is a good choice. The food and drink in Malta has been to a very good standard, and not too expensive.
And so to the final day of our Maltese adventures. Our flight back to Bristol isn’t until 10:20pm, so we have the whole day to fill.The Little Cafe was very busy, so we wandered down to Masons on the promenade, for a leisurely breakfast. The group decided we should explore St Julian’s, north along the waterfront from Sliema. It is more of a younger person hangout, with clubs, bars etc. A more modern feel also, but we were very happy with our Sliema location and accommodation. We found a waterfront cafe for lunch, and whilst the youngsters decided to settle on the waterfront for swimming and sunbathing, the Pharts went back to the hotel. They had a relaxing couple of hours around the pool.
Our final dinner was at Masons, a good spot near the water, before an Uber to the airport, and back to Bristol. We arrived about 1am, so the nearby airport hotel for the Pharts, and their Bristol flat for the youngsters.
We all enjoyed our break in Malta. Top location, accommodation and weather, with plenty to see and do.
