Malta - a thorough review by IzzyS

Advantages: Plenty of sights to see, some great views, no language problems
Disadvantages: The driving by locals, it probably gets a bit too humid and hot by August

...called(?)). Basically all British plugs will fit in sockets in Malta and the voltage is the same as well, so thats one less thing to have to worry about. F Ferry - You can take a ferry from Malta to Gozo. Its pretty cheap too, I believe it cost roughly 15 Euros for the car and driver it costs about 4 Euro-something for each extra passenger. Thats as of late June 2008 and subject to change, of course. You can get some nice pictures from the ferry deck and Gozo is quite pretty, so its worth taking the trip. I believe you can cross from the capital Valletta or, where we went, from Cirkewwa. The crossing takes roughly 25 minutes each way and there are lots of crossings, its roughly every half hour it leaves. Food - There is plenty of choice when it comes to food on the island. There are snack bars and cafes as well as larger restaurants...

IzzyS 10.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta

Malta you alta visit

Advantages: Easy to get to, lots to see and do
Disadvantages: wasn't as warm as I thought it might be in February

...Malta: General information: A sunny island in the Southern Mediterranean Sea only about 200miles from the North Africa( Libya) and about 60 miles from Sicily. It is technically The Republic of Malta and the island of Malta is one of several islands making up this nation only the two largest islands Malta and Gozo are inhabited .Malta is the largest island and is the cultural and administrative centre whilst Gozo is more rural.Because of its position geographically, Malta enjoys a warm, sunny Mediterranean climate which is one of the attractions for tourists wanting beach holidays. The capital city is Valletta on the eastern coast of Malta. Getting there: We flew with Air Malta from Birmingham to Luqa which is Malta's International Airport. I know Air Malta fly from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester too. They were extremely...

catsholiday 21.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta

A week in Malta

Advantages: Not too far
Disadvantages: not seen any

...£185 with Air Malta. Flight time from Heathrow is 3 hours. Time difference- UK and Malta is + 1 hour. Going around Malta: In most holidays car hire is a must, but we were impressed by Malta's public transport system. Buses offer a cheap and efficient way of touring the Island. The main bus terminus is at Valletta from where buses operate to all parts of Malta, although there are also direct, point to point, services. The bus service is divided in zones and cost of a bus travel ranges from 20 cents to 50 cents. Zone 1 - 20cents, zone 1& 2 - 25 cents; zone 1, 2 &3 50 cents. The longest bus journey takes about fifty minutes; the average ride is between 20 and 30 minutes. You can buy an all day ticket valid for 24 hours for 1.50 Lm- which is a good way to tour round the island and then decide where you wish to spend more time to see...

greatmum1 16.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta

The treasures lie within and are rich

Advantages: Unique Caravaggio, amazing artwork, interesting tombs, tapestries
Disadvantages: Can get crowded

...St John?s co-cathedral in Valletta is found in the heart of the city, on Republic Street and Merchant Street. Work started on the church following the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, when the Knights of St John of Jerusalem held out and defeated the Ottoman Turks. The building was completed in 1577, and dedicated to St John the Baptist, the patron saint of the knights? order. It is called a co-cathedral, since there was already a cathedral on the island at Mdina (I have reviewed this as well), but because the Knights were determined to construct a capital worthy of the name, which would have to include a cathedral, they arranged for this co-cathedral to have a throne (cathedra) for the Grand Master of the order. From the outside, there is no indication of the artistic treasures waiting on the inside. The church is still very strong...

lobourse 07.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Island of Malta

Getting around in Malta.

Advantages: excellent value.
Disadvantages: mosquito's.!

...experiance the motors are sound. I never required roadside assistance . Armed with a map and the car keys it is possible to drive away on completion of the required paper work. There is enough fuel to take a short drive. Fuel is very cheap. For a mere 5 lira , £7.50 stirling it is possible to fill half a tank of a 1300cc car . The adventure really begins when you hit the roads.! The rules are somewhat different than in u.k. Yes we drive on the same side of the road ! After that , the similarities become somewhat clouded. Thank heavens, since Malta has applied to join the E.U. traffic lights have popped up all over the place .(2003 was my last visit). They certainly help the holiday maker 's life easier in the more frenetic areas of Malta, eg.Valletta the capital, Msida, and mosta are extremely busy areas. Best avoided early morning...

marmiladey 03.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta

The ancient heart of Christianity in Malta

Advantages: Beautiful architecture, interesting paintings, fascinating tombs
Disadvantages: None really

...Mdina in the middle of the island of Malta was long the capital of the island until the Knights of St John of Jerusalem established Valletta as its headquarters on the island. However, the rules of the catholic church said there could only be one cathedral on the island, a cathedral being distinguished by having a throne (Latin ?cathedra?), and Mdina already had the cathedral. The result is that in Valletta there is a co-cathedral, ie a cathedral alongside that in Mdina, with Valletta?s throne being that of the Grand Master of the Knights of St John, the throne in Mdina being at the time for the archbishop of Malta. Mdina sits atop a hill in the centre of the island, far enough away from the coast to give a degree of protection from marauding pirates. When the island was liberated from the Saracens in 1090, a church was raised...

lobourse 05.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Mdina Cathedral, Mdina, Island of Malta

Manikata - MALTA

Advantages: Small farming Maltese village
Disadvantages: not many shops

...Manikata - A small country village in Malta Manikata is a small typical Maltese village. The main industry of Manikata is farming. Manikata is located on a farming valley which is rich in produce. Much of the produce is harvested and sold off at framing markets. On the outskirts of Manikata there were two military camps in the 1960's. One was home to Royal Malta Artillery and the other was a British Army camp which hosted many different regiments including the Royal Marines . These army camps are no longer active. One of them has been turned into a holiday style village "Hal-Ferh" Just about a 10 minute walk is Golden Bay, one of Malta's best known beaches. AT present there is a new Hotel complex being built replacing the GOLDEN SANDS hotel which was built in the 1970's. This hotel has now been demolished and a brand new...

FVELLA 05.10.2005 (04.07.2006) · Read review
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Review of Manikata, Malta

Mighty Malta

Advantages: see opinion
Disadvantages: see opinion

...Malta ia a little gem of an island. Part of a group of three, it is the largest and most popular with the tourists. The other two are Gozo and Comino. (The latter by the way is really a big rocky outcrop. No cars are allowed on the island, and there was just the one hotel when we went. It's really for those who want to totally get away from it all and do lots of birdwatching). Malta has a lot of history. There are prehistoric sites that pre-date Stonehenge, the legend that St. Paul was shipwrecked here, and many, many, many churches have been built here because of that. There are some truly stunning examples of these in the towns of Mosta, Mdina, and Siggiewi. The circular church in Mosta also has the dubious distinction of having had a large bomb drop through the roof during WW2 when hundreds of people were inside. It made a bit...

Salgirl 22.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta

insider secrets to Malta from a Maltese man

Advantages: History, artitecture, food, relaxation, sea and sun & much more
Disadvantages: Driving...ikes!

...To say I am qualified to review Malta is somewhat of an understatement...Im Maltese and lived there for a long time! To see detailed aspects of Malta see my other reviews in the Malta section (to be added very soon!) I will give both good and bad points: In general Malta is a place you will love or hate...simple as that. It resembles other Med countries and Islands in terms of buildings, that they are mostly made of limestone. If you are into history and artitecture Malta is an absolute must. It has over 2000 years of history and will simply astound you. If your 20 something looking for a beer holiday forget it, this place is not for you... Malta is full of charm and is one of the most romantic places you can go. It does not take long to get there and Luqa airport is a breeze to pass through...your baggage arrives in...

alanbishop 13.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta

Malta an amazing place

Advantages: Stacks of history
Disadvantages: Usual package holiday stuff

...We had problems with JMC straight away, the plane was delayed 4 hours, they ran out of landing form’s before they got to the back of the plane where we were sitting, we had to spend ages looking for some form’s that we were promised would be at the airport, there was an unpleasant mix up as our hotel had been changed without us being informed, the key we were given didn’t fit the lock and a family was given our room key in the middle of the night and moved in while we were in bed.. Any way, Malta, what a magical place! We were staying at Buggiba (pretty average Med. resort) some of it was rough, some of it was tidy, but that didn’t bother us as we had gone to see the history and there is plenty of history in Malta! We walked miles and took dozens of bus journeys, the buses are a real adventure but very cheap...

junfan 27.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of General: Malta