so no-one's stayed here ? looks like I'll have to get my wife to write a review !

Bugibba seemed like worst resort on the whole of Malta! It's the last place I'd ever stay! So depressing!!

Go to Sliema / St. Julians instead!

Personally I prefer to stay in the Bugibba, Qwara & St Pauls area of Malta and wouldn't stay in St Juliens, Sliema or Paceville areas, they are far to commercial, very built up and very very busy.

A lot of people say you will either love or hate Malta, this is also true of the resorts within Malta.

its only for one night - my wife and I live in Gozo, and its just somewhere for her and her friends to crash for a night before coming to Gozo. Will let you know how she gets on !

Hi Mark, have you thought about for example The Porto Azzuro or Xemxija bay hotels in Xemxija or even somewhere in Mellieha or Mistra which is even closer to you in Ghawdex ?, check out http://www.starwebmalta.com where you will see The Xemxija bay hotel and other such 2 star properties and guest houses incidentally the Buccaneers is on there to, they all look ok and for 1 night who cares if it is slightly tired .

Graham, please don't take this the wrong way as I have no intention to offend you, I know that you are a true Malta lover but that saying you quoted about "you either love or hate Malta" is the biggest load of twaddle anyone has ever said about Malta on these forums, this saying could equally apply to anywhere in the world and a real urban myth has sprung up around this pointless saying almost to the point that people actually believe it, this has been discussed on these forums before and with the always excellent help of BHM Trevor I thought it had been laid to rest once and for all.

Regards to you both
Sliema2

thanks Sliema2, and quite agree on the love/hate issue - I don't like alot of Malta itself, but think Gozo is one of the best places in the world - even in Gozo there are bits I don't like, eg Marsalforn, but to blanket write Malta is love or hate is crazy. The wife is trying out the Buckaneers, and will report back - for me, I would just wait for the next ferry to Gozo, even if its hours away - you can't beat paradise !

Hi Sliema

As a Malta lover I know what you are saying, but I have discovered that it is true, you will either love or hate Malta. Unfortunately mainly because many visitors don't go and explore this beautiful and fascinating island, but only stay in the resort in which they are holidaying in.
I love the islands that make up the archipelago, however I have recommended friends to go to Malta, some have truly hated the island ( I feel sorry for them) and others have loved it.

I have been to countries that have been 'alright' i.e. Bulgaria and I haven't loved them nor hated them and would still go back, but I do genuinely think Malta is a love or hate island, you will either love it and go back again and again or you will hate it and never return.
If more people were to go and explore the island away from the main resorts I am sure they would be pleasantly surprised and would love it and they would want to return again and again.

Gozomark I must just say that Gozo is truly a lovely island and is well worth a visit or a stay by all visitors to the islands and should be on everybodys must do list.
On a tour of Gozo I visited a church that had a small church inside it and the larger new church had been built around it, do you know where it is located and the name of the church ?
I will stay in a farmhouse there someday as this Island is so green and gorgeous.

Sliema I am not offended because I know you love Malta as much as I do or possibly even more so.

ps I am still waiting on your recipe for Bragiolli and the delivery of your lonely Gbejna

Graham

Graham

is it Xewkija church ? quite a few churches in Gozo have been recently rebuilt over an older one - this is the largest church in Gozo, but in this case the old church was dismantled, and rebuilt next to the new church
http://www.gozo.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=82

or it could be Ta Pinu http://www.gozo.gov.mt/pages.aspx?page=87

those are the two most frequented by tourists - if not those, it could be....

ps the fresh gbejna are so good at the moment - with bread, olive oil, salt, tomatoes - that sounds like lunch !

Nice 1 Graham , as I said I know your feelings for the island so my comment was not designed to offend you in any way, I think that you contribute geatley to this forum and I look forward to discussing and sharing many more Malta related items with you, however, I still think that saying is meaningless and negative and could apply to any where in the world not just magical Malta, but I respect your opinion so we wil simply agree to disagree on this one

Thank you once again for offering to keep my Gbejna's company but the good news is that they won't be loneley for long as I think one of them is probably due for consumption tonight with our last few Galletti's which incidentally I am trying to bulk order so once I get a result I will share my good news on here so you can all try and get some, I promise to dig out the Bragioli recipe that was actually given to me by a top chef in one of Malta's most famous hotels ( not the palm court thank god) I wouldn't want to inflict that on any one .

Ciao for now Sliema2

Hi Sliema2, with all this agreeing to disagree I only disagree to agree when the weather is bad. But are you saying that the know famous hotel Palm Court is bad hotel, or the chef is no good?
Bye the way seen your report on your holiday to Italy not so good then! but was the food any good?

Agreeing to Disagree
Dave

Hi Dave, the holiday was fine thanks, it was a good experience and we saw and did some really good things, but because we know Malta so well it was a complete change in holiday experience, as you know Malta is so small and easy to get around wherebye Italy is so big in comparison, but I have to say that Malta is a hard act to follow in every respect, the food in Italy was nice though, the one dish that really stands out for me is the wild boar with walnuts and olives served with garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes washed down with a nice bottle of chianti classico very nice dish yum yum, but so is bragioli, lampuki and fenek, I have had local dishes in Malta that are quite outstanding as you know the local wine is good to, Malta has got a lot going for it in nearly every way, much more than people often give it credit for, I look forward with relish to returning to dear old Malta in about 11 weeks time, have you been to the Algarve yet ? and if not when do you go ? also, when are you going back to Malta ?.

Regards
Sliema2

Hello Sliema2 may I just let you in on a well kept secret me and Mrs Holidaymaker are going to the Lisbon Coast this year we went to the Algarve last summer, but if you saw the news on Saturday night you may have seen that they (the Portugesse) had a bit of bother just up the road from where we are going with the local yobs running wild on the beach, I hope thet it has carmed down when we get there, it was bad in the Algarve last year with all the so called English football fans.
We go in 2 weeks and 5 days not that I am counting as for going back to Malta we have a week in October to fill so if we can find the right deal we may go then, but the dates to travel never seem to fall right for us as the wife is on fixed holiday dates.

Dave

Hi there going back tro the original subject............ I have never stayed at the Buccanears but have visited friends there who return year after year. It is run by a wonderful maltese family who make us welcome when we visit friends. The rooms are basic but clean with a shower and wash basin ooo and A/C. the only reason we don't stay there is that there are no toilets in the rooms, they are on the corridors. I have heard that the food is very good and you can choose from an extensive menu and it is prepared fresh for you, not mass produced 'hotel' food. I know several people who return there year after year and have become part of the family. Hope your wife has a pleasant, albeit, short stay there and reports back to the forum.
PS I think I have to agree with the 'love it or hate it' brigade. The people who tend to hate don't leave the hotel never mind the resort, I always tell people to get out there and see the Island and meet the wonderful people of Malta.

PPS We went to Rhodes in April as reccomended by this forum last year. Again people in our hotel never left the complex we went out and about every day and saw fantastic places and met some lovely locals who were so proud of there Island. Someone in another topic mentioned that it must be the 'Island' thing. I tend to agree

PPPS 2 weeks to go and MALTA here we come !!!

As much as people who love Malta say the love hate attitude is a thing of the past I find everybody I speak to always refers to this yes there are many people who really enjoy Malta and just as many who don't but would,nt life be boring if we all loved the same thing
pojo

thanks for the comment Charliegirl - fortunately for me, my wife said the buccaneers was fine, especially at just LM6 pppn - confirmed that no toilet in room. I'll try and get a fuller report from her ! They only had breakfast, which was coffee (salty as used tap water, but that can be the case at expensive hotels & restaurants) and toast. She would definitely stay there again.

gozomark

Thanks for the replies re the churches, it wasn't one of them, I remember there were many steps up to the front of it. I will remember where it is one day

the fresh gbejna are so good at the moment - with bread, olive oil, salt, tomatoes - that sounds like lunch

That sounds like a superb lunch to me, I am sure you will agree sliema2

Graham

Hi Graham, yes I fully agree to agree on this one, washed down with a couple of large glasses of local wine this sounds like a superb lunch to me, will deffinitely be doing this in September.

Regards
Sliema2