Hi All
Have finally got round to writing up my review of our wedding/honeymoon trip to Malta & Gozo this Sept. If anyone wants further information about the Palazzo Parisio (where we got married) then just drop me a PM.
Malta Review - September 2010
We spent 11 nights in Malta in September 2010. Here follows an account of our trip:
The Journey
We flew out from Heathrow to Malta with Air Malta, having booked the flights via their website. The flight on the way out departed on time but, on the way back, our departure was delayed by over an hour. There was in-flight entertainment both ways but only in the form of a tourist film and some comedy programmes. The meal service was very efficient though and the food was surprisingly nice.
As we had booked the flight and hotels ourselves, we didn't have any included transfers so we pre-booked 12 days car hire including airport drop off at a cost of 220 Euros through Ray Bezzina Car Rentals (http://www.raybezzinacarrentals.com/index.php). We found the drop-off driver easily at the airport but the car itself was a bit of a wreck - we couldn't open the boot, the air-conditioning was ancient and the wing mirrors were hanging on by a thread. We had also paid 4 Euros for a road map which turned out to be a hand drawn tourist map so we ended up having to buy a new AA one as well. The car was generally fine for the price though so we would probably use them again - a lot of firms seemed to be charging double what we paid!
As many people have noted, the Maltese are famed for their bad driving and we certainly saw many examples of this but the convenience of having a car for sightseeing and travelling between hotels was worth the hassle. Our main advice would be to stick to the main roads where possible as they are generally in a better state of repair then the local ‘short-cut' roads and have more room for the Maltese to overtake you. We found getting the ferry between Malta and Gozo to be pretty straightforward - departures run every 45 mins during the day in summer apart from around lunchtime where there is a 1 ½ hr gap. Payment for the whole journey was taken at kiosks at Mgarr Harbour on Gozo on our return trip.
The Weather
The forecasts had predicted some rain in the run up to our trip so we were prepared for some wet weather. In the end, we only saw prolonged rain while we were on Gozo, the rest of the time it was hot and sunny with occasional cloudy and windy periods.
The Hotels
Hotel Phoenicia, Valletta (INVALID URL
This was by far our favourite hotel out of the 3 that we stayed at in Malta for our wedding/ honeymoon. We wanted to do as much sightseeing as possible so the hotel's location just outside the main gates of Valletta was perfect for us. When we arrived, the staff were very welcoming and the check in was very smooth. When we arrived at our room, we were disappointed to find that it did not have a balcony. This was something that was very important to us and I had been in correspondence with the Reservations Dept to ensure we booked the correct room. It subsequently turned out that the advice they had given me was misleading and we had booked the wrong room category. We were able to move room the next day but it did mean that our honeymoon did not get off to the best start.
The rest of our time there was brilliant though and we were very sad to leave! We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and the breakfast selection was huge - we both got addicted to the fresh pancakes and omelettes. There was also a welcome drinks reception one night which was a nice touch. Our 2nd room had not been refurbished so looked a little tired but the views from the balcony more than made up for it. One night we were even able to sit there and see and hear a band playing covers of Iron Maiden songs on the walls of Valletta! The pool area was a fantastic place to chill out after a day's sightseeing although we were horrified at the price of the ice creams - 5 Euros for a Magnum! We didn't eat in either of the hotel's restaurants as we preferred to walk into Valetta for dinner or buy snacks from the kiosk by the bus station. The hotel's car park is quite small but we did not have any problems in finding a space each evening. The staff were always pleasant and friendly but we were slightly surprised that they didn't appear to take any notice of the fact we were on honeymoon - even a card would have been nice. This is just a minor quibble though - overall we loved the place and would definitely consider staying there if we ever go back to Malta.
Hotel Kempinski San Lawrenz, Gozo (http://www.kempinski.com/en/gozo)
If you want to get away from it all, this is a lovely hotel on a lovely island. Finding the hotel was pretty easy and there is loads of parking on site. Check in was very efficient and we were soon shown to our room. We booked a Deluxe room and were given one overlooking the pool with a nice sunny balcony. The room was very nicely furnished with lots of storage space and we particularly liked having a separate sitting area. As it was our honeymoon, the hotel management had left us a bottle of wine, some fruit and some cakes which was a nice touch. Our only complaint about the room was that there was a persistent electrical hum which made it difficult to get to sleep.
As for the hotel itself - we thought it was very nice, if a bit quiet. Thanks to some bad weather, we were only able to use the pool area once but it was very nicely laid out with plenty of room to sunbathe. Breakfast is served in the restaurant overlooking the pool and we were very happy with the choice of food on offer. In the evening, there is little to do other than have dinner or sit in the bar but you are only 10 mins drive from Victoria if you fancy a night out. We only ate at the hotel on the first night - in the Trattoria Italian restaurant. The food there was very good and reasonably priced, apart from the puddings which were a complete rip-off at 8 Euros each. As a result, we decided to eat out on the other 2 nights we were there. One night we went to Tatita's, which is just down the road in San Lawrenz. The food was ok here but the service was pretty poor - it is advisable to book in advance if you can as it can get quite busy. On our final night, we ended up at Maji Wine & Dine in Victoria (INVALID URL This was by far the best place we ate in during our time in Malta and Gozo - pricey but definitely worth it!
All in all, we really liked the Kempinski and Gozo itself and it's highly likely that we will revisit both someday.
Hotel Xara Palace, Mdina (INVALID URL
This was the third hotel we stayed at as part of our wedding/honeymoon and was unfortunately our least favourite of the three. Having looked at the hotel's website, we were expecting to have a relaxing and comfortable stay in beautiful surroundings. The surroundings are certainly beautiful, but we found our room to be cramped and dilapidated and definitely not relaxing. The bathroom wasn't particularly impressive - the shower screen was rusty and the shower temperature and pressure were very variable. The seating area was far too small to relax in and there was only one small wardrobe and a chest of drawers for storage. The air conditioning was old and noisy so we had to turn it off at night so we could sleep. Due to the noise from the street outside, it was impossible to sleep with the window open so the room got very hot at night. Our biggest bugbear, however, was the stairs between the mezzanine sleeping area and the seating area/bathroom. The lack of handrail alongside most of the steps made them dangerous at night and the loud squeaking they made meant that neither of us could use them without waking the other one up. After 2 nights there - we were glad to leave!
On the positive side, the building and location are lovely and it was great to be able to pop back during the day when Mdina itself was too crowded. The roof terrace was an added bonus and should be promoted more. The staff were also very polite and helpful - and we did receive a personal reply to the comment form we submitted. I think it's possible we would have had a better stay in a different room to the one we were given (room 5).
Mdina itself is a ‘must visit' during the day but at night there is little to do and we found the restaurants there to be a bit overpriced. On our last night we ended up at the Grotto Tavern in Rabat which had a lovely food at good prices - we would definitely go there again. If we ever go back to Malta then I think we would certainly revisit Mdina itself but it is highly unlikely that we will ever go back to the Xara Palace.
Hotel Phoenicia, Valletta (INVALID URL
This was by far our favourite hotel out of the 3 that we stayed at in Malta for our wedding/ honeymoon. We wanted to do as much sightseeing as possible so the hotel's location just outside the main gates of Valletta was perfect for us. When we arrived, the staff were very welcoming and the check in was very smooth. When we arrived at our room, we were disappointed to find that it did not have a balcony. This was something that was very important to us and I had been in correspondence with the Reservations Dept to ensure we booked the correct room. It subsequently turned out that the advice they had given me was misleading and we had booked the wrong room category. We were able to move room the next day but it did mean that our honeymoon did not get off to the best start.
The rest of our time there was brilliant though and we were very sad to leave! We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis and the breakfast selection was huge - we both got addicted to the fresh pancakes and omelettes. There was also a welcome drinks reception one night which was a nice touch. Our 2nd room had not been refurbished so looked a little tired but the views from the balcony more than made up for it. One night we were even able to sit there and see and hear a band playing covers of Iron Maiden songs on the walls of Valletta! The pool area was a fantastic place to chill out after a day's sightseeing although we were horrified at the price of the ice creams - 5 Euros for a Magnum! We didn't eat in either of the hotel's restaurants as we preferred to walk into Valetta for dinner or buy snacks from the kiosk by the bus station. The hotel's car park is quite small but we did not have any problems in finding a space each evening. The staff were always pleasant and friendly but we were slightly surprised that they didn't appear to take any notice of the fact we were on honeymoon - even a card would have been nice. This is just a minor quibble though - overall we loved the place and would definitely consider staying there if we ever go back to Malta.
Hotel Kempinski San Lawrenz, Gozo (http://www.kempinski.com/en/gozo)
If you want to get away from it all, this is a lovely hotel on a lovely island. Finding the hotel was pretty easy and there is loads of parking on site. Check in was very efficient and we were soon shown to our room. We booked a Deluxe room and were given one overlooking the pool with a nice sunny balcony. The room was very nicely furnished with lots of storage space and we particularly liked having a separate sitting area. As it was our honeymoon, the hotel management had left us a bottle of wine, some fruit and some cakes which was a nice touch. Our only complaint about the room was that there was a persistent electrical hum which made it difficult to get to sleep.
As for the hotel itself - we thought it was very nice, if a bit quiet. Thanks to some bad weather, we were only able to use the pool area once but it was very nicely laid out with plenty of room to sunbathe. Breakfast is served in the restaurant overlooking the pool and we were very happy with the choice of food on offer. In the evening, there is little to do other than have dinner or sit in the bar but you are only 10 mins drive from Victoria if you fancy a night out. We only ate at the hotel on the first night - in the Trattoria Italian restaurant. The food there was very good and reasonably priced, apart from the puddings which were a complete rip-off at 8 Euros each. As a result, we decided to eat out on the other 2 nights we were there. One night we went to Tatita's, which is just down the road in San Lawrenz. The food was ok here but the service was pretty poor - it is advisable to book in advance if you can as it can get quite busy. On our final night, we ended up at Maji Wine & Dine in Victoria (INVALID URL This was by far the best place we ate in during our time in Malta and Gozo - pricey but definitely worth it!
All in all, we really liked the Kempinski and Gozo itself and it's highly likely that we will revisit both someday.
Hotel Xara Palace, Mdina (INVALID URL
This was the third hotel we stayed at as part of our wedding/honeymoon and was unfortunately our least favourite of the three. Having looked at the hotel's website, we were expecting to have a relaxing and comfortable stay in beautiful surroundings. The surroundings are certainly beautiful, but we found our room to be cramped and dilapidated and definitely not relaxing. The bathroom wasn't particularly impressive - the shower screen was rusty and the shower temperature and pressure were very variable. The seating area was far too small to relax in and there was only one small wardrobe and a chest of drawers for storage. The air conditioning was old and noisy so we had to turn it off at night so we could sleep. Due to the noise from the street outside, it was impossible to sleep with the window open so the room got very hot at night. Our biggest bugbear, however, was the stairs between the mezzanine sleeping area and the seating area/bathroom. The lack of handrail alongside most of the steps made them dangerous at night and the loud squeaking they made meant that neither of us could use them without waking the other one up. After 2 nights there - we were glad to leave!
On the positive side, the building and location are lovely and it was great to be able to pop back during the day when Mdina itself was too crowded. The roof terrace was an added bonus and should be promoted more. The staff were also very polite and helpful - and we did receive a personal reply to the comment form we submitted. I think it's possible we would have had a better stay in a different room to the one we were given (room 5).
Mdina itself is a ‘must visit' during the day but at night there is little to do and we found the restaurants there to be a bit overpriced. On our last night we ended up at the Grotto Tavern in Rabat which had a lovely food at good prices - we would definitely go there again. If we ever go back to Malta then I think we would certainly revisit Mdina itself but it is highly unlikely that we will ever go back to the Xara Palace.
Things to do
One of the first things we did when we arrived was to buy a Heritage Malta Pass. This costs 30 Euros but allows you to visit 20 different museums & historic sites across Malta and Gozo (excluding the Hypogeum). This covered a lot of our sightseeing during our stay as we managed to visit 18 of the sites. Further details as follows:
Tarxien Temples, Tarxien - only worth a visit if you are in the area as there's not much to see
Inquisitor's Palace & Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa - both really interesting and worth a visit although we weren't able to fit in all of the Maritime Museum due to heat and tiredness.
Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Temples - one of the best museums on the island - really informative and clear displays in a purpose built air-conditioned building. It was very disappointing that Ħaġar Qim was closed the day we visited but at least it gives us an excuse to go back again in future!
Għar Dalam Cave - the cave is definitely worth a visit if you're passing but the museum could do with a makeover.
National War Museum, Valletta - a really interesting museum but we really weren't able to do it justice due to the extreme heat in there that day. If it gets that hot in late September then it must be like an oven in August. Definitely a candidate for air conditioning!
Palace Armoury and the Palace State Rooms, Valletta - Personally I found the Armoury very dull but the State Rooms were worth visiting. They are occasionally closed for state functions though so it's worth checking if they are open before you visit.
National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta - this gave a good overview of Maltese archaeology which was useful in putting visits to the temples etc into context.
National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta - if you like Fine Arts then you'll probably find it very interesting but we found it pretty dull.
Domus Romana & St. Paul's Catacombs, Rabat - both fascinating and definitely worth a visit. The displays at the Domus Romana were particularly good.
National Museum of Natural History, Mdina - lots of pretty dull displays of stuffed animals - could definitely benefit from an overhaul!
Museum of Archaeology & Museum of Folklore, Gozo Citadel - Both tiny and hot and not as good as the museums in Valletta. In fact, they were so uninspiring that we didn't even bother to visit the nearby Natural Science Museum and The Old Prison!
Ġgantija Temples and Ta'Kola Windmill, Xagħra, Gozo - The temples are interesting but there is not enough information displayed around the site. The windmill has similar exhibitions to the Folklore Museum in Victoria and is only worth a visit if you're passing and want to kill some time.
In addition to all these Heritage Malta sites, we also visited the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola. This was amazing - and the audio visual tour was very informative - definitely one not to miss. It does get booked up weeks in advance though so make sure you book your tickets online before you got to Malta at http://www.heritagemalta.org/hmshop/hmshop.html.
Our last night in Valletta happened to coincide with the annual Notte Bianca festival which meant that we were able to experience lots of interesting experiences in one night. We particularly liked to fact that we were able to visit The Malta Experience and St John's co-cathedral for free! Please see http://www.nottebiancamalta.com for further information. By the way, if you do visit the Malta Experience then it's probably not worth visiting any of the other audio-visual shows on Malta or Gozo because they basically re-hash the same material. Also avoid the ‘Knights of Malta' walk-through show at Mdina - it was so bad that we would have paid them to let us out early if we could!
Other places worth a visit are Buskett Gardens, Ta'Qali Crafts Village (much better than the one on Gozo), the Blue Grotto (Malta), the Azure Window (Gozo) and the Ta'Pinu Basilica (Gozo). We would also recommend a visit to our wedding venue, the Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar if you like old palaces with lovely gardens. You should definitely spend at least one full day in Valletta as there is so much to see and do and an evening visit is worth doing too.
Overall, we had a really great stay on Malta and Gozo - there is lots to see and do and the people are very friendly and helpful. A week and a half was just enough time to see all the major sights plus some of the smaller ones so it'll be a while before we go back again but it was certainly a good choice for our wedding/honeymoon.
One of the first things we did when we arrived was to buy a Heritage Malta Pass. This costs 30 Euros but allows you to visit 20 different museums & historic sites across Malta and Gozo (excluding the Hypogeum). This covered a lot of our sightseeing during our stay as we managed to visit 18 of the sites. Further details as follows:
Tarxien Temples, Tarxien - only worth a visit if you are in the area as there's not much to see
Inquisitor's Palace & Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa - both really interesting and worth a visit although we weren't able to fit in all of the Maritime Museum due to heat and tiredness.
Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Temples - one of the best museums on the island - really informative and clear displays in a purpose built air-conditioned building. It was very disappointing that Ħaġar Qim was closed the day we visited but at least it gives us an excuse to go back again in future!
Għar Dalam Cave - the cave is definitely worth a visit if you're passing but the museum could do with a makeover.
National War Museum, Valletta - a really interesting museum but we really weren't able to do it justice due to the extreme heat in there that day. If it gets that hot in late September then it must be like an oven in August. Definitely a candidate for air conditioning!
Palace Armoury and the Palace State Rooms, Valletta - Personally I found the Armoury very dull but the State Rooms were worth visiting. They are occasionally closed for state functions though so it's worth checking if they are open before you visit.
National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta - this gave a good overview of Maltese archaeology which was useful in putting visits to the temples etc into context.
National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta - if you like Fine Arts then you'll probably find it very interesting but we found it pretty dull.
Domus Romana & St. Paul's Catacombs, Rabat - both fascinating and definitely worth a visit. The displays at the Domus Romana were particularly good.
National Museum of Natural History, Mdina - lots of pretty dull displays of stuffed animals - could definitely benefit from an overhaul!
Museum of Archaeology & Museum of Folklore, Gozo Citadel - Both tiny and hot and not as good as the museums in Valletta. In fact, they were so uninspiring that we didn't even bother to visit the nearby Natural Science Museum and The Old Prison!
Ġgantija Temples and Ta'Kola Windmill, Xagħra, Gozo - The temples are interesting but there is not enough information displayed around the site. The windmill has similar exhibitions to the Folklore Museum in Victoria and is only worth a visit if you're passing and want to kill some time.
In addition to all these Heritage Malta sites, we also visited the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola. This was amazing - and the audio visual tour was very informative - definitely one not to miss. It does get booked up weeks in advance though so make sure you book your tickets online before you got to Malta at http://www.heritagemalta.org/hmshop/hmshop.html.
Our last night in Valletta happened to coincide with the annual Notte Bianca festival which meant that we were able to experience lots of interesting experiences in one night. We particularly liked to fact that we were able to visit The Malta Experience and St John's co-cathedral for free! Please see http://www.nottebiancamalta.com for further information. By the way, if you do visit the Malta Experience then it's probably not worth visiting any of the other audio-visual shows on Malta or Gozo because they basically re-hash the same material. Also avoid the ‘Knights of Malta' walk-through show at Mdina - it was so bad that we would have paid them to let us out early if we could!
Other places worth a visit are Buskett Gardens, Ta'Qali Crafts Village (much better than the one on Gozo), the Blue Grotto (Malta), the Azure Window (Gozo) and the Ta'Pinu Basilica (Gozo). We would also recommend a visit to our wedding venue, the Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar if you like old palaces with lovely gardens. You should definitely spend at least one full day in Valletta as there is so much to see and do and an evening visit is worth doing too.
Overall, we had a really great stay on Malta and Gozo - there is lots to see and do and the people are very friendly and helpful. A week and a half was just enough time to see all the major sights plus some of the smaller ones so it'll be a while before we go back again but it was certainly a good choice for our wedding/honeymoon.
Glad you had a good time in Malta and enjoyed your honeymoon, you certainly managed to fit a lot in to your visit.
excellent report. thank you.
we went to the feast of St Lawrenz in Gozo and it was amazing. we have also visited some of the places on your list..now i will add a few more to my "hit list".
we went to the feast of St Lawrenz in Gozo and it was amazing. we have also visited some of the places on your list..now i will add a few more to my "hit list".
You mentioned you got married at the Palazzo Parisio, do you mind telling me if it was expensive and whether it was all you had hoped for?
Hi
We had an amazing wedding at the Palazzo Parisio! We had decided very early on that we wanted to get married on our own and picked Malta because of the ease of getting there and the fact that English is one of their official languages. We initially found the PP in a First Choice wedding brochure and though it looked amazing, but we were slightly put off by the £1.5k price tag which seemed very high for a short ceremony for 2 people. So I decided to contact them direct to see if we might be able to arrange a cheaper package, given that we were quite flexible about the time and room etc.
We were amazed when they came back and told us that they offered a 'non-exclusive' use package which meant they couldn't guarantee which room we would be in, but that the ceremony itself would be free on condition that we spent a minimum of 85 euros per head on dinner in their restaurant. As it happened, on the afternoon we got married there were no other events so we were able to get married on the terrace overlooking the gardens before having our photos taken in all the palace's rooms. Given that we were such a small wedding, we still felt like our wedding was given the same care and attention as some of the huge events that they run. They were able to provide us with witnesses and also recommended our fantastic photographer.
They day itself was brilliant - the ceremony went off without a hitch, we had great fun with the photographer and a lovely meal in the restaurant - the forecast rain even managed to hold off until the late evening. I wouldn't change a thing!
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions. Their website is http://www.palazzoparisio.com/ if you haven't already seen it.
We had an amazing wedding at the Palazzo Parisio! We had decided very early on that we wanted to get married on our own and picked Malta because of the ease of getting there and the fact that English is one of their official languages. We initially found the PP in a First Choice wedding brochure and though it looked amazing, but we were slightly put off by the £1.5k price tag which seemed very high for a short ceremony for 2 people. So I decided to contact them direct to see if we might be able to arrange a cheaper package, given that we were quite flexible about the time and room etc.
We were amazed when they came back and told us that they offered a 'non-exclusive' use package which meant they couldn't guarantee which room we would be in, but that the ceremony itself would be free on condition that we spent a minimum of 85 euros per head on dinner in their restaurant. As it happened, on the afternoon we got married there were no other events so we were able to get married on the terrace overlooking the gardens before having our photos taken in all the palace's rooms. Given that we were such a small wedding, we still felt like our wedding was given the same care and attention as some of the huge events that they run. They were able to provide us with witnesses and also recommended our fantastic photographer.
They day itself was brilliant - the ceremony went off without a hitch, we had great fun with the photographer and a lovely meal in the restaurant - the forecast rain even managed to hold off until the late evening. I wouldn't change a thing!
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions. Their website is http://www.palazzoparisio.com/ if you haven't already seen it.
Hi Corinne,
Thankyou so much for your reply, it sounds fantastic, I have emailed them for more details so thankyou!
Any recommendations on nice hotels to stay?
Emma
Thankyou so much for your reply, it sounds fantastic, I have emailed them for more details so thankyou!
Any recommendations on nice hotels to stay?
Emma
Thanks for this review Corrine, i'm off to Malta in 2 days time and this will be very useful. Cheers
Hi Emma
You can see my hotel reviews at the top of this topic - we really loved the Phoenicia in Valletta because is was so close to Valletta and had parking. Otherwise have a look on the hotel reviews section on here and on Trip Advisor.
Boomshanker - glad my review was helpful - hope you have a lovely time!
You can see my hotel reviews at the top of this topic - we really loved the Phoenicia in Valletta because is was so close to Valletta and had parking. Otherwise have a look on the hotel reviews section on here and on Trip Advisor.
Boomshanker - glad my review was helpful - hope you have a lovely time!
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