NB: Before you read this please remember that we should have been in Egypt during the week we were in Malta, but the FCO advice was not to travel so we changed our holiday to Malta. Also remember that, in Maltese terms, this is still outside their main tourist season. I know a lot will disagree with my comments - but if we all liked the same things there would be no reason to have a choice!!
Getting there
Following FCO advice, and seeing the information on EasyJets' website, we attempted to change our holiday from Egypt. EasyJet could not have been more helpful and there was no problem changing. Due to the FCO advice we were also not charged an admin fee. On the Beach also changed our hotel without any problems or admin fee.
The day before we flew we phoned EasyJet's helpdesk to confirm that we could check our hold luggage in the night before (their website says flights before 8-30 ours was at 8-30). They confirmed this was fine anytime after 8pm. Due to delays by staff (not EasyJet but Menzies staff at Gatwick) we arrived at the airport at 7-40 but didn't get back to the car until 10-15, which meant an £11-30 charge on the carpark!!! Good start then!
At least we had no problems with the Russ Hill Hotel or the actual flight to Malta.
We booked our transfers through ResortHoppa and, exactly as they said, their local agent was waiting for us and we were taken straight to the Hotel by a very helpful driver who gave us loads of information.
Hotel
We stayed at the Qawra Palace. Although the hotel was looking a little "tired" in some areas it was very clean, the maids were in everyday, the staff were very helpful and the beds were comfortable. The food in the hotel was very well cooked and although it was the same choices for every breakfast the evening meals were always varied and we never had the same meals twice with a choice of 3 or 4 mains and a vegetarian option every night. However, in my opinion, the meals were very "English" - Steak and kidney pie the first night we were there - and I have to say that this is part of my issue with Malta. In our particular hotel it may have been because they have a large number of long term winter visitors from England - retired and staying in Malta anything from 3 weeks to 6 months - but I think generally that Malta is very English. As an ale drinker I wanted to try the Islands own brews - Cisk lager and Hopleaf Ales. None of these were available in the hotel although I could have Stella or Carlsberg draught or John Smiths in a can!!!
The Weather
If I was feeling kind I suppose I should describe it as abysmal!! It was sunny, but chilly due to a cold wind, on our first day and on one other day later in the week. The high wind stayed for the entire week so although it may have been slightly warmer than the UK it didn't feel it. The rest of the week was generally overcast and chilly except for the Sunday when it poured down!!
The Touristy bit
My initial opinions of Malta - and these didn't really change during the week - were that on the whole the Island looked very dilapidated. A lot of the buildings looked as if they just needed a coat of paint or some rendering to the outside. There were a lot of buildings boarded up or just shut, but again this may have been because it was out of season. I have to admit that the insides of all the buildings we went into were generally very well maintained but it appeared to be at the expense of the exterior. I was particularly surprised at the amount of dog mess on the pavements too. I also had a problem with the overall "look" of the Island. In the UK you can generally tell where you are by looking at the style of the buildings. I appreciate that Malta is much smaller but no matter how many times you visited somewhere, if you couldn't see a town sign you had no idea which town you were in as they all looked the same.
I was advised before we went that the Maltese like the English but wasn't expecting all road signs to only be in English or that the first language of 85% of the population is English (according to the taxi driver who took us back to the airport). I also wasn't expecting them to drive on the left and to use standard 3 pin UK sockets.
I did hire a car even though, prior to going, I was advised that Maltese drivers are atrocious and I would be taking my life in my hands. I'm sorry but I have to totally disagree. Whilst some drivers (generally taxis) do tend to get a bit close to your rear on the whole the drivers are great. You also have to remember to give way to buses because they won't stop (even if you are already on the roundabout). If you think Malta is bad, try driving in Rhodes or Turkey.
We spent one day on the Gozo tour. It may be a case of "you get what you pay for" but we had very little information from our driver, the minibus was pretty rough (but not in a nice - traditional bus - type way), and virtually everywhere we stopped there was an entry fee not covered by the tour cost.
We visited the Knights spectacular. Due to two of the passengers on our bus not being there when the driver went to collect them we were half way to the event when the driver received a call telling him he had to go back and collect the two who had now appeared!! So this meant the event had already started when we arrived. Because the seating is in sections your ticket tells you which section and which row you should be on. Unfortunately, due to a "computer error", there were more tickets issued than seats available on the row we should have been on. So we had to stand at the back whilst they checked and double checked what had gone wrong - remember the show had already started - and eventually we were allocated seats on a different row. The food was good and the wine and soft drinks were topped up every time you asked. Not sure it was good value at €42 each though.
On the Sunday we drove to Marsaxxlok for the Market. I think it was very empty (I cake stall, approx 6 fish stalls and the same number of fruit and veg) due to the abysmal weather - this was the day it poured down and was very windy, but I think on a decent day it would be a pretty village and an interesting market.
We drove to Valletta one day - parking can be a nightmare but we were lucky that someone was pulling out as we drove past - and walked the outer perimeter of the town. We went back on our last day and this time went by "boneshaker" bus and walked through the centre of town. I have to admit I did like Valletta.
We drove to Mosta and Mdina on our second day and had a walk round. Mosta Dome was fascinating but we had only been in there for about two minutes when we were informed it was closing. Mdina is an interesting place to visit and is very peaceful as very few vehicles are allowed in.
We were half board in the hotel so had lunch out each day and I have to admit that we found the prices of food and drink very reasonable and always of a good standard.
Overall Opinions
Before I went to Malta I was told it was a "Marmite" island - you either love it or hate it. Whilst I think hate is too strong a word, we enjoyed the break but won't be rushing back to Malta. For us it was just too run down and needed a good clean (but this may have been because it was out of season). It is also far too English (we even found Classic FM on the radio!!) except on the TV channels.
I would not stop anyone else from visiting though as I believe you have to make up your own mind. I think I can understand why some people love it and go back year after year, but it just isn't our cup of tea. If the weather had been better we may have felt differently, but I don't think so.
It is always nice and much appreciated when somebody takes the time to review their holiday in detail
Graham (a Marmite lover)
My parents go to Malta every February for 4wks and we generally pop over from our home in Cyprus to visit for a week. It's never been a favoured destination for me from working in travel previously in UK and even after a few visits since coming to live in Cyprus. It's growing on us but very slowly.
If the weather is miserable it can be the most depressing place on earth as the cool winds seem to be channelled between the buildings due to Bugibba and Qawra being mostly hilly. The wind that blows up the street from the New Dolmen and where Trollees supermarket is can be the most cutting and goes through anything! Add that to a lot of decrepit buildings it's not the nicest of areas to look at. I find the North of the island much more open and appealing. Malta always reminds me a bit of Gibraltar - like it's stuck in a timewarp somewhere between the 1960's and 1970's.
My parents stay in Qawra and fairly close to the Qawra Palace hotel so we know that area quite well. We too like Valetta but on a cold and windy day, again - the wind just whips through those long lines of streets and I always get ear ache after a visit. The Grand Harbour is fabulous and we also like to go to Sliema as it's close enough to Valetta with views across the harbour.
Last February (2010) we had the best weather ever and took the Gozo day trip paying 10 EUR per person which included entrance fees but not the return ferry crossing (approx 4 EUR each). We thought it was an excellent day and an extremely good price.
This year I visited Malta alone leaving my hubby behind in Cyprus to look after our 2 big dogs and the cat! I went on Sat 19th Feb and the weather wasn't so good. Luckily for me I didn't fly the day before though as there was a big storm which meant some flights were rerouted via Sicily and the Gozo ferries, although the continued to run - they had to take the long way around.
I was there until the following Thursday and in that time I think only Moday 21st was one of the best days. Some days it was overcast and cool - saying that, I never got to put my padded jacket on, just a fleece and a gilet over the top. I'm always cold in Malta as Cyprus is a little warmer at that time of year. My mum wore her shorts most days or a pair of jeans with a t-shirt.
The day I was due to leave, the heavens opened and we had a massive hailstorm for about 20 minutes, preceded by a thunderstorm for most of the evening. But 4 hours later I was sitting outside on the open air terrace at the airport with a 7UP and reading my book in the sunshine.
It's such a small island that the weather can be very changeable in a short space of time. The people are friendly and like Cyprus, it was once British run so has lots of UK presence such as driving on the left, same electricity systems and which helps it stay popular with British tourists and ex-pats.
The cost of eating and drinking out is generally a little cheaper than Cyprus too.
A quick trip up the hill to the bars a few streets back from the Qawra Palace would have given tutor52 the opportunity to try the local beers. I was staying in the Soreda Hotel and they had local beers on tap. All the bars in that area and on Tourist Street have the local brew and imported beers on offer but when it's cold at night nobody wants to go traipsing around to find them!
So, Qawra Palace needs to learn a lesson!!!
Shell
Limassol, Cyprus
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