Travelling to Malta
In just 3 hours you can fly directly to Malta from the Netherlands with the following airlines:
If you’re adventurous and have more time on your hands you can drive to Malta. The last stretch of the journey needs to be done by sea. AFerry and Virtu Ferries provide regular ferries between mainland Italy, Sicily and Malta.
Climate
If I had to describe the weather in Malta in August in 4 words I would say: dry, hot, sunny and humid. July and August are in fact the hottest and driest months of the year. Being an island the humidity tends to be quite high making it feel even warmer than it is, however staying close to the coast you’ll enjoy the gentle breezes coming from the sea. If you plan to visit any tourist attractions you should consider very early mornings or evenings before and after the heats gets unbearable. The best place to be during the day is on a sunbed under an umbrella by the beach!
Weather in August |
|
|---|---|
High Temperature |
31.8oC |
Low Temperature |
23.7oC |
Sea Temperature |
25.8oC |
Daily hours of sunshine |
11.36 hours |
Rainfall |
5.6mm |
These statistics have been obtained from the Malta Weather website.
Essential Items to bring along
- Sun cream
- Sun glasses
- After sun cream
- Swim suits
Transport in Malta
Bus
You can travel around the island by bus. The bus system offers regular routes around the most popular places on the island can be easily reached this way. Some more remote locations won’t have bus service and difficult to reach by foot in the summer heat. Buses are air-conditioned but bus stops are not, so be prepared to wait in the scorching heat and also to sit next to sweaty people!
Most localities can be reached directly or with 1 bus change in half an hour or less.
Check the bus schedules here.
Car Rental
Renting a car gives you the freedom to go wherever you like on the island. I suggest to rent a car if you’re planning to stay in Malta for a longer time and wish to enjoy the beaches in the north of the island during the day and view the cities in the south in the evenings. Driving in Malta is crazier than driving in the Netherlands. Most road rules are considered as a suggestion to most drivers and the one of the few rules that hold is that if you are bigger than you have the right of way. But don’t be scared, driving in Malta is not impossible and Michael regularly drives in Malta on our visits there.
What to remember:- In Malta driving is left hand drive which is the opposite direction of mainland Europe;
- There are no highways on the islands so most of the time you’re driving directly in the city centres;
- Signage of the roads is not always very helpful especially on the island of Gozo;
- Pot holes are very common, avoiding them is not always possible so be on the lookout for them;
- Parking on the road is free, however it’s nearly impossible to find outdoor parking in Buġibba and Sliema.
Cycling
Cycling in Malta is not very common as a transportation method but is considered more of a sport. The island is very hilly and there are barely any bicycle lanes. Drivers are very careless with cyclists and most of the time don’t really offer space to those who venture themselves on the roads with their bikes.
Bike rental:Taxis
The white taxi service can pick up passengers from anywhere, except bus-stops. Taxi services from the airport to all localities in Malta are based on a fixed tariff which you can see here. It is best if you agree on a fare before you start your journey.
Book a taxi online here.
Ferry
The Gozo Channel offers regular ferry trips between Malta and Gozo. The trip takes less than half an hour and cars can board the ferry at an extra cost.
Lodging
Malta offers a large selection of hotels and holiday apartments. The wedding is at the peak of the high season so it's best to book lodging in advance. You should look for lodging at coastal towns in the North side of Malta. These coastal towns are great places for a stroll in the evening on the boulevards, a lovely dinner overlooking the Mediterranean sea and for the young ones at heart they also offer a variety of places where you can party all night long. The sandy beaches are located at the top most part of the island. The beach coves tend to be very quiet in the evenings and are usually not the best locations to sleep at unless you rent a car.
On the wedding day we will be providing transport from Buġibba and St. Paul's Bay to and from the wedding venue. Our suggestion would be to find lodging in one of these two towns, so that on the wedding day you don't need to use public transport or worry about drinking and driving. If you prefer to sleep somewhere else you can consider these towns:
- Sliema
- St. Julian's
- Mellieħa
- Valletta
A visit to Gozo is a must if you are staying for a week or longer in Malta. Gozo is the greener smaller sister island of Malta. The lifestyle in Gozo is slower and stills hints to a time past.
Recommended hotels |
|
|---|---|
Locality |
Hotel |
St. Paul’s Bay/Buġibba |
The Dolmen | St. George’s Bay |
Corinthia Hotel |
| Marina Hotel (bij Corinthia Beach Resort) | |
Paceville |
Westin Dragonara |
| The Hilton | |
| The George Hotel | |
| Valentina Hotel | |
| Radisson Blu Resort | |
St. Julian's |
Le Meridien Hotel & Spa |
Sliema |
The Palace |
| Fortina Spa Resort | |
| Victoria Hotel | |
| Plaza Regency Hotel | |
| Carlton Hotel | |
Mellieħa |
Radisson Blu Golden Sands |
Valletta |
Grand Hotel Excelsior |
| Hotel Phoenicia | |
Places to visit
The Grand Harbour |
This harbour is the biggest natural harbour in Europe. You can get to see a lot of the bastioned cities of Malta from the Upper Barakka gardens in Valletta. |
Sliema/Buġibba |
Walking on the coast of Sliema and/or Buġibba in the evenings |
Temples |
Neolithic and megalithic temples across the island. Mainly Ggantija and the Hypogeum which needs pre-booking in advance. Check here for more details. |
The 3 Cities |
The 3 cities (Senglea, Cospicua, Vittoriosa) are 3 cities which are lovely fortified cities. |
Mdina |
Mdina is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Mdina is commonly called the Silent City by natives and visitors. The town is still confined within its walls, and has a population of just over three hundred |
Blue Grotto |
Blue grotto is a sea cavern close to Wied iz-Zurrieq in which the sea is coloured in numerous shades of blue. There are boat tours that can take you to the cave. |
Gozo |
I would go for a couple of days rent a car or go on tourist trips and go around |
The Azure Window |
The Azure Window is a natural arch in Gozo featuring a table-like rock over the sea. It is situated near two other famous natural landmarks - the Inland Sea, and Dwejra Bay. The stunning geography of the area was created thousands of years ago when two limestone caves collapsed. This and the nearby Blue Hole and Inland sea are popular scuba diving sites |
Comino |
Comino is a tiny island between Malta and Gozo with only 4 permanent residents. In summer you can spend the day on the island at Blue Lagoon by taken one of the many boats that go to the island on a daily basis |
The Citadella |
The Citadella can be found in the heart of Victoria, which has been the centre of activity of Gozo since possibly Neolithic times, but is known to be first fortified during the Bronze Age |
Markets |
On Sundays most of the shops are closed therefore don't plan shopping on that day, although shopping malls such as Bay Street and Tigne Point are open. There is a open market outside of Valletta and a fish market in the fish village of Marsaxlokk (or M'Xlokk in short). In M'Xlokk you can see a lot of traditional boats and also manage to eat fresh fish from most of the restaurants. |
Sandy Beaches |
Ghadira, Paradise Bay, Golden Bay, Anchor Bay, Blue Lagoon, Armier, Little Armier, Ghajn Tuffieha, Ramla l-Hamra, Marsalforn, Mgarr ix-Xini, Pretty Bay, St. George's Bay, Xlendi Bay |
Food
Maltese cuisine is a mix of Mediterranean cooking. Traditional Maltese cooking is very rustic and the Maltese diet revolves around fresh ingredients. Fish are a staple dish in the Maltese diet and there's usually a daily selection of fish at restaurants. When ordering fish in restaurants always check the portion of the fish you're getting. Sometimes 1 fish can be big enough to share between 2 persons.
Typical Maltese Food |
|
|---|---|
Bigilla |
A dip made from mashed beans. Typically eaten with galletti (Maltese style crackers). |
Lampuki |
This is a Gilt Head Bream/Dorade and is one of the most common fish you find in Malta. Dorade is a small fish with tender white flesh, shimmering silver skin and, when grilled or braised, a rich, succulent, meaty flavor. |
Hobz biz-zejt |
Literally translated to bread with oil. This is usually a small loaf of bread smeared with tomato paste, with tuna, olives, capers and olive oil. |
Fenek/Rabbit |
Rabbit is cooked often in Malta. It can be cooked in several ways. It can be cooked in garlic in a white wine sauce or else served as a stew with pasta. |
Gbejniet bil-galletti |
Special type of crackers served with peppered goat cheese. |
Twistees |
Cheesy crispy savoury snack. |
Imqaret |
Delicious, mouthwatering diamond shaped pastries stuffed with dates and deep fried. |
Pea or Ricotta Pastizzi |
Savoury pastry filled with ricotta or mushed peas. Served warm. |
Activities for the more active
Diving
There are many diving schools/companies you can contact to do diving. Most of these schools and also diving locations are in the North part of the island. The schools are mostly located in Buġibba and St. Paul's Bay. We used to go with Buddies Dive Cove for our diving trips. There are many wrecks around the island at different depths.
Check out this dive sites directory site.
Climbing
Malta offers a large number of climbing routes most of them located at gorgeous spots across the island overlooking the Mediterranean sea.
Check out the below sites for more details:
Golf
Malta has an 18 holes golf club located in Marsa. You can book your tee time here.
