What are the important things to keep in mind when travelling to Malta?
What is so special about this tiny island in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea? You can go here to find that out.
If you google images of Malta, your computer screen is flooded with a vibrant array of colours; mostly showing off the ridiculously blue sea and bright, sunny coast.
Indeed, Malta is a photographer’s dream. It is an island where the #nofilter hash tag is overused. Yes, the sea is that blue and the sand undeniably blindingly bright. But the pictures that are the most impressive are those shot at night. The still water reflects the colourful city lights as though it were a watercolour painting.
The island is packed with character – everything has a story and the entire population is eager to tell it, loudly. The uniqueness of Malta is seen quite clearly in the haphazard timing of its public transport. Hence, one may learn the benefits of a slow travel experience to avoid any contigencies. Thankfully , Hostelbay which made Greek Island Hopping easier recently has taken up shop here and is improving the travel experiences you can have here. You may catch a bus at 10am but you never know at what time you will reach your destination. You will get there, but you can never be sure when. If you are on a tight schedule, get a taxi or rent a car.
The island is bursting with history spanning over 5000 years, starting from ancient temples to castles to modern weaponry. You can travel in style just rent a supercar to travel the place. Each village has its own personality, with a place of worship at every corner, square to sit and enjoy the surrounding peace and plenty of cafes and bars to stop and relax in. You will definitely come across the authenticity of the villagers sipping their ice-cold beers or their steaming mugs of tea, regardless of whether they are dripping in sweat in the heat of summer or shivering violently from the cold in the month of winter.
A month of winter – that is basically the extent of variety the island enjoys when it comes to weather. We enjoy a life with mild weather. Of course, we get our violent storms, our rain, even the occasional hailstorm. But, most of all, we get our sun; and plenty of it. Perhaps, a little bit too much sun. What seems like a never-ending summer is not without its advantages. Tourists benefit from more opportunities to enjoy the crystal clear water and the clean beaches, walking trails along the coastline, historical tours, shopping trips, and lunch on terraces overlooking beaches and so on and so forth. The list is endless. The key to surviving the scorching heat, especially in summer, is to carry an endless supply of water and sun block. A hat would also help.
If you are not a fan of sunburn, there is plenty to do in the evenings. The reflection of the colourful lights onto the sea is enough to make a simple walk along one of our promenades an evening to remember. Of course, it isn’t complete without ice-cream. Many touristic areas come alive at night. The night walks through the idyllic city of Mdina are also experiences not to be missed. Mdina is like a time machine – the fort is a part of history that has been left untouched. The capital, Valletta, is bustling with its fancy jazz bars and quaint cafes. You might also be lucky to catch a live musical performance. They can be quite impressive.
What makes these city night walks across Valletta even more unique is the fact that it is only a 7 minute ferry ride from the busy cosmopolitan shopping city of Sliema. Inlingua language school is right in the heart of Sliema, surrounded by cafes and next to the city square where students across cultures gather and make connections. The school is open 365 days a year, giving the inlingua student countless of opportunities to do all of the above and combine them with learning a foreign language. With classes running all day long will surely have time to explore and enjoy island life at different times of the day!