A small unique country all its own, three small islands make up this European archipelago situated in between the coast of Africa and Italy in the Mediterranean. For me, nothing is more exhilarating then picking a place on a map and just going, full speed to travel there. What more can you ask for then Mediterranean, fresh fish, and beautiful weather? Maybe a little culture, exploration and experiences to top if off!
Every destination has its own unique beauty and something to offer a non-native visitor like myself, and with just a short flight from Belgium I was ready to explore!
A late evening arrival to the airport was welcomed by easy airport shuttles to local hotels for only $14/person, and luckily our hotel was one of the first few stops. The first, most obvious thing you notice is the temperature, its mild and humid, and the smell of the sea leaves me excited for the next few days to come! Next, as you pull away in the shuttle, you realize the driver is driving on the ‘right’ side of the vehicle and driving becomes way more intense as this is not what you are used to at high speeds! After dropping the bags, and getting some rest, I eagerly awaited the rising sun to cast light on the beautiful view of Valletta city right out our window from Sliema.
This country is built on stone and is surrounded by the Mediterranean sea, has easy access to ferries that you can access Valletta, and the accompanying islands Camino and Gozo. Its so full of history, and seems to have such a diverse collection of different ethnicities from the languages you hear, the architecture you see, the food, and hints of culture raging from British, to Turkish inspired, and their very own Maltese.
Walking the streets of Valletta was enchanting and fun, the city is very interesting with an old, slow vibe and is overall enjoyable with lots of intricate details to look at.
After staying in Sliema for two days, we decided to do take a different approach to commuting to the next city (and pretty creative in my book!) by purchasing a Hop-on Hop-off ticket, take our bags and ride the tour seeing the rest of the main island by bus (on the open roof top of course!) until departing at the stop closest to our next destination in Bugibba.
Here we got off with our luggage and made our way to an Airbnb, living like a local in a little apartment on a side street off of the main one that followed along the coast. The coast is lined with rock beaches, clear blue water, and nothing short of a beautiful view! One stop not to miss was Mdina, and old fortified city atop a hill that is known as one of the first cities of Malta. A little side story we found out while visiting there is that some of the scenes in the first season of Game of Thrones was filmed there! And you can definitely see why! It brings you back to a completely different era and really feels like you are living in a scene out of a movie.
Probably the most interesting, yet terrifying, part about this day trip was deciding to rent a car, a little red jimmy to be exact, and take a real stab at driving the British style on the opposite side of the road and make our way to Mdina by car (I hope you can drive manual!) Needless to say, we made it! Safely, but really pushed the limits and found a lot about each other in times of stress! Ha!
Next up was my favorite part. A day of sailing and a jeep tour around Camino and Gozo. These two smaller islands just off the main island are absolutely beautiful in their own way, and filled with old history and architecture. We used this amazing company, that had by far the nicest sail boat of all, Barbarossa Excursions, filled our day with sailing, lunch at sea, and the most beautiful spots along the cost of Malta. An amazing afternoon of history around Gozo in the jeep and stopping at must see spots like Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, and the Azure Window.
It doesn’t get any more magnificent then this! Relax in the sun, float on the sea, snorkel, swim, and enjoy the views as you soak it all in!
A few last closing remarks to add… we have a little tradition to try and go to Crossfit boxes all over the world, and Malta was no exception! We found The BOX Crosstraining Malta, and enjoyed a little morning sweat (in 100% humidity) kept the tradition going, and gave us a chance to work out with some locals!
Also, a little spot in Bugibba called Salt Kitchen and Lounge is not only a family owned operation, but had the most amazing fish and food preparation and was worth a fancy night out then a typical touristy spot by the water. A must try!
WalkThEarth 
Leave a comment