After complaining for quite a while I will finally come up with the awesome experiences and things I had/saw in Malta. (More pictures will follow soon)
10 incredibly awesome facts about Malta
1. Something good about busses
Despite the fact that you have to wait for them all the time the bus system in Malta is quite cool because it brings you everywhere for a maximum 2 €! No matter if it is the Dingli cliffs in the South of Malta, the capital in the North or the ferries in Cirkewwa – somehow you will always find a way there and getting lost is not an option ( most of the time ). The website of the public transport still needs some SEO heroes as googling for it doesn’t really bring you there. So just in case: publictransport.com.mt
2. The Weather
The weather in Malta is incredible awesome. It barely rains – so far we had one rainy day and it actually rained at night and this is September which is one of the months where it rains more than usually. The sea is mild and at some places especially in the bays pretty warm which is why you can go for a little swim even toward evenings. Those who don’t like temperatures above 30 degrees probably don’t enjoy staying in Malta particularly because the humidity is quite high but for me it’s a luxury I will miss a lot coming back to Germany.
3. Safety
Before going to Malta I read about its safety and nearly everywhere people agreed that it is a pretty safe country. The only thing that can happen to you might be theft ( e.g. leaving your stuff at the beach while swimming ) or traffic accidents ( I struggle everyday due to missing traffic lights and general confusion on my side ). In fact this means I feel really safe here – walking around at night is harmless and actually the only time when you can move a little more freely due to less traffic. Here in Malta I finally started to be friends with jogging again and I love it! Running around in darkness, having a nice view over the surrounding cities and the additional challenges of running up – and downhill all the time while the temperatures are still pretty high is just awesome!
4. Friendlyness
The general friendliness of the Maltese is incredible. Sometimes I have to stop my German brain of thinking – ‚what does the person expect to get from me in exchange‘ – because I am not used to people that friendly, hospitable and helpful. There also is a big sharing culture like when going to a bar everyone buys a round but no one would start to calculate how much everyone drank or if it is still fair etcetera. Most of the time bus drivers help you with getting out at the right spot and there are many more examples of Maltese friendliness out there – you should try it on your own.
5. Party Every Day
Especially for the tourists this is a big pro and it applies mainly for Paceville and St Julians and probably a few more beach-sides. You don’t have to wait for the weekend until the parties get started. And of course there is everything a tourist heart desires, like party boats, beach parties and cheap alcohol. What I liked about partying so far was the fact that you can start early ( around 10pm ) and you didn’t have to pay an entrance fee at least not where we were ( party boats and others of course have to be payed ).
6. Beaches everywhere
Another amazing aspect of living in Malta is having ‚beaches‘ everywhere. By saying beaches I am indeed talking about all kinds of undergrounds which let you enter the water because most beaches here aren’t sandy which I personally like. Even in a dense capital like Valletta you find many places from where you can enter the water and at the same time enjoy a stunning view! Then there is all the pretty and golden bays and some nice sandy beaches as well. Anyways wherever you are the next bathing opportunity is just around the corner.
 |
| Bathing in Valletta |
7. Architecture and Multi-Cultural Influences
Maltas history seems to be very present to every visitor as most cities don’t have obvious modern buildings which is of course not true but the fact that the typical Maltese limestone is still used everywhere gives the cities their matching look.
The mediterranean ( Italian) but also the English influence can be seen when walking through Maltese streets. Numerous ancient temples decorate the island and parish churches can be found everywhere. Many cities were built on top of a hill which is why you often have a stunning view over the surrounding areas. Two of my favourite places according to architecture are Mdina and Valletta. Mdina looks like a film set – narrow streets a surrounding town wall and all the little details you should check out yourself. Valletta has both narrow streets a harbour, surrounded by other harbours. Stairs to walk up and down the streets it’s always a bit of a workout in Valletta.
8. Everyone speaks English
Before coming to Malta I was not sure if English in actual fact would be the generally spoken language. Travelling in Malta is so easy because indeed everyone speaks English. Naturally the range varies a lot but especially for learners like me – Malta is a good place to start as the Maltese English is easier to understand than for example Irish or even British English. On the other hand when you want to get proficient in English Malta might not be the most perfect place – I will still have big issues understanding fastly speaking British and maybe the word pool is not as big as in other English speaking countries – who knows. Nevertheless being on a holiday island and speaking one of the official languages is a great feeling and makes many things so much easier.
9. Boat Trips
What I really enjoyed so far was going on boat trips or going somewhere by ferry. Using ferries as a common means of transportation is a welcome change when you drive by bus most of the time. There is one ferry connecting Sliema and Valletta and then there are several ones connecting Malta and the islands. Furthermore you can find smaller boats that offer little trips and adventures at many places. One day I went on a small trip from Marsaxlokk to St Peters Pool and I think it was not expensive at all but unfortunately they forgot to make me pay and I forgot about it, too so I am not sure about the price. Ferry from Cirkewwa to Gozo is 4.something for a return ticket – nice price – isn’t it?
10. Events
There is so much going on in Malta and facebook will help you getting it all organised. Of course in Berlin you are used to it but here the probably smaller choice makes it easier for you to actually know what is going on. Events I was or am still going for: Chocolate, Sweets and Ice Cream Festival, a Musical, several festa activities ( fireworks, parades, etc ), an open university lecture about teleportation, street festivals, science night … I obviously have a lot to do and I love it!
Sonst nix zu tun - Oder was? 