Let's Go to Malta

Before I studied abroad, I mentally made a list of all the countries I wanted to visit - Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, England, Ireland, and Spain. Since I have been here, my list has moved along in a different direction. I have seen a lot of cool places already, but when it was only a few days before Easter, my friend Heidi and I knew we wanted to go somewhere different.

Many different places crossed our minds, but when it came down to it, we wanted to go somewhere warm. Living in the Netherlands, it always seems to be cold and dreary! It's a funny thing because even on the warmest days, everyone is still wearing a jacket and scarf...but at the time we wanted to go somewhere, it was cold, windy, and raining.

After debating on Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and so on, we decided on Malta.

Aerial view of Malta 

Malta? What is that? Where is that? Yeah trust me I was asking myself the same questions. It was the most random trip in the history of random trips, believe me. So, how did this all come about? Well we were constantly checking Ryan Air for cheap flights out of Eindhoven, NL to go anywhere! That's when Heidi said, "Malta is only 150!" Malta was the cheapest flight we came across. Shortly after, we looked for cheap hotels in Malta.

To say the least, $200 later our trip was booked. Neither of us knew what we were in for! All we knew was that we were going to leave in two days for Malta. What's in Malta? We didn't know. So, we thought that since the tickets were booked, we should probably figure out what the country is like. Turns out from the pictures we saw on the internet, it looked so pretty.

Just a few days after we booked this trip, we were on our way. Sunglasses, check. Maxi skirt, check. Sandals, check. We were ready to roll.

It was my first time flying with Ryan Air, and oh man do I hope it is my last. Flying this airline was the worst. There were too many people on one small plane. Bottom line, there is a reason why the flights are so cheap! You get what you pay for.

Apartment view - Sliema, Malta

Anyways, after we were on the plane, all settled snug on the plane, we got to Malta two hours later. It was beautiful from above, and when we got to ground level, we didn't really know what to expect. First of all, we noticed real quick that the cars are different - the steering wheel is on the other side, and everyone drives on the other side of the road. It was a bit odd, but we got used to it.

Not only were the cars and the roads different, but the buildings were different. We stayed at the Bayview Hotel. Actually, we stayed in the apartments which were right down the street from the hotel. It was a bit weird at first, but the room was really nice. We got a studio apartment with a kitchen and a big bathroom, When we finally got to our room, we looked out our window, and it made me wonder if we were really in Malta. The view isn't what either of us thought it would be like. I felt like we were in the middle east or something, just from the vibe that we were getting.

After the both of us were a little sketched out on the situation, we figured that we should go do something. We were staying there for 4 days, so we thought we would just take it easy, relax, sightsee, and enjoy our mini-vacation.

View from rooftop at the hotel

On the first full day being there, we literally did nothing. We got coffee and hung out, went up to the roof and tanned, and just enjoyed the sun! It kind of sucked because it wasn't so hot like we wanted it to be like, but the weather was so much better than the Netherlands, so there wasn't much complaining.

One thing that we realized not long after being there, was that everything was cheap! You would think that since it is a small island, that things would be a bit more expensive, but that was not the case.

When Heidi and I went to this cafe in the hotel, their prices were so low! For a cappuccino, it was only €1, and if you wanted to get something to eat, you could get any pasta with a free glass of wine! Now usually a free glass of wine means that it's going to be really gross, but this wine was pretty good, and the pasta was only €5! Now these prices were not just at the hotel, it was everywhere on the island that we went.

Comino Island, Malta

After we were bummin it at the hotel and on the rooftop, we figured we should do some touristy stuff so we can really see the country, and hopefully enjoy it a bit more. We set up two excursions, one for a boat ride to Comino island, and another for a hop-on hop-off bus tour around the southern part of Malta.

For our first excursion, we decided on doing the boat trip since it was supposed to be a nicer day. Honestly, I don't think any day would have been better. It was by far, the worst boat ride I have ever been on. The water was so rough, everyone on the boat was sick, it was such a disaster. But once we finally hit land, we were all happy to be off of that boat! And of course, once we were off the boat, the wind was whipping around like crazy, there was nothing fun about any of it.

Comino Island, Malta

Enough complaining because the view was amazing! Comino island had the bluest waters I have ever seen. The cliffs mixed with the water was outstanding! Luckily it was a little warm outside, so tanning was an option. After spending a few hours on the island, it was time to face the dreaded boat ride once more. Man I tell you, nobody wanted to get back on that boat because we were all afraid that it would be like the ride to the island. Luckily, it wasn't. I am not saying it was a smooth ride, but it was manageable.

If you decide to go to Malta in April, know this now. The weather is not as warm as you want it to be! You might be thinking the same as Heidi and I, thinking that the weather will be wonderful, and you can tan and chill on the sandy beaches, but that's not the case. There are not any sandy beaches to hang out at, and the weather is not as nice as you want it to be. So, if you think that a boat ride is a good idea, think again because it might be like what I experienced.

After the boat ride from hell was all over, we decided to take it easy for a little bit. We pretty much spent all day out at sea and on the island, so we were going to rest up for our bus tour the next day. We were quite excited for it too! I know it sounds ridiculous and like a super-tourist thing to do, but I think that if it is going to be your only time in a country, do as many things as possible to have a good time! I think that the bus tour was a great idea.

Marsaxlokk Fishing Village, Malta

We stopped at so many different places, and it was so interesting to see all the different landmarks and all the different parts of the country. Turns out, I underestimated the country. We got on the bus and started our day trip around the south. We stopped at a few different places, but one in particular that I recommend getting off at is Marsaxlokk fishing village. When you look it up on google, I guarantee that all the pictures that come up probably look similar to this picture I took.

It is strange how we can think how cool and beautiful the place looks when the only thing that makes it different is the small, colorful boats scattered in the harbor. There was a street filled with different fun little souvenirs that you can look at, and there were boats that people were working on, and many different cafes to choose from. Heidi and I actually ate lunch here at some cafe with really good prices.

Blue Grotto, Malta

Now, the waitress with the beard was a bit strange, but the food was really good! For fresh fish, it was so cheap, and drinks were really cheap as well. So, if you do go on a tour like we did, getting lunch with this view isn't too bad.

After the fishing village, we stopped at the Blue Grotto. I was so excited to stop here because I was expecting some amazing, blue grotto! Turns out it wasn't as great as I thought it was going to be. There were plenty of little shops and such, and the view was great, but there wasn't much to see. The water was not as blue as it was at Comino, but that was okay because the view was beautiful.

After the Blue Grotto, the weather turned bad and it was cold, windy, and raining. Being stuck on the rooftop of this tour bus was not fun! So, we headed back to the hotel to get warm and ready for dinner.

The food! It seems to be something I have not mentioned yet! Okay so the food was really good. Malta has a lot of Italian influences, and the food shows it. Every time you would blink, you would see either a pizzeria or just an Italian restaurant.

Everything by the way was in English in this country. Now, it isn't their main language, but everything was in English so everyone can understand what is going on. The Italian food was great. The pasta couldn't be beat, and the pizza was just as tasty. The portions are big and the prices are low. Kind of surprising again because you would think that everything is more expensive on this small island.

Other than the good food, the trip was great. It was nice to go back to the Netherlands, I will say that. It's always nice to take a break from everyday life and have a little vacation! So, next trip? Well the day after I returned to the Netherlands, I left for Copenhagen.