Malta Holidays

Planning to visit Malta?

If you've never been to Malta then we've listed some of the sights and places to visit in the lovely island of Malta.

Who can you book to holiday in Malta with? - Thomson Holidays - easy to use and great prices!

Essentials and useful things to know about Malta.

Public transport in Malta

There are frequent bus services around most parts of the island. The fares are cheap and day tickets are available in different combinations - 1,3,5 and 7 day tickets. The bus services are frequent and you should be able to get a bus guide and map from either your hotel or your rep. Its also available online from the Maltese public tranpsort site - which lists winter and summer timetables as well as this map

The buses are a convenient way of getting around the island and are a great way to see much of the local scenery and life.

As english is spoken across the island you shouldn't have much trouble finding youre way around and if you get stuck you're sure to find someone to ask!

Cruises around Malta

There are a large number of cruises available around Malta for sightseeing and for trips to various beaches.

Some of them - such as the Hornblower Cruises are ideal for people who want to see the beautiful coastline and caves- much of which is inaccessible otherwise. Hornblower cruises leave from Buggibba Jetty and go north to St Paul's islands, Melliehaq bay and Armier Cave before going past Cikewwa Ferry point and on to an area used in the making of Popeye. Sweethaven was used in the making of Popeye and the boat slows enough for you to marvel at the film sets partly now used as a restaurant and take photos!

The trip's highlight is the Blue Lagoon where the boat stops for a couple of hours (time dependent on tide etc) . Food is available at the cafetieria and the lagoon is perfect for swimming and bathing as well as snorkling for the more adventurous.
The return jouney visits the other side of Comino so you see St Nicholas Bay and St Mary's Bay.

Hornblower cruises also do a Valletta Harbour Cruise - which allows you to see many of the Knights Templars forts and the history of the island. It is easy to see how well defended the island is from the sea.

Malta at War Museum

There is a small entrance fee for this musem and opening times are Moneyday - Saturday 10-4pm.

Arrive by bus - numbers 1,4 and 6 from Valletta to Vittoriosa bus station then 5 minutes walk to Couve Porte inot the walled city of Vittoriosa.

The museum documents the events of the second world war - in particular those between 1940 and 1943. They have a permanent exhibition of a period air raid shelter.

Hundreds of people used this air raid shelter during the war. They were dug by the people themselves - contructed in response to Italian bombs being dropped on the island.

You can explore the labyrinth like tunnerls and chambers. They were cut by hand - no pneumatic tools were availble and this must have been a huge task for the Maltese.

The main section of the museum displays a lot of memorabilia from the war and includes recordings of voices and sounds giving a real feel of what it must have been like on the island during the war.

They have daily guided tours and free history handouts in English, German, Italian and French.

Medieval Times at Mdina

This is a popular attraction and uses light, sounds and smell to take you back to the 14th century for a journey explaining medieval life in Malta.

Family life and occupations are explored and will appeal to everyone.

The knights Hospitallers - next to the Fort St Elmo you can find the acra Infermeria where the Hospitaller knights are bought to life in sights sounds and smells. From the crusades to tge great seige, the hospital and the plague and the role these knights played in the history of Malta.

The Mdina Dungeons are just next to Mdina gate beneath the Vilhena Palace. You can explore the horrod and drama of Malta's dark past. From roman times to the arabs,Knights and Napoleon all get a mention in this historic dunegone.

Places you must visit in Malta

1. Mosta Dome -at St Mary's church with a huge unsupported dome, one of the largest in Europe.
2. Mdina - a medieval walled city built by phoenicians.
3. The Citadel, Victoria - the capital of Gozo
4. Flea markets on Sunday outside Valletta
5. Blue Grotto - sea cave - excellent marine life
6. Fort Rinella to see the world's largest cannon