Malta. Where is it? How did we end up there? Did we love it? Will we ever go back?
The story begins in London, where we spent most of August trying to decide where we wanted to explore after our housesitting gig was done. For some reason the stars were aligned against us, and every arrangement we tried to make kept falling through. Scotland, Amsterdam, Prague, Budapest… time after time we’d find a promising new apartment on Airbnb and book, only to discover a few days later that their calendars weren’t up to date and it was no longer available.
Finally, only a few days before leaving London for our International Friends tour of the Cotswolds and Bath, we realized we seriously needed to sit down and come up with a plan. Somehow in our desperation we discovered a handy feature on Airbnb where you can set your criteria very open-ended (like all of Europe) and then view all search results sorted by price. What did we find? A couple of cheap, promising options in Malta.
But, uh, where exactly is Malta?
I wasn’t certain I’d ever heard of it before (don’t hate – geography isn’t my strong point), but Google informed me that it’s a small island in the Mediterranean Sea (between Tunisia and Italy), and it’s part of the European Union. Okay, cool. Plane tickets were relatively inexpensive, English is an official language, and we managed to nail down our third (least ideal) rental. The night before leaving on our tour, we booked lodging for our return.
We flew to Malta knowing next to nothing about the country and arrived to discover a rundown apartment in terrible condition (moldy sheets, rusty silverware) situated in a country that is unmercifully hot, dry, and dusty. We were overwhelmed.
But, only a few hours later, we discovered a brilliant silver lining:
The water is stunning.
It’s perfectly clear and patterned in brilliant shades of blue, green, and turquoise… it’s almost like it was made just for snorkeling. There was a protected inlet only a five minute walk from our apartment, so we bought some cheap gear and spent endless hours there communing with the fish.
Apparently a lot of Malta’s beauty is only accessible via boat, so after two weeks on the island we booked a seven-hour excursion on Mermaid Cruises for 15 euros apiece. Kali and I didn’t actually see any mermaids, but we did sing “I’m on a Boat” all day while waving our flippy-floppies! (Not really.)
The first few hours were spent exploring tons of caves that the sea’s spent the last few millennia carving into the huge limestone cliffs. Mermaid Cruises has the smallest boat of all the big tours, so we were able to creep pretty far into the caverns before having to turn around. At one point we reached out and touched the cave wall above us!
The afternoon was spent snorkeling at the Blue Lagoon, a bay that is hugely popular, only accessible by boat, and home to some of the most incredibly crystal-clear water I’ve ever seen. In fact, the water was so clear that you could see the shadows of boats on the seafloor below, making it look like they were hovering in mid air.
Malta is an incredibly popular tourist destination, particularly with Europeans, and I can understand why. We may not have fully appreciated Malta when we first arrived, but I’m glad we gave it a chance!
Malta is a beautiful country, and (as usual) we took tons of photos. If you’d like to see more, you can view our facebook album.
{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }
The colour of that water is remarkable. I can not believe how clear and blue it is.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Malta. Too bad your apartment experience was not that good.
Erik recently posted: Northern California- Day One
I agree – we were quite stunned by the water! It was compelling enough for me to change my mind about snorkeling.
The second last shot of the hovering boats is fantastic! It really does look like you’re in mid-air.
Must be nice to hit some clear water after the canals in London. Looks like a great place to be (although if you want to discourage tourists then maybe a couple shots of your apartment would be in order).
Steve recently posted: Disney Cruise Line – Port Adventures
We were kicking ourselves for not actually taking any photos of the apartment! I think while we were there we couldn’t possibly imagine ever wanting to see it again. =P
WOWIE! I want to go there!
Dalene recently posted: Ghent Instead Of Bruges
You should! Just avoid the summer; even September was way too damn hot.
Malta has been in our peripheral vision (if you will) for a long time, but for no real reason. That water is all the reason I needed.
And you are absolutely right, the boats do look like they are floating. Very cool.
Caanan @ No Vacation Required recently posted: Overcome Your Fear of Cruising
Whenever I’ve thought of destinations like this, the Caribbean would come to mind. Never the Mediterranean, but obviously I was missing something! The region has now been placed squarely in my radar.
It’s so cool that you were open to going with the flow and checking out a country that you didn’t know of and couldn’t pinpoint on a map (me either!). What an adventure. Glad it worked out despite initial stumbling blocks. That water looks well worth it all. I’d love to be on the beach right now!
Melissa recently posted: Happiness Project Inspiration: 5 Mistakes I Continue to Make In My Marriage
It was certainly a little stressful, but we’re trying hard to remain flexible and open to random opportunities. It certainly seems to be working!
This is gorgeous! The landscape and waters are similar to what you find in Sardinia, I have friends in Malta, I really can’t wait to go there!
Angela recently posted: Photo moments, things you miss when you are on the road
Really? Looks like I’m going to have to investigate Sardinia.
Looks great! I wish I could pop down for a bit from dreary London. =)
I can imagine — though I saw on Twitter that London is practically having a heatwave right now!
Oh yes it is! Although I hate going from cool autumn to hot sun in the span of one day. Make up your mind weather!
Amy (Gloriously Dismal) recently posted: A Weekend in Wales
Malta is definitely stunning. Water looks inviting.
Hope the apartment at least had a washing machine.
InsideJourneys recently posted: Travel Photo Thursday – Bath Sandwich Board
Oh, the washing machine. There was one, but it wasn’t hooked up to water! It was such a strange contraption and we were apparently supposed to put a tube in the sink so the water could drain out… but we just could not figure out how to get the water IN. I guess we could have manually put it in… but then what about a rinse cycle? We never did figure it out… which meant we could only air out the linens and hope for the best.
Looks amazing. Is it expensive? Looking for soemthing beachy and out of the way.
Kris Koeller recently posted: Daily Photo: The New York Stock Exchange and the Tribute in Light
It’s on the euro, so of course there’s the poor exchange rate (assuming you’re exchanging dollars). Lodging was pretty decent…but you saw how well we did with that!
Our first two options were also apartments on Airbnb (in good locations near the beach), though, and they were still reasonably priced – both under 35 euros a night. Eating out was kind of expensive and a lot of the food was poor quality, but groceries and produce seemed alright. Sooo…. it’s kind of a mixed bag. 
Not super extreme either way, but reasonable.
Hi,
Just found your blog via Wheeling it Blog.
My wife and I just yesterday had a long conversation about this next year traveling to a foreign country and stay for a month. Have only went to Paris once for 2 weeks.
A place that we will feel comfortable and safe. Being out of the USA for me makes me feel uncomfortable. Between uprisings, terrorists and crooked military/cops we want to make sure where we go I can remove as much as possible of those issues.
I may be overdoing my reservations about those issues, and I am sure there are several places to choose.
After reading your post about Malta I know we can find a place to go.
We are Currently Traveling the USA in our Motorhome and when we go out of the USA we will want to try to keep in as economical as possible and still be able to see and do as much as possible.
Will be headed next to become a follower of your Blog.
Mark and Lauree’s Travel blog is http://MarkandLauree.blogspot.com
Mark
From JointPainRemedyReviews.com
Land Yacht Ahoy recently posted: Hiking | Horse Riding | Hiking | CampFire | 6 Days Bryce Canyon N.P. Utah
Hi Mark, I’m so glad you found our blog! We loved our year traveling the U.S. in our motorhome, but ultimately felt constrained by our inability to travel abroad. We’re very happy traveling as we are now, but we still can’t help but go back to the idea of a motorhome on occasion. Right now we’re thinking of getting a small campervan to use in Europe.
International travel can be scary, but for the most part we’ve found that it’s safe as long as you’re smart about where you travel. For now we’re avoiding most of the countries that have had any sort of recent conflict (like Egypt), but we also know a lot of travelers who head to those countries and don’t have any problems. For the most part travel is very very safe, particular in regards to terrorism and uprisings (again, as long as you avoid countries where those are an issue right now).
Anywhere in Europe is a good bet, and even though the exchange rate can be a killer there are definitely some countries/cities that are cheaper than others. Malta was great (and overall I’d recommend it!), but Berlin and Budapest are also two very safe, awesome, and less expensive European cities that come to mind. Another great option you might want to consider — Chiang Mai in Thailand. It’s very popular with foreigners, locals are super friendly, it’s safe, and Thailand is so cheap compared to the U.S.!
Christy,
Hey thanks for the very informative reply.
We will surely look into those places you mentioned. Lots of places in Europe are where Lauree wants to go. Are there places that help with finding furnished rentals and such like that for people who want to travel for a month or two?
Thanks
Mark
from http://JointPainRemedyReviews.com
Land Yacht Ahoy recently posted: RV Hire USA and El Monte RV Rentals
I’m glad I can help!
There are three websites we use that would be perfect for what you’re looking for: Airbnb, 9flats, and Roomorama. People who have a rental property or a spare room in their house post their place on these sites – they’re kind of like craigslist, only WAY better). We tend to check Airbnb first because it has more options than 9flats and usually cheaper apartments than Roomorama, but they’re all good (and 9flats in particular is more focused on Europe). You can search by “entire house/apt” or “private room” (which will be one bedroom in a shared house).
All of the places should be furnished (they’re specifically for holiday or short-term rentals), with linens and towels and kitchen supplies. And a lot of people will give you a discount if you’re staying for a month, so that’s awesome! When we’re not housesitting, we almost exclusively stay in places we found via these sites (anywhere from a few days to a month). I’m a huge fan.
Wow, I never realized the water was so clear off Malta! Loved the colors. They are very inviting. Malta has been put on my list
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted: Salzburg and My First Opera
I had no idea, either! It was a very lovely surprise.
Ok. Super jealous right now. I’ve heard of Malta, but always thought it was just a place for rich people. Was the place you rented with Airbnb an apartment or was it just a room with someone else living there? If there was someone living there, I’m scared for them.
Christy @ Ordinary Traveler recently posted: Do You Thrive on the Unknown or Take the Safe Route?
We had the whole place to ourselves, so no roommate! The people who owned it were very nice… they just didn’t seem overly worried about keeping it in good condition. It was really bizarre – I think it’s possible that they hadn’t had anyone there for quite awhile before us and just didn’t bother to clean it before we arrived.
I am sorry that you found such an unacceptable apartment. Believe me, there are a lot of beautiful apartments available for a very reasonable price. You should have complained and/or moved out and asked for you money back.
Gorgeous water color! Gorgeous! We are in the French Riviera right now and though the water is beautiful and crystal clear here, it is COLD. So cold that we all managed to put our feet in and that was about it. Glad that y’all got some great swimming and exploring in.
Akila recently posted: two years of dog toys
That would be so sad, Akila – you can see the beautiful water but you can’t touch it!
I hate cold water and don’t really like to swim, so the fact that I spent quite a bit of time in the water in Malta says something about how nice it was. We got really lucky!
I’m just literally staring at the photos. The water just look so amazing! Will definitely have to find myself there someday.
I know… even looking at the photos now makes me want to go back!
Hot damn! That water is amazing! I’ve been recently hearing a lot about Malta lately. How long did you end up staying for?
Kelly recently posted: Sleep on the Cheap: Creative Ideas for Lodging While Traveling
We managed to stay for two weeks! It was a war between wanting to enjoy the area but hating the apartment, so we stayed two weeks but still left two weeks earlier than we had scheduled. Thankfully we got most of the time we left refunded.
We’ve been getting a lot of guest post requests on Malta recently. Now I know why! I love the floating boats. Were you there during the height of tourist season? Those beaches look crowded!
Jillian recently posted: Photo: Underneath Eiffel
Apparently July/August is the height of the tourist season… even though it’s so hot! The guy who owned our rental apartment offered a funny explanation – most of the tourists are from the U.K., where there’s never any sun or warmth, so they always want to come when it’s as hot as possible and bake themselves to a crisp.
Wow! The water’s so clear (no, not a very original comment, but true nonetheless!) the boats look like they’re suspended above it! Recently read a novel set in WW2 Malta – and the whole island was awarded a bravery medal! Incredible!!
Thanx for the tour – won’t bother looking for anywhere quite like this downunder in OZ!!
Red Nomad OZ recently posted: Off the Tourist Trail #7 – Uralla, New England, New South Wales
Haha, it’s still worth another mention! And the history of Malta is amazing; I had no idea the role they had played in WWII, but apparently there’s still some damage from when they were bombed.
I have to say, the water really caught my eyes. It is so clear and pretty. And it looks like they don’t have worry about sharks as much at that place since the landscape kind of secludes the area =) Is it really crowded there though? (I see lots of tents at the last photo…)
Annie – FootTracker recently posted: Japan (18) Memorable Moments in Japan
I’m glad you didn’t mention sharks while we were still there, Annie!
But you’re right, I don’t think they have too much of a problem.
It was sort of crowded — the Blue Lagoon is super popular and we went on a Friday, but there were still a lot of tourists around the whole time we were there. September is actually a nice month to visit because it’s not so dang hot, but the water is still warm enough to swim.
Fascinating history as well. I once didn’t win a competition where the prize was a trip to Malta.
That’s my Malta story.
robin recently posted: The Castle, the Eagle and the Lake.
Oh, sad. I wish that read: “I once DID win a competition where the prize was a trip to Malta”!
Love the photos and how you captured the clear blue waters! The beach sure looks crowded but with that clear blue water, I don’t blame them!
Jeremy from Idelish recently posted: I got a postcard postmarked North Pole!
It was a bit crowded for sunbathing, but luckily we spent all our time in the water (or climbing up to the top of the cliff) where it was much less crowded. We swam quite a ways to the other side of the bay (where you can see the other beach) before we were able to find fish who hadn’t gotten scared away, though.
Looks other worldly! The crystal clear turquoise water is enchanting…
Seems like a beautiful place, the pics are heavenly…
Have a fabulous week ahead:)
Arti recently posted: Panch Prayags in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttaranchal – The Making of River Ganga
You’re right, Arti – it kind of does look other-wordly! Glad we have a few slices of this here on earth, though.
That water is gorgeous! Although I don’t know if it would make up for moldy sheets
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted: My Possessions: What I Chose to Keep
Haha, fair enough. Though the sheets were more musty than moldy…. but I still only used my sarong as a blanket the entire time we were there!
Beautiful pictures! I love the color of the sea… that is insanely blue! Sorry, we missed each other in London. My summer went very different from what I hoped for and by the time I got to London it was all about my sister’s wedding. Hope you had a great time there; I need to catch up on yours posts
Sabrina recently posted: Eat This: A Guide to Great English Food in London
No worries, Sabrina! Weddings and family can be stressful. It would still be lovely to meet up at some point, but we can choose another part of the world.
The place is so beautiful, perfect for summer getaway. I love the beach!
The cool thing is that Malta is also perfect for a spring or fall getaway that feels like summer!
wow. i had no idea it was THAT gorgeous!!!
jenjenk recently posted: Eating in Curacao
Haha, I understand what you mean — you think a place is going to be beautiful, but then when you actually see it the magnitude of that beauty is shocking!
I was in Malta a long time ago. It was November and the weather was very nice even that late in the year. Interesting place – full of contrasts.
Sophie recently posted: St Moritz in September
I think October or November would be a lovely time to visit. From what we heard it never actually gets really cold, and in fall the water is still warm but the air temperature is a lot more comfortable than it is in July/August.
We just got back from Malta last night having spent Friday (28th October) with Mermaid Cruises. I am so glad that we booked with them. As you say, with such a small boat, you get right into the bigger of the caves. The Blue Lagoon was very beautiful and still warm enough to snorkel. I loved Comino and went to the watch tower – it is en on some days by volunteers. The only reason we went off exploring was because it was raining when we arrived, but we were so glad that we did or we would have missed the amazing views of Gozo and Malta. Can’t wait to go back – preferably not in October though as the weather was a bit like a fair British summer. Sue
I’m so glad you had a positive experience with Mermaid Cruises as well! We just found them by randomly wandering into a tour kiosk, but I was very impressed. Other than the fact that they kept their engine running while we were docked (so staying near or on the boat was super stinky), I didn’t have any complaints… and the small boat seemed so much better than the huge ones. We thought Malta was a little too warm when we were there in early September, but on the other hand it was great for swimming. It’s so hard to find that perfect temperature.
I thought Malta was a rock actually, so I was amazed to look at the beautiful photos of the place in your post. I wasn’t sure where it was either. The color of the water is amazing and I guess you could put up with a run down apartment when you have such beauty to escape to on a daily basis. Great LIfe!!
travelyn recently posted: Xian City|Bell Tower
Haha, I did too! And in some places it really does look like a rock, so maybe we were partly right?
I lived 8 months in Malta and I took the exact same kind of photos. The landscapes and seascapes are just amazing!
Wow. What amazing photos and description. That blue water makes me want to hop on a plane and go to Malta right now! Definitely going on my places to go list.
{ 2 trackbacks }