The Fit Traveller

The Ultimate Malta Summer Travel Guide

Melanie Duca — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 05:26:12 +0000

Being half Maltese, Malta holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place where I learnt to swim, the place where I once had many family and friends and the place where as an adult, I continue to visit this beautiful European island destination again and again. I have been to Malta more than 15 times. So, I wanted to share this Malta summer travel guide with you. It features some of the many things you can do in Malta in a week or less. I know you’ll fall in love with Malta as I have.

Melanie Duca

Melanie relaxes with a poolside cocktail at Cafe Del Mar beach club, Malta. Image © Melanie Duca

The Ultimate Malta Summer Travel Guide

Malta’s Rich History

Dating back to about 5200 BC, Malta has a very colourful history.

Malta has been invaded and conquered by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Byzantines, the Arabs and finally the British over the course of its 7000+ year history.

Each conqueror has left their mark on Malta’s language, food, history and most importantly its architecture.

Most people find it interesting to hear Maltese people speak because the language sounds part Arabic, part Italian and is another important nod to the island nation’s colourful cultural past.

How to Get to Malta

Malta International Airport is the country’s only airport.

Malta Air is the national airline, running flights from most of Europe’s big cities.

For cheap flights to Malta search Ryanair or Easy Jet who both operate flights from the UK.

If you are coming from Sicily to Malta a ferry from Catania is also a more leisurely option.

There are express buses to and from Malta airport as well as many car hire companies (pre-book your rental car).

This is a good guide to how much Malta taxis cost.

Get the Malta Discount Card for savings on the Maltese islands during your holiday.

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Explore Malta’s Old Town, M’Dina to immerse yourself in the country’s rich history. Image © Melanie Duca

Where to Stay in Malta

The best time to visit Malta is between June to August. However, this is the high season, so book your accommodation early so you don’t miss out.

Visiting Malta during the shoulder season is a better option than visiting Malta in Summer, if you don’t like crowds. Also, keep in mind that if you are visiting Malta with kids, it can get very hot in the summer months (mid-30C/ mid-80F).

There are several 5-star hotels in Malta if you are looking for a luxury stay;

There are a number of big chain hotels including the Hilton Malta, The Malta Marriot Hotel and Spa and The Westin Dragonara Resort in St Julian’s, a seaside town just 15 minutes drive from Valletta.

These hotels might be a good choice if you are visiting Malta with kids as they are some of the only hotels with kids’ clubs and activities.

St Julians is also a very central location for those wanting to go shopping with the Bay Street Shopping Complex and other shopping centres within walking distance. If you want to experience the Malta nightlife scene, the casinos and Paceville are also on your doorstep.

For luxury boutique hotels, try the Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux. Located in historic MDina, this unique Malta hotel gives you the chance to experience living in a converted 17th-century palace, even if only for a few days.

Located in Malta’s capital, Valetta, the very beautiful boutique Palazzo Consiglia has just 13 rooms and offers guests the chance to stay in a traditional Maltese townhouse. The quaint hotel is close to cafes, wine bars, and Valletta tourist attractions.

The Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz is another larger resort located in Gozo, overlooking the Maltese countryside. It has a large spa and wellness offering for those looking to settle in and unwind during their time on the island.

Another good option for those visiting Malta with children, the Kempinski Hotel has a kids club and features residences with more room to spread out.

For more hotels, apartments and budget accommodations in Malta, click here to search.

Things to Do in Malta for a Week

Comprising three islands (Malta, Gozo and Comino) and located between Sicily and the North of Africa, the beautiful archipelago has become a very popular spot for tourists, particularly in summer.

These are things to do in Malta for a week exploring this often underrated beautiful island country.

Malta’s Old Town M’Dina

Visiting the old town, M’Dinais a must-do in Malta and should be one of the first things you do when you arrive.

The Malta old town was once the capital of Malta and contains a number of beautiful mediaeval buildings and baroque and Norman architecture.

There is also a Malta tourist information office inside the Museum of Natural History should you need more help planning out your itinerary.

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Valletta, the capital city of Malta is an architecture lover’s delight. | © Melanie Duca

Visit Malta’s Capital of Valletta

The capital city of Malta is Valletta, which is also known as the Il’ Belt. You can spend a fair amount of time exploring the great walls and The Cathedral of Saint John.

Make sure to visit the very cosmopolitan Valletta waterfront which is home to a number of beautiful, modern cafes. It is one of my favourite spots to eat in the evening and there are so many restaurant choices.

Malta’s Blue Grotto

One of the very well-known spots in Malta is the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto (cover image) is made up of a number of caves and once inside the water is crystal clear and blue and is a must-visit during your Malta Summer sojourn.

Visit the Blue Grotto first thing in the morning, that way you can avoid the crowds and the heat that you are sure to encounter later in the day.

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Malta’s iconic Luzzu or colourful fishing boats. | © Melanie Duca

Taking out a Luzzu is a wonderfully authentic way to see Malta. | © Melanie Duca

See the Traditional Luzzu Boats

You will find these colourful boats featured on the covers of a Malta guidebook or postcards. The traditional fishing boats are called Luzzu.

To see them in person head to the bay of Marsaxlokk.

The area also holds bric-a-brac markets on Sunday between 10 am and 4 pm and you can also find a number of fresh seafood markets and restaurants nearby.

The beautiful historic centre of Gozo Island, Malta. | © Melanie Duca

Gozo Island in Malta makes for a great day trip for exploring the town and water sports. | © Melanie Duca

Take a Day Trip to Gozo

Take the time to visit the island of Gozo. I found Gozo to be much quieter with a very relaxed way of life. There is a lot to see in Gozo including the Ġgantija temples, The Cittadella and the main town.

You can reach Gozo from the mainland of Malta and the journey by boat is just under 40 minutes. You can arrange for tickets online or go directly to the Sliema promenade.

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The famous former Azure Window sea arch before its collapse, Malta. Image © Melanie Duca

Go Clubbing in Paceville

If you are into the party life and looking to explore the night scene then the place to be is Paceville.

There are a number of large clubs in the area, but be warned it’s pretty intense.

Paceville is party central for those who love those late-night lights. | © Melanie Duca

Malta offers visitors the perfect combination of history, great food, beaches and nightlife. | © Melanie Duca

Malta’s Best Bays, Beaches and Lidos

When it comes to Malta beaches, there are both sandy beaches and rocky beaches, both equally as gorgeous.

Here are my favourite lidos (beach clubs), bays and beaches in Malta.

Cafe Del Mar

If you are the type of person that likes to sit in a deck chair, be served cocktails by the pool, and listen to some relaxed tunes, then Cafe Del Mar is for you.

Cafe Del Mar is located at Saint Paul’s Bay and is a very funky location to visit.

Other Popular Lidos in Malta

Some of the other popular lidos around Malta include Ray’s Lido at Armier Bay, Playa Del Sol and Luzzu Lido.

There are beaches, bays and beach clubs aplenty in Malta, making for the ideal summer destination. Image © Melanie Duca

Ghajn Tuffieha

Ghajn Tuffieha is one of my all-time favourite spots to swim on a hot summer’s day.

You can park the car at the top of the location and walk 200 steps to the beach below. There is not only the beach but a beautiful beach bar which is perfect at sunset.

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Golden light showers the stunning Ghajn Tuffieha, one of Melanie’s favourite beaches in Malta. Image © Melanie Duca

Pretty Bay

Spending a day at Pretty Bay is one of the best things to do in Malta for families. It’s an area that my parents used to take me to when I was just a young girl. Pretty Bay has both Sandy and rocky areas.

The area is always bustling with activity and you’ll find a number of cafes nearby.

Paradise Bay

Found at the northern point of the mainland of Malta is Paradise Bay. It’s one of the smaller beaches of Malta, but it has stunning crystal blue water.

Malta’s beaches range from soft and sandy to rugged and rocky. Image © Melanie Duca

The Blue Lagoon

Located on the island of Comino is the blue lagoon. The blue lagoon can be reached by a short boat ride, which can be done as a day trip or as part of a duel island package ie. Gozo and Comino.

The Blue Lagoon definitely attracts the crowds, but it’s worth a visit because the water is just so crystal clear.

We decided to go to both Gozo and Comino that day which was a little rushed, but if you only have limited time it’s a very good option.

The clear blue water of Malta’s Blue Lagoon off Comino will make you want to come back summer after summer. Image © Melanie Duca

Rocky Beaches in Malta

There are a number of rocky beaches which are also very nice to visit.

Don’t be put off by the rocky beaches they are equally as beautiful. Just ensure you bring appropriate footwear so that you don’t hurt yourself on the rocks.

Some of these rocky beaches include St Julian‘s, Saint Georges Bay, Mistra Bay, Anchor Bay and Saint Peters Pool.

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Mellieha is Malta’s longest sandy beach and one of the favourites amongst locals. Image © Melanie Duca

Melanie Duca

Melanie loves to travels extensively around the world and has visited some amazing countries. She started travelling at an early age and was instantly drawn to the world abroad.

When she travels she loves to discover the world through food, fashion, and photography.

She’s a self-professed drone junkie and loves to explore the world from above, because of the the incredible perspective.

Coco Bodu Hithi Resort, Maldives

Melanie Duca — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 04:31:46 +0000

Five years ago, I married the love of my life. Like most newlyweds, we were looking for somewhere romantic to enjoy our honeymoon. For some time, we were thinking about the Maldives, but choosing the perfect Maldives honeymoon resort wasn’t easy. Aside from its obvious beauty, Coco Bodu Hithi also offered a great range of restaurants and activities. For 10 blissful nights, we filled our days with everything and sometimes nothing at all. It was perfect. At the end of the trip we promised ourselves that we would come back again, and in 2017 on our 5-year wedding anniversary we made good on that promise.

Melanie Duca

Getting to our Maldives Honeymoon Resort

Coming from Sydney, Australia, we found a flight to Singapore with Qantas and then onwards to Male with Singapore Airlines. From Male airport, we caught a speedboat provided by the Island, which took around 45 minutes.

Overwater Luxury

Once we arrived at Coco Bodu Hithi we were greeted by the Coco staff, who welcomed us and escorted us to our room, and what a room. At the tip of all the islands is the Coco Residency, which are enormous over-the-water bungalows. The bedroom looks directly out to the Indian Ocean, with your own private pool, a deck with direct access to the ocean – in addition to an enormous lounge room overlooking paradise.

On the second visit, we choose to stay at the Beach Villa, which was equally as beautiful as the over-the-water residence. The main difference was the location of the villa and the view from your room. While the over the over-the-water bungalow is just that, this room has a view of the beach. The beach villa has a larger internal space, comes with its own private pool and has direct access to the beach. Despite being on the beach we rarely saw other people so you still felt like you have absolute privacy.

With 5 restaurants at Coco Bodu Hithi there is plenty of variety and opportunity for a new date destination, each evening. Image © Melanie Duca

Island Fine Dining

Coco had so many dining options that we felt like we were eating somewhere new with every meal. Even if we did eat at the same restaurant, Coco made sure to vary the menu options, especially in the buffet.

Air

The main buffet style restaurant was available for breakfast lunch and dinner. The Buffett offered a great selection of dishes including local Maldivian food and international cuisine.

Aqua

My favourite of all the restaurants is set out on individual pairs and dimly lite by hight of the stars and small outdoor lights. Here they offered fine dinning including fresh caught seafood.

Stars

Located towards the Coco residence side of the resort and open for both lunch and dinner. We really enjoyed Stars because it was the best spot on the island to watch the sunset.

Tsuki

Coco resort’s very own Japanese restaurant which offers not only lunch and dinner but cooking classes too.

Wine Loft

Open on certain nights and catering to very small groups. Wine Loft features a degustation and wine pairing menu which we really enjoyed.

Marine Exploring

Water Sports

On my first visit, I had only just received my beginners diving certificate which mean I could only dive up to 15 metres. The dive centre on the island helped me to complete by Advanced Open Water certificate. It was the most incredible experience and I got to be part of an underwater world filled with stingrays, manta rays, eagle rays, coral and lots of colourful fish. We dived almost daily. The visibility was often around 30 metres so it was also nice to snorkel around the resort.

Sunset Cruise

I really loved the sunset cruise for two reasons; I was able to watch the most incredible sunset out at sea; and we got to see almost 20 dolphins casually playing around our boat. The water was so calm and still that you could even see their eyes through the crystal clear water.

Sandbank Tour

By far, this was our favourite activity. Just 15 minutes away from the island is a small bank of sand. The staff take you over by boat and set up a little tent and picnic. We had an incredible time drinking champagne and snorkelling around the small sand bank. It was very romantic and a moment I won’t forget in this lifetime.

Resort Relaxation

Lounge Poolside

It sounds basic, but honestly there is nothing like sitting in a deck chair, reading a good book and watching the day pass you by when you are in one of the most picturesque locations in the world.

Movie Night

Twice a week the resort holds a movie night out on the beach and under the stars. When it’s a beautiful steamy night and you’ve just finished dinner, there’s nothing like relaxing on a bean bag with a good glass of wine. I must admit I did find myself sleeping on occasion because of how relaxed I was, which, considering we were on holidays isn’t a bad thing.

Coco Bodu Hithi

North Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives

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Melanie Duca

Melanie loves to travels extensively around the world and has visited some amazing countries. She started travelling at an early age and was instantly drawn to the world abroad.

When she travels she loves to discover the world through food, fashion, and photography.

She’s a self-professed drone junkie and loves to explore the world from above, because of the the incredible perspective.