Malta . . .

[shivvy]

Am thinking of taking a 5-7 day break to Malta in early January. I can and have of course googled some info on it but does anyone have any opinions/thoughts/comments about Malta?

What to do, where to visit, weather, culture, food etc . . .

Thanks.

[methyl]

Let's discount some popular fallacies.
There is no issue with the tap water on Malta - they have one of the most sophisticated desalination plants in the world and a deep culture about maintaining the quantity and quality of water.
The area of Valletta known as "the Gut" was popular with randy sailors during the 2nd World War.
The buses are now modern and comfortable (but not as much fun as they used to be!).
The Maltese are very friendly to visitors and the vast majority speak English.

And some home truths (tounge in cheek):
Maltese motorists drive like insane Italians. They use their horns however pointless. They drive on the best bit of road surface - whatever side of the road that may be. They respond well to angry gestures, shouting and glaring but they ignore all lights (indicators, traffic lights, brake lights, headlight flash, whatever).

[MarkRae]

^^ Yep, can't disagree with any of that... ;-)

[methyl]

Much too young for the war (but my dad wasn't). Very closely associated with the Maltese people - but not Maltese myself. Been there lots of times and in every season. Never been without a good reason and a well-planned "high spot".
Learnt that on arriving on Malta the first hot pastizzi you eat it so important. Smuggling pastizzi and "hobs biz-zejt" (Maltese open sandwich) into the hotel is just part of the game. Wash it down with a a couple of bottles from a crate of Farsons.
A decent 3-day village festa (like Paola or Tarxien) is hard to beat. It is expected that you respect the religious beliefs of the Maltese and dress and behave appropriately when anywhere near or inside a church. If the locals can do it, so can we.

[carlton23]

One very important thing to watch out for are the "Timeshare" scouts, tell them to p*** off, not matter what `Prize???` they offer you just to attend a meeting, cus they are excellent sales people. We got `took in` and lived to regret it. Other than that we loved Malta.

[methyl]

Never encountred a Timeshare pests on Malta but they are a plague on Tenerife. Surely we Brits know how to deal with Timeshare pests?

[methyl]

Bottom line. Malta is a very good destination in season. If you are a tourist rather than a business traveller, avoid the winter (cold and windy) and late autumn (very humid). The spring and early autumn seasons are just perfect for my British taste. Midday in high summer can be just a bit too hot to bear but the mornings and evenings are just right. Ensure that your hotel has Air Conditioning in summer or you will just not sleep.