In February I met an RW in Malta for nine days (including a one-day side trip to Sicily) and some board members might like to learn the details because I believe only a few of us have been there. As far as desireability for an RW visit, I'd rate it 50-50, a wobbler, but to be fair much probably depends on the time of the year. To write this post quicker, most of it is just where, why, how and what.
WHERE? Malta is a very small island, about 3 x 5 miles I think, south of Sicily. Formerly a British colony, now a republic. Much British traditions and influence remain, i.e., engish-speaking, left-side driving, pubs with Brit bartenders every quarter-mile. Official currency is now Maltese lira, but locals still call it the pound. Malta history is very interesting, due to many different occupying groups over the centuries. (Arabs, Knights of Malta, Brits, and others) It has a soft Mediterranean ambiance, surrounded by turquoise water. Ancient buildings are all in pastel limestone, and many inlets with beautiful yachts. Malta was heavily bombed by Germans in WWII, but it's re-built and you can hardly tell it now.
WHY? RW and I were hoping to find some place different, historic, maybe warm, near water. RW's temperature in the Urals area was minus 20C, and I was two feet deep in snow in Virginia. Malta weather was described on the net as 60F in February. (Wrong. For three days we had decent sun, calm wind and 50F. Remainder was blustery wind, rain, and 40F.) I considered going to Cyprus or perhaps Turkey, but Cyprus didn't attract me, and I had been stationed in Turkey in the military. Malta was just some place new, and seemed intriguing.
HOW? An easy trip for both of us. RW went through a Russian travel agent who got a package deal for her air travel and the hotel we stayed in. (I handled just my own air travel, flying Lufthansa from DC through Frankfurt to Malta International,and return. 600 USD. No visa needed for Americans) RW flew to Moscow on UralAir and then to Malta, and return. I'm not sure, but I think for 300 USD. No visa needed for Russians, only pay 35 USD at the airport. Her agent got us a good hotel deal, a four star western hotel on the water, in the club/casino district, "Golden Tulip Vivaldi". 60 USD/night for a double with large balcony and superb view of the Med beyond a yacht-filled inlet. Also, English breakfast, heated pool, etc.
WHAT? I didn't have much time to research Malta tourist opportunities and decided to rely on local excursions, concierge info, etc. This was a mistake because Malta is divided into many areas of different historical interest, and looking back I think I missed out on some places of interest, especially the outlying island of Gozo.
However, we signed up for a few bus tours and took taxis to some places on our own. The highlight of our visit was a trip on a fast tourist boat catamaran from Malta to southern Sicily, 2 hours each way, where we boarded a charter bus with an excellent english-speaking guide. (No visa or fee needed for US or Russians to enter Sicily via excursion boat, but immigration queries for RW are minimal if she has a Schengen visa. Without it, they hold her passport until she departs.) We then went on a long ride through wonderfully sunny southern Sicily, ending at a good restaurant at the top of Mt. Aetna. Returned via a small Sicilian city where we had time to stroll and make souvenir purchases, then boarded the cat and returned to Malta. (And no, there was no sign of the mafia.)
I must add that Malta is not a cheap trip with bargains for shopping. Our hotel was not expensive due to off-season, but everything else is about the same cost as a medium-size US city. For starters, the Maltese lira (pound) exchanges at about 2.50 USD for 1 pound. A good meal for two will cost $30-40, without wine. Fifteen-minute taxi from airport to hotel is $20. Excursions are pricey. Our Sicily visit cost about $130 for both, not including meals. The costs were worth it to me and generally affordable, but I would not recommend Malta if you are looking for bargains. Judging by posts from LP and Juio, I think it's probably similar to Cyprus, although I've never been there.
By now, you've probably read more than you want to know, so I'll close with a few conclusions. Malta could be a good trip in good weather. It is charming, and with planning you can see many interesting sights in 4-5 days, including a visit to Sicily. Good for english speaking, and it has many good restaurants, shops, hotels and movies, to include an IMAX which RW loved. The casinos welcome tourists, and RW was fascinated with the slots. (She hit a $10 jackpot on a dime slot, and when it gushed a hundred dimes she was screaming "I winner! I winner!") However, Malta is also pricey, a little touristy, and by all means check the weather so you can enjoy each day in sunshine, not cold winds. I'd rate it as 50-50 for an RW visit, but probably in good weather it would be a much better trip, if cost is not a serious factor.
As for me, I'm headed back to Riga in April and Yekaterinburg in July. Good luck to everybody.
