Just back from Malta!
 

Just back from a week in Malta. We spent 4 nights at the Victoria Hotel in Sliema and 3 nights on Gozo at the Ta'Cenc. We had a car and drove everywhere (yikes!). The Victoria is ok, nice enough and no complaints. FYI, if you want to tour the Hypogeum, you (or somebody) has to go there in person to make a reservation. When we showed up they were booked for the whole next week (pooo!). Our favorite places to dine on Malta were Picolo Padre (or Papa or something like that) right on the water (can't remember the name of the bay but it's on the opposite side of Sliema from Valletta, if anyone wants to know for sure I can look it up - it's in Lonely Planet) and Paparazzi on the water at Spinola Bay. It's really easy to take buses from Sliema to Valletta or around in the other direction where lots of restaurants are.<BR><BR>We LOVED Gozo and the Ta'Cenc Hotel!! Gozo is so much easier to get around and more relaxing. Second choice for a hotel would definitely be St. Patrick's at Xlendi. Xlendi is a great little bay with a handful of good restaurants and great scenery. Loved it!! Our favorite restaurant there was the Stone Crab, where you can sit inches away from the water. If I ever go back to Malta, I'd just go to Gozo. It has great scenery, great food, cool sights and everything Malta has that I'm interested in. It did seem to cater to day trippers quite a bit. Lots of restaurants and shops closed down mid to late afternoon for the day. IMO taking a day trip there wouldn't be enough but if you did, I think it would be a pain to do it without a car or organized tour. It looks like a great place to snorkel and dive! The water is sooooo clear!<BR><BR>FYI, it was warm during the day (shorts and sandals) and a bit cooler at night (light jacket). The last day we were there it POURED off and on but that was the only time it rained. The money is officially the Maltese Lira but everyone calls it the pound!<BR><BR>Just thought I'd jabber about our trip. I'm (of course) not an expert but if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to try to answer them!

Thanks for your info; sounds like you had a great trip. I am going to Malta/Sicily at the end of March so may come back to you with questions.

Paige-did you arrange this trip yourself or with the help of a travel agent? Can you recommend a good, comprehensive website for Malta? How are the prices for say a nice dinner for 2 with drinks? You gave a good overview of your trip, but would appreciate more details! Thanks

Go to Visitmalta.com for more info. Ameliainternational.com has a good package tour leaving from New York, starting at just $699 for winter departures.

Hi Debbie! We arranged it all ourselves. Here are some links:<BR><BR>http://goeurope.about.com/cs/malta/index.htm<BR>http://www.gozo.com/index.shtml<BR>http://www.gozochannel.com/<BR>http://www.discover-malta.com/<BR>http://www.discovergozo.com.mt/munxar.htm<BR>http://www.aboutmalta.com/<BR><BR>We spent about 30 euros for dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine.