It’s early July, summer has hit in the UK and the girls party trip to Malta is fast approaching.
This years excuse for the girls only trip is the celebration of a friends 40th birthday.  We don’t really need an excuse, every year we’ll find yet another reason to jet off for some girl time.

In this blog, I really have saved the best until last! …. wait for it….lets go through the basics..

Getting there

Flying out with a budget airline is never my idea of fun, with Ryanair in my opinion being the worst. They didn’t change my opinion on this flight I’m sorry to say. Delayed departures  (both sides of the journey), seats that don’t recline and an announcement onboard that the staff will soon be around with Heineken and crisps on offer for purchase just sealed the deal.

If you haven’t pre-booked a transfer/taxi from airport, upon going through arrivals gate and after collecting luggage, head over to the kiosk on the left side by the exit doors. Here you prepay for your taxi to your hotel and head straight out to a car. These taxi’s are a lot more expensive than prebooking with someone like Ecabs but hey it’s an easy option.

First Impressions of Malta 

The colour of the sea is stunning and the waters are clear. Initially that was the only compliment I could find for the island. My initial comparisons for the island where that of Gibraltar meets Watford. Meaning no disrespect to those cities, but in short Malta came across to all as being a series of very beige run down buildings, remains everywhere of wartime damages and in general a bit of a dump.

I’m so glad I dug a little deeper, there is certainly a lot more to Malta once you start to explore….

Getting around Malta 

You can get from one side of the island to the other in about 40-50 mins so you are never really far from anywhere.

Hire a car (they drive like nutters but they do drive on the left so pretty easy to get around and you will see so much more! The roads aren’t that well signed (I’ve experienced worse!) but as the island is so small you are never really lost for long.  Stop by a tourist information and buy a roadmap for 2euro it will definitely help!

Or

If not, use this taxi company: ECabs +356 21383838 they are really good (I will rarely plug things unless I’ve been impressed!) have big A Team vans if there are more than 4 of you and are half the price of the white taxis.

Boating

You’re on a small island surrounded by water. Of course it’s a must to take to the water … some how!

As a group of 6, we hired a private boat. Once we’d got over the realisation that our trusty vessel was far from the glamorous  yacht we had all pictured and was instead a little motor boat throwing you up and down in the waves, we went on to have a fabulous time! We stopped by at St Pauls Island, swam in the amazing Blue Lagoon and visited some of the caves. Smugglers Cave was especially gorgeous. It even tempted the exceptionally poor swimmers of the group to slip on a life vest and join us in the water swimming through the cave to an opening with the sun shining down onto the glorious waters. Only comparable to a scene from Thailand.

Don’t go on one of the group trips. Give this chap a call; Nasa +356 99502075. He was our captain for the day, was really friendly and between the 6 of us it was about £60euros each. It’s not a flash boat but was lots of fun! He may have better boats!!

He even arranged for an ice cream boat (just like the ‘ice cream man’ but a boat version!) to meet us out in the ocean to sell us ice creams when we said we fancied one. Now that’s a quirky experience!

Another fun thing to do is go to Sliema and get a little plastic self hire motor boat and you go around the ‘three cities’. There was a giant cruise ship just docked up and you can get right up the side of it- pretty cool. You also can plod around the harbour and anchor up and jump in or stop and go for a beer. It’s something to do for 2-3 hours and a bit quirky and the city looks amazing. PLUS the guy that runs it is a Brit, really nice and just had a mortgage fall through for a buy to let property in England so you can do a bit of business whilst there! Haha. Check out website: http://www.maltaselfdriveboats.com it tells you exactly where to find him.

Beaches

The best beach on Malta is Golden Bay – North West of the island. Don’t get too excited, nice beaches is not Malta’s thing! But is definitely the best of the bunch. There is a cool beach side restaurant called Pebbles you can go to for lunch. It’s up the steps and part of the Radisson Blu hotel. It’s all kitted out in white and does some great Cocktails and food for lunch.

Another cool beach place to go is Baia Beach club at Mellieha Beach. Book in advance (just email from website) and ask for seafront beds with the buzzers! They had a deal on when we went. Think it was about 70euros each which gave us a posh lounger, cocktail on arrival, lunch, bottle of wine between two and an afternoon snack.
They play chill out music all day and you just push a buzzer and a waiter comes running.

It’s a rocky water edge you can jump in for a bit of a swim. The sea all looks lovely but it’s a bit ‘shacky’ scenery everywhere else. In fact unless you are booking to come to the beach club I would steer clear of this beach as the sandy area is covered with squashed in, arm to arm sunbeds. It just wouldn’t be enjoyable.   But up on the rock platform looking over the sea is a good start to anyone’s holiday.

They have banana boats here should you feel brace enough or get coaxed into it by your friends!
Avoid

Don’t bother going to St Pauls Bay. If it’s not old people ball room dancing it’s Chavvy restaurants with plastic chairs and terrible music and service! Just think Great Yarmouth!

Eating, Drinking & Nights Out 

Definitely go to Cafe Del Mar for a meal. Not sure if you will want to go there and hang out in the day as a bit pretentious- but that may be up your street! Again you need to book (just email from website) best to get there to see the sunset. It’s no ibiza sunset but it’s the best Malta’s got! Order the sushi!!! Even if it’s not your thing, have a go. It’s amazing.

Go to the capital city Valletta in the evening for a meal. Loads of restaurants and is really pretty. Will change your view of Malta being a bit of a Dump!

St Julian – it’s a bit seedy with strip club after strip club lining the streets and when you boys get bored of that, there are actually a few nice restaurants lurking around as well. There is a steak restaurant on the same road as the Intercontinental hotel. There is also a nice restaurant right on the beach.
The ‘Hugo’ chain of bars seems to be everywhere here in St Julian but the round shaped one just opposite the beach is quite a good place to go for a few drinks with music and does serve food.
There is a Hugo Boutique Hotel that is just about to open and the pool on the roof terrace will be a party venue apparently and is all lite up at night. Looks pretty cool so may well be open when you go!
A good club in this area is Twenty Two. I didn’t go as ran out of time. But my friend that lives in Malta said it’s quite good.

I have left the best until last!!
Gianpula – it’s an open air night club with a complete mixed age group (so you don’t feel like an old timer) that has the best 80’s night ever!!! Drink (not a huge selection) is dirt cheap, podium dancers and just lots of fun. Book beforehand (it’s just 6euros a ticket) but definitely splash out on the extra 4euro to go VIP. That’s a MUST! You will have the best time!!