MALTA: RESOURCES GUIDE
About Malta:
Nestled in the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta is a tiny island nation with a big personality. With its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and unique blend of cultures, Malta is a must-visit destination for anyone looking for a truly unforgettable travel experience.
History buffs will love exploring the ancient ruins of Malta's many temples and fortresses, such as the Megalithic Temples of Malta, which are among the oldest free-standing structures in the world. And for those interested in the island's military history, there's no shortage of impressive forts and fortifications to explore, including the famous Fort St. Elmo in Valletta.
Art lovers will find plenty to enjoy in Malta as well, with its vibrant contemporary art scene and rich tradition of ceramics and pottery. And for those interested in architecture, Malta is home to some of the most stunning examples of Baroque architecture in the world, including the awe-inspiring St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
Of course, no visit to Malta would be complete without sampling its delicious cuisine, which blends influences from Italy, North Africa, and the Middle East. From the fresh seafood of Marsaxlokk to the sweet pastries of Mdina, there's no shortage of delicious dishes to try.
And for outdoor enthusiasts, Malta offers a wide range of activities, from swimming and snorkeling in its crystal-clear waters to hiking and cycling along its scenic coastal trails. And if you're looking for a truly unique experience, why not take a boat tour of Malta's stunning Blue Lagoon, where you can swim in some of the clearest waters in the world?
With its stunning scenery, rich history, and vibrant culture, Malta is a truly special destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip today and discover all the wonders that this amazing country has to offer!
Welcome to Adventure Fares' Resources and Information Guide. These guides are compiled to provide a great "starting place" for planning. Here, we try to help you with the 4 big planning goals for any destination: Where to Stay / Where to Eat / What to See and Do / How to Budget. We even try to include some great itinerary links. Have fun planning your travel adventure! These resource pages are always being updated. If you would like to see a country / city / place not already in our resource guides, please email your requests or suggestions to: [email protected]
BUDGET RESOURCES:
We typically go to Budget Your Trip to research budgeting! We highly recommend their website. They do a fantastic job of compiling data from thousands of travelers around the world! This data is so useful for anyone who’s wanting to make the most of their travel budget. If you sign up and enter your own expenses - you contribute to the data and also get to access their fantastic planning tools - with charts, maps, graphs, and tables of your trip finances. Bookmark their site, and go there for a lot more in-depth budgeting research: BudgetYourTrip.com
With this chart, we just wanted to give you an idea of how your budget might look compared to a few familiar places here in the U.S
Rentals / Hotels / B&B Lists
Finding the perfect accommodation can make or break a trip. That's why we compile so many lodging lists - to help you find reliable and affordable recommendations for AirBNBs, VRBOs, boutique hotels, and B&Bs. These lists should give you a great starting place, and hopefully make that trip even better!
AIRBNB LISTS
VRBO LISTS
(coming soon)
BED AND BREAKFASTS
BOUTIQUE HOTELS
AIRBNB Resources:
airbnb.com - It has become a very popular resource for travelers. We try to limit our lists to rentals in great locations, with good pricing, and great views when we find them. We use AirBNB a lot. ALWAYS double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings most of the time. Be sure to double check for air conditioning in the summer, and feel free to reach out to the owner for tips / questions!
VRBO Resources:
vrbo.com - VRBO is another great one to use. Sometimes you find rentals here you won't see on AirBNB - its always great to have more options, especially during peak seasons when rentals book up fast. Always double-check reviews and avoid "new" listings when possible. The VRBO system won't let us filter neighborhoods as well as some others, so always double check location after finding a good property.
Bed and Breakfast Resources:
Booking.com - this is often our “go-to” for this category. We find their customer reviews to be very reliable!
bedandbreakfast.guide (B&B Guide) - this one screens out the worst-reviewed places, so their lists are pretty reliable.
bnbfinder.com - this one is promising, but they don’t have near as many listings as the others here. We hope they grow!
Boutique Hotels Resources:
BoutiqueHotel.me - this one is usually our favorite. However, their list will only provide you with hotels who allow booking through booking.com - so some great hotels won’t be on their lists.
MrandMrsSmith.com - This is fantastic and inspirational resource for finding places to stay around the world. Much of their focus is on premiere hotels (and not what we would call “budget” finds), but it can be a fantastic place to search. It’s fun to just click on their “Inspiration” tab and find some new places around the world.
TheHotelGuru.com - This site also links to booking.com, and can be a complimentary resource.
GreatSmallHotels.com - Another resource the books through booking.com, this one tends to go a little more upscale, especially in large European cities.
Some More Interesting Lodging Guides:
gounusual.com - Great Resource for those trying to find unique places to stay: Castles, igloos, boats, more!
eruoglamping.com - Just what it sounds like - a resource of upscale camping places in Europe:
goglamping.net - GoGlamping / More upscale camping experiences - UK and Europe
NOTE: No matter what form of lodging you book, we recommend you always confirm your booking one last time a week to 10 days ahead of your travel.
Restaurants / Dining Lists
Choosing dining options can be confusing and intimidating. We've compiled these lists to help you start planning some memorable meals. Lists are organized by city and include some of the best and most affordable dining destinations in each city/area. Every adventure deserves some great meals!
TRIP ADVISOR
WANDERLOG
MICHELIN
TripAdvisor Dining Lists:
TripAdvisor.com - We recommend using TripAdvisor’s dining directories whenever you find yourself needing good food in a place with which you’re unfamiliar. They have a huge volume of reviews, great genre help, and mapping.
Michelin Guide - Dining Lists:
Michelin Guide - For respected and relevant reviews of restaurants around the world, Michelin has been the Iconic dining guide since the 1800s. If you find a 1 star near you, book it. If you find a 2 star, you’re in for a treat. If you find a 3 star - make a travel detour if you need to and get there!
Wanderlog Dining Lists:
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, but we’ve come to really like their restaurant lists. They’re just a little pickier than TripAdvisor, but not as exclusive as Michelin. They’re worth checking out in most towns.
When trying to get a nicer restaurant into your travel plans, we recommend making reservations at least a couple of weeks ahead of time. Some of the Michelin star restaurants might even require more advance (varies).
Things to See and Do Lists
Finding what to see and do is always a travel priority. We've compiled lists/links from the world's most credible sources to help you find the best adventures for your destination. These lists will help you find the most popular attractions (and some hidden gems) for your travel adventures.
FODOR'S
ATLAS OBSCURA
TRIP ADVISOR
GET YOUR GUIDE
Things to See and Do Resources:
These are a few resources we trust. They will give you some great places to start. Rank your priorities (and your travel friends' priorities), see what works for your schedule, and plan an amazing travel adventure. *Don't try to cram too much in - it's those "unplanned" moments that often product the best adventures.
FodorsTravel.com - In our experience, Fodor’s is the best overall place to start when planning a trip. Once you search and find their guide to a city - they break the guide down into Sights, Nightlife, Shopping, Performing Arts, and Sports and Acitivities. There’s not tons of inspiration here, but good, reliable information. There are ads, but they do a good job of keeping the content credible. They also have a great “Map View” feature for the different sections so you can always check to see what’s close. Their Hotels and Restaurants guides are also pretty good.
RickSteves.com - Rick Steves has been an awesome resource for budget travelers for decades, and his content just keeps getting better. His reviews are reliable, his itineraries are fantastic, and his reputation for credibility is great. We check out his information on any destination we're thinking about visiting.
AtlasObscura.com - This is our favorite guide source! We don’t know how the team at Atlas Obscura finds so many cool, interesting, and odd things to see around the world - but they do it. It’s easy to find those top few things to do in any location, but these guys go beyond - and get you some off-the-beaten path adventures.
TripAdvisor - Trip Advisor is pretty commercial in nature, but they have really high traffic - so it's easy to see what's popular pretty much anywhere in the world. That can be helpful for planning what to see, and sometimes what to avoid. It's one of our go-to resources for seeing what might be in the town ahead on a road trip.
Wanderlog.com - Wanderlog is an interesting site - compiling lots of travel planning possibilities. Their trip-planning features are worth checking out, and we really like their “THINGS TO DO” lists. They’re pretty much ranked from most popular to least - so its a great place to figure out a priority list of things to see.
GetYourGuide.com - We really like this one! Get your guide is becoming a great source for planning as well as inspiration for travel adventures. Even if you aren’t looking for things to do on your trip, it’s a good place to get new trip ideas and browse exciting things to do. They have some "decent" pricing on local activities - worth considering for booking.
Nomadicmatt.com - Matt travels as much as any blogger / content creator we follow. He's a good writer, a good planner, and delivers entertaining content. We certainly recommend you check out his travel guides. If he's been somewhere, he shares great stuff!
OTHERS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
The Crazy Tourist - This is a travel resource that covers destinations all over the world. Just type the name of a country or city in their search section, and they have good
CultureTrip.com - This one is pretty commercial (lots of ads), but its also pretty reliable. They’ve been a travel industry leader for a long time, so there are enough reviews on things to know if you’re making good decisions. We always check out the Culture Trip guide for any location we’re planning on visiting.
Itineraries to Get You Started
Building an itinerary for your travel adventure can be a daunting task. Here are a few resources to help you get started without all the "noise" associated with online research. These are sample itineraries from travel pros who are credible, reliable, and know the places they're writing about. Itineraries are made to be broken, but hopefully these will start you out on the right path.
If you're planning a trip to Malta, there's so much to see and do that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. To help you plan your itinerary, here's a comprehensive checklist of must-see destinations and off-the-beaten-path gems to explore. Below our checklist, you'll find several sample itineraries we recommend.
DON’T MISS:
- Visit the capital city of Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and explore its historic buildings, museums, and gardens.
- Take a trip to the ancient walled city of Mdina, and explore its narrow streets, baroque architecture, and stunning views.
- Visit the Blue Lagoon, a crystal-clear bay located on the island of Comino, and enjoy its beautiful beaches and turquoise waters.
- Explore the megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, some of the oldest structures in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Take a boat tour of the famous Blue Grotto, a series of sea caves and natural rock formations located on the southern coast of Malta.
IF YOU HAVE MORE TIME:
- Visit the island of Gozo, known for its beautiful beaches, countryside, and ancient temples.
- Explore the Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea, and Cospicua, and discover their historic buildings, churches, and forts.
- Visit the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground prehistoric burial site and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Take a trip to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk, and explore its colorful boats, fresh seafood, and market stalls.
- Visit the National Museum of Archaeology, and learn more about the history and culture of Malta, from the Neolithic period to the Roman era.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
- Visit the island of Cominotto, located next to Comino, and enjoy its secluded beaches and hidden coves.
- Explore the Dingli Cliffs, located on the western coast of Malta, and enjoy its stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea.
- Take a walk through the Buskett Gardens, located in the center of the island, and enjoy its lush vegetation and historic landmarks.
- Visit the Ta' Qali Crafts Village, and discover the traditional Maltese crafts, including pottery, glassblowing, and silverware.
- Take a trip to the island of Filfla, a small uninhabited island located off the southern coast of Malta, and enjoy its pristine nature and marine life.
ITINERARIES FOR MALTA:
Itineraries can be tough to build, but the process can also be really fun to research. We read hundreds of these a month - and are always looking for better ones for our resource guides. Here are a few we found that might be helpful to get you started. Some of these are from favorite sources, and few we just found for this country. Start planning that adventure!
The Perfect 7-Day Malta Itinerary / The World was Here First
Malta for 3-10 Days: Build Your Ultimate Malta Itinerary
History and Architecture of Malta and Sicily - 9 Days / KimKim
Epic 7-Day Itinerary to Visit Malta / Hand Luggage Only
15 Things to Do with 4 Days in Malta (and 1 to Skip) / Travel Addicts
MORE RESOURCES:
Best Trails in Malta / AllTrails
Hiking in Malta: 8 Bucketlist Trails to Check Out / The Broke Backpacker
Hiking in Malta: 11 Incredible Bucketlist Trails to Explore / Walk Beside Me
Malta Hikes: The 9 Best Walking Trails / Travel Made Me Do it
Cycing in Malta: The Most Beautiful Routes / outdooractive
*photos from pixabay.com, pexels.com, unsplash.com and Darrell Potts
EMAIL Us - We Want to Hear From You!
We believe that the best travel advice comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. That's why we're inviting our members to share their travel tips, and recommendations with us. Whether it's a hidden gem of a restaurant, a must-see attraction, or an off-the-beaten-path adventure, we want to hear about it. Your contributions are helping us build a new database of "Member Suggestions." Email us when you get a chance - links, maps, and reviews all help! Email us at [email protected]
These resource pages have been fun to work on! We hope they keep getting better. Are we missing something? Are we missing one of your favorite travel resources? Please email me - I'd love to learn anything that can help make travel adventures even better! Darrell Potts.
