AboutMichelle Grech Expertise Can answer travel related questions about the beautiful islands of malta & gozo. where to go and what to do off the beaten track. can also answer diving related questions.
Expert: Michelle Grech Date: 7/30/2007 Subject: malta january
Question we are coming to malta in january 2008. can you tell me firstly whether we are better to book transfer through hire company or go with local cabs. have been told that local cabs go the "scenic" route.
also if you can give some tips of things to do and see while there would be appreciated as this is our first trip to malta. is it worth hiring a car for the trip, we are staying for a week. also any tips of where to eat. I am pretty adventurous with food but my parter prefers plain cooking.
we are staying in the bayview hotel in sliemi. any comments on this accomodation.
thank you
ang
Answer Hi Angela
I would avoid the local cabs like the plague as most of them are a bunch of uneducated thieves! you'd be better off with a tranfer or if you are a bit 'adventurous' you might want to hire a car for the whole duration of your stay which will solve your journeys to and from the airport. in january you will find cheap rentals for as little as Eur17/day. it will be much easier to get around the island and you will see so much more. just watch it as we maltese tend to be a bit wreckless on the roads...but its fun :-)
the hotel is in a good location, very central and accessible. restaurants are all around especially in the neighbouring town of st. julians. if i'm not mistaken your hotel serves all kinds of exotic cuisine. in the area i can think of mamma mia, cafe jubilee and chez philippe, which i highly recommend.
there are a lot of historical sights you might want to visit if you like that stuff. the hypogeum is a must and you might want to book as they take in limited numbers to conserve it. mdina is a walled city, used to be the capital, a stroll in this quaint city is great followed by delicious cakes and tea at fontanella gardens.
There are the Hagar Qim temples and other prehistoric temples. a visit to the sister island of gozo is a must. this is a very tranquil place, more rural.
have a look at visitmalta.com and you can get a good idea of what is happening. the weather can be a bit wet and cold so don't think that sunny malta has no winters!
