Book a hotel in Valletta - City of Culture 2018

European Capital of Culture 

Valletta will be hosting the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018 with a partner Dutch city, Leeuwarden. The ECoC includes all the Maltese Islands, with an aim to spread its impact throughout the whole Maltese territory.

The Cultural Programme is aimed to promote a European dimension and encourage citizen participation. It is built around four pillars: Generations, Routes, Cities and Islands.

Valletta was nominated European Capital of Culture (ECoC) on the 12th of Oct 2012.

So many great hotels to choose from!  Book hotels in Valletta



You can find our more by visiting: http://www.valletta2018.org



[ES]
Capital Europea de la Cultura

Valletta será el anfitrión del título de Capital Europea de la Cultura en 2018 con una ciudad holandesa asociada, Leeuwarden. La ECoC incluye todas las islas maltesas, con el objetivo de difundir su impacto en todo el territorio maltés.

El Programa Cultural tiene por objeto promover una dimensión europea y fomentar la participación ciudadana. Está construido alrededor de cuatro pilares: Generaciones, Rutas, Ciudades e Islas.

Valletta fue nominada Capital Europea de la Cultura (ECoC) el 12 de octubre de 2012.

Muchos hoteles estupendos para elegir! Reservar hoteles en Valletta



Usted puede encontrar nuestro más visitando: http://www.valletta2018.org


[AE]
عاصمة الثقافة الأوروبية

سوف تستضيف فاليتا عنوان عاصمة الثقافة الأوروبية في عام 2018 مع شريك المدينة الهولندية، ليوفاردن. وتشمل اللجنة الاقتصادية لأمريكا اللاتينية ومنطقة البحر الكاريبي جميع الجزر المالطية، بهدف نشر أثرها على كامل الأراضي المالطية.

ويهدف البرنامج الثقافي إلى تعزيز البعد الأوروبي وتشجيع مشاركة المواطنين. وهو مبني على أربع ركائز: الأجيال، والطرق، والمدن والجزر.

رشح فاليتا عاصمة الثقافة الأوروبية (إكوك) في 12 أكتوبر 2012.

الكثير من الفنادق العظيمة للاختيار من بينها! كتاب الفنادق في فاليتا



يمكنك العثور على المزيد من خلال زيارة: http://www.valletta2018.org


[FR]
Capitale européenne de la culture

Valletta sera l'hôte du titre de Capitale européenne de la Culture en 2018 avec une ville hollandaise partenaire, Leeuwarden. L'ECoC comprend toutes les îles maltaises, dans le but d'étendre son impact sur tout le territoire maltais.

Le programme culturel vise à promouvoir une dimension européenne et à encourager la participation citoyenne. Il est construit autour de quatre piliers: Générations, Routes, Villes et Iles.

Valletta a été nommé Capitale européenne de la culture (ECoC) le 12 octobre 2012.

Il y a beaucoup d'hôtels à choisir! Réserver des hôtels à La Valette



Vous pouvez trouver notre plus en visitant: http://www.valletta2018.org


[DE]
Kulturhauptstadt Europas

Valletta wird den Titel der Kulturhauptstadt Europas 2018 mit einem Partner niederländischen Stadt Leeuwarden veranstalten. Die ECoC umfasst alle Maltesischen Inseln mit dem Ziel, ihre Auswirkungen auf das gesamte maltesische Gebiet zu verbreiten.

Das Kulturprogramm zielt darauf ab, eine europäische Dimension zu fördern und die Bürgerbeteiligung zu fördern. Es ist um vier Säulen gebaut: Generationen, Routen, Städte und Inseln.

Valletta wurde am 12. Oktober 2012 zum Kulturhauptstadt Europas (ECOC) ernannt.

So viele tolle Hotels zur Auswahl! Hotels in Valletta buchen



Sie finden unsere mehr durch den Besuch: http://www.valletta2018.org


[IT]
Capitale europea della cultura

Valletta ospiterà il titolo di capitale europea della cultura nel 2018 con una città olandese compagno, Leeuwarden. CEC comprende tutte le isole maltesi, con l'obiettivo di diffondere il suo impatto su tutto il territorio maltese.

Il programma culturale si propone di promuovere una dimensione europea e incoraggiare la partecipazione dei cittadini. È costruito attorno a quattro pilastri: Generazioni, percorsi città e isole.

Valletta è stato nominato Capitale europea della cultura (EcoC) sul 12 ottobre 2012.

Tanti grandi alberghi da scegliere! Prenotare gli hotel a Valletta



Potete trovare il nostro più visitando: http://www.valletta2018.org


[JP]
欧州文化首都

バレッタは、2018年にオランダのパートナー都市であるレーワールデンと欧州文化首都の称号を授与する予定です。 ECoCにはマルタ諸島全体が含まれており、マルタ諸島全体への影響を広げることを目指しています。

文化プログラムは、ヨーロッパの次元を促進し、市民の参加を促すことを目的としています。それは4つの柱の周りに構築されます：世代、ルート、都市と島々。

バレッタは2012年10月12日に欧州文化首都（ECoC）にノミネートされました。

とてもたくさんの素晴らしいホテルを選ぶことができます！バレッタのホテル



詳細については、http：//www.valletta2018.orgをご覧ください。

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa - Attard, Malta

Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa

5 Star Hotel

Nestled amid lush greenery and landscaped gardens, Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa is a secluded haven. Surrounded by the Three Villages of Attard, Balzan and Lija and situated opposite the President’s Palace and adjacent San Anton Gardens, our hotel is enveloped in history, prestige and tradition.

Authentic charm and understated elegance emanate from the very core of this home away from home, where every guest is assured only the highest quality of care and unparalleled attention to detail. Located just minutes from the medieval ‘silent city’ of Mdina and the cultural ambience of Valletta, Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa is the gateway into the heart of historic Malta.

[ES]
Hotel 5 estrellas

Ubicado en medio de una exuberante vegetación y jardines, el Corinthia Palace Hotel & amp; Spa es un refugio aislado. Rodeado de los Tres Pueblos de Attard, Balzan y Lija y situado frente al Palacio Presidencial y adyacentes Jardines de San Antón, el hotel está envuelto en la historia, el prestigio y la tradición. Auténtico encanto y elegancia emanan de la esencia misma de este hogar lejos del hogar, donde cada huésped se asegura la más alta calidad de cuidado y atención inigualable al detalle. Situado a pocos minutos de la medieval "ciudad silenciosa" de Mdina y el ambiente cultural de La Valeta, Corinthia Palace Hotel & amp; Spa es la puerta de entrada al centro histórico de Malta.


[AE]
فندق 5

تقع وسط الخضرة والحدائق، كورنثيا فندق قصر & أمبير؛ سبا ملاذا منعزل. وتحيط بها ثلاث قرى أتارد، بالزان وLIJA ويقع مقابل قصر الرئيس والمتاخمة حدائق سان أنطون فنادقنا، ويلفها في التاريخ، وهيبة والتقاليد. سحر الأصيل والأناقة تنبع من صميم هذا الوطن بعيدا عن المنزل، حيث أكد كل ضيف فقط أعلى مستوى من الجودة من الرعاية والاهتمام لا مثيل لها بالتفاصيل. يقع على بعد دقائق من "المدينة الصامتة" في القرون الوسطى مدينا وأجواء الثقافي فاليتا كورنثيا فندق قصر وأمبير،. سبا هو المدخل إلى قلب مالطا التاريخية.


[FR]
Hôtel 5 étoiles

Niché dans la verdure luxuriante et de jardins paysagers, le Corinthia Palace Hôtel & amp; Spa est un havre de paix retiré. Entouré par les trois villages de Attard, Balzan et Lija et situé en face du Palais du Président et adjacentes jardins de San Anton, notre hôtel est enveloppé dans l'histoire, le prestige et la tradition. Charme authentique et une élégance discrète émanent du cœur même de cette maison loin de la maison, où chaque client est assuré que la plus haute qualité de soins et une attention inégalée au détail. Situé à quelques minutes de la «ville silencieuse» médiévale de Mdina et l'ambiance culturelle de La Valette, le Corinthia Palace Hôtel & amp; Spa est la porte dans le cœur historique de Malte.


[DE]

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Did you mean: 5 Star Hôtel

5-Sterne-Hotel

Eingebettet in viel Grün und gepflegten Gärten, Corinthia Palace Hotel & amp; Spa ist eine abgelegene Oase. Umgeben von den drei Dörfern von Attard, Balzan und Lija und gegenüber dem Präsidentenpalast und der angrenzenden San Anton Gardens, liegt unser Hotel in der Geschichte, Prestige und Tradition gehüllt. Authentischen Charme und schlichte Eleganz gehen von den Kern dieses Haus weg vom Haus, wo jeder Gast nur die höchste Qualität der Pflege und unvergleichliche Liebe zum Detail gewährleistet. Corinthia Palace Hotel & amp liegt nur wenige Minuten von der mittelalterlichen "stille Stadt" Mdina und das kulturelle Ambiente der Valletta,; Spa ist das Tor in die Herzen der Altstadt von Malta.

[IT]

Hotel a 5 stelle

Immerso in una rigogliosa vegetazione e giardini, il Corinthia Palace Hotel & amp; Spa è un rifugio appartato. Circondato dai tre villaggi di Attard, Balzan e Lija e situato di fronte al Palazzo del Presidente e adiacenti San Anton Gardens, il nostro hotel si trova all'interno della storia, prestigio e tradizione. Fascino autentico e sobria eleganza emanano dal nucleo centrale di questa casa lontano da casa, dove ogni ospite è garantita solo la più alta qualità di cura e attenzione ai dettagli senza precedenti. Situato a pochi minuti dalla medievale 'città silenziosa' di Mdina e l'atmosfera culturale di La Valletta, il Corinthia Palace Hotel & amp; Spa è la porta nel cuore del centro storico di Malta.

[JP]

5つ星ホテル

豊かな緑と美しい庭園に囲まれたたずむ、コリンシアパレスホテル＆＃038;スパでは、人里離れた避難所です。アッタード、BalzanのとLijaの3つの村に囲まれ、大統領宮殿と隣接するサンアントン園の向かいに位置し、当ホテルは歴史、名声と伝統に包まれています。本物の魅力と控えめな優雅さは、すべてのゲストが細部へのケアと比類のない注意の唯一の最高の品質を保証されて自宅から離れたこの家の非常にコアから発します。イムディーナの中世の「サイレント都市'とバレッタの文化的な雰囲気からわずか数分に位置し、コリンシアパレスホテル＆＃038;スパでは、歴史的なマルタの中心部にゲートウェイです。

Life was reasonably boring lately. You know the feeling I'm sure; work slowly permeates all areas until it takes over. Too busy to diet, too busy to exercise, too busy to relax. I had to put a stop to all this nonsense and claim back some time for myself in a radical way (that's me ;) )

So I said to myself  ... why not try Rock Climbing?

These guys worked their magic on me.  I really had a great time and strongly recommend this stress busting experience. I never visualised Malta from a rock climbing perspective and can now tell you that Malta is a paradise for climbers! I also made new friends who are definitely planning to come again next summer and just for climbing!

So if you're under the weather and caught in the rat race - get a grip and try it out.

It really helped me kick start my metabolism back into shape and I am now on healthier foods and jogging regularly. I can't wait for my next rock climbing adventure.

Thank you  http://www.mcadventure.com.mt     You Rock!

Today its general election day in Malta

Today its general election day in Malta.

May this beautiful country be inspired by its brand Ambassador, Malta's world renowned tenor Joseph Calleja. Humble, talented and filled with honest love and admiration for his Maltese roots; yet Joseph would not have achieved what he achieved had it not been for the social fabric that surrounded him. Joseph was discovered by his piano teacher while he was fooling around with his voice. The teacher encouraged him to nurture his voice/talent and also got him in touch with seasoned Maltese tenor Paul Asciak. In Paul's own words.

"It was eleven years ago that Joseph Calleja first walked into my studio. He had been introduced by his piano teacher, who had asked me to give him an audition. With all the over-enthusiasm of youth, he announced the pieces he wanted to sing. At the age of sixteen it was not surprising that he chose songs from Mario Lanza’s film repertoire and the taxing “Nessun dorma”. With all the experience and responsibility of my seventy-one years, I hesitated as to whether I should allow him to proceed with his choice … but it is difficult to curb youthful enthusiasm! After a few bars of the evergreen Be My Love, even if sung in pushed tones, it was evident that this was a voice of unique beauty, but obviously an instrument which needed careful and disciplined teaching over a long period. Calleja’s voice, even at this tender age, had a rich baritone quality in its middle register, with a rather white tone in its upper range. It was even difficult to ascertain whether he would eventually end up as a baritone or tenor. What on the other hand was obvious, was that with the right rigorous study this raw material could develop into an exceptional and outstanding voice.

It was here that I had to reach back to my own experience both as singer and teacher. Although my own voice was very much a heavyspinto, it was always a voice with a penchant for singing belcanto. This was part of the vocal technique which had been passed on to me in my youth by my first teacher, a local Maltese tenor who had the privilege of studying with Bavagnoli, who in turn had coached and tutored none other than the great Aureliano Pertile. This sound technique, based on parameters established by singers of the Golden Age, was further reinforced by a period of study under the tenor Dino Borgioli, himself a great exponent of lyrical and belcanto singing. All this knowledge was now to be passed over to the youthful Calleja. Initially my tutelage was very much devoted to what he was not to do, rather than to what he should do. Like any modern youth, the young Calleja wanted quick results. At such an early age it was better for him to sing less and listen more, and much of our time was therefore spent listening to the recordings of the great tenors of the past such as Anselmi, Bonci, Schipa, early Gigli and Tagliavini, with all their distinctive techniques and legato school of singing. This was of course supplemented by the normal technical exercises and some occasional seventeenth and eighteenth-century arias. This ensured that Joseph’s tuition developed on a sound technical basis, with an exact placing of the voice, correct breathing technique and a sustained elegance of line.

Over a period of three years Joseph’s voice assumed many of the qualities of this old school of singing, and developed beautifully into a light, flexible and mellow instrument with both a distinctive timbre and a promising ringing top. After an initial introduction in a series of private recitals, at the age of nineteen he was offered the role of Macduff in a local production of Verdi’s Macbeth. It was not, of course, the ideal role at this early period of his career, but this debut demonstrated an already remarkable stage presence, and his Ah! La paterna mano earned him much praise and merited applause. A year later Joseph appeared in concert performances in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and as our study sessions continued, his stage appearances further added to his confidence. His participation in numerous vocal competitions, in all of which he was amongst the winners, manifested his exceptional initial promise. In the Plácido Domingo Operalia in 1998 in Hamburg he had a successful start and was forecast a certain winner. Unfortunately he contracted a virus and we had to return to Malta. The great tenor, however, had obviously been impressed by what he had heard and a week later we received an invitation to be present at the final Gala Night. Back in Hamburg, Joseph was invited to participate in the Operalia in 1999 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As the youngest male participant there he was one of the winners, and Domingo invited him for performances of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia in Washington, which he undertook during the following year.

Gradually, this young tenor has established a firm international reputation. Performing in the world’s leading opera houses, always in roles appropriate to his vocal qualities, Calleja has proved to possess a voice which is today justly considered to be amongst the most exciting available. Essentially it is a medium-sized lyrical instrument, which however has the characteristic of cutting through the orchestra that the Italians refer to as “una voce che corre bene in teatro”. Perhaps essentially he is very much the ideal Donizetti tenor. As Riccardo Chailly commented in the notes accompanying Calleja’s first Decca recital release, the voice is earmarked by a Golden Age character, “a sound harking back to a quality I thought we had long lost”. It is a voice with a wonderful predisposition to sing legato, a voice which also boasts a rare quality in today’s tenor voices: the ability to spin out melting dreamlike diminuendos. During our lessons I would work with Calleja to sing every note of the tenor’s range and produce diminuendos on each and every note. Fortunately, it is also a voice which seems to have little difficulty with the passaggio, the tenor’s notorious transition from chest to head voice.

To end, may I express my sense of great satisfaction that I have somehow contributed to the development of Joseph’s God-given natural gift. In wishing him further success in his career, I join the proud people of my native island home, which has already produced other internationally recognized singers, in the hope of the fulfillment of the dream of one day having one of the world’s leading tenors hailing from our land. From the quality of Calleja’s singing in this recital it seems we are not far from achieving this.

Paul Asciak  11th Mar 2012"

Quoted from http://josephcalleja.com/2012/03/11/paul-asciak-on-joseph-calleja/

Let us therefore hope that today's as well as all future generations, all keep this important social fabric close to heart. May we firmly believe that no man is an island and that time-tested values like strong families, faith and culture really do make that difference to everybody's lives by producing that genuine interest and honest love for each other and for Malta. A social fabric that keep Malta alive and healthy. May God bless Malta and keep her shining.

The smart phone generation?

Local news has been informing us that tourism has never seen better days here in the sunny islands. But the type of tourism has seen drastic changes hasn't it? I am informed that now its all about last minute bookings with a very low percentage of tourists planning their holiday the traditional way.

Perhaps this new type of customer came about due to less liquidity and less stability. But it is more likely simply the result of a 'new' generation of tech savvy travelers. The ones with the smart phones who refer to social networks and who click their way to hotels and entertainment spots on the fly depending on what facebook suggests as nearby locations.

Smart phones are definitely making headway in Malta with Bank of Valletta, a major bank in Malta just launching its really cool Mobile Banking app for iPhone (from App store) and Android (from Google Play). Be sure to visit bov.com for the latest news about this really convenient product. A must-have if you're staying for a week.

So ... are you the smart phone kind of traveler? Here are two really useful sites that also work nicely on smart phones. For fun things happening in Malta visit manicmalta.com and for bargains and deals visit mcn.com.mt You might meet someone special while having the time of your life and who knows, you might even find yourself a bargain gift that looks like its worth a million!

Happy Holidays!

Malta. Third in the world for quality of life!

Hey this is an interesting bit of news!

Times of Malta - Wednesday, 12th January 2011

Malta is the place for a holiday every day - International index rates island third in the world for quality of life. Article by Fiona Galea Debono

If you are seeking the best quality of life in the world, you won’t be missing the mark if you head for Malta.

The island has nearly topped International Living magazine’s Quality of Life Index for 2011, ranking third in the world, hot on the heels of the US and New Zealand, particularly for its sizzling temperatures, but not only...

To come out ahead, a country must be an all-around good pick, not just a standout in a couple of areas, and that explains why the top finishers are developed nations.


An English-speaking population is an asset for the expats in Malta.“...warm, dry, Mediterranean climate, low crime rates, good medical facilities...” – 2011 Quality of Life Index of International Living magazine. Photo: Jason Borg
The index identifies places where people live well on the cheap, pay less tax, enjoy better weather and take advantage of emerging markets; where they can best escape, retire, start over or take off on a grand adventure…

Published annually, the league table rates 192 countries in nine categories, including cost of living, culture, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety and risk, and climate, to present overall ratings for their comparative qualities of life.

“And for the record,” says International Living editor Eoin Bassett, “we’re biased. Our sources, staff and contributing editors are all influenced by a Western bias. We have definite, preconceived ideas about what constitutes a high or low standard of living, what constitutes culture and entertainment, and what climate is the most enjoyable.”

The criteria for 2011’s Quality of Life Index, which is the only one of its kind and has been produced for the last 30 years, have been revised and updated, he said.

Official sources and statistics are scoured so it is not surprising that the US, with the world’s biggest economy, tops the index – on a strictly statistical basis, it is hard to beat.

But several satisfied expats are living proof that, in return for sacrificing some of the convenience of the US, a truly healthy, happy and more affordable life overseas is possible, the index finds.

“Our Quality of Life Index cannot tell you where to find a midnight steakhouse, a 24-hour convenience store or a mall with everything under one roof. What it can tell you is that with a warm, dry, Mediterranean climate, low crime rates, good medical facilities and English-speaking population, Malta is a good place to start looking for a life overseas,” Mr Bassett says.

The first-world retirement haven is New Zealand; Iceland, Switzerland and Costa Rica top the environment category; while Zimbabwe and Malta tie for first place in climate, although they are not considered cheap.

Malta also beats the US and New Zealand when it comes to leisure and culture, and the environment, the index shows.

Barbara Bode, who lived in Malta for several years and grew to love its lifestyle, food and quality of life, maintains that “every day is like a holiday” here.

Highlighting assets such as its “history, sunshine, serene sailing and crashing waves along rocky shores”, she adds that communication is easy.

Real estate may be pricey and upscale stores too, but she has found ways of saving money – and making new friends – by shopping at the green grocers and butchers early in the morning


http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110112/local/malta-is-the-place-for-a-holiday-every-day

Out and about...

Its not easy being a tourist. Well unless you're the adventurous kind I mean. But if you're the type who likes to plan it all out the last thing you'd want to face are surprises and setbacks.
This is particularly true when booking tours and excursions. Holiday accommodation, particularly hotels, enjoy considerable reviews from which one can be guided. But excursions differ from season to season.

My only advice in securing a good tour is to shy away from sites provided too much automation. You want to be able to exchange a few emails and, why not, even a few phone calls with your guide/s before parting with your money. Let them earn your confidence. An excursion is not (well should not) be an off-the-shelf product. The best ones are more often than not practically tailor made for what interests you most.

A good place to start off exploring the best tours currently on offer is this Malta Tours and Excursions website.

Happy exploring!

Figures are Down but Hopes are Up!

Lets face it. Europe-wide tourism was really not so good with the credit crunch and all. Unfortunately many establishments suffered poor business and some even down-sized considerably or even closed. Most travel and car hire websites also experienced the bitter taste of a very slow moving market.

But hey we're soon getting out of this and once its over only the best would have survived .. which is good news for travellers. So after all this gloom is over expect to be served by the best Hotels, Car Hire and transport companies!

Here are some movers and shakers that you kindly recommended to me:

Hotel Accommodation Direct Bookings
Malta Apartments and Villas
Excursions for Malta & Gozo
Gozo Lodgings & Holiday Accommodation
Fun e-cards from Malta
Things to do in Malta
Maltese Bargains
Hotels Malta
Malta Tourist Information
Map of Malta

Send in more useful sites any time!

DO VISIT US! MALTA & GOZO ARE GREAT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS.

Check your change! Some coins may not be what they seem

Lately I paid EUR10 for a EUR1 coffee and rightly got my EUR 9 change in return ... or did I?? Well I'm sure I took a fleeting glance at my change and all was in order. I had a EUR 5 note and two Euro coins...

Later during the day I specifically needed to pick out a EUR 2 coin. The one I picked out looked exactly like a 2 Eur coin at a glance but I suspected foul play when I couldn't spot the number 2 on either side.

However believe it or not its NOT a fake. It just happens to be one of Thailand's official currency coins!

To learn more about coins that look like Euro coins you can visit this interesting forum

http://www.eurobilltrackerforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10008

So please be on the look out. Check your change COIN by COIN or you might get an unwanted surprise. The Thai coin is worth a fraction of a Euro roughly 25 euro cents!

Public Transport in Malta

Lately I was invited to attend an exhibition launch in Valletta on a Friday at 8pm. I figured it could take till 9pm for the event to warm up, till 10pm to really get going and to fizzle out around 10:30pm

So I decided to take a bus to Valletta thinking I should be able to catch some 11pm bus on heading home. Unfortunately on arriving I confirmed with the driver that the last bus was scheduled to depart at 10:00pm !

This is naturally a huge setback for any tourist but also for us locals. It is also in contradiction to Malta's recent publicity encouraging people to make more use of public transport in order to safeguard the environment. If bus schedules can't even cater for a simple event in Valletta can you imagine how even more impossible it becomes to try and attend something in Mellieha!

Thankfully some kind tourists recently put pen to paper about this frustrating disservice. You can read their letter at this Times of Malta link "No night bus for major tourist attraction"

No small wonder that most tourists prefer malta car hire or making their own airport transfer arrangements!

Big loss of Kudos for Malta - RUBBISH RUBBISH

I'm very proud of Malta but please teach her to wash at least once a week especially in the sticky and stinky summer months. Oh and do make sure she cleans those hard-to-reach bits like under the pavement and outside communal buildings (which tend to become no-mans-land)

And rubbish bins become so hard to use when the filth piles up three feet or higher. If you can get to them that is ... mostly inaccessible when totally surrounded by bag after bag of domestic rubbish ... tsk tsk ... now is that the right place to dispose of domestic rubbish ??

And can whoever delivers unwanted junk mail please refrain from dumping stuff on doorsteps. If it won't fit the letterbox just don't deliver it. There's no point in littering the streets with your junk. Why don't the authorities fine this blatant littering. It can very easily be traced back to the polluter and the polluter should always pay.

Certainly people need to do their bit and learn some good manners and good habits. But the authorities also need to clean their ears and their acts ... No we are not doing enough. More cleaning, more bins and more maintenance and upkeep are required. Come on Malta you can do it!

What to look out for ?? when renting a car in Malta

Car Hire providers in Malta are wide and varied. Some are run by individuals while others are actually backed by an international car hire network. So does it all boil down to price?

The most important thing to keep in mind is to always read the small text in the terms and conditions section. Don't just compare prices at a glance. ALWAYS Compare the full service. Prices that are really cheap normally also come with unwanted surprises upon collecting your car ... particularly where insurance cover or certain extras are concerned. You might easily have to fork out TWICE the originally paid price to get decent insurance cover UNLESS you want to take the risk of course.

As in most cases trust is practically everything. According to a recent report by a prominent holiday portal the following are some top Maltese car hire websites committed to providing car hire value for money with quick or instant quotes, clear terms and and an easy online booking procedure:

Cheap Car Hire Malta
Low Cost Car Rentals Malta
Bargain Rent-a-car Services
Most Reliable Airport Transfers Malta
24/7 Auto Rentals
Malta Car Hire - Compare Prices
Small but Friendly Car Hire

Related links
http://www.realholidayreports.com/reports/reports.asp?id=273&carhire_id=22290

Does an imminent election effect you as a tourist?

Lets say you're planning a Mediterranean Holiday and while googling around you come across Holiday Accommodation Malta and say Villas Short lets Malta but then you look up news malta and find out that your vacation would coincide with the country's election time which takes place every 5 years. What is your reaction?

a.) You dread the potential instability and tick off Malta from your list of potential destinations
b.) It doesn't bother you at all
c.) It actually interests you to see what election time looks like in Malta giving added value to your holiday

Share your views with me! As at time of writing the party currently in Government boasts of exceptional tourism experienced in 2007 and anticipates an even better 2008. Not so for the opposition.

What is your impression? Especially if you're a local hotelier or restaurant manager, perhaps you run a Malta or Gozo car hire firm? How was business in 2007? What is 2008 really looking like? Is the current tourist a planner and a spender or is he more of the late booking weekend break type who doesn't spend much? Is Malta only attracting ageing tourists or are we attracting more of the clubbing type to our very unique town of Paceville where partying never ends??

Bye Bye Maltese Lira. Hello Euro

Hello World :)

As you know a big change is round the corner. Malta will be adopting the Euro in less than 2 months time!!! Come Jan 2008 the Maltese Lira will quickly get out of circulation and payments will only take place in Euro money.

What are your views about this happenning? Will it be advantageous for Malta to do away with its own Maltese Lira currency and adopt the Euro ?? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? Feel free to add your comment to my blog!!

Related links:

The Eurozone

Malta to join the Euro as planned – is it a bed of roses?

The official Euro Changeover Website

Nostalgic - The old Maltese coins - sob sob

Crazy Parties, Concerts, Festivals and Festas!

Malta is such a hyped-up place! This year we've had an incredible number of massive events. Bryan Adams, Zucchero, Isle of MTV, Gigi D'Alessio and many many more

And don't forget the numerous festivals and festa's

Around July/August don't miss the beer and wine festivals

http://www.manicmalta.com/wine_festival_malta.htm

http://www.manicmalta.com/beer_festival_malta.htm

Hope it gets bigger and busier year after year!

New to Malta? I'll help out with some links

If you're like me you're likely to feel disorientated when visiting a place for the first time. Well search engines can be of great help in locating 'reliable' websites. But does a good search engine ranking really tell you everything about a place ... This is why I feel obliged to recommend a good product/service when I come across one.

Ok.

1. Looking for a good car hire site? Here's one. This is what one happy customer wrote about their service: "Excellent customer service, called the Malta Car Hire helpline twice which was answered promptly, great value for money, a company that sure knows what the customer wants and needs. ... " .. review at this link http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews139720.html

This great car hire site with excellent service and instant quotes is maltacar-hire.com

2. Want to learn about things to do and places to go? Check out this unusual event site updated directly by the promoters themselves! Can't get closer to the source than this site. Every promoter, artist, organiser promotes his events for free on this site. There's also a cool calendar of events and regular prizes such as tickets to events and the like. And best of all, no boring events. Just art, music and entertainment. Its all there for you at manicmalta.com

3. How about some real nightlife fun? Or would you rather learn to dance salsa during the day? The best that Malta can offer for latin music and cheeky partying at Fuego in both Qawra and St Julians. Visit fuego.com.mt to learn about these crazy fun-packed clubs which are very busy all year round.

If you learn about any other reliable services please share with me.

Bye Bye for today xxx

Share your Holidays in Malta experience

Hello. Please feel free to share your Malta Holiday experiences on my blog. You can also request a link to your personal website as long as it contains valid content. Let it all out good or bad! Experience is the best teacher.

To give you some ideas
Holiday Malta 1999
Malta recommended
Malta Q&A with dedicated expert!

Hope to keep adding more. Be sure to recommend if you come across any!

Malta - a diamond in the rough

Malta could be a world class Mediterranean country being extremely rich in culture and heritage. What keeps us back from being a five star destination? In my opinion our drawback is a lack of attention to detail. Such as having an excellent hotel with sterling service but then a badly maintained promenade ... basic inexpensive little things like more frequent street cleaning or the odd pot-hole which is left gaping for months on end (if not years)



A case in point:

Taken from the Times of Malta online version of the newspaper Wed 11 Apr 2007

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=257884&hilite=edwin+borg



"Promenade in bad state by Edwin P. Borg, San Gwann.





I need not write long letters about the lack of safety and cleanliness of the Ghadira promenade. Pictures say it all.

What tempted me to write, however, is that while Ghadira is supposed to be our tourist mecca, it is crying out for attention. A thorough clean-up is well overdue.


Sand dunes are everywhere, along the pavement and even along the road. And the fact that weeds are now growing on top of them proves that the sand has been there for months. What is more serious is the dangerous state of the pavement. At one end it is cracked and has caved in, depriving anyone, young and old, from a walk in safety.
Is it possible that nobody cares to supervise such places?"



But then, isn't Malta beautiful? Shouldn't we take better care of this little gem?

Scenic Malta photos

More photos of Malta

A holiday maker's photo album of Malta



Useful links:

About Malta - a concise History of Malta

Holiday Accommodation in Malta & Gozo

The official tourism website for Malta