I've been to Malta twice now, so I'm certainly no expert and this list isn't anything close to exhaustive. It's just a personal list of things I liked when over there. ## Notes for [[Future Elliot]] - Bring a notebook for book notes. It's often too much of a pain to use phone. Too hot too. - Bring iPad, not laptop. I don't use it. Make sure to bring iPad mount for watching things though. - I only used New Balance and Converse, didn’t bother with the black Clark’s dessert boots. ## General Notes - As a rule the portion sizes in Malta are **massive**. This is both a blessing and a curse. It was nice not getting stingy portions. But after a week or two you're desperate for a meal that won't make you feel bloated beyond belief if you polish it off. - The airport is actually very nice and modern considering the size of the island. - [Cisk](https://cisk.com/en/) is the main local beer. As cheap, drinkable largers go it's one of the best I've ever come across. - Rabbit is one of their local delicacies. If you're looking to try a local dish give anything with rabbit it in it a go. ## Places ### Mdina (The Silent City) - I loved the Silent City^[I insisted on calling it the Silent City – never Mdina – because it just sounds so bloody cool.] It's a gorgeous old city on top of a hill and is in extremely good condition. - They [filmed bits of King's Landing](https://whatshotblog.com/mdina-game-of-thrones-malta/) in Game of Thrones there. - It's rather busy in the day, but still worth braving the crowds for. - It's very small. Even people who hate walking will have no problem. - I would *highly* recommend going there at night. The crowds disappear and as you walk through the cities many narrow alleyways you really do get a sense and feel for its ancient history. I loved the lighting. The bulbs are orange and not too frequent creating a lovely 'mood' that suits its oldness. Exploring the Silent City after a few glasses of wine really is a true pleasure. ## Restaurants ### Pastizzeria's - All throughout Malta you'll see lots of pastizzeria's. They're usually and small and not the most of inviting places. But they're worth trying and are a good place for breakfast. I would say it's a requirement to visit one at least once whilst you're in Malta. - They do savoury pastries (and sometimes pizza) that are really cheap and delicious. If you're from the U.K., picture [Greggs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greggs), but a lot nicer and fresher. - [Pastizz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastizz) are popular. Though I personally favoured the 'meat' ones that have a different type of pastry and are bigger. ## Beaches ### Mellieha Bay - Note: I go near the start of September. - A nice sandy beach. - The water gets deeper very slowly making it very kid friendly. - If you want a spot closest to the sea you will probably need to get there before 10:00. - There's parking on the road the runs parallel to the beach but you'll likely need to get there before 12:00 to get a spot. - The middle section of the beach has 'official' sunbeds that you can rent for €5 per bed (I can't remember how much an umbrella cost, but probably also €5). - There's quite a few container-sized food/drink huts right by the beach. I wouldn't recommend them for anything other thank drinks though. I'm pretty laid back about food, but all of them were truly *terrible*. If you forced to eat from one I'd just get some chips.