Going in a few weeks any ideas what to do or not to do

Catch a taxi/bus to Valletta one day and have a wander around. Lots of interesting history, changing of the guard, numerous war related museums.

I visited the National War Museum in the Fort St Elmo, it has the complete history of the Island as well as the recent world wars. Nice stroll to Lower Barrakka Gardens, great view over the harbour in tranquil gardens.

Try the rabbit stews

Go to the Blue Grotto. Get there before midday though as the sun no longer shines into the sea caves after noon

Avoid anywhere rural - they're bunch of bloodthirsty, gun-wielding neanderthals.

CJW wrote:Avoid anywhere rural - they're bunch of bloodthirsty, gun-wielding neanderthals.

He's not going to Bacup

The buses are fantastic and cheap so getting around is easy, Valetta is beautiful and full of history dating back to to the great siege by the ottamans up to ww2. I went a few years ago and loved so am going again in September. If you like history then get the 50 euro pass online from heritage Malta and you'll save about 200 euros on entrance fees.
As far as the people are concerned I found them friendly , helpful and on the whole welcoming to people who behaved and showed respect.
I recommend Medina which used to be the capital and is named the silent city as the streets are so narrow there are few cars, buggiba is just a resort town but has some beaches near that are nice and Malta is so small that everywhere else is easy to reach.
Gozo is an island just off the coast of Malta and is a must visit, beautiful sea and swimming bays.
If you want night life then paceville, st Julian's and st Paul's bay are the places to visit for bars and clubs, last time I went the whole island felt safe and we had no concerns walking around at night.

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Just back from Qawra.
1. Buy a €39 Tallinja card at the airport or the bus station cubicle in Bugibba. That is for 7 days use and includes 1 day on the city sightseeing bus from Valletta, which costs €20 by itself. It also includes 2 Sliema - Valletta ferry trips and gives a €3 saving voucher for the National Aquarium, which is in Bugibba.

The Tallinja card means you can hop on and off of any bus. Each bus costs €1.50. Great value and can also be used on the TD buses which are more expensive if you have to pay. They go A - B without any stops.

The ticket is also ok on Gozo which is a simple bus ride away to the ferry. Ferry dirt cheap.

They have an app with real time bus info and trip planning.

Lots of buses go to Valletta and the bus station is in Bugibba, so easy to get a seat!

2. No one hires a car...nowhere to park and horrendous traffic.

3. National stadium/Ta Qali craft village via bus 186 to the door. Lots of crafts in action - glassblowing, wood, metal, filigree, ceramics etc.

4. DON'T LISTEN TO THE MANY FOLK WHO WILL SAY THEY ARE PROMOTING MALTA AND OFFER FREE SCRATCH TYPE TICKETS AS A STARTER. EVERYONE WINS! THE 'HOUR' PRESENTATION IS FOR THEIR HOLIDAY CLUB AKA TIMESHARE. THE STREETS ARE LITTERED WITH BRITS CONNING BRIT TOURISTS.
BEWARE.

5. Other than that, Marsaxlokk is a good visit on a Sunday.
Enjoy.

Lived there for a few years. Best pub on the island is The Black Gold in Sliema. If Burnley are playing he will put it on and the DJ is a claret from Burnley.

Another vote for Gozo, get over there if you can, lovely island ! Spent two weeks there over 30 years ago in an " allocated on arrival " Villa when I was 21 years old ....the accomodation was beyond our wildest dreams ! Spent the time swimming and horizontal jogging with a pretty Nurse from a London Teaching Hospital...happy days indeed !!

Simons Bar - big Elvis fan. Also Motor museum. Both in Bugiibba/Qawra area.

basil6345789 wrote:Simons Bar - big Elvis fan. Also Motor museum. Both in Bugiibba/Qawra area.

Is that the Elvis tribute bar with the Irish pub next door and the Queen Victoria pub/bar almost opposite?

Did not visit Elvis, however, I did see Tommy Strings an average singer but superb guitarist in the Irish pub. Well worth a visit. On the road leading from the bus station down to Qawra. 3 min walk from bus stn.

IanMcL wrote:Is that the Elvis tribute bar with the Irish pub next door and the Queen Victoria pub/bar almost opposite?

I never have understood people who go to another country and then go in places like these.

In a land of lager, the occasional Guinness is welcome.

The desire for culture may lead you to the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum in Paoli. We pre booked tickets from England as this is famous as a Unesco site. The Hypogeum and its museum are a popular attraction in Malta. The museum is open at 9am, but queuing for tickets starts around 8am. Some last minute tickets are occasionally available from the National War Museum, located in Valletta. Visitors are recommended to book weeks before, as limited people are allowed per day. It really is an amazing experience and unlike anything I've ever come across. It's VERY old - Burial chambers in the upper level of the Hypogeum date from the early phases of the Maltese Temple Period, with lower chambers dating from later. The site may have first been used as early as 4000 BC, and was likely used until around 2500 BC, based on pottery sample analysis and examination of human remains. Enjoy !
There are lovely examples of tiled Roman floors in the Domus Romana: The Roman Villa, Rabat outside Mdina and the catacombs in Rabat too.

Also much more up to date are the Rinella Film Studios worth checking to see what is being filmed when you are there. You never know who might be wandering around - they were making Gladiator and U571 when we went and we met the family of Dino De Laurentis though we didn't see Matthew McConaughey, Harvey Keitel or Jon Bon Jovi even though we walked past their changing roomtrailers.

No Walton - he's just a really nice guy with an Elvis haircut and a pic on the wall. Lot's of bottled beers sold there so you'd like it. Car museum is excellent.

Went in January and found Bugibba a little quiet albeit out of season, there didn't look to be much more that could be happening later in the year.

The highlight was definitely getting a bus to Valletta a couple of times and wandering around all the above mentioned museums etc. We also did an organised trip to the interior areas which was very good as well. Valletta is the European City of Culture this year so should be even better now.

Sounds like a prog rock band

basil6345789 wrote:No Walton - he's just a really nice guy with an Elvis haircut and a pic on the wall. Lot's of bottled beers sold there so you'd like it. Car museum is excellent.

The Elvis bar was the least of my concerns, it's more the Irish pub and the mock-English pub I've got issues with.

Pity all those poor folk abroad who think an English pub is all John Smith's Smooth, Carling, flags flying and busts of Churchill.

Oh and they sell Pukka Pies in Malta too !

Young dickeds and plebs drinks. Malta is very old-style England influenced - the bars are old-fashioned and the beers are influenced by our early post war years with IPA's, Stouts and Porters commonplace. It is becoming spoiled by Eurotrash and The Russians are everywhere but they still like us and detest the Germans for WW2 reasons.