Malta: Where the Sea Still Glows, but the Cracks Run Deep

I spent 4 days in a place that speaks an Arabic language, eats like Sicily, and was colonized by the British. It’s often neglected because of its location and size, since it’s difficult to incorporate into larger itineraries and is only really convenient for cruises unless you dedicate and independent trip to it. However, I found the islands to be magical, and well-worth the journey. I hope these pictures and my honeyed words will convince you to give this place a shot, and to be considerate when visiting.

Everything on Malta embodies the purest meaning of the word majesty. I was amazed by how much I discovered simply by going on relaxed strolls. Every street corner revealed a panorama worthy of a Canaletto, something that I could previously only say for Canaletto’s original subject of Venice, and I mean it.

Sun-drenched beige buildings adorned with eclectic balconies in Valletta, shimmering waves fluttering atop Comino’s Blue Lagoon, a countryside embroidered with cacti, boulders, and temples older than the Pyramids, all encased in two islands around the same size as Manhattan. You don’t even need a car, you could just walk, bus, or taxi everywhere, though there are caveats.

I dearly believe in the idea of good travel. That to truly get the most out of travel, you have to engage with a place beyond the museum and the nightclub, you have to tap into the modern history and political realities that underpin the society that you are a guest in. When I spoke to Maltese locals, I could not help but sense a sentiment of loathing for what Malta had become beneath the opulent surface. Too many cranes and eternal construction, too many unfulfilled promises quietly dropped after election season, too many cars on inadequate roads, with Malta being the second most congested place in the world, something you’ll feel when you take the bus from Bugibba to Valletta. Coming from a micro region myself (I grew up in Macau), the complaints felt oddly familiar, and just like back home, I knew they stemmed from a place of care for their islands.

When you come to Malta, be sure to patronize small museums and familiarize yourself with the historical heritage of the island instead of just soaking up sun on the beaches, many locals I spoke to were disappointed at the lack of attention the state and visitors give to Malta’s past. Instead of a high rise resort, consider local establishments in more idyllic places. Pick up after yourself and avoid contributing to the islands’ mounting trash problem. Help the place out when you visit :)))

Make sure to spend at least a day on Gozo, visit the Ggantija, Hagar Qim, and Mnajdra temples, eat rabbit, drink Kinnie daily, and do some hiking in the south part of Malta. Don’t swim in April like I did, the water temperatures and sunniness are not aligned.

Grazzi, Malta!