Excellent photo of a beach called Pretty Bay, in the south of Malta near the town of Birzebuggia.
This beach was actually a stony beach, the sand has been artificially added when the port (freeport was constructed)
I think it is the only sandy beach on the southern part of Malta.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Monday, 25 February 2008
What to see and do on your holiday in Malta
So with my holiday in Malta fast approaching, I leave in the middle of March, I thought I would do a little research to find out what else there is to see and do in Malta, besides lazing on the beach and scuba diving!
Malta Attractions
Malta have a very rich history and culture, in fact the islands of Malta and Gozo are blessed with an abundance of fascinating historical and archaeological sites, some of which preceded the building of the Pyramids!
Museums in Malta
If you enjoy visiting museums, in Malta you are in for a treat, with such a rich heritage, much of it preserved in museums there are plenty of places to visit. Each museum contains exquisite artefacts from various fields and eras be it art, archaeology, natural history, war time. And if that is not enough even more treasures can be found in the 364 churches built on the island!
So which museums do you visit?
An excellent place to start is the National Museum of Archaeology in Malta which houses a collection of artifacts from the unique prehistoric periods in the history of the island which begins with the first people to arrive in 5200 BC.
The museum is located on Republic St, Auberge de Provcence Valletta
I will also be visiting St. John's Co-Cathedral which also adjoins the St John's Co-Cathedral Museum
The church which was built between 1573-1577 by the Knights of Malta is said to contain marble tombstones where great Knights were buried as well as two great masterpieces by the artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The museum next to the church holds many more woks of art including Tapestries and many great paintings.
Malta Attractions
Malta have a very rich history and culture, in fact the islands of Malta and Gozo are blessed with an abundance of fascinating historical and archaeological sites, some of which preceded the building of the Pyramids!
Museums in MaltaIf you enjoy visiting museums, in Malta you are in for a treat, with such a rich heritage, much of it preserved in museums there are plenty of places to visit. Each museum contains exquisite artefacts from various fields and eras be it art, archaeology, natural history, war time. And if that is not enough even more treasures can be found in the 364 churches built on the island!
So which museums do you visit?
An excellent place to start is the National Museum of Archaeology in Malta which houses a collection of artifacts from the unique prehistoric periods in the history of the island which begins with the first people to arrive in 5200 BC.
The museum is located on Republic St, Auberge de Provcence Valletta
I will also be visiting St. John's Co-Cathedral which also adjoins the St John's Co-Cathedral Museum
The church which was built between 1573-1577 by the Knights of Malta is said to contain marble tombstones where great Knights were buried as well as two great masterpieces by the artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The museum next to the church holds many more woks of art including Tapestries and many great paintings.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Winter Sun Holidays in Malta
Yay! I am off to Malta in the middle of March 2008 and I can hardly wait.
So why a winter sun holiday in Malta?
I have been asked a few times why I decided on Malta as a destination to visit in March, well a few reasons really.
Cheap Flights to Malta
Traveling out of Season you can often really get some great deals, not only did I get a cheap flight to Malta, but booking the flight and hotel through Lastminute.com I managed to get the flights and 8 nights accommodation at the four star Paradise Bay Hotel with a sea view for £350 which I think is a real bargain. Even though this is a cheap holiday to Malta, I still felt a little gutted because if I had made my mind up a few days earlier I could have had the same flights and hotels for £280!! (I was booking the holiday in February about a month in advance)
Scuba Diving Malta
I have a PADI open water diving license which I got on a trip to Mombasa in Kenya a few years back, and which I have not used since then, so I was also looking for a holiday destination with some warmish water not too far from the UK, Malta has a few diving schools and companies on the islands, the one I have chosen to go with is called Paradise Diving Malta which is located within the premises of the Paradise Bay Hotel which I was staying at, one of the reasons for choosing the hotel! For 7 dives and a refresher course, I have been quoted a very reasonable 220 Euros which includes the full diving kit. During the summer they make all of our dives by boat diving off Malta, Gozo, Comino and Cominetto. The dives include visiting four different ship wrecks, numerous caverns, chimneys and reefs. As they say on their website, Paradise Diving Malta has some excellent dive sites that are about 10 to 20 minutes away by speedboat and they cater for all levels of diver.
The Weather in Malta
Because the island archipelago is south of Italy and not far from Africa, it has a very Mediterranean feel to it's climate, similar to that of Southern Greece. Generally the weather is warm, sometimes hot in late summer Autumn.
I will post a few more articles once I get back from my holidays in Malta with my conclusions. For now check out the Beach Holiday Guides to Holidays in Malta
So why a winter sun holiday in Malta?
I have been asked a few times why I decided on Malta as a destination to visit in March, well a few reasons really.
Cheap Flights to Malta
Traveling out of Season you can often really get some great deals, not only did I get a cheap flight to Malta, but booking the flight and hotel through Lastminute.com I managed to get the flights and 8 nights accommodation at the four star Paradise Bay Hotel with a sea view for £350 which I think is a real bargain. Even though this is a cheap holiday to Malta, I still felt a little gutted because if I had made my mind up a few days earlier I could have had the same flights and hotels for £280!! (I was booking the holiday in February about a month in advance)
Scuba Diving Malta
I have a PADI open water diving license which I got on a trip to Mombasa in Kenya a few years back, and which I have not used since then, so I was also looking for a holiday destination with some warmish water not too far from the UK, Malta has a few diving schools and companies on the islands, the one I have chosen to go with is called Paradise Diving Malta which is located within the premises of the Paradise Bay Hotel which I was staying at, one of the reasons for choosing the hotel! For 7 dives and a refresher course, I have been quoted a very reasonable 220 Euros which includes the full diving kit. During the summer they make all of our dives by boat diving off Malta, Gozo, Comino and Cominetto. The dives include visiting four different ship wrecks, numerous caverns, chimneys and reefs. As they say on their website, Paradise Diving Malta has some excellent dive sites that are about 10 to 20 minutes away by speedboat and they cater for all levels of diver.
The Weather in Malta
Because the island archipelago is south of Italy and not far from Africa, it has a very Mediterranean feel to it's climate, similar to that of Southern Greece. Generally the weather is warm, sometimes hot in late summer Autumn.
I will post a few more articles once I get back from my holidays in Malta with my conclusions. For now check out the Beach Holiday Guides to Holidays in Malta
Monday, 14 January 2008
Winter Sun Holiday in The Gambia
As mentioned in my previous post, I went on a winter sun holiday to The Gambia in West Africa this year, and escaped a little the English winter over Christmas.
The flight is only meant to be six hours from Gatwick Airport, but unfortunately we were delayed by two hours in Gatwick because of poor weather! Luckily this would be the last sort of any bad weather we'd see again until returning back in England!
After landing at Banjul International Airport, we spent a night at the coast and stayed at the Safari Garden Hotel, we then traveled inland, partly on land by bush taxi and partly by boat on the Gambia River.
Along the way we spotted many birds, we also saw dolphins in the river, monkeys, baboons, hippos and chimpanzees!
Our destination up country was the Bird Safari Camp, located near Georgetown on MacCarthy Island, not far from the Gambia River national park and where the The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project is located. We stayed at the Bird Safari Camp for three nights, before returning back to the beaches of The Gambia.
On the whole I would say that The Gambia is a pretty good location if you are looking for some winter sun, the temperature never dropped below 30 degrees and we never saw a cloud whilst we were there. The prices are, for me a little high for what you get, especially when you compare it to a few other locations in Africa, this is probably because of just how popular The Gambia is becoming as a tourist location, especially as a beach holiday location. The trip that we did up river was excellent and I would recommend it to anyone looking for more than just a beach holiday in the sun.
I have written a full report about the trip on another of my websites if you would like to read it: Winter Sun Holiday in the Gambia
The flight is only meant to be six hours from Gatwick Airport, but unfortunately we were delayed by two hours in Gatwick because of poor weather! Luckily this would be the last sort of any bad weather we'd see again until returning back in England!
After landing at Banjul International Airport, we spent a night at the coast and stayed at the Safari Garden Hotel, we then traveled inland, partly on land by bush taxi and partly by boat on the Gambia River.
Along the way we spotted many birds, we also saw dolphins in the river, monkeys, baboons, hippos and chimpanzees!
Our destination up country was the Bird Safari Camp, located near Georgetown on MacCarthy Island, not far from the Gambia River national park and where the The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project is located. We stayed at the Bird Safari Camp for three nights, before returning back to the beaches of The Gambia.
On the whole I would say that The Gambia is a pretty good location if you are looking for some winter sun, the temperature never dropped below 30 degrees and we never saw a cloud whilst we were there. The prices are, for me a little high for what you get, especially when you compare it to a few other locations in Africa, this is probably because of just how popular The Gambia is becoming as a tourist location, especially as a beach holiday location. The trip that we did up river was excellent and I would recommend it to anyone looking for more than just a beach holiday in the sun.
I have written a full report about the trip on another of my websites if you would like to read it: Winter Sun Holiday in the Gambia
Monday, 31 December 2007
Birds of The Gambia
Not only is The Gambia is an excellent destination for winter sun holidays on the beach, but it has a huge population of birds. Below are a few photos I took on a recent safari to The Gambia.
Gambian Bird Safaris
Gambian Beach Holiday Guide
Gambian Bird Safaris
Gambian Beach Holiday Guide
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Four Top Winter Sun Holidays
No matter how dark and cold the winter gets, remember somewhere out there, the sun is shining, therefore winter is a great time to pack your bags and visit a far off land. How does Mauritius, Florida or Sri Lanka sound?
Winter Sun Holidays in Mauritius
Mauritius, the idyllic beach holiday destination is not only is renowned for it's beautiful clear waters and white sandy beaches, but also has a large selection of top quality five-star hotels. If you are looking for more space and some privacy, a great tip is to rent a villa in Mauritius. You could be sitting on your own veranda admiring the sea views, taking a dip in your very own outdoor spa bath.
You can expect to pay around £350 per person for a week in a villa that will typically sleep 6 to 8 people.
(0845 5002000, www.thevillabook.com). Flights from Heathrow cost from £476pp with British Airways (0870 8509850, www.ba.com).
Winter Sun Holidays in Florida
If you are looking for a children friendly winter sun holiday destination, then Florida ticks all the boxes. You could be visiting top theme parks like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea-world. The hotel to stay at would be the 777-suite Holiday Inn hotel as it is a complete children's paradise complete with water playground, a huge games room, free nightly entertainment and themed bedrooms. Children under the age of 5 get to eat free and they offer free transport to Walt Disney World, Seaworld and Universal Orlando.
Expect to pay around £750 per person for 7 nights based on four people sharing and flights are often included in the price!
Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk)
Winter Sun Holidays in South Africa
A winter safari holiday is an incredible experience, but how does having your very own safari lodge with your own chef and safari guide (ranger) sound? The Djuma Galago Lodge on the Djuma Game Reserve which is part of the Sabi Sands Game reserve and borders on to the world famous Kruger National Park.
Expect to pay about 6,850 SA Rand for the whole lodge and also includes two game drives an 1 bush walk per day with you very own field guide. check out the Sabi Sands South Africa Safari Holiday Guide for more details.
Winter Sun Holidays in Sri Lanka
Bet you never thought of Sri Lanka as an active adventure holiday destination, but there is loads of activities you can do in Sri-Lanka for the adrenalin junkie. Take a white water rafting canoe trip on the Kaleni river and an elephant ride in the rain-forest.
You can organise this trip through Hays and Jarvis (0871 6640246, www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk) and will cost about £990 per person which includes flights from Heathrow airport in the UK, a car with an english speaking guide, half board accommodation at three locations you will be staying (Sigiriya, the high rock fortress, Kandy and a night at The Beach which is an oceanfront hotel near Negombo.)
Winter Sun Holidays in Mauritius
Mauritius, the idyllic beach holiday destination is not only is renowned for it's beautiful clear waters and white sandy beaches, but also has a large selection of top quality five-star hotels. If you are looking for more space and some privacy, a great tip is to rent a villa in Mauritius. You could be sitting on your own veranda admiring the sea views, taking a dip in your very own outdoor spa bath.
You can expect to pay around £350 per person for a week in a villa that will typically sleep 6 to 8 people.
(0845 5002000, www.thevillabook.com). Flights from Heathrow cost from £476pp with British Airways (0870 8509850, www.ba.com).
Winter Sun Holidays in Florida
If you are looking for a children friendly winter sun holiday destination, then Florida ticks all the boxes. You could be visiting top theme parks like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea-world. The hotel to stay at would be the 777-suite Holiday Inn hotel as it is a complete children's paradise complete with water playground, a huge games room, free nightly entertainment and themed bedrooms. Children under the age of 5 get to eat free and they offer free transport to Walt Disney World, Seaworld and Universal Orlando.
Expect to pay around £750 per person for 7 nights based on four people sharing and flights are often included in the price!
Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk)
Winter Sun Holidays in South Africa
A winter safari holiday is an incredible experience, but how does having your very own safari lodge with your own chef and safari guide (ranger) sound? The Djuma Galago Lodge on the Djuma Game Reserve which is part of the Sabi Sands Game reserve and borders on to the world famous Kruger National Park.
Expect to pay about 6,850 SA Rand for the whole lodge and also includes two game drives an 1 bush walk per day with you very own field guide. check out the Sabi Sands South Africa Safari Holiday Guide for more details.
Winter Sun Holidays in Sri Lanka
Bet you never thought of Sri Lanka as an active adventure holiday destination, but there is loads of activities you can do in Sri-Lanka for the adrenalin junkie. Take a white water rafting canoe trip on the Kaleni river and an elephant ride in the rain-forest.
You can organise this trip through Hays and Jarvis (0871 6640246, www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk) and will cost about £990 per person which includes flights from Heathrow airport in the UK, a car with an english speaking guide, half board accommodation at three locations you will be staying (Sigiriya, the high rock fortress, Kandy and a night at The Beach which is an oceanfront hotel near Negombo.)
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Kenya Winter Sun Holidays 2007
Staying on the continent of Africa for the moment Kenya is a fantastic country to visit, especially for your Winter Sun Holidays. What is very popular for 2007 is a beach and safari holiday in Mombasa.
Kenya Beach and Safari Holidays from Mombasa
A beach resort in Mombasa, Kenya can be the ideal spot for finding you place in the sun this winter, not only will your hotel be right on the beach but how does an early morning game drive, viewing some of Africa's top wildlife like Elephants, Lions, Zebra and the hoards of antelope species, followed by and Afternoon lazing on the beach sound?<
I have been to Kenya and whilst in Mombasa, stayed at Bamburi Beach which is less than 30mins from Mombasa by a local shared taxi. The Hotel was stayed at called the Travellers Inn. The hotel was excellent from our balcony we had a wonderful view of the sun rising every morning, there are also many other excellent looking hotels dotted along the coast line.
Scuba Diving in Mombasa
Winter Sun Holidays don't get much better when you can be learning to scuba dive or snorkeling in warm crystal clear water. I got my PADI divers license in Kenya and this was definitely one of the highlights of my trip, not only was it cheap (compared to the west) but the diving was pretty good as well, with plenty of tropical fish to see. We started our lessons in the Hotel pool and once I had passed a few tests, which I had studied for lazing on Bamburi beach in the afternoons! After a few days I was ready for my first open water dive. The feeling was incredible and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Wildlife Viewing in Kenya
Obviously Kenya is famous for the Masai Mara and it's great Wildebeest migration, and you can organise to visit the Masai Mara from your hotel or before you go on holiday, I would recommend making it a one or two day excursion at least, just so that you get the most of it. If that time frame is a little to long, there is the Tsavo game reserve famous for it's lions (The Lions of Tsavo) and some more less well known game reserves closer to Mombasa and it is even possible to go a day trip to them from your hotel.
These are just a few of the many, many things you can do whilst on your Winter Sun holidays in Kenya, but there is so much more, Including, exploring the old town of Mombasa, including Fort Jesus in Mombasa built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain. Visit one of the many fine restaurants in Kenya, including the famous Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi
I hope I gave given you just a taster of what is available on your Winter Sun Holiday in Kenya. For more details and info try the Kenyan Safari Holiday Guide Website
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