#NInjaVerdict: Malta

Malta is an easily accessible destination for “sun and sights” – flying directly from Belfast International Airport with Ryanair gives us a fantastic option for a short city / sunshine break to this amazing island. We sent Cool FM Radio Presenter Curtis McCosh on a quick 3 day flash trip to see how much he could find out and whether it’s a good choice for your next NInja break ….

Day One

We kicked off our trip with a morning flight from Belfast International to Malta with Ryanair. After just under four hours in the air, we landed around 2pm and grabbed a taxi straight from the airport to our hotel in Sliema. The ride cost €20, as taxis booked at the airport run on a flat-rate system depending on your destination, super handy for getting around without any surprises.

The drive from the airport to our hotel took just around 20 minutes. We stayed at ELEVEN  by The Warren Collection, where we had a luxury studio booked. The room was spacious, with a comfy king-size bed and a smart TV—perfect for winding down after a day of exploring. One of the highlights of the hotel was definitely the rooftop pool / bar area, which offers stunning views across the bay and over to Valletta, Malta’s capital. It’s 100% worth heading up there, especially around sunset.

After checking in, we headed down to the Sliema waterfront to catch the ferry across to Valletta. It’s an easy and scenic way to get to the capital—just €3.80 for a day return. The ferry runs every half hour and gets you across in about six minutes, making it a quick and enjoyable ride with great views along the way.

We spent some time exploring the streets of Valletta, and eventually found an Italian restaurant called D’Office. We grabbed a table outside on one of the narrow streets lined with tables, and enjoyed some seriously good pizza and some drinks. After dinner, we made our way back to the ferry stop, only to find out it was still running on winter hours and had stopped operating after 7pm. We decided to book a Bolt (similar to Uber) and we were back at the hotel in about 20 minutes.

Day Two

Day two was our first full day in Malta, and after a quick walk from the hotel to grab breakfast in a Cinnabon we had spotted the day before (yes, they have Cinnabon!), we grabbed a Bolt and made the 20 minute journey to the town of Rabat. We made our way straight to St. Paul’s Catacombs, a huge network of underground tombs dating back to the third century. Tickets were only €5 per person and it made for a really unique experience. After spending around an hour there, we headed into the town centre of Rabat, stopping into one of the many rooftop bars for a quick refreshment. The town is full of winding little streets with shops, cafes, and restaurants. You could easily spend a whole afternoon just exploring. Before leaving, we stumbled across a really unique bar called The Confession, where we tried the Maltese Falcon, supposedly Malta’s national cocktail. If you get the chance, I would recommend trying one as a priority!

We then made the short walk to Mdina for a bit more tourism. Mdina was Malta’s original capital city, and there’s plenty to do relating to its history, from guided city tours to dining in an original tavern. As we were tight for time, we opted for the 3D “Knights Of Malta” show, an immersive experience which brings to life the story of the Crusader Knights. We then made our way to Mdina’s famous city walls to take in the incredible views across the Island before jumping in a Bolt to head back to Valletta.

Dinner in Valletta was at the Hard Rock Café—part of our little mission to visit as many of them as we can around the world. It’s down by the Valletta waterfront, not far from the city centre (despite how it looks on Google Maps). As usual, the food was great, the vibe was fun, and the price was reasonable. Dinner (with drinks) came to about €54. Of course there were LOADS of other restaurant options, and many that we would love to try if/when we return. Then it was back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.

Day 3

On Day 3, after a quick continental breakfast in the hotel, we made our way from Sliema to Valletta to check out Fort St Elmo, one of the city’s top tourist attractions. Fort St Elmo is the National War Museum, and is a must visit for history lovers. Admission costs €10 per adult and the museum is split into 7 sections where you can spend a couple of hours learning about the military history of Malta.

After a couple of hours at the fort, it was back into Valletta to fully explore as much of the city as we could. However,it didn’t take long before we got drawn into one of the many bars offering “happy hour” deals that seem to last all day. Most of them have outdoor seating, which makes them perfect for relaxing with a drink and doing some good old-fashioned people-watching. Valletta is surprisingly busy for its size, so there was plenty to see.

After indulging in an Aperol Spritz (or two, it was happy hour after all) we got back to exploring, and found The Is-Suq Tal-Belt Valletta Food Market. This indoor market had a tonne of food stalls and is a great place to sample some traditional Maltese street food, however on this occasion I wasn’t quite brave enough.

A quick walk around the corner from the food market and we were on Republic Street, which is the city’s main street. It’s lined with everything from touristy souvenir shops to big-name international brands. Honestly, it was packed, and felt more like Times Square than a Mediterranean capital. Still, the vibe was friendly, and even with the big crowds, we never felt unsafe. At the top end of Republic Street is the Triton Fountain, which was a nice spot to sit down and take a bit of a breather.

Malta’s history has been hugely shaped by British culture (they even use our plugs, so no travel adapter needed!), so we wanted to check out one of the many  traditional English pubs. We made our way to a popular bar called The City Crown for dinner and a drink to wrap up our time in Valletta. The food and service were great, and the prices were better than expected, setting us back just €30.

We jumped in a Bolt to head back to Sliema, where our hotel was located. We had planned on getting the Sliema – Valletta ferry, but we missed the last sailing (again!). So we were back where we started, along Sliema waterfront, except this time we spent a bit of time exploring some of the shops. The waterfront was a mix of touristy shops, where we picked up some souvenirs to bring back for the family, but there were also a couple of quirky vintage shops too, selling second hand clothes and other random treasures. After some shopping, we wrapped up our day with daiquiris and some cake at Carolina’s Petit Cafe which is a must-visit for Harry Potter Fans.

After a quick walk back to our hotel, we took the lift to the Tenth floor to have one final nightcap at the rooftop bar. Of all of the amazing views we were lucky enough to take in during the trip, the view from the top floor of our hotel was by far the most impressive. The flight back to Belfast the next morning was at 5.55am, so we asked the hotel to order us a taxi for 3:45am. An early start, but totally worth it for everything we managed to cram into this trip.

I had always heard great reviews about Malta, but it offered way more than I had expected. There’s loads of history and sightseeing if that’s your thing, but honestly, you could just as easily spend your days relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere …… and of course, the sunshine!!

NInja Tips –

The Sliema Valletta ferry runs every half hour, however there are seasonal operating times which caught us out, so make sure to check these.

Bolt is a great way to get around. Similar to Uber, you just use the app to book your car and you never seem to be waiting for too long. Trips between Slimea & Valletta typically cost around €10 while our trip further out to Rabat was roughly €20.

If you plan on exploring, pack good walking shoes. Valletta, although quite small, was very hilly and walking is the best way to get around it.

Why not visit your LOCAL NInja travel agency and ask them to plan your next NInja adventure to Malta!! You can contact them via Holiday NInja CLICK HERE and we can easily make that connection for you!!