Malta
has long been a favorite family holiday
destination for tourists from all over
Europe.
Communication is easy as the Maltese
are very international and speak many
languages. Almost everyone speaks English
and Italian and many also speak French
or German.
Malta is famous for
the friendliness and helpfulness of
its people; the freedom to walk out
at night or let your kids play by
day and feel safe; it's lazy "Why
worry?" atmosphere; the medieval
city of Mdina; the Grand Harbour of
Valletta, and its diving.
However much you may feel
at home Malta is still very different from
home. It is very much a southern Mediterranean
island with palms, prickly pears and flat
roofs and domed churches and most important,
the sun and the deep blue sea.
Diving apart, there are plenty of day time
activities; all types of sport and water
sport (water skiing, windsurfing, sailing,
water polo, horse riding, golf, parascending,
climbing, etc.) browsing around shops and
markets, exploring the quaint villages and
islands and visiting the many historical
buildings and sites. Then there is the vast
choice of bars, discos, cinemas, night clubs
and the bowling alley and Casino to fill
the evening hours. To satisfy the inner
man there are restaurants that cater for
all tastes be it roast beef, fish and chips,
hamburgers, haute cuisine, Chinese, Indian,
Italian, etc.
Access is also easy. There
are many flights each day to all the major
European and Middle East airports. These
are supplement in the summer by literally
hundreds of charter flights per week from
provincial airports.
Maltaqua is situated
on the main road through the old village
of St. Paul's Bay, part of the St.
Paul's Bay/Bugibba/Qawra, conglomerate
which is one of the two main tourist
areas on the island. There are plenty
of hotels, restaurants, bars and other
facilities nearby.
Diving in Malta is
easy. At most sites you can drive
virtually to the waters’ edge,
kit up and jump into the clear, warm,
azure sea. The bottom shelves down
in steps to reach 25 to 30 metres
within a 5 minute swim, offering a
choice of diving depths to suit each
level of ability. The rock has been
eroded to produce caves, caverns,
overhangs, swim-throughs and the most
spectacular scenery. There are no
tides and few currents so you can
throw away your tide tables and dive
when you feel like it.
The Island is large enough
to offer a sheltered side when the wind
blows but small enough to allow a drive
to any site within 30 minutes.
There are several easily accessible wrecks,
the largest being the recently sunk, 105
metres "El Faroud", lying in 35
metres at Weid-iz Zurrieq (Blue Grotto).
