Sometimes when you ask people if they've visited a certain country or Island you are greeted with a surprising variety of opinions. If you ask anyone about Malta you only get two, I loved it or I hated it!
Janice and I visited Malta in August 1999 with our friends Lisa, Phil and their young son Ian.

We stayed in the resort of Bugibba (pictured below right) which is a nice enough place but as in most of Malta, in fact 95%, there wasn't a beach. Our Hotel was comfortable enough, set just off the promenade with plenty of shops and restaurants. The pool was at the back of the Hotel with plenty of sun beds, tables and chairs.

Our excursions into the town were completely uninspiring, the people are not over friendly and other than shopping there wasn't a lot to grab your attention.

As is normal we decided on car hire to see the Island which we all thought was a cross between a bomb site and a building site. Finding a beach was our first mission and it ended in total disillusion. We did find a small beach near Valletta but it was facing an oil foundry and the fact that no one was on it put us off.
The beach at Mellieha Bay was pretty decent with nice sand and warm clear sea but as you can see from the picture, the lack of decent beaches in Malta creates another problem - they get well busy....

Swimming in Malta is OK but as a rule you have to swim off the rocks, some of which have steps on them for climbing out. The water is normally clean and snorkeling is quite popular.

A trip to Valletta was interesting, the town is incredibly busy with lots of tourists but well worth a visit. We decided on a trip to the war museum which included a very interesting film show in an air conditioned cinema. A good chance to cool down in the searing August heat.

While Lisa and Phil had a chill day by the pool, Janice and I had a trip out to Mdina the ancient capital of Malta situated high on a hillside in the centre of the Island. The walled city contained many gems with the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul the highlight of them all. A magnificent building which we were able to wander round at our leisure. The narrow streets had a wonderful atmosphere and as you arrived at the outer walls you were presented with stunning views across the Island.

After a refreshment stop to sample the local beer, Carlsberg, we browsed the little craft shops and bought a few souvenirs for home.

On our way back to Bugibba we passed the incredible church of Mosta (pictured below). The dome (cupola) on the church is famous because during the second World War a bomb came through it and rolled around the floor area without exploding. You can visit the church and see the bomb which is still kept inside. A mile or so from Mosta is Rabat where there is an excellent museum containing fine artifacts, mosaics and many other architectural finds from the Roman period.

I can't say this holiday produced any outstanding memories for me other than just spending a pretty relaxing week with our friends. None of us were impressed with the Island and in the most found it to be untidy, unfinished and uninspiring. I know lots of people (well maybe a few in all truth) who would not go anywhere else for their holidays but they will never convince me to share their enthusiasm. Gozo and Comino are easily accessed by ferry and I suppose we should have taken a trip there but on the whole I think we saw enough.

Would I ever go back, maybe when it's finished which I very much doubt will be in my lifetime.