Getting to Malta
EN:
My visit to Malta in November was due to a cheap flight I found on Skyscanner. I got to Malta from Bucharest with Ryanair at a cost of 35€ both ways (with only a carry-on). I can’t believe I’ve never considered visiting Malta before, but thank God for cheap flights!
RO:
Am fost in Malta in Noiembrie datorita unui zbor super ieftin gasit pe Skyscanner. In general imi aleg destinatiile in functie de zborurile pe care le gasesc. Biletul de avion cu Ryanair a costat 35€ dus-intors (fara bagaj de cala). Nu imi vine sa cred ca nu luasem niciodata in considerare sa vizitez Malta! Ma bucur mult ca am gasit zborul ala!
Where to stay
EN:
If you want to have fun, eat well, do shopping, connect with other travelers, Sliema is a great choice. It’s also very easy to travel around from Sliema with buses and ferries. If you asked me, I’d definitely recommend Sliema for your base in Malta. Other options would be St Julian’s (especially for party lovers) and Valetta. Other cities would be too remote for my personal taste.
I stayed at 2 hostels, one in Sliema and the other in St Julian’s, both offering great value at a decent price. My favorite was Two Pillows Boutique Hostel, in Sliema. It is located in a great area, near the bus stations, the ferry, surrounded by shops and restaurants. The price was great (less than 16€/bed/night) and it also has an indoor jacuzzi and sauna!
The second hostel was Inhawi Boutique Hostel, in St. Julian’s. This was also nice and cheap, and what I liked the most was the cute little garden. It has an outdoor pool, but I never used it (it was pretty cold to use the pool in November). Personally I liked the location and the atmosphere more at Two Pillows.
RO:
Daca vrei distractie, mancare buna, shopping, sa interactionezi cu alti calatori, as alege si recomanda oricand Sliema. E si un loc din care poti ajunge foarte usor in celelalte destinatii din Malta cu autobuzul si ferry. Alte optiuni ar fi St Julian’s (in special pentru iubitorii de viata de noapte) si Valetta. Alte orase sunt prea izolate pentru gustul meu.
Eu am stat la 2 hostel-uri, unul in Sliema si altul in St Julian’s, ambele foarte ok si la un pret decent. Preferatul meu a fost Two Pillows Hostel din Sliema. Se afla intr-o zona foarte buna, foarte aproape de statiile de autobuz, de ferry, avand foarte multe restaurante si magazine in jur. Pretul a fost de asemenea foarte bun – in jur de 16€/pat/noapte – si are jacuzzi si sauna!
Cel de al doilea hostel a fost Inhawi Boutique Hostel, in St Julian’s. Si acesta a fost dragut si la un pret accesibil, iar cel mai mult mi-a placut faptul ca are o mica gradina. Are si o piscina exterioara, insa nu am folosit-o (era destul de rece in Noiembrie pentru piscina).
Getting around
EN:
Transportation around Malta is convenient and affordable. From Sliema you can get almost everywhere for less than 2€ (even to the airport!). For example, the ferry to Valetta is 1.5€/way and a single ticket with the bus is 1.5€ in winter and 2€ in summer – the bus prices are the same all around Malta. And there’s also night buses – the fare is 3€.
Other ways to get around if you don’t want to spend a lot of time on the bus (there are a looot of bus stations and the buses stop very often), you could also get a Bolt – not as cheap as the bus but the prices are decent. If you have someone to split the cost with – even better!
There’s also the option to rent a car, but be aware that you will drive on the left side. That may not be a big issue, but still, since it’s so easy to get around by public transportation, I don’t feel like a car is really a necessity in Malta.
RO:
Este destul de usor si ieftin sa vizitezi Malta in lung si-n lat. Din Sliema poti ajunge aproape oriunde pentru mai putin de 2€ (chiar si la aeroport!). De exemplu, biletul de ferry catre Valetta costa 1.5€ pe sens, iar un bilet de autobuz costa 1.5€ iarna si 2€ vara – preturile biletelor de autobuz sunt aceleasi pe intreaga insula. Mai sunt si autobuzele de noapte care costa 3€.
Alta modalitate de a calatori pe insula, daca nu vrei sa pierzi mult timp in mijloacele de transport in comun (sunt f multe statii, iar autobuzele opresc ff des), ar fi Bolt. Bineinteles ca preturile sunt mai mari, dar totusi accesibile. Daca ai si cu cine sa imparti costul e si mai bine.
Mai exista optiunea de a inchiria o masina, insa de retinut faptul ca se conduce pe partea stanga a drumului. Si chiar daca asta nu ar fi o problema, eu nu prea vad rostul inchirierii unei masini, pentru ca e foarte facil sa mergi cu autobuzele si ferry-ul.
Where to eat and eating on a budget
EN:
The most popular cheap eat in Malta is pastizz – a traditional Maltese pastry. They have different fillings such as meat, cheese or vegetables. I bought 2 pieces for 80cents, which I think it’s really cheap. Of course you can’t eat just that, but it’s great for a snack/ breakfast or a quick lunch. You should check Jeff’s Pastizzeria.
A place I really liked and would recommend especially if you’re a vegetarian is Eeetwell (I’m not a vegetarian, but I love vegetarian food). The prices are decent and the food is good and healthy. There are a lot of Eeetwell restaurants around Malta.
For sweets, there’s a great place I’d recommend, called Sottozero. It’s popular for its ice-cream, but what I absolutely adored was the pistacchio croissant! It’s 2 or 3€ (which is really affordable for Malta standards) and omg, I could eat one everyday!
A tip to save money would be to cook at the hostel. Both hostels I stayed at had very well equipped kitchen and a lot of people were cooking.
RO:
Cea mai cunoscuta gustare ieftina in Malta se numeste pastizz – este un produs de patiserie traditional. Are diverse umpluturi: carne, branza sau legume. Eu am cumparat 2 bucati cu 80 centi, ceea ce mi se pare chiar ieftin. Bineinteles, nu poti manca decat asta, insa mi se pare super ok pentru un snack/mic dejun sau pranz rapid. Iti recomand sa incerci Jeff’s pastizzeria.
Un alt loc pe care il recomand, mai ales daca esti vegetarian, este Eeetwell (eu nu sunt vegetariana, insa iubesc preparatele vegetariene). Preturile sunt decente, iar mancarea buna si super sanatoasa. Sunt multe restaurante Eeetwell in Malta. Si in general, sunt foarte multe optiuni de mancare healthy in Malta.
Pentru dulciuri, mi-a placut foarte mult Sottozero. Este popular pentru inghetata, insa eu m-am indragostit de croissant-ul lor cu fistic!!! Costa 2 sau 3€, ceea ce mi se pare un pret foarte ok, considerand faptul ca este DE-LI-CIOS.
Un sfat pentru a economisi bani, pe care nu prea am apucat eu sa il aplic, ar fi sa gatiti la cazare. Ambele hostel-uri in care am stat aveau bucatarie complet echipata si am vazut o gramada de oameni care gateau.
Activities and costs
EN:
Walking is free ? and there are a lot of beautiful neighborhoods to wander around in Malta. I spent many hours walking in Mdina, Valetta and Vittoriosa and I’d go back.
There are however some activites that you may find expensive, but are worth it. For example, a trip to Gozo and Comino. It cost me around 30€ if I recall correctly but it was a full day trip which I really enjoyed. It felt a bit rushed though, but definitely worth the money.
Another activity I spent money on was the Hop on Hop off bus. It was 20€ but it was a great way to see many places in one day. I would strongly recommend it if you don’t have enough time in Malta.
RO:
Plimbatul e gratis si sunt multe zone superbe prin care sa te plimbi in Malta. Am mers multe ore prin Mdina, Valetta si Vittoriosa si m-as mai intoarce.
Sunt, totusi, cateva activitati mai costisitoare, care nu ar trebui ratate. De exemplu, o excursie in Gozo si Comino. Costa aproximativ 30€, daca imi amintesc bine, dar este excursie de o zi si chiar a meritat. Mi s-a parut chiar putin in graba, insa cu siguranta e must do.
O alta activitate pe care am platit mai mult a fost Hop on Hop off bus. A fost 20€, insa e o modalitate foarte draguta de a ajunge in multe locatii frumoase intr-o singura zi. Recomand mai ales daca ai putin timp in Malta.
My favorite places in Malta
Mdina & Rabat
EN:
These are 2 beautiful cities located in the South West of the main island, easily to get to by bus from any other part of the island.
Mdina, also known as the Silent city, is the former capital of Malta. It has an impressive architecture, mixing baroque and medieval styles. My favorite part of the visit here was the lunch. I went to a beautiful terrace for lunch and enjoyed a delicious Maltese plateau for one, while sipping a glass of white wine. The weather was perfect and the surroundings so beautiful that I felt as the main character in a romantic movie or something.
Rabat, though walking distance from Mdina, is less visited, but very beautiful and worth checking. I went to visit St Paul’s Catacombs and it was a very interesting experience. There’s a big network of tunnels and chambers and I was the only one down there which felt a bit creepy considering it is a cemetery.
RO:
Sunt 2 orase superbe, situate in Sud Vestul insulei principale. Se ajunge usor aici cu autobuzul.
Mdina, cunoscut drept ‘Silent city’, este fosta capitala a Maltei. Are o arhitectura impresionanta, un mix intre stilul baroque si cel medieval. Partea mea preferata a fost pranzul la o terasa superba, cand m-am bucurat de un platou traditional si un pahar de vin alb. Vremea era atat de placuta si totul in jur atat de frumos, incat m-am simtit personajul principal intr-un film romantic.
Rabat, la cateva minute distanta de Mdina, este mai putin vizitat, insa este foarte frumos si ar fi pacat sa nu ii acorzi o sansa. Aici poti vizita St Paul’s catacombs, e o experienta interesanta. E o retea mare de tunele si camere, care poate parea destul de creepy considerand faptul ca e practic un cimitir.
Vittoriosa
EN:
The cutest little town in Malta. I spent half a day walking here, took a loot of pictures, had luch and just enjoyed the silence. This town is like a smaller, quieter and greater version of Valetta.
RO:
Cel mai dragut orasel din Malta. Am petrecut jumatate de zi aici, m-am plimbat, am facut o muultime de poze, am luat pranzul la un restaurant micut si m-am bucurat enorm de liniste. Este o varianta mai mica, mai linistita si mai frumoasa a orasului Valetta – asa mi s-a parut.
Blue grotto
EN:
My favorite place. I couldn’t take my eyes from the water crashing the cliffs. I felt relaxed and disconnected. This place is popular for the boat tours that take you inside the caves, but it felt amazing just to watch them from above.
There are many things to see and do in Malta, and I’ll cover everything in my next article!
RO:
Locul meu preferat. Nu mi puteam lua privirea de la valurile care loveau stancile, m-a relaxat enorm. E un loc popular pentru tururi cu barci, care te duc in pesteri, insa mie mi s-a parut minunat si sa le privesc de sus, de la departare.
Sunt multe lucruri de facut si vazut in Malta, dar o sa le prezint in urmatorul articol!
EN:
Malta is not the cheapest place to visit in Europe but it doesn’t have to be expensive! My biggest advice to saving money would be traveling in the off-season! I went in November and it was still good for swimming and the prices were cheaper.
PS: If you want to learn how to travel more for less, you must read my Ebook! It’s the complete guide for every beginner who wants to travel the world, but doesn’t know how to start!
RO:
Malta nu e cea mai ieftina destinatie din Europa, insa nu trebuie sa fie nici scumpa! Sfatul meu principal pentru a economisi bani este sa calatoresti in extra sezon! Eu am fost in Noiembrie si vremea a fost buna pentru inot!
PS: Daca vrei sa inveti cum sa calatoresti mai mult cu bani putini, citeste Ebook-ul meu! Este ghidul complet pentru orice pasionat de calatorii care vrea sa calatoreasca prin lume cu buget redus, dar nu stie cum!
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