St Julian’s & Portomaso Marina (Malta)

After France, we fly to Malta. JB’s grandfather is Maltese. Even though he never lived in Malta, he had a British passport and passed it on to his children, so JB’s mother also has a British passport. Thus, JB is 25% Maltese and according to his grandmother, he still has distant cousins in Gozo. JB has been there only once. For me, it’s the first time.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

Paris – Malta

Our luggage is a bit too heavy, but Air Malta doesn’t seem to mind. Our flight arrives too late (after sunset) for a nice view, but if you arrive during the day, opt for a window seat on the left side and enjoy the panorama! Malta is part of the European Union, so there’s no immigration to go through.

At the airport, we opt for a prepaid taxi from the airport itself (€20 to St Julian’s) to our hotel, but we could have also taken a bus (number 200) and bought tickets directly from the driver (€2/person).

Our hotel belongs to the Accor group: Mercure St Julian’s (€63/night, Booking link) and since JB has the Gold card, we were upgraded several levels and have a small balcony. There’s a rooftop pool, a gym, and tables to work in the lobby, it’s great! We chose to stay in St Julian’s instead of Valletta to pay less, and Valletta is only 20 minutes away by bus. Note: we’ll see later that St Julian’s is quieter, and for those who hate the poorly educated crowd, St Julian’s will be better than Valletta.

The first meal at Crust Bistro & Bar goes well, even though the prices are on par with a Parisian restaurant. We are delighted to walk with a light jacket, enjoying the 21 degrees while yesterday we suffered 4 degrees in Paris. Life becomes more beautiful all of a sudden! The atmosphere is extraordinary, it’s zen. We just have to get used to looking right before crossing the road since everyone drives on the left here. Drivers are respectful and always stop at crosswalks. The roads aren’t that wide, but I find the traffic is about bearable.

We then walk along Spinola Bay. There are beautiful restaurants around, chairs by the water. JB warned me that Malta is mostly concrete, but from a distance, the buildings still have a certain charm. There will be older and more beautiful buildings elsewhere (Mdina & Valletta).

We are very surprised to see that the water is so high, but also clean. We can see small fish from time to time, and there are very few, almost no waves.

A long but discreet staircase leads us to Portomaso Marina and I’m surprised to see so many yachts and beautiful boats here.

JB explains that Malta is known as a tax haven, many register their boats here. The luxurious atmosphere of this place reminds me of the artificial islands in Dubai and Doha.

I found a photo taken by a drone on the internet, it’s impressive!

But in reality, when you don’t have a drone, it’s just a succession of soulless buildings surrounding overpriced boats. We go to the point and there, nature takes over, with real waves, a slight smell of seaweed… I really like it.

We could have continued, but it’s time for the World Cup. We barely have time to test and approve the Italian ice cream at Riva Reno Gelato, worthy of our favorite gelateria in Rome, you absolutely must try it because it’s the best ice cream in Malta!

I book a Thai massage at Bangkok Thai Wellness, which I find good and affordable (€70 for 1h30).

The Asian community seems to thrive in St Julian’s as there is an Asian supermarket right next door, and many Japanese and even Korean restaurants. We particularly liked the Japanese restaurant Sapporo Ramen EZO which only sells ramen, but real ramen like in Japan. I highly recommend it!

Part 2: Practical Tips

Budget (December 2022)

• Plane ticket: €92 (including 25kg of luggage), 2h35 flight Paris – Malta
• Lodging: Mercure St Julian’s (€63/night, Booki linkng)
• Food: budget €16-17/person + €4 for a large bottle of water (tap water is drinkable but comes from desalination, prefer bottled water)
• Massage: Bangkok Thai Wellness, €70 for 1h30
• Ice cream: €3-4
• Malta is a country where credit cards are accepted everywhere, but still plan for small bills and coins for tips and/or ferry crossings
• Prepaid taxi airport – St Julian’s: €20 or €2 by bus. Detailed rates below for the prepaid taxi: