“Malta?? Why Malta?” That was a pretty typical response when we told anyone we were gong to Malta. I would never have expected so much surprise and confusion about our choice of Malta as a travel destination. Pretty much anyone who hadn’t been there before or didn’t know someone Maltese seemed to think it was a really odd destination choice.
It’s a small world afterall
Admittedly, our criteria for choosing Malta as the destination for this trip was a little different. Where things like high altitudes and the presence of malaria were seen as signs of an interesting destination in the past, this time Katy’s pregnancy meant that they were cause for a destination veto. For this vacation we needed a destination that was warm, could be reached with a reasonable flight and wasn’t facing a hurricane season in October.
Still, I was surprised by the reaction. Normally if a destination isn’t met with jealousy, it’s usually from someone who thinks that the place in question, whether it’s Oman or Tanzania, is in some way dangerous or scary. This time though, we’re going to a developed western country. Hell, they’re an EU member, part of the British Commonwealth and have a really low crime rate. Two out of three could describe Canada, so what’s to fear?
In the end, maybe it just comes down to a lack of knowledge about Malta. For instance, the fact that they are a member of the EU or where it’s located. (Hint, it’s not the same as the Maldives.)
I don’t mean to judge. While I’d heard of Malta, it’s not necessarily top-of-mind for a lot of people. Maybe Malta just needs more PR. So, here are three basic facts about Malta you might want to know if you’re planning a trip:
- Malta is a tiny little archipelago consisting of 3 main islands and many smaller uninhabited ones in the middle of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily and north of Libya.
- Malta is a cross roads of history with clearly evident European, Arabic and most recently English influences.
- Despite the proximity to Italy, the Maltese people speak, well, Maltese. They also speak excellent English.
Needless to say, we’re excited to be going. Anything you’d like us to find out for you?
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