Travel

4 Reasons You Should Visit The Island Of Malta

99 Comments

The week around Easter I spent in the south of Europe, more specifically the small mediterranean island country Malta. With roughly 415,000 inhabitants it is not one of Europe’s most prominent and well-known, but if one takes into account geographic location, architecture, language (English is official language in parallel with Maltese), scenery and modern versus traditional layers of culture, then it is indeed one of the best locations that the Western hemisphere has to offer. My four main observations may indicate why I make that assertion.

1. It is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing

After visiting around 45 countries around the world (including more than 20 in Europe) I have seen a lot, and it does not take much of an effort to compare hard data, talk to several locals, and keep your eyes open and digest your impressions before you make value judgments about a particular location’s general quality. Especially if it is a smaller one.

Overall Malta is visually speaking quite impressive, and at the same level as the better parts of France, Italy and Spain in that regard. From the baroque-esque Old Town (Medina and Rabat are closely intertwined), to the capital Valletta’s imposing framing and manifold Catholic churches, viewpoints and gardens, to the Blue lagoon on Comino Island, and the majestic cliffs of Gozo, a variety of archaic eye candy manifests itself. The cloudless sky and temperatures well above 20 degrees Celsius, which emerge in April, serve to magnify this effect.

It is not hard to understand why the producers behind Game of Thrones chose Malta as one of the main shooting spots for the first season. Unfortunately the famous Azure Window has recently fallen, but the area in its entirety is nevertheless as impressive as ever before.

2. It is cheap for being a wealthy European country

Just as there are palpable differences between countries, there are also striking ditto within them. For being a first-world country—Malta’s economy has grown rapidly since the early 1990’s and it has been part of the Eurozone since 2008—overall it has fairly low price levels in a European context. Prices are roughly 50 percent of those of Norway and Switzerland, and about 60 percent in comparison to for instance UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Sweden. Perhaps Poland is its closest equivalent in this respect.

These differences will be mostly emphasized in transportation, accommodation, price of clothes and shoes, and consumption of local foodstuffs.

For example, a Tallinja card costs only 21 Euros for one week of bus travel, which is a very reasonable price, although of course many other countries or cities likewise offer reduced prices for seven days of local transportation. To travel with bus is not as pleasant as in Sweden or Germany, but overall it is safe and largely reliable.

3. The girls are beautiful

During my four days in Malta, I could not walk for more than 10 minutes before I saw 8s, and occasionally 9s, walking down the street or whatever location they popped up at. Anecdotal evidence is what it is but I still saw what I saw.

It could be that slim olive-skinned Sicilian waitress at the pizza restaurant, the 20-something Spanish girl who looked like a younger version of Scarlett Johansson swimming in the Blue lagoon, the stunningly beautiful young Maltese girl with dark long hair, the busty Arab in her late teens, the married ones with an elegant conservative aura, and occasionally some Scandinavian talent as well. The rare combination of a slim body and big breasts was particularly widespread.

Whether local or not, Malta is seriously brimming with hotties between 18–30 years old. Here one finds the quintessence of the Euro girl (90 percent of people, whether local or visitor, are European, while the rest consists mainly of Middle Eastern, Asian and black people).

Only better, being a moderately modern country (or in other words a hybrid of traditional and modern elements), it is one of those places where you see both younger and older men with better looking women at their side. The same short and out of shape 40 or 50-something guy, but likely with a good income, who struggles to land a 6 in the U.S. or UK, is calmly sauntering around with his hard 8 of a wife or girlfriend in the streets of Valletta or St. Julians.

4. Christianity is a living tradition

Both historically and currently, Malta is a country in which the Roman Catholic tradition is very distinctive and salient. 95 percent of Maltese people belong to the Roman Catholic church and about 53 percent attend Sunday services regularly.

During Easter, the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ took place as most shops and stores were closing down. Both older and younger people assembled in the beatific, even ethereal St. Paul’s cathedral, and watched the recurrent Via Dolorosa parade along the narrow streets of the capital.

If one is a Christian, Roman Catholic in particular, Malta could be a place to raise a more traditional family, while at the same time using the fertile soil for worldly success too. Regardless, just for the sake of cultural experience it is worth a visit around this time of the year.

In summary

Overall Malta appears to be a quite good country in many significant ways. Like with all locations there are upsides and downsides, but if one makes a list of them the totality will convey an overall message. Whether you are a young or experienced player, or an older male who disregards game, one should seriously consider a temporary or permanent relocation here.

Read More: 6 Things To Know About Prague (Czech Republic)

99 thoughts on “4 Reasons You Should Visit The Island Of Malta”

  1. Well…it sure does look pretty.
    Especially the grotto and that city by the sea.
    Maybe one day…

  3. Very beautiful destination indeed, but maybe to be avoided by the most closed-minded people here. Maltese language is about 40% arabic and its pure mediterranean culture does not mix so well with the american spirit.

    1. 40% arabic? Well then, with some judicious use of “durka durka mohammed jihad”, I’m 40% fluent in Maltese…

    2. I guess that depends on the definition of “American Spirit”.
      So far, I think Southern Europe as a whole mixes quite well with my form of “American spirit”.
      😉

    1. Island nations like Malta and Cyprus are nice to visit on vacation. Living there is a different thing.

      1. Yes, but I think that it is easier to integrate in Malta due to that English is one of two official languages and the constant influx of tourists and temporary residents, which makes a person from let’s say the U.S., Canada or Scandinavia less foreign or different so to speak.

    2. Paradise probably overstates it. It is nice, but it has some horrible over developed touristy bits too – like St Julian’s. And it has its fair sure of drunk asshole tourists. There are lots of great Mediterranean destinations and its definitely worth a visit.

    3. Downsides are the housing is far more expensive than wages; the country is one of the most indebt in the world, due to Maatricht Treaty (EU) deregulation of banking. The jobs are mainly tourism, and fishing, and not a lot else. My wife is half Maltese – her mother is from Malta. The women are neurotic as hell, and they ALL get fat, like biggg fat, by the time they’re 45. It is nice for a holiday, but most ambitious Maltese move to the UK, or Australia, as it is too poor and small. It is perfect for retirement though.

      1. Well, wealth is understood as a continuous variable in terms of GDP per capita. According to IMF data (2016), Malta’s GDP per capita is 36,042, which puts it on place 31 in the world, just above Italy. UK is place 25. Thus to call Malta “too poor” is quite misguiding. But like you say the opportunities are better in places like London, Sydney or Melbourne, why a significant share of Maltese people tend to go there. Too small for some, then.

        1. GDP =/= wages, GDP is a measure of productivity per person. The average wage is about 16 thousand euros a year, still pretty high overall, but not very good for Europe.

        2. Yes. But the costs of living are lower. Stockholm has roughly twice the wages but also twice the living costs.

        3. That still doesn’t make it relevant. GDP has very little correlation with how much money people have. The fact is, the average person in Stockholm has a much better standard of living than the average Maltese.

        4. GDP per capita in general is highly inter-correlated with average net income and as such a terrific rough measure of national wealth. In the next step one can look at wages adjusted for tax rates, costs of living and income disparity measurements.
          The thing is that if a person really wants to live in Zürich, Luxemburg or Singapore, then a large share of his income will disappear, so yes one’s income is high and standard of living too, but you pay ridiciously much for this. Stockholm is about the same, although somewhat less expensive.
          What people in these countries/cities have, though, is global opportunity. They can reduce their costs of living, save and travel or migrate. Maltese people have it a bit harder, but if they save a lot long-term the situation is not that bad.

        5. You must be joking. People in Stockholm have a better standard of living?? Did you oversleep the last decade? Its hell

        1. That isn’t Maltas only debt. They are an off-shore banking hub, and along with Lichtenstein and Luxemberg, are on the hook for a load of derivatives debt, which hasn’t been marked to market yet.

  5. What a nice article!… Malta of all places. Most of my family is from Southern Italy/Sicily, and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Malta twice. Very nice people, great food (especially the fish), very hospitable and very calm in general. Beautiful architecture, wonderful experience – highly recommended.

  6. Hello Mr. Adams.
    Seeing as you are a very well traveled guy (much more so than I), just wondering if you recognize this place in the pics below.
    I was there once, 6 years ago. Was absolutely the prettiest place I have ever been. The building by the cliff was the hotel I stayed at.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6fa44d5df24b74042f70b7d27b2cda7356c434116d0da76607f4afc8c2514baa.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/13d5649cd32ee01efa30c27c399abac3813bdbe4da62279c30dc4a5cd33d2370.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8e5c3801fb19ba841b48bcb1ced16296fc299e60bb2280ab613eeb78b6a7573b.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bf8fc84cf413cf5cfd93cb93aa4ff24ca7f80746c3fcc2f7b30ff244952c79e3.jpg

      1. It’s Jeju Island, South Korea.
        The Koreans call it the “Hawaii of Korea”.
        In the middle of the island is Hallasan, a dormant shield volcano and a very nice hike.

        1. I have been to Korea several times and read about the local culture within the frames of regional studies – hence I’ve heard about the notion “Hawaii of Korea” – but travel-wise prioritized places like Seoul, Busan, the Philippines and Taiwan (so for instance I temporarily left Seoul and went to the Philippines instead).

        3. Might be so. I’ve only been to Cebu. They have some nice waterfalls, beaches and the whale sharks are fascinating to swim close to as well.

  8. As someone with mixed Italian and Spanish blood this sounds like a beautiful place that holds onto some of its old-world character.
    The Maltese that I’ve met get very defensive when they are mistakenly considered as Southern Italians. They are proudly Maltese. I can appreciate that kind of hot-bloodedness.
    To a Canadian Med like me the way you describe Malta makes it seem like paradise. I never put much thought into Malta before so thanks for the post.

    1. That broad in the pic up there — the one in yellow — is thoroughly masturbatious.

      2. I won’t argue that attractive maltese girls do exist, but for spending
        15 months there the average is undoubtedly very low, lots of fatties. As
        well the top tier seemed to me way more inaccessible than in other
        places I had lived in, probably due to very high male competition there,
        I’d expect the european tax heaven status brings a lot of young
        succesful guys on the island.
        As well they seem somewhat harder to
        close than any other european country, strong catholic culture and the
        fact that it’s probably super easy to get a slut label on a 400k
        inhabitants island where pretty much everybody know each other, but this
        actually could be a good argument for looking for LTR material there…

        1. Maltese women who are 25+ they end up looking like fat cows and on top of that after showing you they are looking for relationships you end up cheated on by them.

    3. I won’t argue that attractive maltese girls do exist, but for spending 15 months there the average is undoubtedly very low, lots of fatties. As well the top tier seemed to me way more inaccessible than in other places I had lived in, probably due to very high male competition there, I’d expect the european tax heaven status brings a lot of young succesful guys on the island.
      As well they seem somewhat harder to close than any other european country, strong catholic culture and the fact that it’s probably super easy to get a slut label on a 400k inhabitants island where pretty much everybody know each other, but this actually could be a good argument for looking for LTR material there.

  10. Very interesting. Old world tradition mixed with the practicalities of modern living. That dark haired Mediterranean look in the women is my thing. Echoes the European half of my heritage.
    Not too costly. Beautiful architecture. Strong Roman Catholic foundation.
    Worth a closer look. Thank you for the article, Monsieur Adams.

  11. …looked like a younger version of Scarlett Johansson…

    Like Julia Roberts, I was under the impression that ScarJo was only a “gold standard” of attractiveness because that’s the liberal narrative, not because she actually is…kinda like a (slightly) less lardy Ashley Graham?
    With so many thousands (millions?) of African illegals cruising across the Med, how does the Refujihad affect Malta? As part of the Eurozone (red flag), how reamed are they getting by Brussels?

    1. In the author’s defense, he described the women as “8s, and occasionally 9s,” so he may not be holding Johansson up as the “gold standard” of attractiveness.

    2. Scarlett Johansson was an 8 when she was 18-30, from what I have seen in movies. This girl looked much like her but had darker hair, somewhat cuter face, and pushed into 8.5 territory.

  12. Malta is indeed beautiful. My Maltese friend has encouraged me to go there.
    The place was built as a fortress and indeed defended Europe from the Arabs in times gone by (not so much now huh?) by the knights of St. John.
    The streets are narrow to prevent invaders getting too much ground.
    All corners go in a certain direction to allow defending archers to get son advantage over invading forces.
    Malta has the oldest human architecture – the hypogeum (3300-3000 BC).
    My friend and I have a running joke that Maltese women, while beautiful always look so very very angry.

    1. I agree with you on the last sentence. I’m from Malta and the girls are looking for relationships not one night stands.

      1. If that’s the case, between better taxes and this….
        WHY didn’t I think of Malta sooner!? 🙂
        It will be interesting to see if Maltese women are more or less grumpy than Italiane. (I say this with affection however. I wouldn’t want them any other way. :-D)

    2. It is an upmarket location, and where a lot of millionaires park their yachts… but one of the best tourist spots in the med. If you are a single guy, it is worth going just for the chicks (they do attractive women very well).

      1. Maltese women aren’t good for one night stands since most of them wants a relationship. I’m a Maltese guy so I know it is not that easy to pick up women here unless it’s summer and there’s a lot of tourists in Paceville.

        1. My comment was about Sardinia, not Malta, nor was it about one night stands necessarily. You are correct about Maltese women. My partner is half Maltese and her family are very traditional/ conservative.

        3. For me it’s a bad thing because I only want sex from women and maltese women suck at sex, Also they are the biggest hypocrites in the world because you’ll think they care about love & want a relationship but at the same time those same women end up cheating on you. Might as well you find a one night stand or friends with benefits who are foreigners.

  16. Thanks for sharing about your trip to Malta. The beautiful scenery and the presence of Christianity make it seem like a fine place to visit.

  17. I’ll offer a fifth. Malta was bombed to shit during the war. This means that there are many many wrecks in Maltese waters. If you are a diver it offers great wreck diving. The diving is good anyway though the water is cold in the winter.

  18. It is also full of African ‘migrants’, and is a major port in the jewish-run migant crisis. But, if you ever want to experience murdering someone, those undocumented Africans are in abundant supply, as is the vast, unpoliced sea around Malta.

  19. I live here for a reason.
    If any ROK readers find themselves here, look me up for a pint! We have a nice little crew on the island.

    1. I am going to be in Croatia for a friends wedding first week of July and I am thinking of where to travel after…Budapest or Budva are on the list but now Malta is defiantly on the hit list. Knowing a few Maltese people they speak just as highly of the Island as this article. How is Malta early July?

      1. Hot, and loads of tourists looking to party. Think of it like a mini Ibiza for Italians.

        2. Funky Monkey is my favourite spot weekends and party night. You need to check their facebook page to see what’s going on. Other wise all the nightlife is concentrated in Paceville.

    3. Good to know. I’m seriously considering relocating there. Just found out about the tax situation. Beats the hell out of Italia. 🙂

  20. It seems the Black Sea just disappeared in that map. Istanbul is now surrounded by land instead of water :p

  21. The people living around the Mediterranean have given us the best of the European and North African cultures. Unfortunately, it is the Jews and their buddies – the workaholic and cold Northerners (the former barbarians) – that rules the day today.
    I have been all around the Mediterranean, including Malta and it’s hard to pick a favorite. Keep going back to Tuscany for some reason though.

  22. get a european health card and you get full use of the maltese hospitallers. With their help I was able to besiege and conquer Sicily

  23. Isn’t this the place where they make milkballs?

  24. I dated a girl from malta many years ago…a real stunner but just about 3 inches past bat shit on the crazy line

      1. Sr Pel…when I say a girl is crazy….lol….she is realllllllyyyyy crazy. My line is set pretty hard. The last girl I dated that I really liked had a voodoo doll of me, buried chicken bones outside my building and we would violently fight every time we saw each other….I felt she was a keeper. So when I say a girl is beyond the batshit line……beware

        3. Im sure I could put up with a crazy Maltese girl for a few days…Ive heard a lot of good things about Malta and this article is a nice reassurance

    2. I could imagine they’re very passionate like Sicilians.

  25. Malta is an awesome placet. Agree completely with this article. Malta is a good case study, of how Arabic people, cultured with Christianity and chivalry, can make a super culture.

    1. But Maltese people are not Arabic. Their genetic ancestry is predominantly Sicilian and thus European. Only about 10% is North African or Arabic. The Arabic dimension is most distinctive language-wise, not genetically or in other regards culturally.

      1. I’m guilty of showing prejudice to the people, from their language. (It seems like some of Maltese is derived from the ancient Phoenician, which existed as a written language long before Arabic.)

        1. You’re not entirely wrong either, since genetic similarity or distance is relative (more or less). So for instance Maltese people are closely related to Sicilians, Greek, and Lebanese.

        2. Sicilians also have trace genetic similarities with carthaginians from North Africa. So it makes sense that they have Arabic features

  26. Malta will become VERY important in the near future for the release of past and future discoveries made there.
    It’s going to blow everyone away.

        2. They will reveal ancient civilizations more advanced than ours in many ways.

  27. The sea isn’t as nice as it looks. The rocks are very sharp and the underwater rocks are covered with black spiky sea urchins. You need to wear dive shoes at all times. Not much sea life either (but always plenty of small octopus) and the land is rocky and arid. Not much in the way of night life.
    Good place for learning to Scuba Dive, but once proficient you will want to go further afield, Egypt, Jordan, Israel.

    2. Are there blue ring octopi there?
      That’s my only concern. I Wat to make sure they only live in the Oceania region.
      Also, are you related to GOJ (ghost of Jefferson)?

  28. I’m from the island of Malta and the girls aren’t hot. Also it’s not that easy to pick up girls unless you have good game and you visit paceville on weekends for nightlife.

    1. Compared to Italy, better or worse?
      I’m going to find out on my own anyway in a few months. The tax situation on Malta is too good to ignore.

        1. I’m finding that out. The taxes beat the US even! (Which isn’t hard to do these days. But usually the EU is either roughly equivalent or much worse.)

    2. Well, the point is that I saw 8s and occasionally 9s, whether local or not. Not that most are hot, far from it. My reading is this:
      1. Rich tourists with hot wives or girlfriends, from for instance Italy.
      2. Rich tourist families from other places, like northern Europe, bringing their 18/19 year-old daughters.
      3. Not that many hot Maltese chicks but some.
      4. Young guest workers of which a significant portion is hot.
      5. Young language students of which a significant share is hot.

      1. Oh yes, language students are so hot I agree 100% especially from Sweden, Russia & Italy. In terms of beauty Maltese girls aren’t hot and they are fat sp I rather wait till summer to pick up some tourists from some action 😉

        1. Ok. The thing is that I met a 7 and a 8 who were Maltese at my hotel but generally you’re right I guess.

  29. Catholics aren’t really Christians. But anyhow, I’m about to book my trip. What’s the nightlife like? I don’t mean necessarily boisterous obnoxious night clubs where sluts dwell (I can easily get comp’ed bottle service at the trendiest in NYC already), but is there a lively nighttime atmosphere?

  30. Read the history of the Great Siege of Malta – the Knights of St. John and Maltese people successfully defended their island from a siege by over 80,000 troops from the ottoman empire. Incredibly resilience and tenacity.

  31. How much longer is this utopia going to last before hordes of Muslim and African “refugees” swarm up on the shores? After all, if you’re in the EU, you gotta take them in. It’s the “right thing to do” after all.

  32. Been doing some looking into Malta. Excellent tax rate. Excellent internet. Excellent housing costs. Official language is English, though a majority also speak Italian. Friendly to most foreign citizens. Even an agreement for no double taxation with the US.
    I think I’m going to head on down there and check it out in person. If it’s as good as it looks for the financial end, having great women is an extra bonus.

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