Anyone been to Malta?

Whenever I plan a major trip I always have a dilemma. I quite enjoy two uniquely different types of travel and I can’t really favor one over the other.

There is the ultimate R&R vacation in a tropical paradise… the heat, the ocean and the booze…

There is also the ultimate exploration vacation in Europe… the culture, the history, the food…

Lucky for me, an upcoming Punta Cana destination wedding in December has solidified my plans for the next trip, leaving my 2^nd wedding anniversary (Spring 2015) travel slot wide open for another European adventure!

In a previous blog I mused about a possible itinerary for my next Euro trip, however after I gave it some more thought I realized that a four or five city whirlwind tour might not be how I would best experience the ‘old world’ this time around. A nine-to-fiver like myself can't commit to more than a 10 day trip either. Don’t get me wrong, jumping from Munich to Prague to Venice was a trip for the ages, but what if I could combine what I love about Europe with what I love about the tropics… and come home with both memories and rejuvenation.

My biggest gripe with past trips was the constant regional travel and lack of time to really dig into the heart of each destination. We could only really do a few things in each city before moving on to the next.  If there were any “out of town” attractions that caught our eye, they were almost certainly left by the wayside due to time constraints. (The Erdinger Brewery outside of Munich is a prime example). Moving through the continent using a variety of transportation methods can be fun, however no one wants to turn down excursions to sit in an airport or shady bus terminal.  

What if I went somewhere in Europe that was equal parts sun, relaxation, history and food? I think this place might be the tiny island nation of Malta.

Often overlooked by more well-known Mediterranean hot spots like Italy, Spain, South of France, Greece and Croatia, Malta may be the perfect European escapist destination.  

Malta doesn't mess around in the 'Epic Churches' department

The main island is less than 20km from end to end, thus 8-10 days would be perfect for exploring many of the towns and the natural beauty the country has to offer. The small islands could be visited via day trips, plus the location in the southern Mediterranean provides perfect spring time weather (that means palms and beaches!). A quick bit of research shows that the country hosts some of the planet's oldest structures. That's cool! 

A Maltese beach - as good as any

I’ll be honest and say I know very little about Malta… it’s food, it’s people or it’s culture, but the aforementioned criteria alone are enough for me to commit to checking it out.

Are you from Malta? Have you been to Malta? I would love to hear your thoughts and tips in the comments!

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

All-Inclusive Vacation Planning for Beginners - Volume 2

In my last post I outlined a few ways in which some simple planning could insure you get the most out of your all-inclusive vacation, while taking the least out of your wallet. As I was writing I realized that there were still a few more tips left to uncover. AI vacation planning is something I have spent a significant chunk of time with over the years, and one blog post alone wasn't going to cover the topic. With that said, here are a few more tips you should keep in mind prior to punching in your credit card information...

1. Choose the right time of year.

It is somewhat of a misconception that the Caribbean and surrounding tropics are blazing hot and have crystal blue skies all year round. While this part of the planet is able to avoid the traditional "winter", that doesn't mean that 'time of year' and 'location' shouldn't be a factor in your planning. 

If you are heading down south during the dead of winter (mid-December to late-February), locations too far north may not be best. These include Cuba, Bermuda and the northern islands of the Bahamas. Varadero's daytime highs are in the low 20's (C) and nighttime lows barely crack double digits. Dominican Republic and southward is typically safe from anything that would remotely resemble "cold", year round. 

Also keep in mind that late-August to November is hurricane season. While the chance of a tropical storm hitting right where you are is low, at the very least expect much more rain during this time. 

A final consideration is for "Spring Break", especially if you are headed to a popular spring breaker destination like Cancun.

2. Understand hotel star ratings.

Ever been to a nice 3-star hotel in North America... say like a Hilton Garden Inn or Courtyard Marriott? They are nice right? Modern, decent amenities, good service. Well down south the star-rating scale is a bit different. In many cases you can easily subtract one star from a Caribbean resort when using a North American reference point. For example a 4-star property in Cayo Coco would likely not be comparable to a 4-star property in Toronto. Maybe a 3, but possibly even lower.

3. Who do I book with? 

There are a slew of online booking agencies craving your vacation dollar. Many of them are very reputable, including the likes of Expedia, TripCentral and iTravel2000 to name a few. These sites make it easy to punch in your criteria and see the pricing for trips. As mentioned in my previous blog, TripCentral has a great "pricing grid" tool that allows you to view how the price of several resorts coincides with several different departure days. This makes it easy to determine the cheapest possible day to fly out. One thing I also like to do once I find a good deal on a vacation package (flight + hotel booked together, which is pretty standard for AI's), is to check the price on the actual site of the vacation provider. For example if I find a package I like on Expedia, and it's with Air Canada Vacations, I will go to AirCanada.com and see what the price is there. If the price is the same, and if the 3rd party travel site isn't providing any added perk (for example iTravel2000's "if it snows more than x inches on x day your trip is free" deal) then I am inclined to book directly with the provider. This is because if there is any confusion or mixup with my reservation, my contact is directly through the travel company and there is no middle man involved.

WestJet is one of Canada's largest vacation providers

4. All beaches are not equal.

Are you a looking for that true tropical paradise? Are you a lover of fine white sand and turquoise waters? Not all beaches are created equal. Some of the most renowned hot spots for beach lovers are Punta Cana, Aruba (Palm Beach), Barbados (Gold Coast) and Negril amongst many others. Puerto Plata, a very popular and affordable destination in Dominican Republic, is not known for it's beaches as they don't have that "Caribbean Postcard" look to them that the aforementioned locations do. Similarly, the Dutch islands of Curacao and Bonaire are prominent diving paradises, but not the best options for beach bums.

Nothing beats finding that perfect beach (Cayo Leventado)

Disagree with any of my tips? Have any of your own to add? I would love to hear from you in the comments section below!