Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Unique Treks in Malta

When I am traveling to a destination for the first time, in order to really get a feel for the land and its people, I like to hit the road. That means taking it slowly, often by walking the urban streets and taking to the nearby trails in the surrounding landscapes.



That's what I did on my trip to Malta where I explored the capital city of Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as the greener and more laid-back island of Gozo, the second of the three inhabited isles in this archipelago. And, thanks to the insights of Culture3Sixty, a bespoke travel company, I was able to avoid all the usual well-trodden sights, in favor of the hidden treasures I crave.

I recently wrote about my unique walking adventures in Malta for National Geographic Traveler's Intelligent Travel blog. Among my three treks, I checked out a tour that put me in touch with the ghostly inhabitants of Valletta, walked through a verdant landscape to see some unique works of art thanks to Art Walks led by artist Hermine Sammut and wandered along a golden moonscape to discover how the locals still gather sea salt.


10 comments:

Melanie Haiken said...

Thanks for this; Malta is not a destination I'd considered; but the eerie atmosphere is intriguing! Love the photo of the salt pans on the Natl Geo Traveler post too!

J The Travel Authority said...

Hi Malanie, It's amazing the number of people who have expressed similar sentiment: that they never had Malta on their destination list. Glad you enjoyed the post.

Unknown said...

Hi J.
Thanks for your nice write up about the Art walk - I enjoyed reading it and I enjoyed spending the day with you than.
Greetings from Gozo
Hermi

J The Travel Authority said...

Hi Hermine, The day of our Art Walk was an amazing day. It was awesome spending the day with you and the others in our group. Hope to return.

leesf said...

the only reason i would go to malta is to attend the Spring Watch Malta. It's a conservation camp of BirdLife Malta’s fight against ILLEGAL spring BIRD HUNTING. Organised during the peak spring migration period in Malta and thus the period with the highest expected hunting intensity.

http://www.birdlifemalta.org/Content/conservation/springwatch2011/1100/
What’s in it for you?

This is an excellent chance to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation and experience life in another country. You will be given the opportunity to get involved in serious conservation work and, more importantly, play a part in stopping illegal hunting of wild birds.

Malta is notorious for killing migrating birds by shooting and using cruel sticky traps.Birds use Malta as a critical resting and feeding stop-over on their way back to European breeding grounds.The impact of illegal hunting in countries along the main migratory flyways is an international issue that affects birds breeding in Europe and wintering in Africa. A bird shot illegally in Malta or anywhere else is not just a crime affecting that country, but one of European and African concern.

Bluegreen Kirk said...

Nice post J! I would rather walk as well especially if its the first time visiting. I make sure i pack my Vibramfivefingers and its off we go. Walking can make you very tired though so make sure you plan for resting.

sarah henry said...

I like that you point people to less well traveled destinations. Malta sounds like it has much to recommend it.

Rezervesana said...

Your blogs arouse my interests in travelling !

J The Travel Authority said...

Hi sarah, It's amazing that so many people only visit Malta for about 3 or 4 days at most. I spent almost two weeks and still found that I could've used a few more days.

canvas wall art said...

I'm thinking of taking a trip to Malta and have heard about Valletta, thank you for the post.