Malta

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Malta Part I
The Beating Heart of the Mediterranean
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Arrival Welcome to Malta!
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Discovery of the Harbours of Valletta
The  Luzzu  is the traditional Maltese fishing
boat This type of boat can take up to 60
people. Duration of the transfer from the
Airport to Vittoriosa 15 minutes. Duration of
the Harbour Cruise 35 minutes.
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The shape of the multicoloured Maltese boat,
locally known as the  Luzzu  , is of
Phoenician origin. The prow of each of these
boats depicts an ancient Egyptian symbol of
protection the eye of the god Horus, believed
to protect the sailors from evil
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Luzzu Cruise, from Vittoriosa till the Hotel Le
Meridien St Julian's
Valletta
Le Meridien St. Julians
Vittoriosa
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Senglea
Valetta
Fort St. Angelo in Birgu
The Marina in Birgu
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Vittoriosa the Victorious has been named as
such after the Great Siege of 1565, against the
Turks. The city of Birgu (the other name of
Vittoriosa) was given this title as a remembrance
of this historical event, which was a focal
point in the Maltese History.
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Proposals of Full Day / Half Day Tours
Option 1 Full Day Classical Tour in Valletta
On the Trails of the Knights of St. John
Slide 8 Lunch at one of the small restaurants in
Valletta. Option 2 Full Day Classical Tour of
the Medieval Capital City of Malta Mdina Slide
23 Lunch or Lunch-Around in the classical
Restaurants in Mdina. Option 3 Full Day Tour of
the Island of Gozo Slide 32 Transfer from Malta
to Gozo on board the Gozo Ferry. Lunch at
Restaurant Ta Cenc in Gozo Option 4 Full Day
on the Island of Comino, at the Blue Lagoon
Presentation 2 - Slide 2 Transfer from Malta to
Comino by Speed-boats. BBQ Lunch at the Comino
Hotel Option 5 Sailing across Maltas Crystal
Waters (Full Day) Presentation 2 - Slide
4 Lunch at the Fish Restaurant in St. Julians
La Dolce Vita Option 6 Be Adventurous Go
Trekking! (Full Day) Presentation 2 - Slide
6 Trekking along the beautiful contours of the
bay of Golden Sands. Option 7 Religious Malta
(Full Day) Presentation 2 - Slide 11 Visit of
the quiet villages and Churches of Siggiewi and
Zebbug. Typical Lunch at the Restaurant Ta
Marija in Mosta, specializing in local
cuisine. Option 8 Culinary Delights A taste of
the Local Cuisine (Half Day) Presentation 2 -
Slide 13 Option 9 Maltese Traditions (Half Day)
Presentation 2 - Slide 14 A visit of Ta Qali
Crafts Village. Visit of a typical Maltese bakery
in the small village of Qormi. Option 10 Malta
The enigma of Prehistory (Half Day)
Presentation 2 - Slide 19 Visit of the Maltese
Hypogeum and Tarxien Temples.
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Option 1 Valletta Full Day Visit of the
Capital City ( Lunch)
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Valletta Full Day Visit of the Capital City (
Lunch)
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The Upper Barracca Gardens
These gardens date from the 17th Century.
Originally they served as the exclusive
recreational spot for the Knights of the Language
of Italy. Today these gardens adorned with
beautiful statues and monuments, commemorating
various distinct people (artists, poets,
soldiers, etc), are considered to be the
loveliest gardens with a view found in the
Maltese Islands. We then proceed to take a ride
on horse-driven carriages around the
fortifications of the Capital City.
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Vallettas FortificationsThe Vigilant
Days Grandmaster Jean de La Valette built
Valletta after the Great Siege of 1565. He
realized the Knights needed a new city with
strong defenses in case the Turks returned. The
architects of Valletta were Francisco Laparelli,
a pupil of Michelangelo, and Girolamo Cassar.
Francisco Laparelli chose the Sciberras peninsula
as the site of the Knights' new city. The
Sciberras peninsula, with its elevation above the
harbor and its narrow connection to the mainland,
provided natural defenses.  To further enhance
these defenses, the architects planned a series
of walls and ditches. France, Spain, Portugal,
and the Papacy donated large amounts of money to
the Knights to construct Valletta. Construction
began on  March 28, 1566. Although La Valette
started the construction, he died in 1568 and did
not live to see the completion of the city named
in his honor. Valletta was the first planned
city in western Europe built on a grid system. As
was the case in Rhodes, the city was split
amongst the tongues. Each tongue constructed its
own auberge (embassy) and adjoining churches. The
Knights of Malta continually refortified Valletta
until its surrender to the French in 1798.
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Karozzini Ride around Vallettas mighty
ramparts (Optional)
Fort St. Elmo, dominates the entrance to the two
harbours, flanking the peninsula of Valletta.
Built in 1552, the Fort managed to resist the
onslaught of the Turkish attacks during the Great
Siege of 1565 for a whole month. Soon after the
end of the siege, the Fort was rebuilt, and
throughout the Orders stay it was always kept in
readiness. Today, it houses the Police Academy.
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On the way to the Malta Experience

• The audio-visual attraction at the Malta
  Experience provides visitors with the best
  introduction to the Maltese Islands, their
  history and culture. It unfolds 7000 years of
  turbulent times that bestowed upon our island,
  leaving their cultural mark and making it the
  nation we know today
• Being the first and foremost audio-visual
  attraction, the Malta Experience has delighted
  over 400 million visitors, since it opened in the
  1980s. The Show is constantly updated, using
  state-of-the-art technology, so as to ensure the
  exact information to the spectator.

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The Grand Masters Palace
This Palace situated right in the heart of
Valletta, today is the Official Residence of the
President of the Republic of Malta, and also
encompasses the Parliament. Note The admission
to the State rooms, is only available to the
public, when not used for presidential events.
The Grand Masters Palace dates back to the 16th
century, it has been embellished with paintings,
murals, statues and arms, all describing in a way
or an other the presence of the Order of St John,
the French in Malta and the British Period. The
Palace has 2 courtyards Prince Alfred Courtyard
which originally served as the courtyard of the
less important guests, and the formal courtyard
the Neptunes Courtyard, named after the
beautiful statue of Neptune. On ground floor
level, one finds two large rooms showing a vast
collection of armouries which was used during the
Knights period till the age of the British. On
the 1st Floor, we find the elegant state rooms
the Ambassadors Room, the Throne Room, the
Tapestry (old Parliament) Room, the Dining Room
and the Pages Room. All rooms are magnificently
decorated with authentic material and original
paintings depicting various European monarchs,
from Catherine the Great of Russia, to Louis XVI
of France to the present Elizabeth II as well as
all the Maltese Presidents since the islands
became a Republic.
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The Grand Masters Palace
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The Conventual Church of St. John
In Valletta the Order of St. John built the
Church of St. John as the Conventual Church of
the Order. Although each tongue had its own
church, the Conventual church was the location of
services that involved all the knights of Malta.
Each grandmaster gave a gift to the Conventual
Church upon his elevation upon his death he was
buried in the crypt underneath the church.
Notable knights were buried under the floor of
the church. Napoleon Bonaparte confiscated many
of the precious items in the church in 1798 and
melted them down for bullion. What remains
today, including the empty reliquary of the arm
of St. John the Baptist, is on display in the
museum of the Conventual Church. Today, the
church is operated by the diocese of Malta and
has the status of co-cathedral with the Cathedral
of Mdina. Visitors are still impressed by the
more than 400 inlaid marble slabs that make up
the floor of the church. These slabs mark the
tombs of the knights. Note Touristic visits of
the Church are not permitted on Sundays.
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The sumptuous interior of the St Johns
Co-Cathedral
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The Marble Tomb Stones on the Floor of the
Cathedral
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The Carriage Restaurant
The Group will then proceed to the Carriage
Restaurant (Capacity 70 Pax) for lunch. The
Carriage is situated in an old house of
character, of which the view from the roof
terrace overlooks the city of Sliema and Manoel
Island. During lunch, a drinks package consisting
of 1 soft drink or 1 beer, ½ bottle water and
coffee, will be served to each guest. After
lunch, the clients will continue on their
discovery of the Maltese Capital city.
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We can propose lunches in other Typical
Restaurants in Valletta
Trattoria Palazz (Capacity 30 Pax)
Gianninis (Capacity 50 Pax)
View from the Gianninis Restaurant
Malata (Capacity 35 Pax)
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Option 2 Ta Qali Crafts Village Dingli
Mdina/Rabat (Full Day Lunch)
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Mdina The Silent City
Mdina, the Old Capital City prior to the Roman
Period, served as such till the arrival of the
Knights of St John. Whereas Valletta was
conceived during this period, Mdina started its
decline. However thanks to this, the city has
retained much of its original medieval and
baroque character till today. Its winding
streets are mostly narrow and are full of old
palaces and mansions of the Maltese Aristocracy,
some of them dating back to the 15th century. An
important mark left by the Knights of St John, is
the Grand Masters Palace, known as Vilhena
Palace.
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Mdina
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Mdina Ramparts
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The Grand Masters Palace in Mdina
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Neo-Gothic Architecture
Baroque Architecture
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MDINA Lunch at the Medina Restaurant
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The interior of the Restaurant
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The terrace of the Restaurant
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Option 3 Full Day Visit of the Island of Gozo
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Gozo  The Isle of Calypso 
Gozo Harbour
Gozo, three times smaller than Malta, is however
greener and enjoys a more rural aspect, than its
larger sister island. The simple tranquil life
that one finds here is based mainly on fishing,
agriculture and tourism industries The deep
valleys and flat topped hills found in inland,
are surrounded by high steep cliffs. Which offer
a natural shelter to the few harbours and coves
of the island. Through the centuries, Gozo, like
Malta, fell under a series of foreign
Mediterranean authorities, namely the
Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the
Arabs amongst others. However, it was the Order
of the Knights of St John, who left the most
remarkable traces, on the island.
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Full Day Visit of the Island of Gozo
. Breakfast at the Hotel. . Departure of the
guests from the Hotel to the Cirkewwa Ferry
Terminal, to get the Gozo Channel Ferry in
direction of Gozo. The participants have the
possibility of visiting the Island of Gozo in 2
different ways Option I - Guided Tour of Gozo
on Coaches Arriving in Gozo, participants will
start a guided tour (by coach and on foot)
visiting the following sites Victoria and its
Citadel Marsalforn and the Salt pans Dwejra
and the Azure Window and the Ggantija Temples.
Coaches will follow a different itinerary to
avoid having the whole group meeting at the same
places at the same time. Option II Discovery
of the Isle of Calypso by Jeeps 4x4 Lunch at Ta
Cenc Restaurant, in Gozo. We shall return to
Malta, in the late afternoon (at about 17h00) and
arrive at the hotel around 18h00.
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Possibility 1 Galleys Instead of the Ferry
Ride to Gozo, we can propose the use of Galleys
for a truly exceptional experience during your
stay in Malta! The Group would embark on a
small/large Galley (Capacity of 90 pax or of 150
pax) according to the number of participants.
The Schooner, exclusively reserved for the
Group, will be available for the whole day.
Galleys
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Possibility 2 As a second option, we can also
propose the use of Speed-boats! The Group would
embark a number of Speed-boats (according to the
number of participants), reserved exclusively for
the Group. These will be available for the Group
for the whole day.
Speed-Boats
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Option II Discovery of Gozo by Jeeps 4 x 4 Upon
arrival at the Harbour in Mgarr, Gozo, a briefing
will take place, informing all the participants
about the program of activities for the Day The
Concept of the Rally Tips about the Operation -
Supervision Every Team leader will be given a
large envelope containing the following items .
1 booklet, which will give the necessary
indications regarding the itinerary to be
followed. . 1 map of the Island of Gozo . 1
sealed envelope containing the rescue contact
details of the Supervisory team.
Each team will be made up of 4 persons, for every
Jeep. The participants themselves will be driving
the Jeeps. No international driving licence
requested. Upon arrival of the Group in Gozo,
the participants will be divided accordingly in
the Jeeps, which will be parked in the Harbour.
The brand of the Jeeps is Maruti (of Indian
manufacture) Capacity 6 people per Jeep (2
seats in front, and 4 at the back on seats
facing each other.
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. Victoria and its Citadel The habitants of
Gozo call the city Rabat an old Arabic name
(like Rabat in Malta and Rabat in Morocco). It
is the only proper city in Gozo. The name
Victoria was officially given in 1897 on the
occasion of the 60th anniversary of the reign of
Queen Victoria of the UK. It is situated at the
centre of the island and has been enjoying the
role of the capital city since Roman
times. During the middle ages, the city like the
rest of the island, was frequently attacked by
corsairs, abducting the locals to sell them for
slavery in the African countries. Later on
during the Arab domination, the city (like Mdina
in Malta) was fortified with high walls to
protect it from these constant attacks. The
Normans who came after the Arabs changed little
in the city. However the Knights rearranged most
of the city, modifying the old buildings and
erecting new palaces as well as the Cathedral
dedicated to Our Lady. Outside the Citadel, the
city of Victoria continued to spread out. An
important square called it-Tokk, is found just
beneath the street leading up to the citadel.
The daily market is found in this square, covered
with high trees, and surrounded by cafeterias and
shops.
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Marsalforn This summer Resort enjoys both a tiny
sandy beach as well as an interesting rocky
coastline dotted with historic salt pans. The bay
is popular with Gozitans and Maltese for its
promenade.
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The Salt Pans
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Dwejra and the Azure Window
The Fungus Rock
The Azure Window
A quaint and curious coastal landscape with
various interesting geological features such as
the Inland Sea, enclosed by cliffs and connecting
to the open sea via a fissure and the Azure
Window, carved out of the cliffs by the waves
over the millennia. Jutting out from the sea at a
small distance from the rocky coast is Fungus
Rock, locally known as Gebla tal-General. It
is one of the most photographed sites in the
Maltese Islands.
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Ramla Bay
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Whichever Option is chosen, we will stop for
lunch at the Ta Cenc Restaurant in Gozo 3
course meal (waiter served). Lunch will also
include a drinks package of 2 sodas / 1 beer, ½
water and coffee per person. The Restaurant Ta
Cenc is situated in the confines of the Hotel Ta
Cenc, a very well-known hotel on the cliffs in
Gozo. The Restaurant has an ideal location,
amidst the Gozitan countryside, on the very edge
of the typical village of Sannat. Its large
terrace placed underneath the carob tree, is just
the perfect open-air venue for lunch-time during
the warm spring/summer periods. Ta Cenc
Restaurant offers a very tasty Mediterranean
cuisine, mainly inspired by Italian dishes.
Arriving at Ta Cenc
The terrace under the Carob tree