Aug 11, 2024 • 9 min read
09.08.2024 - 16:42 / lonelyplanet.com
Aug 9, 2024 • 7 min read
When we say that Malta is jam-packed full of culture, food and nature, we’re not exaggerating.
After all, even though the 27km(17-mile)-long island is the tenth smallest country in the world, it’s the fifth-most densely populated. Which means that whether you’re a solo traveler, retired explorer or large family on vacation, you don’t have to travel far in the Maltese archipelago to find something exciting for you.
Famous for sunny weather, the islands are awash with natural beauty and fascinating history. You’ll see the former in the crystal-clear waters at beloved swimming spots like St Peter’s Pool or the sweeping seascape views from coastal hiking trails by the Dingli Cliffs, and the latter at megalithic temples, medieval Arabic fortresses and ornate baroque cathedrals. And of course, Malta has more beaches than you can possibly hope to lounge on in one trip.
There’s just so much to see and do in here, no matter the season you visit. Here are 10 places to start.
Best for coastal hiking
Malta’s coast has scenic loops and hiking routes that are best tackled in the spring, before the searing summer heat sets in. The Dingli Cliffs and Fawwara Trail is one of the best. Dingli offers serene and verdant terrain rich with rare flora and fauna, and sweeping views of Filfla island (full of holes from its use in military-target practice generations ago) in the sea, close to shore.
Planning tip: Use the AllTrails free hiking app to follow the paths and avoid wandering onto private property.
Best for swimming
With Malta’s clearest water for swimming, this rocky beach is a favorite with both locals and visitors. Its azure-blue waters make for a dreamy place to dive in – and, of course, to snap and post those enviable holiday pics. It’s a bit of a trek to get to if you’re using public transport: take Bus 81 from Valletta or Floriana and hop off at the Abdosir bus stop, then continue for 30 minutes on foot. If you can, renting a moped makes life easier, as you can park a 10-minute walk away. Remember to bring your own snacks and water as you won’t always find food vendors on site. The clear lapping waves and sweeping horizon views you’ll enjoy will make all the planning well worth it.
Local tip: Keep your eyes peeled for Carmelo and his cliff-diving dog Tina, both local celebrities.
Best for art spaces and bars
Its peninsular capital is Malta’s most popular tourist destination these days, with the city seeing major development over the past decade after staying sleepy for generations. Such slow continuity makes the place an architectural time capsule, full of colorful box balconies, limestone baroque chapels and lush gardens in the bastions. The new energy, meanwhile, pulses everywhere, making
Aug 11, 2024 • 9 min read
Aug 9, 2024 • 4 min read
If you’re an avid traveler (and even if not), you’ve probably heard the rumblings that sometime soon the 3.4 oz. TSA liquids rule is going to change. Currently, you’re not allowed to bring containers larger than 3.4 ounces (or 100 ml) of liquids, gels, or aerosols through security. Commonly referred to as the “3-1-1” rule, it traces its origins back to a failed plot in 2006 when terrorists in the U.K. tried to smuggle liquid explosives onto planes. The rules were originally intended to be temporary but nearly 20 years later remain in place.
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Hotels are often agents of change in a neighborhood. That’s certainly true in New York, where buttoned-up Wall Street and the frenetic NoMad district, north of Madison Square Park, are just two of the beneficiaries of the city’s latest hotel boom. More than 40 properties have opened across the five boroughs since 2022, during apost-Covid rebirth that’sbrought freshenergy to long-overlooked pockets of Manhattan as well as to its most well-trodden quarters. Among these new arrivals are the Hotel Chelsea, a long-awaited revival of the venerable art-crowd hangout, and Nine Orchard, an elegant makeover of a 1912 bank building on the Lower East Side. Then there’s the Aman, the hushed retreat that opened two summers ago in the middle of Midtown. At least two more luxury hotels are planning to welcome guests next month: the Surrey, an Upper East Side landmark entirely remade by the Malta-based Corinthia Hotels group, and the Manner, an upscale sibling of the Standard hotels, in SoHo. Here, a closer look at five other attention-worthy newcomers:
Aug 7, 2024 • 8 min read
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Amanda Mrokez, an American student in Cologne, Germany. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest multi-artform festival, is calling on the best creative minds to submit ideas for next year’s event.
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