Malta

Malta was a British colony from 1814 to 1964. Sam Teesdale went to check out a small island state has kept itself closely aligned to the UK since its independence

Malta is a country with long and proud ties to the UK. A British colony from 1814 to 1964, the small island state has kept itself closely aligned to the UK since its independence. There are many similarities, socially, politically, and physically, between the UK and Malta, and it’s no wonder so many Brits take their holidays there.

Easyjet crowned Malta as 2025’s most coveted alternate holiday destination, and with flights from the UK at just £20 and a flight time of just over three hours, it’s no wonder it ranks so highly. So what similarities and home comforts can Brits find on the tiny island nation?

Driving on the left

In the cab from the airport, I was surprised to see cars with the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the car. Maltese roads are driven on the left, just like the UK, which will help make any nervous British drivers feel a lot more at ease.

Many of the roads are narrow and crowded. Maltese drivers are not particularly known for their politeness on the roads, unlike British drivers, so the familiarity certainly helps. They tend to drive in a more Mediterranean/ island style, so quick thinking and adaptable driving skills are needed when navigating busy roads.

Zebra and Pelican crossings

I also noticed that Malta has the same zebra crossings as we have in the UK, featuring black and white stripes, a designated crossing area, and flashing yellow Belisha beacons that sit atop poles. It was also interesting to see that Pelican crossings in Malta have the same text and push/wait buttons as those in the UK.

UK brands

I was also struck by the abundance of British brands on the island, such as Marks and Spencer, Costa Coffee, Iceland and Spar. It was a humbling sight to see frozen Greggs Steak Bakes in the local Iceland, but it quickly made me feel right at home from the get-go.

Plug sockets

All plug sockets in the hotel I stayed at, the Ax Odycy, were those of the famously three-pronged sockets that we have in the UK. This was a welcome change, as gone was the need to shell out on an overpriced EU adapter in duty-free.

So, British travellers will be relieved to know that each of their plugs is completely compatible with Maltese power sockets.

Legal and educational system

Malta has a parliamentary system similar to Britain, and the Maltese educational system features a two-year sixth form and A-levels, in preparation for university.

The language

English is one of the two official languages, with Maltese being the other. It’s a common sight to spy street signs and information presented in both English and Maltese – a helpful tool for any lost tourists trying to find their way back to their villa.

Sam Teesdale jetted off to Malta for a winter break, staying at the AX Odycy hotel. He went to check out the island’s reputation at great for catching the winter rays

The small island country of Malta, found between Italy and North Africa, has long been regarded as one of the best places to get away for some winter sun.

With affordable flights, a flight time of around three hours, and close ties to Britain, it’s no wonder that it’s ranked number one on easyJet’s top winter getaways for 2025. But, there are, of course, wins and trade-offs with winter holidays.

Yes, the crowds on a winter getaway are a fraction of what they are in the high-season, but then again, so are the temperatures. It’s a mixed bag. Which is why I set off to stay at the all-inclusive AX Odycy hotel, to see whether a winter getaway was worth the hassle and cash.

The weather

With December looming on the horizon, the weather was understandably up and down. There were rainbows, downpours, thunderstorms, sea winds of 50mph and also, some moments of glorious sunshine.

So, while it was most definitely a climatological smorgasbord, Malta was undoubtedly warmer than Blighty. As is always the case with holidays, the final day, which was spent in the airport, saw completely clear skies and a lovely temperature of 20 degrees. Such is life.

Sunbathing

Sunbathing is indeed possible in the late November Malta sun, weather permitting, but whether you’ll see the all-important tan lines appear is a different question. Temperatures reached a cool high of 17 degrees, but, coupled with some fairly relentless winds and sporadic rain bursts, it made for some of the less balmy sun-worshipping experiences I’ve had in my life.

However, it is most definitely warmer and more enjoyable than braving the UK’s measly end-of-November highs of five degrees. So, yes, sunbathing is possible. You will just have to wrap up warm.

Swimming in (unheated) hotel pools

For this, I will have to assign a 1/10 on the enjoyment scale. Although the AX Odycy was blessed to have a lovely heated indoor pool, this was not the case for the numerous rooftop pools. It’s humbling when the brut served at breakfast is warmer than the outdoor pool water. I naively thought that as a hardy Lincolnshire-native, I could firm a quick dip in 15-degree water. So I put my nervous system’s cold shock response to good use, and after some undignified guttural breathing, I decided that swimming was not on the agenda in winter.

Hot tubs

The hot tubs at AX were brilliant, with no notes to report. After a while, it does essentially feel like you’re sitting in a big bowl of human soup, but still, anything is a blessing after the Arctic plunge of the non-heated pools. Opportunities were scarce to have the jacuzzi to yourself, with fellow Brits understandably hogging the coveted warmth of the hot tubs.

Sitting at the ‘beach’

‘Beach’ may be a bit of a misnomer as the beaches near the hotel consisted mainly of jagged limestone. The water was not much warmer than the rooftop pools, so yes, while you can sit at the beach, it most certainly won’t live up to the Euro-summer images you probably had in mind.

Visiting tourist sites

Now, this is an often-overlooked but important factor in winter getaways. I had the distinct sense both in the hotel and out and about that the crowds were a fraction of the size normally seen in high season. My visit to Disney film-set-turned-living-museum, Popeye Village was a similar experience, and I was able to roam unabated by the throngs of tourists one normally encounters on a typical high-season holiday.

Dining

Dining both in and outside of the resort was notably different from a summer holiday. Although I had never visited before, AX Odycy had a quieter atmosphere and dining was similarly subdued.

The hotel was not empty by any stretch, and it still enjoyed a good number of guests, but there were no notable instances of queues and lots of room and time to dine leisurely without the constant barging and overstimulation normally expected at an all-inclusive.

Prices

Finally, the prices. As it was low season and during term time, the prices were incredibly good value. Popeye Village cost just £13 to spend all day there, with minigolf and popcorn included, while AX Odycy’s stunning Junior Suite, complete with private wraparound balcony, came in at £750 per person.

The holiday offered great bang for my buck, so it’s no wonder Malta has become such a popular destination for Brits looking to warm their cockles over the winter months.

Book it

Lastminute.com offers convenient, great-value package deals. Its January Sale starts at the end of December. A six-night stay for two adults in the 4* AX ODYCY in Qawra, Malta from 12 to 18 January costs from £199 per person, with flights from Manchester included.

An entire village was built for a Disney film in the 90s and was left completely preserved long after the hit starring Robin Williams aired – and you can still visit it today

Malta boasts a rich history within the film industry and is home to numerous notable filming locations. Game of Thrones, Gladiator, and The Count of Monte Cristo have all been filmed in the small Mediterranean country. But there’s one, more obscure film, which has preserved its legacy for good on the island – Popeye.

The 1980 film starring Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall has been immortalised through the famous Popeye Village, a purpose-built film set which now serves as an open-air museum and theme park. I visited the attraction during low season to see how one of Malta’s biggest tourist attractions continues to wow visitors.

Nestled in a stunningly wild and remote cove on the North-Western tip of the island, the attraction consists of a collection of around 20 rustic and ramshackle wooden buildings, featuring interactive exhibitions, actors and plenty of free activities to keep adults and children entertained.

The film, released in the UK in April 1981, received mixed reviews on its release and has fallen into relative obscurity in the grand scheme of Disney releases. It now has a 5.4 IMDb rating and a 60% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

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The construction of the film set was a mammoth undertaking. It began in June 1979, with a crew of 165 working four months to build the village, which consists of 19 wooden buildings. Hundreds of logs and several thousand wooden planks were imported from the Netherlands.

While it looks amazing, the remote location of the set caused havoc for the filmmakers. Everything had to be shipped in, while the situation of the village meant it was regularly battered bt storms. In total, the budget ballooned to beyond $20 million, forcing the studio to eventually order an end to filming and a return to California with the footage they had.

I was initially skeptical about whether I would enjoy the excursion, having never seen the film and being unfamiliar with Popeye. However, once I saw the stunning cliffside view of the museum looming on my approach, it was clear that this was a special attraction.

For just 15 euros per person (around 13 pounds), the day out came in at staggeringly good value. Visitors could roam the set for as long as they like, with guided tours, puppet shows, and even a bag of fresh popcorn all thrown in for free.

There were mini-golf courses, play areas, and a cinema, all included. At a time when so many attractions can feel disappointingly overpriced and extortionate, it was refreshing to see an entry-free attraction go such a long way.

There were also actors dotted around the museum, interacting with people of all ages and providing atmosphere, entertainment, and of course, those all-important photo opportunities for visitors.

My visit was at the height of Malta’s low season, at the end of November, and I was blessed to have the weather on my side, aside from some fairly gusty sea winds. The views alone were worth the entry fee, with jaw-dropping vistas of waves rumbling in from the open Mediterranean and crashing against huge limestone cliffs.

Each house and ramshackle hut was expertly preserved and surprisingly explorable. Guests were encouraged to sit in the furniture, use props where they found them, and immerse themselves in the world that Disney created in 1980. Bars and cafes were aplenty, and I was hard pressed to find a single queue, thanks to the joys of the low season.

Time seemed to fly by as I explored the nooks and crannies and the abundance of exhibitions, and I ended up spending well over three hours at the village, with the day out becoming the highlight of the trip.

Now all that’s left for me to do is to watch the film.

Seeking some winter sun? With balmy temperatures even in December and a fascinating history and culture to explore, Malta ticks all the boxes, as our writer discovered

Some people aren’t cut out for enduring an entire British winter, so a short escape from the plummeting temperatures can provide a very welcome boost. Step forward Malta — one of the warmest winter spots in Europe and a wonderful place to spend a relaxing, culture-filled few days.

With a flight time of just over three hours from London, Malta achieves a comforting combination of feeling far away and yet rather Anglicised. It was previously part of the British Empire and became independent in 1964. There are the occasional red telephone boxes dotted about (probably used more for posed social media snaps than phone calls) and the ambulances look the same as British ones – plus they drive on the left hand side. English is widely spoken and yet the country has a strong identity of its own, rather than feeling like ‘Brits abroad’ territory.

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We visited in November and it was T-shirt and shorts weather, which is such a treat when you’ve been engulfed in warm layers plus hats and winter coats back in Britain. (But it is a bit of a shock to the system when you arrive at your home airport with a chill in the air and only your fond holiday memories to keep you warm).

What to do in Malta

A guided walking tour of Valletta is the perfect way to get a taste of the capital’s rich history and culture. Valletta is an elegant walled city which was established in the 1500s and has very attractive baroque architecture. Indeed, it is such a distinctive setting that it was used as a filming location in hits such as Gladiator and Game Of Thrones.

St John’s Co-Cathedral is an ornate affair, which houses Caravaggio’s 1608 painting, The Beheading Of Saint John The Baptist. Such is its popularity that it feels like a busy museum rather than a house of worship, but it is inspiring nonetheless. The Grandmaster’s Palace is also a sight to behold and visitors can take a stroll around its magnificent state rooms, courtyards and armoury. The British influence is strong here – a sign from December 1858 displays that the courtyard is named Prince Alfred’s Court, in honour of Queen Victoria’s second son.

Mdina is Malta’s former capital and is a 25-minute car journey from Valletta. It’s a wonderful place to visit at night thanks to the enchanting lighting, which makes the quaint cobbled streets look rather magical. It has a very tranquil atmosphere with beautiful panoramic views from some of the city walls. The only cars allowed in the city are those owned by residents, which makes it an extra-special place to take a moonlit walk without having to worry about traffic.

Where to stay in Malta

The Barceló Fortina Malta has so many amenities that you could actually have a very enjoyable stay without leaving the hotel complex. From a delicious breakfast at Stella’s Restaurant on the ground floor to a flamboyant cocktail in The Bridge bar, the hotel has quite a buzz about it – as well as a beautiful spa and wellness centre, a gym and an outdoor pool.

For those who aren’t well versed in the world of massages, the staff at the hotel’s spa are experts at putting you at ease – who knew that even your hands can feel fabulous after being massaged?!

The Barceló Fortina Malta is located on the seafront of Sliema, across an inlet from Valletta. It’s a lively area full of restaurants, bars and shops. Rooms with a balcony and a breathtaking view of the capital are certainly worth investing in, if finances allow.

Where to eat and drink in Malta

If you only want to fling on your holiday wardrobe and sashay over the road, then Tora in Sliema is the perfect choice for a first-night meal. Serving Chinese cuisine in a sophisticated setting, the tasting menu is a great way of sampling a variety of dishes. Vegetarians and vegans are also widely catered for.

Trabuxu Bistro in the centre of Valletta is an atmospheric venue ideal for lunch, if you want a restorative break from all that sightseeing. It has rustic charm and delicious dishes in abundance, plus a very relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

The Medina Restaurant is a popular venue in Mdina so it is well worth booking in advance. On offer is an eclectic menu with a Maltese flourish, which makes for an impressive and authentic dining experience with very warm and pleasant staff.

And what can you drink alongside all this fabulous food? We discovered a fantastic Maltese Chardonnay called Isis, which is very drinkable indeed. Cocktails are also a popular pre-dinner tradition here and The Bridge bar at the hotel has a variety of enticing options, so you can be as adventurous as you dare.

How much does it cost to stay at the Barceló Fortina Malta?

Superior rooms at the Barceló Fortina Malta cost from £140 per night, room only. The walking tour of Valletta can be booked here.

For alternative hotel options, have a browse on Expedia or Booking.com.