{10D10N] Ancient History Tour of Malta and Gozo

Malta

Changi Airport

This adventure is:

Malta: {10D10N] Ancient History Tour of Malta and Gozo

Your Organizer

Darius

“An avid traveller, Darius loves an exotic and unusual adventure. Some of his adventures include chasing after crop circles in UK, looking for Northern lights in Finland, and seeing Macchu Picchu in Peru. He has travelled upwards of 30 countries and this list continues to grow... For some of his travel stories, go to: https://elevenasia.com/about-us/darius-soon/”

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37 Friends came along
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Highlights

If you have never heard of the Island of Malta and Gozo, you are not alone! So far, I have not heard of anyone or any tour groups from Singapore who have planned or gone to Malta, so if you are into exotic tours, this may be the ultimate adventure! You could conceivably be the first person amongst your peers to have ever gone to Malta. 

Malta is off the Mediterranean Sea and have a culture that has been influenced by Northern Africa as well as the Middle East. But more than that, Malta is one of the most underrated island/country in the travel scene. It boasts of some of the most ancient structures in the world - some of the megalithic stone temples date back to the start of civilization around 4,000 BC. 

Jaw-dropping landscape and cliff views, amazing beaches, great food and a big dose of history and architecture makes Malta a must-visit destination. The views have even attracted film-makers - films 'Gladiator', 'Troy', 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and even 'Game of Thrones' draw some of their backdrop scenes from Malta. 

I would be engaging a specialist guide who had written a book about the ancient history of Malta and Gozo to be with us to explain the intrigue and mysteries surrounding the island. This would be a small exclusive group restricted to 3 to 5 people and once the slots are filled up, we won't be able to take any more.

Highlights include:
- Megalithic Temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Ancient Temple, Tarxien Ancient Temples, Ggantija Ancient Temples, Buggiba Temple, Ta'Hagrat and Skorba Temples (UNESCO Heritage Sites)
- Valletta, capital city of Malta (UNESCO Heritage Site)
- Rebat and Mdina, also known as the place where Game of Thrones filmed many of their sets in Season 1
- Great natural views at Dingli Cliffs 
- Other prehistoric sites include Ghar Dalam Cave and ancient artifacts that can be viewed at the National Museum of Archealogy 
etc etc

Ħaġar Qim Megalithic Temple (UNESCO Heritage Site)

The megalithic temples of Malta are one of the most ancient religious sites in the world and represent "unique architecture masterpieces" as defined by UNESCO. These temples are believed to be built 3700 to 3200 BC, and thus are believed to be even older than the Egyptian pyramids and England's Stonehenge. They represent a neolithic culture which still baffles scholars and archaeologists. We would be exploring many of these sites and mysteries in this trip!

Goddess of Fertility at Tarxien Temples (UNESCO Heritage Site)

The decorative South Temple, besides containing this unique statue showing a fertility goddess with a pleated skirt, contains a large collection of other art, including reliefs depicting goats, pigs, bulls and a ram.

Sleeping Lady at National Museum of Archaeology

The statue of Sleeping Lady is found originally at the Hypogeum, and estimated to be around 5000 years old. It shows a woman with her head propped on one arm, apparently deep in slumber.

Famous Maltese balconies in Valleta, the capital of Malta (UNESCO Heritage Site)

Valletta, the walled capital city of the island, was the first-ever planned city in Europe and built by the Knights of St. John, and has also been inscribed as an UNESCO Heritage Site. The city has been under the rule of Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginian, Romans, Byzantine and Arabs, and therefore the architecture of the city offers an eclectic mix of these cultures.

The painted boats of the fishing village of Marsaxlokk

Ferry to Gozo

We will spend one full day in the Island of Gozo. It's reached via a picturesque ferry ride. In Gozo, we would get to visit the amazing Ggantija Ancient Temples, Ta' Kola Windmill, Xlendi Bay for lunch, Victoria Ancient Citadel and the Museum of Archaeology there

Mosda Church & Dome

A miracle occurred during WWII, when a bomb fell through the massive dome, but did not explode, so that the gathered congregation came out safe and sound!

Dingli Cliffs

Church Of St Mary Magdalen Church Dingli Cliffs Free Photo by kirkandmimi licensed by BY CC 1.0

Mdina, the Silent City

Mdina Malta Gates Castle Bridge by kirkandmimi licensed by BY CC 1.0

For those who have watched Game of Thrones, the walled city of Mdina is King’s Landing in season 1. It's also used for scenes like the farewell scene between Catelyn and Ned Stark, the fight between Jaime Lannister and Ned Stark that led to the latter's capture, etc.

Additional Info

For single supp, add SGD$420.

Early bird offer of $100 off the list price for being the first 2 participants to pay the deposit for this trip (so as to confirm the trip) which is over and above the $100 DBS card promotion. So conceivably you can get $200 off from the list price of this trip if you pay using your DBS card and if you are the first 2 persons to pay the deposit.

Flights from Singapore to Malta
Lufthansa LH779
22 Oct 2020 23:40 SIN – 06:20+1 FRA
Lufthansa LH1276
23 Oct 2020 09:10 FRA – 11:40 MLA

Flights from Malta to Singapore
Lufthansa LH1277
30 Oct 2020 13:55 MLA – 16:40 FRA
Lufthansa LH120
30 Oct 2020 20:15 FRA – 21:10 MUC
Lufthansa LH793
30 Oct 2020 22:15 MUC – 17:05+1 SIN

Price of flights as at 10/11/2019 is SGD$1,350

Itinerary

22 Oct 2020: Late night flight from Singapore to Malta, arrival on 23 Oct morning

23 Oct 2020: Arrival around noon-time, Guide will meet us and bring us to our Hotel in ether Sliema or St Paul’s Bay. You will then have the rest of the day to take in the town and sea views. The hotel is on a B&B basis but those who would like to will be able to meet up for dinner.

24 Oct 2020: Visit: Hagar Qim Ancient Temple, Mnajdra Ancient Temple, lunch break in the sea-side town of Marsaxlokk with its wonderfully painted fishing boats, Ghar Dalam Cave and Tarxien Ancient Temples.

25 Oct 2020: Visit the spectacular hill top town of Rebat and the citadel of Mdina with its wonderful views across the island and the Mediterranean. Here we will visit an extensive complex of catacombs and the Roman villa and end off with visiting the Buggibba Temple.

26 Oct 2020: A day in the Capital City of Valletta. We will begin with a visit to the National Museum of Archaeology and will then be free to explore this amazing small city either in the group or off on your own (some highlights of Valletta you can visit on your own include: St. John's Co-Cathedral, Manoel Theatre, Lascaris War Rooms, Fort St. Elmo, etc). If you feel like a boat trip you could take the ferry at the end of the day across the bay and back to Sliema.

27 Oct 2020: Free day to allow you to pursue your individual interests. If you are into prehistoric site, then definitely head to Hypogenum, the last UNESCO Heritage Site not covered in our itinerary (this has to be booked in advance, let me know if you plan to go since I plan to do so). For those into beaches, head to the Blue Lagoon, world-famous for its azure waters. Or if you are into movies, you can check out Popeye Village. Alternatively, take this day to shop, check out restaurants and eateries, or just rest and relax as you would like to. The local buses are frequent, so you could easily head off around the island.

28 Oct 2020: Full day in Gozo, start by taking a picturesque Ferry crossing from Malta to Gozo and then visit: Ggantija Ancient Temple, biggest Temple of the islands, Ta'Kola Windmill, Xlendi Bay during lunch break, Victoria Ancient Citadel and the Museum of Archaeology here.

29 Oct 2020: Visit: Ta'Hagrat Temples, Skorba Temples, Dingli Cliffs, Clapham Junction Ancient track-ruts (these hundreds of parallel lines cut deep into the rocky hillside are an amazing ancient mystery) and Mosda Church and Dome.

30 Oct 2020: Flight from Malta back to Singapore. Arrival back in Singapore on 31 Oct 2020.
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