Malta:The Mediteranian's Hidden Gem
As the cold winter of Czechia settled in, the need for warm weather hit hard. I got bitten by the travel bug bad and started looking for cheap flights to sandy beaches in mid-January. Soon, I was torn between the Canary Islands and a small island country, Malta, right below Sicily. The Canary Islands were the warmer bet but about $100 more expensive than Malta. I quickly settled on Malta, curious about this small Mediterranean cluster of islands and excited for a break from freezing temperatures. I decided to fly out of Vienna, taking a four-hour bus ride to the airport instead of leaving from Prague. It saved me about $80—money that could go far here. So I started my journey at 7:45 AM, arriving in Vienna around noon. I then waited around for my 6:00 PM flight, finally arriving in Malta at 8:30 PM. It was already warmer, and I enjoyed a 30-minute ride across the island to my hostel in the main city, Valletta. I chose a party hostel, Marco Polo Hostel, hoping to meet some like-min...