Malta is a small island located towards the south of Europe located right below Italy. Malta may not be as big as its Mediterranean counterparts, but don’t let its size fool you. It is home to gorgeous displays of natural heritage, such as its sunny beaches and crystal blue water. Malta’s cultural heritage can be found in its historic architecture and art. All of this, combined with the boundless activities the island offers, makes Malta a wonderful and breathtaking place to visit. So, what better way to taste Maltese cuisine up close and personal?

One of Malta’s signature dishes is called ‘pastizzi’, which is also known as a Maltese cheesecake. These are flaky, diamond-shaped pastries filled with ricotta cheese, or sometimes a pea mixture. Pastizzi are perfect for afternoon snacks with a cup of your favorite tea or coffee. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes around Malta whipping up their own scrumptious versions of pastizzi.

Another traditional dish in Maltese cuisine is rabbit stew, or ‘stuffat tal-fenek’ in Maltese. At first, rabbit may not seem like something you’d want to eat, but it’s only a matter of cultural diversity. Rabbit is a staple in Maltese cooking, just like chicken is in American cooking. Instead, think of it this way; it’s something exotic and new for you to try. Traditional rabbit stew makes good use of the rabbit’s liver and kidneys for additional flavor. Some of the crucial ingredients include:

1. Red wine
2. Bay leaves
3. Tomato paste
4. Potatoes
5. Garlic, and more

‘Hobz biz-zeit’ is Maltese for ‘bread with oil’. It might not sound exciting at first, but there so much more to hobz biz-zeit than its simple translation. It’s a tasty yet filling treat for those lazy afternoons on one of Malta’s prized beaches, enjoying the company of friends and family. Hobz biz-zeit is made with thick slices of dense bread, spread with ‘kunserva’, a sweet tomato paste. It’s then topped with olives, capers, garlic, black pepper, olive oil, and if you like, pieces of anchovies or tuna.

Sure, you could opt for a local restaurant that offers Maltese cuisine. But what is Maltese cuisine without the proper Maltese experience? This way, you won’t only be discovering the diversity of food, but a whole new culture altogether; new sights, sounds, places, and things to do. Plus, by visiting Malta, you’ll taste Maltese cuisine that way it’s made straight from home.

1. Get to know about Malta’s history

What make the place are the people. You could spend the first day simply exploring the uniqueness of Maltese culture through its history. One of the best ways to do this is visiting historical sites, such as the Hypogeum located in Paola. It’s actually an underground prehistoric temple, and the only one on earth. Not only is it a significant part of Maltese history, but also a magnificent piece of architecture because its chambers and passages are carved out from natural rock. Feel free to visit as many heritage sites as you wish and soak up the makings of Maltese culture.

2. Sun, sand, and swim!

Malta is home to some of the most glorious sun-kissed beaches in the world. Go ahead and try out the many exhilarating and fun beach activities while enjoying the beauty of Malta’s clear blue sea. Here are just a few options of the beach activities you could partake in:

• Diving/snorkeling
• Sailing
• Jet skiing
• Windsurfing
• Powerboat cruising

And so much more! After spending some time trying out these adventurous water sports, grab a lounge chair, lay back, relax, and watch the sun go down with your loved ones.

3. Eat to your heart’s content

All that exploring and fun has probably left you hungry, huh? Not to worry, there are numerous places to dine and dishes to try out. Food is one of the major things that makes a culture truly unique, and Maltese cuisine is no exception. One of Malta’s most popular dishes is ‘bragioli’. It’s basically made from thinly sliced pieces of beef wrapped around a filling composed of bacon, egg, minced meat, and herbs and spices.

This is served on top of a serving of delicious sauce, which consists of vegetables such as onions, garlic, tomatoes, as well as other spices and herbs. Now that just sounds downright delectable. The best part is? That’s only one dish. Imagine the number of mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes you’ll taste from breakfast to dinner during your stay.

These are just examples of all the possible things you can do in Malta. Try picturing your future plans in your head. The pure anticipation is already enough to make you wanna pack your bags right now and fly on over. But as stated earlier, take a little time to plan and research. Once you’re done reading about Malta, it’s time for you to experience Malta.

To start off, a good starting activity is visiting the Hypogeum Temple which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. You couldn’t just miss visiting the only prehistoric underground temple in the whole world. Its discovery happened during 1902 wherein the workers accidentally broke some parts of its roof. They tried hiding it at first but eventually, the beauty of this place was revealed to the public.

This temple is consisted of three levels. The first level is where the tombs very similar to Xemxija, also in Malta, are found. The second level consists of the far more important sections such as the Main Chamber, Oracle Room, Holy of Holies and many more. The third level served as storage of water or even grain.

Looking for some kind of adventure? You can totally find that here in Malta! If you happen to be here on the month of February, then you can go and join the yearly Malta Marathon. The race starts in Malta’s old capital Mdina and ends in the finish line found in Sliema. This is really a challenge for runners because the cut-off time is only 5 hours. Non-runners shouldn’t really be worried if they can’t finish the race. What matters most is that you had fun while sweating off stress and just feeling good.

Tired of walking around? Well, there is still another way of touring the beautiful places of Malta and that is by riding the famous Melita Trains. These are not just your ordinary trains because these are trackless. These trains tour you to the wonderful sceneries of Rabat, Mdina, Mtarfa and the nearby areas. The tour will start and end in front of the Domus Romana and will take roughly 25 to 30 minutes to complete. In this way, you can still enjoy and continue sight-seeing even while sitting down. There is nothing to worry about because the price of the tour is very affordable for kids and adults.

Malta may be a very small place but you will never get bored in here. You will never run out of things to do and visit especially the ones mentioned above. These may seem like ordinary things to do but leaving Malta without doing any of the things above will surely make your trip lacking. So go now, bask in the rays of the sun, and enjoy these activities.

Why not start the tour with its capital city, Valletta? This city is oozing with almost anything captivating – churches, museums, and a lot more. If you are into art, culture, architecture, and of course history, one of the places you should visit is the St. John’s Co-Cathedral. Built on the 16^th century, this church was built by the Maltese architect Gerlomo Cassar and well-decorated by the Italian artist Matteo Pretti. The history of this church is just amazing as its interior design. The Knights of St. John invested a lot of resources in order to have this church built and beautified. What’s most interesting is that this church is the first and the most complete example of High Baroque anywhere else in the world.

   If you prefer bonding with nature, you can take a stroll in the Grand Harbour which is considered as one of the largest and deepest natural harbour in the world. This harbour had been significantly instrumental ever since the Phoenician times. Now isn’t that lovely? You can enjoy a great view which had endured for a long time now.

Now if you want to have a taste of the real Maltese cuisine, the best place to visit is Ir-Razzett L-Antik located in Qormi, Malta. The place is amazing as it is set in a real Maltese farmhouse. The ambiance is of course matched with the food as everything is cooked according to traditional recipes. Pretty sure the food there will leave you full and contented because the prices of the food are relatively cheaper.

After all the strolling and eating out, why not have some clubbing and explore Malta’s night life? There are a lot of clubs in Malta and the good ones are often found in Paceville and St. Julians. If you’re not really fond of that, why not hit the beach instead during day time? There are lots to choose from such as Għadira Bay, Paradise Bay, Golden Bay and Apple’s Eye. Wied iż-Żurrieq is also interesting if you’re fond of diving.

Those are just some of the places that you can visit in the beautiful country of Malta. Take the time to explore the places mentioned above and be perfectly amazed. Going to Malta is surely the best decision you have made in your life and surely, you won’t leave the place with any regrets but only good memories and a very good time.

Traditional food accompanies us through life; a glass of smooth local wine with friends in a village bar comes with a dish of olives, some gbejniet (local sheep’s cheeses), zalzett (coriander flavoured Maltese sausage) with galletti (Maltese crackers) and some bigilla (broad bean pate) served with Maltese bread and olive oil; or on a cold day hot pastizzi (savoury ricotta filled pastries) are perfect with wine or coffee.

Summer days at the beach mean hobz biz-zejt, a popular snack made from a thick slice of crusty Maltese bread, rubbed with juicy, red tomatoes and topped with mint, a little onion, sheep’s cheese and anchovies all soaked in delicious green olive oil; a taste of sunshine, a taste of Malta.

Cold winter nights bring on bowls of golden minestra, a very thick vegetable soup served with Maltese bread and oil. Fish, fresh from the surrounding Mediterranean Sea, plainly cooked is a consistent feature of our cuisine, especially aljotta, a delicious garlicky fish soup.

Summer village festivals produce sweet street foods like imqaret (date pastries) and Qubbajt (nougat) to enjoy along with the fireworks and processions. Special family meals bring on serious dishes like Ross fil-forn, (Baked Rice), Imqarrun (baked Macaroni) or Timpana (a very special rich pasta baked in a pastry case) often followed by rabbit or meat dishes served with Maltese potatoes and vegetables.

Desserts depend on the occasion; Easter Figolli (almond stuffed pastry figures), Christmas qaghaq tal-ghasel (honey rings), or simply a Cassata, (ricotta filled sponge with marzipan) some Cannoli, (Ricotta filled fried pastries) or another of the many traditional desserts, and sweet biscuits are popular snacks, perfect with a cup of strong coffee.

-    Matty Cremona, Maltese Cuisine Gastronomist

Despite sub zero temperatures in most of Europe, Malta’s position in the Mediterranean ensures we are spared from icy temperatures. Even though they are considered to be our coldest months (by Maltese standards), January and February are known to offer lovely sunny days with temperatures reaching 15˚and 18˚ which make the outdoors possible for a leisurely lunch or team activity.

Visit our website www.mpe-dmc.com for more ideas of what can be organised all over the island from elegant gala dinners in the various castles and palazzos to fun team building activities to state-of-the-art conference facilities for your high-end meeting….we offer it all!

Special deals by Corinthia Hotels

Corinthia Hotels in Malta are offering special rates for the February-April period with room rates starting from as low as Euro 60.00 per night in single. Click the below links to view their complete offers on all three properties:

Corinthia Hotel St. George’s Bay Special Offer

Corinthia Marina Special Offer

Corinthia Palace Hotel Special Offer

So, think again…..which destination would you choose for your next event? Malta may well be the answer you are looking for. With superb value for money, outstanding locations and mild weather conditions, there has never been a better time or place.

Come and visit us to learn more about Malta as a unique destination for your forthcoming events!!!

We will be available throughout the trade show to provide you with all the information you may need to organise your event in Malta – wonderful historical locations including castles, palazzos, forts and towers which can be used as venues for a truly unique and memorable event which will be talked about for years!

MALTA – AS INTRODUCED AT EIBTM 2011

Situated squarely in the heart of the Mediterranean, the archipelago of the Maltese islands has a population of 400,000 inhabitants over an area of 316 sq km. The three inhabited islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino are small, but beautiful and simply unique, combining idyllic surroundings with all the latest in technological, conference, and accommodation facilities.

As a destination for conference travel, Malta offers irresistible advantages: an all-year-round mild climate, internationally branded four and five-star hotels, state-of-the art infrastructure, and residents who are for the most part fluent in English and Italian, making communications easy. Another plus is the legacy of the archipelago’s colourful 7,000 year history: magnificent architectural monuments, including a considerable number which can be used as meeting and entertainment venues today.

What’s more, the island is conveniently close-at-hand, no more than two to three hours of flight from most European capitals, served by major airlines and linked to main airports. Getting around is uncomplicated too, given the compact size of the islands, and the fact that they are very safe places to be. This means everything that the islands have to offer – and there is plenty – can be included in your event programme.

Highlights about Malta:
- Good value for money
- Short distances between locations
- Mild climate all year round
- Historical venues for special events
- Several branded hotels within close proximity
- Well-equipped conference centres which can cater for up to 10,000 delegates

SEE YOU AT EIBTM 2011

Visit us at our stand F575 during EIBTM 2011 and we will provide you with all the options the destination and MPE have to offer.