VALLETTA, SLIEMA AND ST. JULIAN’S
Posted by Sunny
Valletta, Sliema and St. Julian’s are the most popular tourist destinations on Malta.
Valletta is the capital and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in 1565 and today its harbour is said to be the most beautiful in Europe.
For the visitors to the city there is just so much to see and do. There are auberges, military cavaliers, 30 churches to visit, the Manoel Theatre, The National Library, Casa Rocca Piccola, The Grand Master’s Palace, many museums, the Malta Experience, the Knight’s Hospitalliers, beautiful gardens and an abundance of cafes and restaurants. Not to mention the wonderful and picturesque Maltese architecture.
Valletta’s Waterfront underwent a complete facelift three years ago and is now the place to go. It is a lively place of restaurants bars, shops, entertainment, the Forni Shopping Complex and the beautiful view of the Harbour.
Sliema is considered to be one of Malta’s more modern towns. To the outsider it will still look more like a biblical setting as you view it from off shore with its lovely mellow limestone buildings.
Here you will find many of Malta’s best known Hotels, a commercial area and residential area. And of course the promenade. This is the favourite walk for all the locals on hot summer evenings. With the Mediterranean on one side and the twinkling fairy lights in the trees on the other this is a lovely place for an after dinner stroll.
Sliema is undergoing a period of growth and should soon have a new shopping complex and further apartments with lovely sea views. It has an abundance of bars and restaurants. You can pay a few cents for a savoury pastry or have a beautiful meal in beautiful surroundings. There is something to suit everyone, in every price range and in a variety of locations. It is popular with holiday makers and is a convenient place to catch the ferry to Valletta or join one of the boat trips around the island. It has several beaches, a good marina, a number of water sports, a lido and plenty to keep young and old occupied and happy on their holiday.
St. Julian’s has been associated with the young since it has a great nightlife, bars, pubs, clubs, casinos, cinemas, bowling alley and top restaurants. It has great shopping and a casual and relaxed air about it. There are now a number of 5 star Hotels and a true high rise office building, some celebrity apartments and an exclusive nightclub. Also a private mooring for your rather expensive boat!
It is also a very up and coming area. Because of the increased facilities house prices are rising although apart from Portomasso it is generally less expensive than Sliema.
Valletta, Sliema and St. Julian’s are wonderful places to stay and to visit. So I hope you enjoy your visit to Malta, these lovely, friendly, sunny Islands in the Mediterranean.
MALTA - HOLIDAYS, RELOCATING AND INVESTING
Posted By Sunny
Malta is a very up and coming little island. It is in the Mediterranean just south of Sicily. So as you would expect quite good weather all year round. Very hot summers and a short mild/cool winter. It is great for sailing, fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, archaeology, photography, history, architecture and so much more.
For the holiday maker whether a family group, teenagers or an older couple you will find just about whatever you could wish for in a holiday. There are plenty of Hotels in every price range. In the summer it gets very hot, there are beaches to laze away the days on, boat trips, water sports, sightseeing, plenty of bars and restaurants and at night, clubs, nightclubs, cinemas, theaters, bars and some great food all to make your evenings enjoyable.
If you are thinking of relocating to Malta it is quite easy if you are from a member of the EU. Within days you could be renting a property, opening a bank account and getting settled. Three months after your arrival you should organise an Identity Card and after that get your medical card. All are quite straight forward and if you feel you don’t want to deal with it you can always use an accountant to sort everything out for you. Every day living in Malta can be more expensive than on the mainland simple because it is an island and everything is imported. However if you buy local produce and live a less materialistic life as the Maltese do it is probably not that expensive. There is no council tax, gas is very inexpensive and income tax is lower. However water and electricity are expensive and should not be used as freely as you might normally use them.
For the investor Malta is a very good option at the moment. There is an over abundance of property being built so the prices at the moment are probably considerably lower than you would expect of a Mediterranean Island in the sun. Being such a small island there is only a limited amount of land that can be built on so the prime seafront property should go up in value quite nicely over the next few years.
Malta has a stable economy, stable government, is English speaking, has a number of large foreign investors doing quite large projects at the moment (one of these being the new Smart City) there are new shopping malls being built, a new state of the art hospital has just been completed, people are investing in businesses related to the upturn in the tourist industry. So all in all Malta would seem a very good choice for investment. So whether you are just looking for your next holiday destination, a new home abroad or somewhere to invest your money, consider Malta, a lovely island in the sun.
THE BAHAMAS - THE COUNTRY OF 700 ISLANDS
Posted by Sunny
It is impossible to write just one article about the Bahamas. As you can see from the title of this piece “The Bahamas the Country of 700 Islands” it is just too large a subject. That being the case we will do a number of articles about various of the islands, the people, the activities, living there, the nightlife etc. This first look at the Bahamas will be an over view and give you a taste of what to expect in the future.
First and foremost the Bahamas are easy to get to. This is one reason for its long-standing popularity as a winter holiday destination. Only a few miles from the south Florida coast, in fact closer than Caribbean destinations, the islands can be reached quickly either by air or by sea.
From Grand Bahama and Great Inagua are 23 inhabited islands and thousands of unpopulated islets and cays (pronounced keys). There is the very cosmopolitan Nassau with its duty free shopping, markets, casino and nightlife all the way down to the wildlife sanctuary of Inagua. There is everything in between. There are pretty almost “American East Coast” style villages on some of the Islands. The only differences being the lovely climate and the palm trees.
These Islands are truly wonderful with some of the most beautiful and clean beaches in the world, clear blue seas, abundant marine life, exotic plants and wildlife.
The Bahamas have an international reputation for sailing, with regattas and races held year-round. The islands are actually the birthplace of the Gulf Stream, a phenomenon that also accounts for their astonishing variety and abundance of marine life. Legendary game fish draw sport fisherman in search of the “big one,” and more than 50 international fishing records have been set in these waters. The great writer / fisherman Ernest Hemingway live here on the island of Bimini.
On your holiday in the Bahamas you can swim with dolphins, go snorkeling or diving , try a little golf, take a cruise, stroll on the beach, dance all night, bicycle, try your luck at the casino, sail, parasail, go on an eco adventure, shop till you drop, take up flying, play tennis or simple relax with a good book and a cool drink.
The charming and hospitable Bahamians are happy to tell you of their rich history, with tales of pirates and adventurers, to introduce you to their culture and cuisine.
Inland are gardens and National parks with rare and endangered species, such as the exotic Abaco Parrot and the Bahamian Iguana. This is a diverse and beautiful country. Perfect for the adventure holiday maker, fishermen, sailors, the photographer, the eco tourist, families or the romantic couple looking for a private get away. The Bahamas have everything.
Whether you want an active family holiday or a quiet and peaceful get away from it all break you are sure to find it in the Bahamas, on one of its 700 islands.
COSTA RICA - PARADISE
This small state of around 50,000 square Km, about the size of Switzerland sits in Central America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is unique in having no military, no nuclear plants, lots of culture no winter and almost no illiteracy. As someone once said “It has more teachers than Cops.” Costa Rica is considered one of the most politically and economically stable countries in Latin America.
Although Costa Rica is a small country, there are an endless number of places to see. You can laze in the sun at any one of the more than 50 beaches, visit some of the more than 160 parks, reserves and conservation areas, or visit one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
One can choose the hot, Pacific coastal lowlands where rainfall varies with the season or the wet Caribbean coast or the cool, 13,000 foot high mountains which have no snow. The Central Valley around the capital, San Jose, has an altitude of 3,800 feet and enjoys 20 degrees C the whole year round. December to April is the dry season, while the wet season lasts from May to November. The climate is considered one of the healthiest in the World.
San Jose and Cartago, among other cities, house some of the country’s most interesting museums, including the Gold Museum and the National Theater, butterfly gardens and other natural history museums like serpentariums and ranarios (snake and frog museums).
You can get a unique perspective of the forest and breathtaking views from the aerial trams and suspension Bridge. After all Costa Rica is an Eco Hot spot, you don’t want to miss the forest, the wildlife and insect life it contains.
Every month of the year there are festivals and events which give a glimpse of Costa Rica’s culture and beliefs.”Ticos” are renowned for their friendly nature which is quite apparent during the numerous fiestas, topes (horse parades) and carnivals that are celebrated throughout the country.
The rivers, rain forests, beaches, coral reefs and volcanoes provide a wide array of activities including whitewater rafting, canoeing, fishing, diving,bird & wildlife watching, snorkeling, surfing. This place is a true paradise with something for everyone and I do mean everyone. Whether you are a retiree looking for a tax haven and relaxing walks on the beach, a family wanting a fun holiday for the kids or an adventurous soul who wants thrills on a holiday, you are going to find it in the beautiful paradise that is Costa Rica.
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