If you’re considering taking a babymoon (or indeed wondering what the flip an actual babymoon is) then see my post about my babymoon in Malta.
If you’re convinced that a trip to the sunny island of Malta is just what you need while growing a little human in your belly, or if you just fancy 5 days in Malta then read on, my friend!
My 5 day babymoon in Malta Itinerary
Day 1
Day 1 for us was all about lounging by the poolside. We didn’t check in to our hotel until gone 3am that morning and were up again just in time for the buffet breakfast so resting by the pool was the order of the day.
Top tip for pregnant ladies: Find yourself somewhere shady to sit as you’ll probably get hot. You might not fancy sunbathing (I certainly didn’t) so kept covered up in a tankini and shorts.
Day 2
First day of having a hire car. We drove to Mdina first thing as we’d heard it can be tricky to park there. We arrived by 10am and had no issues parking.
Mdina is an ancient walled city known as ‘The Silent City’. It is mostly pedestrianised, aside from the odd residential car or horse and carriage. With its sandy coloured architecture and Games of Thrones connections, Mdina is one of Malta’s must-dos.
We didn’t spend too long here but we enjoyed taking photos and wandering about. Of course you’ll want pics of the red phone booths and St Paul’s Cathedral. It is a fairly small city but was easily my favourite place in Malta. We ended up returning the following evening to enjoy dinner and experience The Silent City after dark.
After Mdina we headed to San Anton Gardens. A pleasant little garden 10-15 minutes drive from Mdina. If you’re feeling organised, pack a picnic and enjoy the beautiful fountain and the varied birdlife, including peacocks.
We didn’t have lunch with us so ended up crossing the road and dining at the pricey but plant based (and therefore v.healthy) Josephine’s at the upscale Corinthia Palace Hotel.
After lunch we drove back to the hotel via Mosta Dome. There were alot of closed roads and roadworks happening in the area so Nick got stressed with the driving here and to be honest what with all the building works going on we wouldn’t have got any decent photos so we didn’t even get out of the car.
Top tip for pregnant ladies: Get to Mdina early to ensure a good parking spot. There is also a small car park beside San Anton Gardens if you choose to visit there too.
Day 3
On day 3 we drove to the Park and Ride to get the minibus into Valletta, Malta’s capital city. The reason we chose Park and Ride was to remove the stress of parking within Valletta.
The Floriana Park and Ride was comfortable, convenient and only cost us about 1 euro.
Once in Valletta we weren’t too bothered about visiting the historical attractions such as the cathedral or museums so we just explored a little. We visited the Upper Barrakka Gardens which gave a lovely viewpoint of the Grand Harbour.
There is also a Lower Barrakka Gardens which we trekked down to, only to find out it was closed! I wasn’t too happy as I was feeling incredibly hot and tired by this point.
We walked back up to the main area of Valletta and enjoyed a Pastizzi, which is a traditional Maltese pastry usually filled with ricotta or peas. We also had some very fancy looking ice creams from a gelato shop called Amorino, where they make your ice cream cone look like a pretty flower.
Valletta wore me out pretty quickly so we didn’t stay in the city for too long but wanted to grab a photo opportunity across the harbour of the city. We drove to Tigne Point and parked in the shopping centre car park. From here we proceeded on foot across the bridge to a cool viewpoint where we could get *that* iconic shot of Valletta and its church.
Word of warning: The car park at Tigne Point is bloody confusing!!! We had trouble finding our way in as it was part residential and part shopping centre. AND THEN we had trouble finding our way out again! Easily the most irritating car park we have ever been to.
After freshening up at our hotel, we returned to Mdina for dinner that evening and enjoyed its eeriness after dark. Of course we got some baby bump shots infront of that insta-famous pretty blue door before it got too dark. I would highly recommend a meal at Coogi’s. They had an extensive menu with some excellent vegetarian options. The service was also excellent, particularly when we all had to dash inside from the courtyard with our dinners because a storm kicked up!
Top tip for pregnant ladies: Wear comfy shoes with a bit of grip. I nearly fell over in Valletta as some of the pavements are so smooth and I had sandals on.
Day 4
On our third and final day with the hire car we headed to the other end of the island to visit the fishing village of Marsaxlokk. There was a little market there where we bought our obligatory fridge magnet and it was nice to enjoy a little stroll to photograph all the colourful boats. Keep walking around until you get *that* shot as the car park end of Marsaxlokk is quite underwhelming.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Blue Grotto, which is a viewpoint and a collection of caves. You can take a short boat ride to the caves but we didn’t bother and just stopped for an ice cream instead.
The afternoon was then spent relaxing poolside with dinner close by the hotel.
Top tip for pregnant ladies: It’s a bit steep around the Blue Grotto area so unless you’re planning on getting a boat, I’d give this a miss altogether.
Day 5
Our last day! We had an obscenely late flight back home so the plan was always to spend the day relaxing by the hotel pool. Naturally, the last day made for the perfect day to enjoy our hotel’s spa facilities. We were staying at the Dolmen Hotel which offered ‘mum to be’ treatments which allowed me to enjoy a lovely pregnancy massage.
Post massage, we enjoyed a pizza in the hotel restaurant before catching our transfer to the airport.
Top tip for pregnant ladies: Treat yo’self! Yeah the spas are pricey but when are you going to have a better excuse for some pamper time than now?
My advice for flying while pregnant
We flew Easyjet and as my pregnancy was uncomplicated and still very much in the second trimester, I didn’t require a certificate to fly. But it’s always best to check with your midwife and airline for guidance.
I don’t normally like to spend money pre-booking seats on a flight, however on this occasion I did as I wanted to make sure I could get up and stretch frequently. I also made sure I stayed well hydrated for the duration of the flight.
Whilst the outbound flight was fine, the inbound flight made my legs and ankles swell. Despite drinking lots of water and stretching much more than I would in normal circumstances on a 3 hour flight, I was still swollen until later on the following day. In hindsight, some compression socks would have been handy to have.
If you enjoyed this post you might like to read some practical considerations when planning a babymoon in Malta.
