A modern apartment – fully air-conditioned, which was necessary in 34C heat – and with all necessary mod-cons (including washing machine, dishwasher etc). The location is superb: right on the waterfront in the old city of Birgu – so much nicer than staying in a multi-storey hotel in a crowded resort like Sliema (on the other side of Valletta). We were two minutes walk away from a number of waterfront places to eat, which were all very good value.
Exploring the old city was fun too as it has retained its charm of narrow streets and fortifications.
The ferry across to Valletta is a 15 minute walk on the other side of the dock (on the Senglea side). But it is regular and cheap. We bought weekly passes for €10 pp giving unlimited rides (and we got value for money as we went across to Valletta regularly.
We would (as many people do) recommend a day on Gozo and possibly a boat trip to several bays and beaches.
We have been before and seen a lot of Malta, but for first-timers, do explore the island, which has layer upon layer of fascinating history.
Oh and our host Stephen was great: answering all our questions via email before we travelled and leaving comprehensive instructions. His guys 'on the ground' were very helpful. We were met by John when we arrived and he showed us all that we needed.