Musing upon Malta

Luxury travel means different things to different people, but can normally be boiled down to two main factors: hedonism and exclusivity. People perceive luxury to be an indulgence, something that they would not ordinarily do, but which brings them great delight. To some this may be sipping cocktails on a speedboat in Sydney Harbour, to others it might simply be buying the more expensive ice cream for dinner as a treat. To me, it is isolation and beauty, a place where I am free to marvel at the spectacle of our planet in peace. Malta is no secret (few places on Earth are), but this did not stop me from confusing it with all the locations beginning with ‘M’ along the Costa del Sol, before asking ‘Where’s that?’ A consultation with Google Maps showed me it is a tiny archipelago which sits between Sicily and Tunisia, barely visible amid the vast Mediterranean Sea. The main island boasts more history than you can shake a guidebook at, with no fewer than nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a capital city, Valletta, which is overflowing with architectural splendour. Understandably, many people return from Malta with photographs of churches, palaces and forts, or stories about the nightlife in Paceville, where Malta’s greatest concentration of hotels and bars can be found. Fewer talk about Gozo, the second largest island in the archipelago, recognisable by its rural, scenic landscape and tranquil demeanour, as well as the startling Azure Window. Fewer still mention Comino, the smallest of Malta’s islands, which only eight people call home, and where I hoped I could find my own slice of luxury… Gazing into the shimmering cyan of Comino’s Blue Lagoon, I let my mind ponder how the water could be such a colour, and yet so transparent. I was dangling my feet in the same body of liquid which washes upon the shores of Northern Africa; isn’t that an amazing concept? Depending on your luck, you may have to share the lagoon with a swarm of other tourists, or you might be quite alone. On this occasion, I found myself sifting the fine sand of the seabed between my toes in relative solitude, a few other figures scattered around the water’s perimeter. The sun’s heat was just strong enough to feel its replenishing presence, while the gentle lapping motion of the waves made the lagoon’s only sound. A short walk away, I stood gaping at St. Mary’s Tower, a stout stone block standing in isolation on a tiny island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. How on earth did someone manage to build this in 1618, before machines, engines and industrialisation? The tower looks like it has always been there, like it was formed at the same time as the cliff on which it stands, unwavering in a steady, cool breeze. Turning to face the expansive sapphire sea, I became acutely aware of my isolation, and the temptation to sit down with a book was too great to resist. Would anybody notice, I wondered, if I dozed here and missed my flight home? Indeed, I had found luxury. Kirk Shackleton is a content writer for MyMaltaInfo.com, your local travel guide to Malta. If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.