After 5 days enjoying my stay at Follow the Sun, I hated to leave.
This might be the best hostel deal in Europe.
For less than 21 Euro / night — including a terrific breakfast — you get a fantastic facility in a perfect sun / fun location. You can’t beat this value in expensive Malta.
Here’s the vista from my balcony. Though it’s a hostel, my room is called the penthouse. 😀
Valletta is the capital city of Malta, the European Union‘s smallest capital city.
UNESCO World Heritage site. A LOT of history.
Founded by the Order of St John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Hospitaller.
Ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the nights of St John. Valletta’s 320 monuments, all within an area of 55 ha, make it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.
Today the strongest influence is from 150 years of British colonial history.
About 30% of the population of Malta are expats ➙ British, Italian, Indian, and Filipino most prominently. You can buy a EU passport with a minimum €600,000–€750,000 contribution. 😀
Population of Valletta as of 2021 was 5,157.
At any given moment, there are far more tourists than citizens. More than 3 million tourists arrive in Malta each year. Most of them visit Valletta.
I started in the afternoon with a scramble around nearby, dilapidated Fort Manoel.
Fort Manoel should be a major tourist attraction — but, as of 2026, most is closed to tourists. Some project renovations to be finished by 2033.
I didn’t get to Valletta until after dark. More evocative than during the day. Mysterious. Even spooky in places.
I do recommend you visit at night.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Another day I joined a free hostel walking tour to Valletta.
We started with 13 tourists from around the world.
Paty, our leader from Brazil, took us to many interesting spots.
We unexpectedly crashed wedding photos.
AND we had a birthday girl. Actually it was the day after her birthday — but the couple had been on the plane flying to Malta the day before.
Over the course of several hours, some of our group took off to meet friends. Or stop for dinner.
Only 6 of us were left by the time we got to Paty’s recommended restaurant, Alexanders by Zizka. Excellent.
I ordered that weird, delicious thin crust pizza. The rest had pasta, some with rabbit — a local favourite dish.
I loved Malta. But the highlights were all on hostel walking tours.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
We did take the ferry over to the Three Cities, but only had about an hour there. Time allowing, it would be even better than Valletta being so much less crowded with tourists.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Excellent Malta hostel day trip with leader Paty.
Here’s our group in Mdina: U.K., USA, France, Spain, Colombia, Sweden, Canada.
Mdina and Rabat are two historic, neighboring towns in central Malta that effectively function as a single destination.
Mdina, the “Silent City,” is a fortified medieval citadel that served as Malta’s capital until the 16th century.
I’m surprised it’s only on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This place is amazing.
Rabat, which translates to “suburb” in Arabic, grew outside Mdina’s walls and is renowned for its deep religious roots and Roman heritage.
The biggest highlight ➙ Basilica of St Paul.
For us, Rabat had the best inexpensive restaurants we’d found in the nation.
We loved the savoury Pastizz (Pastizzi) snacks and traditional Maltese savoury pastry parcels called Qassatat.
But the highlight of the trip for us all were the Dingli Cliffs.
We took an Uber van to get there for sunset.
St Peter’s Pool is a popular tourist destination in Malta for those looking to cliff jump, swim, and snorkel.
A diving dog called Titti once appeared jumping into the water with its owner Carmelo Abela, creating an internet sensation.
We met up at Marco Polo hostel ➙ astonished to have so many young people. Most of this mob are a Squash team from a U.K university blowing off their midterm reading week, partying in Malta instead. 😀
We took the public bus to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk.
At least a dozen of these small boats offer to take passengers to St. Peter’s Pool for 5 Euro each.
On board, skipper let the young people choose the music. First song played was Bad Bunny Tití Me Preguntó.
It was freezing — but at least 10 of the young people jumped.
This area is not all that clean. Nor officially maintained.
After seeing many rats in S.E. Asia, this was my first in 2026.
Before dark we walked the cliffs a half hour to a popular local restaurant. I had the Malta pasta. Very flavourful.
Yes, the eroding edge frequently collapses. I’d call this cliff walk dangerous.
Another excellent trip led by Paty for Marco Polo hostel.
Not counting airports. Not counting that time I stepped one foot into Bhutan. 😀
Here’s a map of my current list.
London operates the world’s busiest city airport system ➙ 6 major airport hubs for international travel.
I often end up connecting in London as flights from that city are some of the best value in the world.
Each time touching down, I try to spend a few days in one of the most fascinating global cities.
Once again I stayed at Wombats near the Tower Bridge.
Here’s Tower Bridge without me in the way. 😀
And here it is from above.
Most of what I do is FREE — wandering the streets and parks. Something interesting around every corner.
London is expensive but I don’t often pay for much. The major museums are free.
This time I stopped in the Natural History Museum. And the Victoria and Albert Museum next door.
At the V&A, one of my favourites is the Cast Courts.
Without his sling, David ain’t so tough.
The rooms are jam packed with interesting stuff.
Another Michelangelo reproduction.
I had some good weather in March, surprisingly.
Love London.
I happened upon a rally where most of the signs said “Free Iran“. Many were protesting the killing of innocents in Palestine, as well. Anti-Israel.
Freedom of assembly is a fundamental human right. There were arrests, but it stayed mostly non-violent.
I really need a month in London to visit everything I’d love to see.
I flew out of London on dread Ryanair. It was excellent. Stansted airport excellent.
Often chaotic. Always entertaining. Walking tourist London is a lot of FUN. 😀
Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.
This video edit was inspired by one on Learn Online Video.
I was disappointed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
BUT very impressed with Nairobi. A worthwhile tourist stop.
I had a ride share in from the airport during a drenching rain storm that killed between 1-20 people, depending on the news source reporting. Happily I was on the ultra modern expressway, a toll road. A project of the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
To get myself organized, I checked in first to the super fun Jabulani Nairobi Backpackers Hostel.
Location in the Westlands district made it convenient to get to restaurants, shops, and modern shopping centres. Expats here don’t lack for much in the way of international stores.
Carrefour grocery stores looked much the same as in Europe.
For day hiking, my hostel recommended Karura Forest, one of the largest urban forests in the world.
Trump ruined my first few days as it took time to change my ongoing flight from Dubai / Oman to London.
I’d hoped to do some hiking in the Kenyan highlands — but the rainy season had already started. It would have been a hassle.
My last 3 nights I booked into posh Wildebeest Eco Camp to live it up.
$61 / night for everything. Gourmet meals included.
I was keen to visit nearby Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum. On arrival it was inexplicably closed. Nobody knew why. A common problem in east Africa.
Also nearby and hugely popular is the Nairobi Safari Walk and Animal Orphanage. (PHOTOS)
Click PLAY or watch my short video on YouTube.
It’s at the gate to Nairobi National Park, inside the city itself.
I did the obligatory visit to the National Museums of Kenya. Small, but interesting.
On the same ticket you can see the Nairobi Snake Park and Aquarium. Neither is well maintained — but I am fascinated by snakes and reptiles.
There’s a small Botanic Garden, as well.
One last thing ➙ HUGE problem in Kenya for me was that my Canadian credit cards only worked occasionally. Many ticket offices don’t take cash. A few drivers don’t carry cash.
Those same cards worked all the time in Tanzania.
I was relieved to get out of the country.
I wouldn’t return to east Africa unless it was for a guided hiking adventure or another safari.
Nobody’s favourite tourist city, Dar es Salaam is sprawling and congested. Largest city in East Africa by population ➙ approaching 8 million.
The capital since 1996 is Dodoma.
Best news is the Dar es Salaam bus rapid transit system under construction. It reminds me of the excellent system I used in Rio.
Unfortunately progress has slowed after the death of President John Magufuli who initiated the program. Locals blame corruption.
Best thing I did in Dar was a personal half day cycling tour of the city. We visited very local coffee shops, candy shops, digital movie library, African herbal medicine shop, ghetto movie theatre, 2nd biggest market, and much more.
We finished with a soft drink in my guide’s local bar.
A walking tour of the downtown business centre wasn’t all that interesting.
Better was the Kijiji cha Makumbusho, or Village Museum, an open-air ethnographical centre showcasing traditional huts from 16 different Tanzanian ethnic groups.
It’s right in the middle of the city.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Get a glimpse of what I loved watching over 5 Days, 4 Nights Camping Serengeti in Tanzania.
I posted PHOTOS and a trip report on my hiking website.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I posted my PHOTOS and trip report on my hiking site.
But here’s the most inspirational video I’ve found so far.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Rick McCharles 