Visiting Malta with Children

First of all a Happy New Year to all reading this! We've been a little bit busy lately, and the Christmas Season didn't help us very much, so we feel very ashamed to say that we neglected our blog for a couple of months... However, we've made a new year’s resolution to avoid using the "we've been busy" excuse and try to keep it up to date as much as possible.

Since it's Winter, and the beaches in Malta aren't really what families with kids are dreaming of right now, we decided to put together a list of things that families can do when visiting Malta. The list is never ending, so we chose a few of our favourite activities...

THE MALTA NATIONAL AQUARIUM

The Malta National Aquarium is one of the leading visitor attractions in Malta. Located in one of Malta’s most picturesque promenades, the aquarium is home to an array of over a hundred different species of fish including sharks, rays, seahorses and eels, spread over approximately 20,000 square meters.
 
The public aquarium has 26 display tanks featuring a range of wonderful and colourful Mediterranean fish, including those commonly found in Maltese waters together with replicas of historical artefacts that one can find in the seas around the Maltese islands.The main tank of the aquarium houses species from the Indian Ocean, including eight black tip sharks, rays, eels and other exotic species. The main tank is approximately 12 meters in diameter and has a walk-through tunnel that allows visitors to get up close and personal with a dazzling array of amazing sea life.
The Malta National Aquarium is situated in the northeast of the island in a town called Qawra which is a charming, purpose-built resort in north-east Malta. The town is set around scenic St Paul’s Bay.
 
Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 10:00 – 18:00 (last entry 17.30)
Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 – 20:00 (last entry 19.30)
Website: www.aquarium.com.mt

BIRD PARK

 Bird Park Malta homes over 200 species of birds and other animals. Flamingos, pelicans, swans, storks, owls, cranes, parrots and many other amazing birds from around the world thrive happily with kangaroos, wallabies, antilope, meerkats, deer, genets, marmosets and more. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about bird habitat, flight, plumage cycles, displays, song and calls, territory and pair formation, nests and eggs, migration and much more, whilst having the chance to observe and interact with wildlife. The dedicated team of animal keepers work hard to ensure that all the animals enjoy the best possible care. While carrying out the daily feeding the keepers are always ready to share their knowledge and experience with you. Some of the friendly macaws, owls, reptiles and other animals are always eager for human interaction.

Opening Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Friday: 10.00 – 15.00
Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 – 17.00
Website: www.birdparkmalta.com


FUN TRAINS
Mdina
Melita Trains operates a trackless train tour of Rabat, Mdina, Mtarfa and the neighbouring area.
Tours start and finish in front of the Domus Romana in Rabat, just outside Mdina. The train tour is approximately 8 kilometers long and takes between 25 and 30 minutes to complete, travelling at a maximum speed of 25km/hr.

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10:00 - 16:00
Website: www.melitatrains.com 



MALTA 5D

 Travel through time with incredible 3D images of the island. Moving seats, water spray, air blasts and leg ticklers
make Malta 5D a unique experience suitable for all ages! In this 5D cinema, you are not just a spectator...!! 5D cinema is a new generation attraction which allows you to feel the 'real' emotions of the movie. A dive into the midst of a bright and virtual world with images in 3D that simulate the visual movements and creates a, so called, `participation effect`. The 5D cinema concept offers specially manufactured seats which strictly follow the movement that you are seeing on the screen, whether its flying over the open seas or racing through the narrow streets, your seat will turn you left to right or toss you up and down, enabling you to discover your presence in the movie.  The seat movements, together with the water spray and air blast effects, complements this audio-visual experience that strengthens this emotion of participation.

Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 09:30 – 16:00
Sunday & Public Holidays: 10:00 – 14:00
Website: www.malta5d.com 


VALLETTA TOY MUSEUM

 Opened 1998, the Toy Museum houses a private collection accumulated over 30 years, which is displayed over
three floors. The wide range of toys comes from many countries, dates from 1950 onwards and are made from a variety of materials. The collection includes dolls, farmyard animals, trains, cars, model planes and boats and exhibits are generally displayed in glass cabinets. 

Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:00-15:00 
Sat/Sun: 10.30 -13.30. 



PLAYMOBIL FUN PARK

A unique opportunity to see where the cute, tiny Playmobil toys are made. Apart from a factory tour, there is a fun park full of Playmobil goodies complete with water channels. 
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
Website: http://www.playmobilmalta.com/funpark/page.aspx?id=200
 

POPEYE VILLAGE
Popeye Village Malta has grown from its days as a Film Set of the 1980 Musical Production 'Popeye' into one of the major tourist attractions on the Maltese Islands filled with a number of colorful fun activities for all young and young at heart. Open all year round we guarantee an enjoyable visit to all of our guests.

Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 09:30 - 16:30
Website: http://www.popeyemalta.com/



SAN ANTON (PRESIDENT’S) KITCHEN GARDEN

 The Kitchen Garden in Attard is one of the most historical gardens in Malta. The beautiful garden belongs to the San Anton Palace, the residence of the President of Malta, and has been providing the palace with vegetables since the time of the knights.

The Kitchen Garden is also perfect for families as the garden is the home to several animals such as donkeys, ponies, cranes, goats, emus and other smaller animals. Take a stroll on the new modern paving, relax in the garden furniture and admire the pretty lighting for the trees. 

The playing area and the animal park has been built to be accessible for persons with disability and all the items purchased from the Cafe is donated to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Opening hours: 
1st October to 31st October 9:30am - 7:00pm
1st November to 31st March 9:30am - 6:00pm
1st April to 30th June 9:30am - 7:00pm
1st July to 30th September 9:30am - 2:00pm and 6:00pm - 10:00pm

So those are our top things to do with children while in Malta out of the summer months... If you'd like more information please feel free to drop us a line on info@unitedtravel.com.mt

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