Malta is a small and largely crowded island, so one could argue that we only get the opportunity to truly flourish and be ourselves while on holiday.

Here are seven things that only happen to Maltese people while they’re travelling… or things they can’t help but do, every, single, time.

1. Clapping when the plane lands

Just in case everyone else forgot there are Maltese people onboard over the last couple of hours.

2. Quickly realising no one really knows where Malta is

You get super excited when that friendly shop owner asks you where you’re from, but it quickly takes a turn into the anticlimactic when you realise they’re smiling, but they’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.

3. Bumping into your cousin’s friend’s sister in the middle of nowhere

“Imma kif kellna nsiefru biex nintaqg?u? U ng?idu li Malta zg?ira a?na!”

There are over seven billion people on the planet and only some 400,000 Maltese people; you’re right, it really is a small world (or you’re actually on holiday in a very popular destination with Maltese people).

4. “E?att b?al Malta hawn!”

We’re just going to go out on a limb here and say that’s probably not the case.

5. Getting excited by international food chains we don’t have in Malta

Taco Bell? Dunkin Donuts? Starbucks? Erm, is this heaven?!
Hey, at least we’re getting Domino’s Pizza.

6. Getting thoroughly confused by the prospect of travelling for longer than an hour and a half on a bus

Look, Malta’s traffic can drastically increase travelling time, but everyone knows it would only 45 minutes tops to cross the island. Getting on a highway and riding it non-stop for more than an hour and a half though? No thanks.

7. Hearing the Maltese accent in a crowd after a couple of days and panicking

“I came here to get away from all this, how did they find me?”

BONUS: If you’re at the airport, hearing someone speak in Maltese is normally the sign that your holiday is officially over.

Tag someone who’s done one of these things before!

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).