Last year, as recession started biting, Cyprus reeled from the announcement that it was the tenth most expensive world holiday destination. Rotten publicity but probably deserved. By midsummer that status rose to being ninth most expensive.
Malta, conversely, ranks fourth cheapest in the EU. I went there to see what were the differences that had opened up this yawning gap, and is the difference justified. For the most part I have to say yes it is.
A Cyprus travel company offers three-day packages from Larnaca. Flying Emirates, you stay at the Intercontinental in St Julians. Three days is insufficient. I suggest staying an extra night or two to do the place justice. The hotel is just a five-minute taxi ride from Valetta. And that is where the differences start. The taxi fare from Luqa airport to the hotel costs a set rate of €20. The driver is not allowed to overcharge. Point one in favour of Malta.
There is also a first-class island-wide bus service. Cyprus has only a token service. Cyprus has better roads than Malta and Malta has no motorways. A big plus for our island. Driving without a functioning silencer or without a safety helmet doesn’t happen anywhere. Maltese driving is also better. Don’t dare to park on a pavement anywhere. And without a disabled badge, being in a disabled zone risks immediate arrest. The no-mobile-while-driving rule is strictly enforced. It is obvious everywhere that their polite police are not only efficient but absolutely in control. They simply won’t turn a blind eye to flagrant offences.
A political difference also operates. Here there’s detectable underlying scorn of Cypriots for the Brits they imagine they kicked out. Malta is endlessly and justly proud of its UK connections. This basic difference shows everywhere.
Currently hotel occupancy is at 60 per cent of normal compared with our 40 per cent. One reason is that prices are substantially cheaper and for excellent service-with-a-smile. There are none of the sullen antics of imported hotel staff. In hotels, shops and restaurants service is swift and friendly. You will not see two or three shop attendants chatting among themselves and ignoring the incoming customer before serving him or her with a grudging pout. Another big advantage is that Malta-to-UK takes a little over two hours compared with our 4.5 hours.
Malta is, overall, much quieter than Cyprus. And you simply won’t see rubbish, discarded refrigerators or even polybags blowing around in the wind. The wind itself, though, is more of a nuisance there. Overall, the Cyprus climate is better than that of Malta and the season longer.
Malta scores again on punctuality. Times stated are according to the world not according to any-old-time Cyprus ways. However, when it comes to sight-seeing although Cyprus has little enough to show it still has far more than Malta. Cyprus has Troodos and the panhandle. Malta has no mountains at all. That said, it has a wonderful harbour and you can even hire a seaplane or a helicopter to fly around it as well as around the island and neighbouring Gozo and Comino. They have virtually no great beaches such as we have in Cyprus. The one in St Julians is a narrow strip of sand that has been imported to pretend it is a beach. Not only on the beaches is Cyprus the winner. We also have a greater multiplicity of wild flowers and of bird-watching opportunities. Malta has little of either. What it does have is far better and more abundant fish at lower cost. Scuba fishing thrives far better than in Cyprus’ depleted waters.
Shopping in Cyprus is better though more expensive. Menacing touts such as those that plague Paphos harbour and elsewhere are forbidden and both property prices and general cost of living are 20 per cent lower. Rules are not heavy-handed but they must be obeyed. For example, on Sundays no noisy or construction work is allowed.
One thing is surprising. As a result of the economic squeeze, prices across Cyprus have been raised to compensate. In Malta they have been lowered to attract the missing tourists. No prizes for guessing which plan works best.
The final summary is that Malta and the Maltese care deeply for their island. They are planning its successful future, and it shows. They are Europeans. In Cyprus, with its undeniable Turko-Arabic mixture, our politicians dither and fuss about trivia and ignore the present and future wealth and welfare of the island.
Me? I, nevertheless, prefer Cyprus. Many don’t.
