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Experience the Woodlands, cliffs and rocky wildlife of Buskett / Dingli area.
There is only one main forest-like area in Malta and this is called Buskett (derived from Italian meaning a 'small forest'). This habitat will be the first part of this walk in the heart of Mediterranean trees, flowers, birds and butterflies. The second part consists of another common habitat of the Maltese islands - steppe and garigue, which basically consists of rocky land of hard coraline limestone on which low growing rock plants and some small bushes are able to survive, even the arid months of Summer. The third part is a walk along the coast of Dingli Cliffs with panaromic view throught the entire walk. A well balanced tour of three different habitats which would keep your camera and breath busy.
Type of walk:
This is a peaceful and rather easy walk for all ages along grass pathways and easy rock stepping. This is the only walk which brings together the 3 different types of natural habitats - Woodland, Garigue, Coastal cliffs. Due to the nature of Maltese topography some pathways are over rocky terrain. Recommended for anyone who is in a good state of health and can make long walks. There are several stops during the walk when some interesting plant or panoramic view is met.
The tour leader Mr. Stephen Mifsud (Dip. Agric and author of www.maltawildplants.com) brings considerable knowledge of Malta’s fauna and flora to lead you on the walk and help you experience Malta at its best. General knowledge about the geographical and natural aspects is given during the walk. There will be ample time for short rests, own-exploration and photography. The leader is an expert photographer himself so you can abuse for some great photos! Note that in this walking excursion it is obligatory to bring your food and drink with you, since there is no affordable restaurant in the area. There is a small hotel in the nearabouts, of which you can buy some food and water though we could not stay long for a full 3-course set menu lunch.
What you should bring:
- Comfortable shoes or boots with a non-slip bottom (due to rock stepping).
- Your own food and drinks
- Small binoculars
- Photo camera (a must!)
- Adequate clothing for the weather
- Passport or ID in case you apply for family offers or have children.
Languages:
- English
- Italian
- Swedish translation + basic German (at extra cost for translator)
- Russian translation (at extra cost of translator)
What nature to expect:
The South West area is blessed with a profusion of flowering plants and trees. Depending on the season, one should expect to see, orchids (e.g. Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys bombyliflora and Ophrys fusca), endemic or sub-endemic plants (e.g. species of Romulea, Cistus, Iris, Periploca and more), red carpets of honeysuckle or poppies, snapdragons, asphodels (e.g. Asphodelus aestivus), borages (e.g. the medicinal Borago officinalis and the honeywort – Cerinthe majus), mustards, aromatic plants (mints, fennel, etc), the curious squirting cucumber, and much more. In this location we can see the national plant of Malta too. We will also be accompanied by the various fauna that we encounter on our way such as lizards, butterflies and, if lucky, the camouflaged chameleon.
Detailed description of full day tour:
Dates and Time: – Monday orTuesday (or Saturday)* 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
- We meet at 9:15-9:30am by the Verdala Palace at which there is a bus stop.
- Excursion starts towards the heart of Buskett, adorned with numerous types of trees (including many Mediterranean examples) of all sizes and shapes. We also pass by a natural spring that flows also during Summer after 2-3 months of absolute no rain.
- We then climb to a hilly plataue for a nice view over the whole buskett area, Verdala Palace, and the entire view of Eastern Malta.
- We make our way to Clapham Junction and the garigue of this area to explore some interesting rocky plants that you would not find in northern Europe or US.
- Around noon it's our official 'Half-time' and finally we can rest for a long picnic launch. There is a small hotel and restaurant close to here in case you need to buy some extra things or use the public convenience.
- By 1:00pm we continue further our way to the coastal area and have a peaceful and easy but rather long walk along Gebel Ciantar and Dingli Cliffs. Here we shall meet the national plant of malta (the Maltese centaury), Orchids, Lilies, Hyacinths, Asphodels, Germander and maritime species depending the season. There is also the loadest choir of chirping birds in Malta, and if time permits we can have a look at old local residences in huge caves.
- We make our last leg to the county-town of Dingli from Dingli Cliffs where we take the bus to Valletta via Rabat and Attard. Tour ends around 4:00-4:30pm.
| Prices and Offers
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| Please contact us as soon as possible since from this year, the prices vary according group size, transport conditions and season of the year, making it overall cheaper from the previous years !!! |
* The official dates are every Monday or Tuesday of every week from 15 October to 15 June. In some ocassions, the tours take place also on Saturdays, but this availability has to be confirmed in advanced.
To make reservations, please contact Mr. Stephen Mifsud at res@maltanaturetours.com by phone on (00356) 79546987 or fill the reservation in the [contacts page].
Season Special Events:
Oct - Dec 2007:
- After a long hot and dry Summer, nature comes back into play on the Maltese islands, By mid October our Mediterranean islands will take again the green countryside colour, and MaltaNature Tours start to operate again.
- During these 2-3 months, one can experience the autumn flowering plants, while enjoying a mildly warm sunny days (19-22C) and fresh cool air from the North West.
- For this period, a CD with Maltese folk music is to be drawn as a lottery during the mid-daybreak.
Meeting Place and Transport
The meeting place of the tour is outside the Verdala Palace, Buskett. There is only one bus which passes by the palace, that is No.81 from Valletta.
There are 4 types of transportation:
- 1) Public bus (cheapest)
- 2) Your hired car
- 3) Organised mini van (ideal for groups)
- 4) Taxi (fastest!)
Buses are frequent and do not take much time to travel across the small island of Malta. All buses go and leave from Valletta, so what you have to do is pick the bus from the nearest bus stop of your hotel, and once in Valletta follow the extremely easy guide (with true aerial views) prepared for you on this link [Click here]. The prices of buses are very, very cheap in Malta (less than half an Euro) and the time from Valletta to Verdala can take as long as 50-60 minutes.
The main destination is Verdala Palace. Follow the signs to Rabat or Mdina. Once you arrive to a very inclined steep known as Saqqajja, just beneath Mdina, there is a sharp turn to Mdina. At this point do not go to Mdina but keep driving straight ahead so as you pass a petrol station and enter Rabat. You should come to a 2-way narrow road (a nightmare for some drivers!) and finally the road splits in two - either further straight up, or to your right. Keep driving further straight up towards Buskett/Verdala. The road becomes bumpy and through the countryside or trees, and is rather twining left and right. Drive slowly as finally you should arrive to a small square in front of the Verdala Palace, usually denoted by a big greengrocer van opposite the palace. This is our meeting place. There are few tall trees, a bench or two and a bus stop shelter.
Transport by Mini Van or Coach:
If you are a group of tourists from same hotel, or hotels from same area namely:
1) Bugibba/Qawra area or
2) Sliema/Saint Julian area,
This transport option may appeal to you. The minivan gives the comfort of picking you up from your hotel and takes you to the meeting spot in 30mins or so. However this comes at an extra cost including return (depending number of tourists and area of your hotel). Please contact us for details about this option as it changes according time. It is not recommended for individual persons since it can become expensive.
Transport by Taxi:
This is by far the fastest and easiest method of transportation, but can come at an extra cost of 15-30 Euros.
Personally, we think that you should take the bus option!!! The ride itself is an experience while it drives through the urban cities of central Malta and observe the daily working lifestyle of the Maltese. Additionally, the bus passes by agricultural areas of Attard, Ta'Qali and Rabat. It's true that you have to wake up earlier, but on the other hand it adds adventure, and by far the cheapest option. We made the online guide of bus transport too much easy!
Photo Gallery of this tour:
| Pic 01 |
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Majestic view of Verdala Palace in the heart of the Woodland of Buskett. |
| Pic 03 |
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Walking through the trees and shrubs of Buskett. The air is fresh of healthy air and sounds of chirping birds. |
| Pic 02 |
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One of our sites is a projection of rock limits of Fawwara with wonderful views of the coast and cliff profile. (200m - 250m high) |
| Pic 04 |
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Photo of Dingli Cliffs with the island of Filfla at the back. A good task for photographers with large zooms. |
| Pic 05 |
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One of our sites is Ghar il-Kbir - the largest cave in Malta which collapsed wihile dozens of families used to live in during old times. |
| Pic 06 |
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The countryside of Dingli and Buskett during May. |
| Pic 07 |
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Cliffs and countryside along the coastline. Sea breeze refreshens our last part of the walk. |
| Pic 08 |
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Rock profiles of the Cliffs. |
| Pic 09 |
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Sepia of the Parish Church of Dingli dedicated to Holy Mary. |
| Pic 10 |
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Bonus pic - Panoramic (wide angle) view of Fawwara and Dingli Cliffs. (2500 pix wide) |
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is there a limit of tourists attending the tour?
Yes, not more than 22 persons for this tour, so as to keep the walk peaceful and uncrowded. First come first served basis, so book now before it gets full up! Minimum 3 persons, we dont mind it!
Q: How can I book this tour?
You make your reservation from the contacts page [click here] either by writing an email or by filling the online form. We correspond back with you. If you are in Malta and do not have an internet access, you can phone (20c/min) or sms (2c/sms) on our helpdesk mobile phone and tell us your name/hotel room and hotel accomodation, then we phone you back. There is no obligation upon making a reservation, unless you order coach transport from us (in that case there is a deposit fee)
Q: We are a group of 12 tourists and would like to order a minivan. How it is done?
This will involve a transport service so be sure that you can come, as the transport company gets upset with us if you cancel in the last minute. Although there has been no trouble of this sort, we ask a deposit fee which is not refundable if you do not come. Full details and prices on request by email since conditions vary from season to another.
Q: If I take the bus option and I get late or lost?
The bus routes in Malta are far more simple than rest of Europe/US and the [bus guide] provided on the website makes life so easy that it is impossible to get lost (unless you fall asleep in the bus!) In case of delays of few couple of minutes, please phone the excursion leader (79546987) for a feasible solution. As you can understand, we cant always fix things for very long delays.
Q: What if it rains in the middle of the excursion?
It's still nice :-) unless you forget a light waterproof jacket and/or boots. Please have a look in the morning at the local weather forecast. (also on TV teletext of your hotel). The forecast of the day is quite accurate. If it gets impossible during the tour, we stop half way and you get half the money back.
Q: Can the tour be cancelled?
Yes in very difficult weather conditions (storms, ice hail or extreme wind) the tour is cancelled, or better to say postponed to the next date. In such rare cases, you will be informed at your hotel or own phone number in the early morning.
Q: I am old and not physically active, shall I come?
If you can walk for long distances (with several rests and breaks in between) then this tour is Ok for you. There are few uphill pathways but they are neither long nor difficult. Please bear in mind that we cannot nurse people who get tired quickly, as it will ruin the fun and value of the others.
Q: What if I forget to bring food with me?
You will definitely get thinner after this walk then :-) Seriously, try and remember to bring you own food, and if you are coming by bus, you can always buy basic food, take away, snacks, chocolates and water from Valletta just at the bus terminus. Nevertheless, we pass from van groceries and two restaurants during our way. However sometimes they are closed ! As a last resort, I always bring some extra chocolate bars.
Tourists Feedback!
Sebastian and Carol, Berlin.
We really enjoyed this long walk along the most spectacular scenes of Malta and fresh air of trees, away from the pollution and overcrowdness of the cities. In Malta colours are so vivid, probably due to the bright Winter Sunlight. Pity that we could not see the National Plant in flower during December, but as the brave tour leader said, we were compensated by the beautiful crocus that flowers only in Nov-Dec. Wonderful day and thank you Stefan!
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