Malta may be small enough to explore by car in just a few hours, but there’s a lot more to this Mediterranean destination than its size suggests. In Part 2 of their Turkey, Malta, and Switzerland trip recap, DeAndre and Taryn share everything they learned during four days in Malta, from navigating left-side driving and choosing the right hotel to discovering beautiful beaches, historic cities, incredible restaurants, and some unforgettable experiences on the water. They break down their stay at Hyatt Regency Malta, including how they booked a suite using 54,000 Hyatt points, and explain why the location, dining scene, and easy access to nightlife made it a great base for exploring the island.
The adventure continues with a diving trip to Gozo, a private boat excursion to the Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon, and visits to Mdina and Valletta. Along the way, DeAndre and Taryn share practical advice on renting a car, using Bolt, avoiding parking fines, planning a shorter private boat tour instead of a crowded group excursion, and making the most of Malta’s food and cocktail scene. They also explain why four days felt like a good amount of time for their visit, even though Malta has enough history, beaches, and activities to fill a much longer trip.
From Malta, they turn their journey home into a three-night stopover in Zurich using Air Canada Aeroplan, adding the stop for just 5,000 points per person. They stay at the Park Hyatt Zurich using Chase points, explore Lucerne by train, enjoy Swiss fondue and Zurich’s cocktail bars, and discover firsthand just how expensive Switzerland can be. Finally, they share their experience flying SWISS business class back to New York, a redemption worth approximately $13,000 in cash that cost them 140,000 points plus $260. Between the incredible value of their flights, the challenges of navigating unfamiliar destinations, and the experiences they would repeat or skip, this episode is packed with practical advice for planning a memorable multi-country trip using points and miles.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: Malta Travel Guide and Our 10,000 Point Switzerland Stopover
(03:02) Arriving in Malta: First Impressions, Heat and Humidity
(05:00) Driving in Malta: Left-Side Traffic, Parking and Using Bolt
(11:45) Hyatt Regency Malta: Booking a Suite With Chase Points
(16:40) Hyatt Regency vs. Hyatt Centric Malta: Location, Rooms and Benefits
(24:15) Visiting Gozo: Ferry Logistics and Scuba Diving
(28:10) Private Boat Tour to Malta’s Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon
(32:10) Exploring Historic Mdina and Valletta
(36:15) Malta’s Best Cocktail Bars, Restaurants and Nightlife
(47:00) How Many Days Do You Actually Need in Malta?
(49:00) Adding a Three-Night Zurich Stopover for Just 10K Aeroplan Points
(52:00) Park Hyatt Zurich: Points Booking, Globalist Benefits and High Prices
(58:00) Lucerne Day Trip, Swiss Fondue and Zurich’s Cocktail Scene
(68:10) SWISS Business Class: Our $13,000 Flight for 140K Points
(74:00) Final Flight Changes and Our Complete Trip Takeaways
Key Highlights:
- Four Days in Malta Worked Well: DeAndre and Taryn found four days sufficient to enjoy several of Malta’s highlights, although the island offers enough history and activities for a week or more.
- Driving Requires Preparation: Malta drives on the left, and narrow roads, roundabouts, parking restrictions, and speed cameras can make renting a car more stressful than expected.
- Hyatt Regency Malta Offers Great Points Value: Their four-night suite stay would have cost approximately $2,000 but was booked for 54,000 Hyatt points transferred from Chase.
- Gozo Is Worth Considering for Diving: Their experience with Scuba Kings was positive, although they felt that travelers staying on Malta’s main island could find excellent diving options without making the ferry journey.
- A Private Blue Lagoon Tour Can Be Worth It: Their private boat excursion covered the Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon in approximately two hours, avoiding the crowds and longer itineraries of larger group tours.
- Don’t Skip Mdina and Valletta: Mdina offers incredible historic architecture and a medieval atmosphere, while Valletta delivers beautiful streets, waterfront views, and a fantastic cocktail scene.
- Malta Has an Impressive Food Scene: From Japanese cuisine and mezcal bars to caviar, oysters, and fine dining, Malta exceeded their expectations for food and nightlife.
- Aeroplan Stopovers Add Incredible Value: They added a three-night Zurich stopover to their journey home for just 10,000 additional Aeroplan points total, making it possible to explore Switzerland without booking a completely separate award itinerary.
- Zurich Is Extremely Expensive: Dining, drinks, hotels, and everyday purchases were significantly more expensive than in Malta or Turkey, making points bookings and Hyatt Globalist benefits especially useful.
- Park Hyatt Zurich on Points: Their three-night stay cost 135,000 Hyatt points instead of approximately $3,268 in cash, although the hotel experience did not fully meet their expectations.
- Lucerne Is an Excellent Day Trip: A scenic train journey from Zurich brought them to Lucerne, where they enjoyed beautiful architecture, waterfront scenery, and traditional Swiss fondue.
- SWISS Business Class Was a Valuable Redemption: Their return flight cost 140,000 points plus $260 for two passengers instead of approximately $13,000 in cash, delivering over nine cents per point in value.
- Flexibility Matters When Booking Awards: Their return positioning flight plans changed, demonstrating why travelers should understand airline cancellation policies and compare the cost of rebooking against keeping an existing award.
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Publishing Tags: Revolutionizing Your Journey, Boldly Go Podcast, Malta, Malta Travel Guide, Malta Travel Tips, Visit Malta, Malta Itinerary, Malta Vacation, Malta Tourism, Malta Points and Miles, Hyatt Regency Malta, Hyatt Regency Malta Review, Hyatt Centric Malta, World of Hyatt, Hyatt Points, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Chase Points, Malta Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon Malta, Comino, Gozo, Gozo Diving, Scuba Kings Gozo, Malta Scuba Diving, Valletta Malta, Mdina Malta, St Julians Malta, Malta Nightlife, Malta Restaurants, Malta Cocktail Bars, Caviar and Bull Malta, Malta Car Rental, Driving in Malta, Bolt Malta, Switzerland, Switzerland Travel Guide, Zurich Switzerland, Zurich Travel Guide, Visit Zurich, Park Hyatt Zurich, Park Hyatt Zurich Review, Hyatt Globalist, Lucerne Switzerland, Lucerne Day Trip, Swiss Trains, Swiss Fondue, Swiss Business Class, SWISS International Air Lines, SWISS Business Class Review, Swiss Business Class JFK, Air Canada Aeroplan, Aeroplan Stopover, Aeroplan Points, Aeroplan Sweet Spots, 5000 Point Stopover, Points and Miles, Award Travel, Travel Rewards, Luxury Travel, Business Class Flights, Chase to Hyatt, Credit Card Points, Travel Hacking, Multi Country Travel, Turkey Malta Switzerland, DeAndre Coke, Taryn, BoldlyGo
