The Country

Malta is a very small, independent, island nation, an EU member state from May 2004. It is situated in the Mediterranean Sea 60 miles south of Italy. It's area is 315.6 sq km with a population of 400,000, which makes it the eighth most densely populated country in the world and the most densely-populated in the EU with 1,267 persons per square km.

When we say "Malta" we are really referring to The Maltese Archipelago because together with the main island Malta there are two more populated islands, Gozo and Comino, together with a number of unpopulated islands or rocks in the sea like Cominotto, Filfla, St Paul's Islands, It-Taqtiegha and il-Gebla tal-General.

The area of Gozo is half the size of Malta but its population is just 40,000. There is a frequent connection by ferry with the main island.

Comino is smaller still, a little longer than one km. There are two families living there but it has one hotel and a number of bungalows for tourists.

  Hostels

MYHA members are served by two hostels, one in the main island and one in Gozo.

One may enrol as an MYHA member with the head office at 17, Triq Tal-Borg, Pawla PLA 1250 with its office hours from 16.00 to 17.00 h on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. The phone connection on +356 2169 3957 is also at these times but out of office hours one may leave a message after the phone rings five times.  For economical reasons one is asked to give an e-mail address to be assured of a reply or at least to a phone on a fixed line giving a time when one is there to answer the phone.  One is asked to give connection information slowly, clearly and to repeat it at least once.

One may also communicate on e-mail: maltayha@gmail.com

Stay at the youth hostel is rent-free on the understanding that through the membership fee, members are the collective owners of the hostels but the expenses of the services (water, electricity, laundry, gas, replaceables) are shared according to use. Donations are welcome and members are very understanding and forthcoming and they have come forward with donations ranging from half a euro to eight euros a night. Being a charity persons who are proposed by a recognized  agency who takes up a case may stay for a few days without paying anything until a person makes his personal arrangements about his/her situation.

Notifications by members for arrivals until 22.00 hrs are received. These are not reservations (there are no deposits to send) and they are not binding either on the MYHA or on the person making them but the MYHA will on good faith keep them until 16.15h of the day notified for arrival. Good faith is also expected from the notifier in that if there is a change of plan, the MYHA is informed. We regret we have no facilities for groups. Notifications through the normal post (not by e-mail, which is free) should have three international reply coupons available from the post office.  Checking-in is between 16.00 and 22.00 hrs every day.  Please note that for details about binding reservations see under "Reservations."

PAWLA (or Paola): The overnight fee, decided collectively, which does not include rent is at present like this:

On the basis of a monthly period it is 6 ewro for the first five overnights and 2 ewro for each of the following 25 overnights.  The first five overnights include membership for one year, card, photos and change of bedlinen for three times during the month.  The first five days of the other 11 months are 4 ewro because there's no membership fee.

GĦAJNSIELEM in Gozo:  Once a membership is secured at Pawla stay is on a basis of seven days at 1 ewro a night + a fee based on how much electricity is used.