Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

This was the first trip for me and my husband to Malta, and we knew we needed help to plan a great trip, so we called on Damon, Wendy’s expert in Malta. After a few discussions, Damon and his team put together an itinerary that ticked all of our boxes, plus more.

In Valletta, our guide, Pierre, was magnificent and one of the best guides we have ever had; he knows so much about Malta’s history, religion, and culture that it made the activities even more interesting and informative. There were numerous highlights on this trip: St. John’s Co-Cathedral (an unbelievable Baroque masterpiece, that also includes Caravaggio’s only signed painting); a close-up view of the cannon firing at the Upper Barrakka Gardens; a superb lunch at the King’s Own Band Club (established in 1874); a visit to the Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Temples (structures 1,000 years older than the Great Pyramid); guided tour through the Hypogeum, a magnificent underground burial complex which was in use between 4,000BC and 1,500BC (they only allow 10 visitors per hour, so we were extremely lucky to experience this); a private tour of the Lascaris War Rooms, the underground complex that was responsible for air defense of Malta during World War II; a pastizzi-making class in the home of Gulinu and Nancy, who have been making this pastry for many years; and St. Paul’s Grotto, where the saint is believed to have stayed after his shipwreck in 60AD.

Gozo Island gave us the opportunity to take a boat through the Blue Lagoon, visit Ta‘ Pinu National Shrine, and have a fantastic luxury private picnic on the beach (everyone around us was jealous!).

Our time in Mdina was incredible. It is a truly remarkable place with cobbled streets, narrow alleyways, and a huge range of architecture. It was here that we had a private visit to the Palazzo del Prelato, where the owner showed us through the home his family has lived in for centuries. We especially loved Mdina at night when we walked the streets and felt like we were the only people in the city.

This is only a taste of all the things we saw and did on this vacation. We are convinced these experiences would not have been possible without Damon’s connections. The only downside to all of this is that we wish we had stayed longer!

This​ was a fabulous travel company to work with in organizing our trip to Malta. They were attentive to detail and the program organized was excellent. Our guide Pierre and driver Martin were also fantastic. They were able to pivot and reorganize the program, when necessary, due to weather or health needs of the client. We had a great day in Gozo where we had a picnic by the sea. For that excursion, Damon suggested that we go on the weekday in order to avoid the crowds on the weekend. The excursions ranged from seeing ancient burial sites to viewing a private collection of World War 2 memorabilia. Damon was in constant contact with our guide and drivers ensuring that our vacation was running smoothly. We would highly recommend Damon and his team for any travels to Malta. They were exceptional!!

Barbara and Larry riding in a WWII Willys Jeep.

Barbara and Larry riding in a WWII Willys Jeep owned by a Malta collector.

Jason planned a full, fascinating, and fun trip for my husband and me in Malta and Sardinia from April 24 to May 4, 2025. His combined family roots and connections in Malta and Canada uniquely equip him and his team to be in the know, with off-the-beaten path connections. He took care to understand our interests and planned for us a rich and varied experience.

Some highlights included time spent with Maltese knights, a private tour of the Malta Contemporary Art Space, a jaunt over to the island of Gozo, and a visit to the home of a man who has accumulated a vast collection of World War II memorabilia, preserving the story of the World War II siege.

Robin and Josh Madden on a rooftop of a private Palazzo in Malta.

Travelers Robin and Josh Madden take in the rooftop vista from a private Palazzo.

Damon planned a seamless trip perfect for our interests. The first unique feature was that we had the same guide and driver for the entire trip. Our guide Pierre was incredibly knowledgeable about history, art, religion and culture. Manuel our driver was professional, kind, and also extremely knowledgeable himself about all aspects of Malta. By the end of the week, they both felt like friends.

Damon created days perfectly structured: combinations of culture, art, food and unique experiences. We visited several museums and historical sites where Damon arranged for a curator to meet us and take us around the collection. Sometimes it was after hours, so we were the only people there. Pierre expertly explained history as he took us through sites pre-dating Stonehenge and the pyramids to the era of the Knights of Saint John and the British. There were many highlights, but the ones that really stood out were those where we met local experts. We went to a sheep farm and tasted their cheeses with a former chef, met with an art restorer at her workshop, and saw how she and her team worked to restorer pieces over months.

On Gozo we had an incredible luxury picnic on the shore, played bocci with some locals and an ex-New Yorker, and met some sea salt harvesters. In Mdina we stayed inside the walls, where at night it is so gorgeous and quiet. There we learned about organ restoration and got to hear the restorer play. We visited the private Palazzo of a noble family, taken around to see their centuries-old home and collections, including a private altar with a relic of the cross. We had two private winery visits: one at San Niklaw winery, where the winemaker is a Pediatric surgeon, and the son also a winemaker and a medical student; the other at Markus Divinus, where the proprietor also has another day job. They both make incredible wines, rivaling wine we’ve had anywhere in the world. We only wish we could get them in the U.S.! Damon kept in touch the whole time, and even sent a 1947 Vauxhall car to pick us up one evening as a birthday surprise. And there was so much more…. We never would have had any of these experiences on our own.

So glad Damon planned this trip, and would unreservedly recommend others to contact him and Jason.

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