Traveler Elaine Patterson and her husband enjoy a private opera WOW Moment tour and performance with Manoel Theatre historian Josette, far left, organized by their planner Damon, far right.

Malta is magical—and Damon is the magician! My husband and I spent 2 weeks in Malta in March with the help of Damon and his team. We had been attracted to Malta for many years because of its history with multiple civilizations controlling the island and two famous sieges, in Ottoman times and WWII. We zoomed with Damon and immediately knew we were in great hands. His energy and enthusiasm came through the screen, and his detailed questions made us confident that he understood “who we are” and what we’d like. We gave him free rein to come up with an itinerary focusing on experiences and he/his team exceeded our expectations in every way.

Damon created (and executed) a trip that was incredibly creative, personal, and filled with a mix of sights and experiences that we loved. From private after-hours visits to major cathedrals and palaces (with musicians in the background, just for us!), to visits with artists, art restorers, and artisan food/wine makers and farmers, to countryside walks, e-bike rides, and bocce with locals—all fabulous. Every event turned into much more than we imagined, from a private recital in the Theater (with a surprise visit from Damon bearing champagne) to a private tour/dinner in the Inquisitor’s Palace. He matched us to guides and drivers (a million thanks to Martin, Leanne, and Mario) who were wonderful travel companions and through our different experiences, we met a lot of Maltese people, all of whom could not have been more warm and welcoming.

Damon and our guides showed their passion for Malta and for delivering incredible visitor experiences every day. We highly recommend visiting Malta and letting Damon design something equally special for you!

We made a last-minute decision to visit Malta for 4 days from December 30th to January 3rd. I can’t thank Damon enough for planning a wonderful and unforgettable trip for me and my husband within a 30-day notice. Given the holiday season, Damon made sure we had our accommodations secured first. His hotel recommendations were detailed and spot-on with the pros and cons listed.

Once our accommodations were secured, Damon planned a flawless four days for us with fun and cultural activities. There was no detail too small for Damon to consider, from the airport porter service on arrival, to the special guest service on departure, from fancy restaurant recommendations to local bistro sandwich spots and cultural to hiking activities, Damon made sure we experienced the best of Malta within the four days we were there. His tour guide and driver were attentive and knowledgeable. The restaurants that Damon recommended all had the most delicious and amazing food. Damon even made time to meet us on the day that we arrived in Malta to check on us.

Throughout our stay in Malta, Damon was always just a phone call away. If you want an unforgettable trip in Malta, please be sure to have Damon plan it for you.

Damon and his Malta team planned an outstanding trip for us the last week of December. We’ve used Wendy Perrin’s WOW List for many years and Damon was one of the best trip planners we have used. He was responsive, an excellent listener, creative, and understanding of our special dietary needs. My husband, my son (27), my daughter (21) and I loved everything he planned for us—especially the few surprises he threw in.

The things that stood out for us were the visit to the Hypogeum, the private experience in the Grand Master’s Palace, the visits to a private villa and palazzo, a sunset walk, and our absolute favorite was a private visit to a small winery where we had an eight-course dinner prepared by a private chef paired with wines. The winemaker explained each wine and his journey to winemaking. It was an incredible evening!

Damon also provided excellent hotel and restaurant suggestions (we loved The Phoenicia Malta Hotel and Harbour Club Restaurant), special personal touches, and a great tour guide. He also helped us immediately when we had a situation getting to the airport on the way home. Overall, we highly recommend Malta as a destination and Damon to plan an outstanding experience there.

Damon planned an amazing Malta and Gozo experience for us. The guides were all excellent and possessed of a deep knowledge of Malta. We will forever remember the experiences such as pasticia making, the picnic on the beach in Gozo, and the wine tasting evening. We had a fun-filled and hassle-free time on Malta. It was a 5-Star event.

We just came back from the most wonderful 11 days in Malta, an underappreciated and overlooked island. Damon listened to everything the four of us had to say, some of it conflicting, and created the leisurely paced vacation we dreamed of.

The history of the island, based on its location, is fascinating, and much is still preserved. Our guides, John Paul, Caroline and Joseph, are among the best we’ve ever experienced. Our drivers, William, Roger and Mario could not have been nicer or safer drivers.

We especially loved our private cooking class, visit to a sheep farm where we met the chef who makes fresh cheese and were able to buy some from him (he supplies Michelin star restaurants), our private beach picnic catered by Anna, and our spectacular wine tasting dinner at Markus Divinis winery, with private chef.

If you think Malta is a good 1-2 day stop while going someplace else, you don’t know what you’re missing. Don’t miss it.

Our trip to Malta and Gozo was extraordinary. We were there from Dec 25 thru the 31st, so had time to see a lot—and so we did! We were blessed with perfect weather every day in the low to mid-60s, so it’s a great time of year to go. Our trip planner was Damon—we had a phone conversation in advance to let him know about our particular interests, and he gave us an itinerary that was just right for us.

We were picked up every morning at 9 or 9.30, and spent the whole day with either our guide—the amazing and wonderful Martin, himself a member of the Knights of St John, and therefore full of inside information and general historical knowledge—or just our driver. If the latter, there were guides waiting at each venue to speak to us. We traveled either on foot or by car, or sometimes a combination of the two. The day was broken up with excellent lunches at a variety of pre-selected venues, and we returned to our hotel around 4.30 or one day around 6 (following our trip to Gozo).

We requested full days, and we got them! Our dinner reservations were also made for us, at the hour we requested. Damon was also able to add a last-minute request of ours, to see the Hypogeum, which is difficult to get into, and was one of the best visits of our trip. Also really special were our visit to a farm and an outdoor farm-to-table lunch there, a visit to a church in Mdina, where we met the organ player/restorer deep in the back recesses of the church, a visit in Mdina to an archivist, and also to a marvelous historical townhouse, and another day meeting an artisan boat builder and having a lovely lunch alongside the harbor at Novita restaurant.

It’s difficult to pick out from our full itinerary what was the best, because everything we saw and the people we met were all so special. Taking the ferry to Gozo and touring the island (by car) was a wonderful contrast. There were five in our party and we were all comfortably transported in a small van. Warning—there are lots of tourists in Malta, at least in the center where we stayed (at the Rosselli Hotel) and at the popular tourist sites. We hadn’t expected it to be so crowded, and now with the beginning of direct flights from NYC, it will probably get even more so. But that’s no reason to stay away.

I’ll close by saying I’m hugely grateful for Wendy’s recommendation. Damon was helpful and responsive in every way, and he even popped into our restaurant on our last night to say goodbye. And again, our guide Martin was extraordinary.

My husband and I worked with Damon in planning our visit to Malta, 1-6 November 2025. Damon planned a perfect balance of structured tours and personal time to explore on our own. There is so much history on this small island! Having a private guide & driver added immensely to the experience.

Our guide Simon’s knowledge about his country & the role it played throughout millennia truly added to our experience. He didn’t just relate facts, but also shared stories and seemed genuinely interested in learning about us. He added information that we would otherwise not have known.

I can’t say enough about our driver, William, who was with us all 6 days. Always polite, professional, friendly, flexible, and an amazing guide! Some of the activities we did on our own with William driving us there. However, he didn’t just drop us off; he walked us to the entrance and made sure the guide was there. We really appreciated the little “extras” he provided, like a map we reviewed together so we could understand the geography of the island. And, remembering my search for Maltese chocolates, he brought 2 boxes on our last day. One for a friend, and one for me—with my favorite animal on the box!

Both men were always cognizant of my mobility challenges, adapting their pace or the activity as needed. We have seen Roman catacombs in Rome, the British War Rooms in London, European cathedrals, ancient ruins, etc. However, the explanations by Simon and William made this experience unique to Malta, and one we will always remember.

A few trip experiences we highly recommend include:

Pipe organ restorer: I read a review from another traveler to whom Wendy recommended Damon. This reviewer shared about visiting a man who restores pipe organs. As an enthusiast of pipe organs, I knew I had to meet him! In fact, that is why I inquired about a trip to Malta. The morning with Robert was all I imagined it would be, and more. Yes, learning how he restored the organ was remarkable. But standing next to and hearing that magnificent work of art was such an emotional experience. Words cannot adequately describe it.

Simon’s private collection of war memorabilia: My husband and I have both seen numerous collections of military “stuff” so we weren’t sure about including this. We are glad we did! Simon’s collection includes letters, personal photo albums of veterans, etc. Furthermore, Simon knows the story behind these items, and sometimes even knows the original owner. He tailored our visit to show us items of interest to us, based on what he learned about our personal military backgrounds in conversations during our time together.

Sacra Infermeria: If you are at all interested in military medical care, especially during WWI, I highly recommend visiting the Sacra Infermeria with Simon. It looked like the photographs of WWI hospitals, only grander. I could picture the sights, sounds, smells, as it bustled with activity.

Lascaris War Rooms: We used a private guide from the museum. His enthusiasm as he retold the stories and described the events that occurred in those rooms made the displays come to life.

Personally, we found the Wignacourt Museum a bit disappointing. Not being lovers of art, we went there primarily to see St. Paul’s grotto, which we felt to be “underwhelming.”

We loved having those serendipitous moments that only happen with a guide (and driver) who knows your interests & is willing to seize the moment.

– Talking to the carer of a small cat colony near the Hagar Qim temple site
– Stopping to admire the Blue Grotto from an observation trail along the way
– Visiting the crafts village in Ta’ Qali
– Knowing my interest in craftwork, Simon introduced me to his wife who does gorgeous silk painting. In addition to seeing her completed projects, she also showed me her workshop.

Working with Damon was a pleasure during every phase of the trip.

Pre-trip planning: He worked tirelessly to create a trip that met our wishes, offered new experiences, and within our budget. He provided valuable information about Malta before the trip. (Examples: tipping guide, adapter needed, emergency contacts.)

During the trip: He sent a “Welcome to Malta” message, so we knew he was just a text/call away if we needed assistance. He was in touch with our guide throughout, to ensure things were running smoothly. This was particularly helpful when we had multiple challenges with the hotel room. Damon was aware, and Simon assisted in rectifying the situation.

After the trip: Damon scheduled a follow-up phone call to get our feedback about the trip and to hear first-hand what we enjoyed or what we would change.

We highly recommend using Damon’s services for a personalized, memorable holiday. If you can get Simon as your guide and William as your driver, even better!

Damon organized a series of activities for our group of 2 couples in Malta from 15-23 October 2025. He worked with us to determine our interests and tailored 4 days of activities (driver, guides, etc.) for us.

The guides were uniformly friendly and knowledgeable, the drivers reliable and Damon’s execution was flawless. The highlight for me was a tour of the megalithic sites of Hagar Qim & Mnajdra by an archeologist/curator of the sites. He also managed to get last-minute tickets to tour the Hypogeum, which only admits 10 visitors/hour, despite it being sold-out well in advance.

Damon organized a great trip to the Maltese Islands in early October. The guides and driver were outstanding. My spouse and I had a variety of experiences. We are in our 80s and the guides and the driver took our limitations into account, and were uniformly helpful. Damon was available to solve any issues.

Just back from a Mediterranean cruise with a port call in Valletta, Malta. With only one day and limited time for us in port, Damon ably assisted us with providing a guide and driver to get us to the specific places we wanted to see and experience as well as making reservations for lunch in the old walled city of Mdina. Charmaine is a fount of knowledge and fabulous ambassador for her native country. She definitely knows her history! Our visits to Hagar Qim and Mdina were made immeasurably better by having Charmaine walk us through their fascinating history. Our driver Martin was always helpful and kept us safe, plus he suggested a quick unscheduled stop at the overlook for the famous Blue Grotto.

At first we were going to skip St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta due to time constraints, but Damon suggested we get tickets online anyway, just in case. That turned out to be prescient. Charmaine walked us to the cathedral making sure we knew how to navigate our way back to the ship from there. We arrived to the church to see a line for tickets snaking all the way to the street! But due to Damon’s insider knowledge there was no line at all for ticketholders, thus saving us no telling how much time waiting to get in and assuring us of being able to see such a fabulous masterpiece.

Before this trip we have used several of the travel experts on the WOW List for multi-day vacations, but I wasn’t sure if just a one-day port call would be doable. My advice for anyone on a cruise who wants to have a private and very special time in port, don’t hesitate to reach out to Damon. You will have a fabulous time and fond memories.

People always marvel at World Heritage sites and remark “if only these walls could talk…” And thanks to the thoughtful interactions and guides, it felt like the glowing limestone walls of Malta did talk! After a lovely chat with Jason, he took into account how we enjoy travelling. We wanted to spend all our time in Malta to feel its character. The very first morning after gorging on a sumptuous breakfast despite noshing on the treats from the welcome basket, we stepped out of the comforts of our truly grand hotel and strolled with our guide around the neighborhood and knocked on doors. In this case that meant enjoying the gorgeous Renzo Piano designed entrance gate to Valletta at our doorstep, and chatting with the beatific Carmelite prioress and sister, followed by a sit down with a Knight of St. John.

On another day our country walk was bordered by wild fennel, almonds and carob pods as we made our way to historic catacombs and ruins. Then sailing to Gozo to explore, while surrounded by that cobalt Mediterranean blue. Our itinerary and each hotel really suited us, and our guides and driver were all truly lovely. The team even made sure we always were able to have our hot coffee and the freshest cream and milk—a small detail but greatly appreciated.

This review will not really capture how much we enjoyed the seamless connection of the ancient to the present and the Maltese pride in their ancestry. The power of sincerity and the uniqueness of being “of a place” really was the signature of our Maltese experience.

Traveler Patrice Luoma and family celebrate in the Malta countryside.

Malta family trip with marriage vows renewal

Where to begin? This was literally the best week of our lives, brought to us by Jason. Our goal was to have a family vacation for 16 of us—my husband and I, our 6 grown children, their 5 spouses, and our 3 grandchildren—with the highlight being a celebration of our 25 years of marriage including a vow renewal ceremony that would serve as the wedding we never had. At our first planning meeting with Jason via Zoom, nearly a year before the trip, we instantly sensed that he connected with us and that he knew what we wanted. We were right, and our expectations were exceeded again and again.

Every detail of our time in Malta was meticulously planned and seamlessly executed. Airport pickups for 6 separate arrivals (and departures). Michelle (Jason’s associate) meeting us at the airport to pick up my dress for steaming. An historic villa that easily fit all of us, with a stocked kitchen, a pool, and magnificent grounds. Chef catered dinner in the villa. Tours designed for our group including lunch and desserts. A catamaran cruise for a day. Extras like dinner reservations and scuba diving. Sitters for the grandchildren. And much more.

Then there was the Vow Renewal/Wedding ceremony. We had asked Jason if we could have the ceremony in a Chapel, since our marriage twenty-five years ago was performed by a justice of the peace in a town hall. We were driven from the villa in a classic vehicle to a historic 15th century chapel. It was magnificent. The ceremony was carefully choreographed with no detail overlooked, including a world class harp player and violin player. There was food and cocktails afterwards on the chapel grounds.

Then we were all whisked out to the country to a winery and vineyards for a reception where we danced until midnight. The food and service, the DJ, the guitar player during dinner, the views, the table arrangements, the flowers, the cake… Jason and Michelle executed all to perfection.

It is very clear to us that Jason works only with the very best: the tour guides, the drivers and their vehicles, the makeup artist and hair stylist, the photographer, videographer, chef and caterers, were all the best at what they do. Every single thing was perfect, and nothing was overlooked or left to chance.

Malta itself is spectacular. The history, towns, blue Mediterranean, people, countryside, food all must be experienced. The town we stayed in had a religious ceremony with parade, fireworks, and church bells that added to the local experience. The week spent there with our family, and the vow renewal/wedding ceremony were nothing short of a dream come true, and we have Jason to thank for it.

Travelers Anne Marie and Steve take a spin in a collector’s vintage Willys Jeep.

Steve and I have officially fallen in love…with Malta.

We gave Jason quite a challenge when we lined up our list of what we wanted to see and do, and he was more than up to it. We started our explorations at the very top of the 16th century limestone walls outside the City Gate in the Hastings Garden. The walls rise up above a dry moat, towering overhead. I run my fingers over the craggy stones making up the thick defensive surfaces, thinking of the battles they had seen.

Our guide Mariella schools us on the long history of the island as we walk through the shady gardens—early BC civilizations, Phoenicians and Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals and Goths, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, the Knights of St. John, Napoleon, the British, and finally independence in 1964—they really saw it all!

Mariella leads us down the historic streets of Valetta, pointing out the various stone auberges (houses) of the Knights, each reflecting the language and culture from which the members came. Today, the auberges house museums and government offices, including that of the Prime Minister.

The Lascaris War Rooms are deep inside the rock battlements built by the British in the early 19th century. A network of underground corridors and rooms, it housed the Allies’ WW II headquarters in Malta, from which all Allied offensive operations against the Axis powers were directed. The island was often referred to as Battleship Malta because of its strategic location, the only Allied territory in the Axis-controlled Mediterranean. Malta was the most heavily bombed Allied territory in the war, and the entire population of Malta was honored with the George Cross, in recognition of their wartime bravery.

We take a brightly painted dgħajsa, a small wooden boat not unlike a gondola, across the Grand Harbour and land at Fort St. Angelo, a 13th-century fortification that became the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St. John in the 16th century. There we meet Dane, a Knight of St. John. Dane has spent his life studying the history of the Order, has published books and treatises on it, and has committed his life to furthering the values of the Order. He leads us through the sun-washed walkways of the fort, through the silent rooms housing medals and books, and seats us at a table in a stone grotto and makes sure we know that Popes and Presidents have sat at this very table before us. We learn the history of the Order and its original three values: chastity, poverty, and medical aid. We pepper Dane with questions for an hour, and he frankly answers them.

Off we go to our next adventure to meet a well-respected expert on Malta in World War II who hosts an astounding private collection of memorabilia and artifacts in his home outside Valletta. Simon greets us and introduces us to two of his prized possessions, a vintage Willys Jeep, nicknamed Tommy, and a large truck in rock camouflage. One of his rooms is filled with mahogany bookcases, packed with gems of history, and on the large library table are scattered papers and albums.

He carefully lifts a helmet from the case and shows the bullet hole torn through it; the half-chewed end of one of Winston Churchill’s cigars; and an album of photos and memorabilia from Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s stay in Malta, when he was serving there in the Navy.

As we leave the house, Simon is twirling a set of keys and, smiling, asks “Fancy a ride in Tommy back to your hotel”? We clamber into the Willys and off we whirl, wind in our hair, smiles on our faces. My father served in WW II and I’m sure he had many rides in similar vehicles, and I can almost feel him smiling at me.

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 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.

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.

Travelers Jan Heininger and Jamie Reuter: “We had a falconry experience that enthralled us.”

Jason planned a nine-day trip for my husband and me in early March 2025 that was filled with superb experiences we could never have planned on our own. As we had spent five days in Malta in 2011 and had seen most of the usual sights, for this trip we sought activities that would allow us to more fully experience Malta’s unique culture. Boy did Jason deliver. We visited with a pipe organ restorer who was working on an organ high in a historic church’s nave, an artisan gold gilder (and builder of exquisite Maltese clocks), and a builder of traditional Maltese boats. We met with a knight of the Knights of St. John, founded in the 12th century to care for pilgrims, who gave us a wonderful tour of Ft. St. Angelo, the Knights’ headquarters until ejected in 1798 by Napoleon. We felt honored he gave us the time to sit and discuss the modern version of the Knights of St. John.

We visited the Hypogeum, an outstanding burial complex of a civilization in use between 4000 and 1500 BC. We played bocci ball with local Maltese, rode ATVs on Gozo Island, had a lovely private Gozitan picnic, created our own Maltese tiles, learned to make Malta’s renowned street food pastizzi in a local couple’s home, visited a WWII military collector in his private museum and even got a ride in his beloved “Bessie,” the WWII military truck Queen Elizabeth learned to service during the war. We visited a private 900-year-old Mdina palazzo whose owner showed us the family’s prized possessions, had a marvelous lesson by an art restoration specialist, and an enjoyable rustic farm lunch with a delightful Maltese couple.

Finally—as if all this wasn’t enough—we had a falconry experience that enthralled us. We are birders and enjoy watching birds of prey. To have a Harris Hawk, a Barn Owl and a Pharaoh eagle-owl fly from my husband’s leather-gloved wrist to mine for two glorious hours was an unbelievable treat. The falconer let fly his Peregrine Falcon who then sat sunning himself and had a mind of his own about when he would come back. The falconer, standing behind us, was a whiz at making slow-motion videos of a bird of prey flying to our wrist with wings outspread. Oh my.

All of these experiences were made possible because of Jason’s extensive network of Maltese friends. Most visitors to Malta now have little interaction with Maltese. Since our 2011 visit, Malta has been flooded with immigrants, as has much of Europe, and they now largely populate the hospitality industry. Your chances of meeting and conversing with Maltese locals are far less likely now—unless Jason Allan arranges your trip.

In the tiny islands of Malta and Gozo, the crossroads of the Mediterranean, we stayed in three places, had a wonderful personal guide for the week, a lovely driver and memorable experiences. Wendy Perrin went to Malta earlier this year and has repeatedly recommended it to her readers. We agree. Go now. And use Jason. He’s terrific.

Molly Borque and nine-month-old Jude on a sunset boat ride from Valletta to Senglea.

I knew from my initial conversations with Damon that he was going to plan a trip tailored well to our needs and tastes, but throughout our 7 days in Malta, it got better and better! He put us in a hotel perfectly located in Senglea, walking distance from Birgu and a quick boat ride or short drive over to the Capital City of Valletta. He scheduled our days perfectly to see everything Malta has to offer all over the island, while also balancing the needs of a 9-month-old!

Our guide Robert was one of the most knowledgeable, flexible, kind individuals I have ever encountered! He was with us our entire trip and I am forever grateful for the relationship we formed with him. We had more than one WOW Moment on our trip, but the one that stands out to me (due to our Catholic faith) was when Damon and Robert surprised us with something not on the itinerary. They scheduled a visit with one of the cloistered Jerosolimitan nuns at the Church and Monastery of Saint Ursula in Valletta. Robert has long-time family ties with the Monastery, and we felt so lucky and blessed to get to have that experience!

Overall, I will tell everyone I know to make sure Damon plans their trip to Malta! It exceeded all expectations! I also want to give a shout out to our driver Alex who was so good to us! Both he and Robert watched our son Jude at times so my wife and I could enjoy certain times, such as WOW Moment #2 that I can’t forget to mention. On our day trip to the island of Gozo, Damon arranged for someone to set up a private picnic for my wife and me to enjoy on a secluded beach. Waves rolling in, champagne, local cheeses and meats, etc. Truly stunning! We will return to Malta and reach out to Damon, Robert and Alex again!!

Planning a trip for a family of nine ranging in age from 2 to 80 is no easy task, but Jason achieved every goal and surpassed every expectation. Every detail was attended to, whether it be extra safety precautions for a boat charter with young children, or the right rooms for each person in the group based on their physical needs. Jason made himself always available and implemented many last-minute adjustments as our trip ebbed and flowed. Because of Jason’s recommendations, we had spectacular guides and wonderful experiences we would not have known to seek out otherwise. Start to finish, an exceptional experience.

Jason and Damon curated our six-day visit to this intriguing and delightful country with a seemingly oversized impact on world history. Getting there was an hour or so hop by air from Naples to the capital Valletta, where we made our base at the beautiful and historic Phoenicia Malta. We arrived just in time for a sunset sail and dinner on the bay watching the sparkle of the ancient buildings and monuments light up the panoramic skyscape.

Jason has a remarkable insider’s track on seemingly every aspect of this small island nation, and there were many highlights, just a few of which were: a personal tour of Fort St. Angelo with a true and current Knight of St. John; a private tour of a Mdina noble Palazzo hosted by the count himself, a rustic farm tour with farm to table picnic hosted by the family, a tour of Hagar Qim (a 5,000 year old prehistoric and mysterious temple), a guided tour of the Lascaris War Rooms (Southern headquarters of the Allied Command), and last, but not least, a day on the sister Island of Gozo. Malta, we discovered, is an absolute “must experience” —thank you, Jason, for an extraordinary visit!

My experience was seamless just perfect
Our guide Sara was so experienced incredible amazing and our driver Mario too
Damon was impeccable in his planning, so helpful and knowledgeable, always available
We loved Malta it was memorable and would highly recommend Damon’s company—wow !!!

In one word, our 8-day Malta trip in July 2024 was awesome! We loved the guides, the food, the history, the views, excursions and hotels but could have done without the heat wave. Malta has a little bit of everything and is easily doable in 7-9 days without a lot of driving or time in transit. Our schedule included a lot of activities but they didn’t feel rushed and were all so interesting. Most days we did have time to relax in the room for a couple of hours before dinner. Having drivers show up everywhere felt so indulgent but made things easy, seamless and carefree—perfect for our 25th anniversary!

Our guide, Matthew, was incredible—so knowledgeable, gracious in answering our many questions and kind in making any changes on the fly. He’s exactly why I like to use Wendy’s travel experts! We learn so much about the country, its people, history, customs, food from locals that we would never get on our own. It also ensures a smooth, stress-free, easy-to-enjoy experience.

Some of our favorite excursions included exploring Valletta, private Grand Master’s Palace visit, Gozo hike near coast and gorgeous picnic spread, quad biking in Gozo, Ta Betta wine tasting (wish we could get the wine in US), exploring Mdina including private palazzo visit, meeting pastizzi maker in his home, sunset dinner with Charlie (very interesting guy who showed my gardner husband how to graft and propagate trees/bushes) and meeting pipe organ restorer. Most surprising excursion was ancient Malta—visiting the Hypogeum and Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Temples. They were fascinating to see and to think about ancient people building them 1,000 years before the pyramids of Giza! Do not miss Gozo island when in Malta—it’s quieter, less crowded and fun to explore. Traveling there by sailboat was also a great, relaxing way to experience the Mediterranean and see the islands from a different viewpoint.

There was so much to do and learn in such a small country. We will definitely spread the word and highly recommend Jason and Damon’s team.

We just returned from five nights in Valletta, Malta. We had just completed a Mediterranean cruise and flew to Valletta from Barcelona. In Valletta, we were met by our driver, Owen, and our guide, Robert, and began our incredible Maltese experience arranged by Jason Allan. I really hate to use the word “amazing” because it is so overused right now, but Malta is truly amazing. I wish we had planned 2 weeks there because I don’t think Jason would have run out of fabulous experiences for us.

Jason arranged incredible accommodations and suggested great restaurants. Our adventures in Malta were a treat for all our senses. We tasted great local wines and dishes, toured interesting museums and archeological sites, and spent a relaxing day on the Mediterranean Sea. Our guide and driver were so accommodating when we asked to see where the bomb hit the dome of the basilica at Mosta. Even though it was not on our agenda, they happily added it and we so appreciated their flexibility. My husband has a strong interest in WWII and was thrilled to see the private home museum of a local expert on Operation Pedestal. We felt extremely fortunate to be able to spend time looking at his collection and hearing his stories of Malta’s WWII involvement. As an amateur artist, I especially loved seeing the art of Caravaggio at St. John’s Co-Cathedral.

There can be little doubt that the Mediterranean is a huge incredible archeological site and Malta is an integral part of it. We wish we had known to stay longer, but believe strongly that Jason’s planning maximized our time in this incredible country.

We traveled to Malta with another couple in May. Damon Allan did an outstanding job of planning our 6-day trip for us. It was clear from the beginning that he truly loves Malta and wants his clients to love it as much as he does. We worked with Damon for several months, planning and tweaking our itinerary, and at one point ended up with a potential package that exceeded our budget. When we asked him to pare it back a bit Damon graciously and quickly came up with suggestions and options to bring it back in line.

We knew we were in good hands when we landed in Malta and were met on the (hot) tarmac and whisked to our (cool) private car whilst fellow travelers were herded onto (hot) buses to be driven to the terminal to collect luggage. We’re very committed to carry-on luggage only and this commitment, along with Damon’s organization and planning, resulted in us being driven directly to our hotel without stepping foot inside the airport terminal. This likely pared at least an hour off of what was already a very long travel day.

We stayed at the Iniala hotel in Valletta and, as a benefit of being Damon’s clients, received a food and beverage credit and a welcome gift of wine and snacks in our room. The hotel is lovely and the view of the harbor is even lovelier. We can’t imagine staying anywhere else in Valletta. In the fascinating old walled city of Mdina we stayed at the Xara Palace and had the delightful experience of walking through the streets after dark, when it seemed as though we were the only people in the city.

Damon arranged for us to have a driver and a guide for our entire week in Malta. This was crucial to the success of our trip as our itinerary was very full and we certainly couldn’t have seen and done as much as we did had we not had transportation arranged to and from — and between — each excursion. Our guide Pierre is hands-down the best guide we’ve ever had. He is extremely knowledgeable about Malta’s very complex military and political history and is equally well versed in architectural and art history. We simply would not have had as rich an experience in Malta had we not had the benefit of his wonderful story-telling style of explaining what we were seeing and experiencing. Pierre is not only an incredibly well informed guide, he’s also very good at assessing his clients’ needs and interests and adapting to same. When we started to lag a bit on a very hot day he sensed our need for a rest and quickly found us a shady spot for a drink. When he noted we were starting to overdose on church artifacts he suggested a change of pace. And on one occasion when a scheduled car didn’t show up as planned he quickly ushered us to an interesting shopping street while he sorted things out. The delay wasn’t a big issue and certainly wasn’t a problem for us, but his handling of the situation speaks to his commitment to customer service and his desire to shield his clients from any inconvenience. Similarly, he accompanied us with our driver back to the front door of our hotel at the end of every day, even though some days our activities ended close to his own home. His insistence on escorting us to our hotel likely added another hour or so to his work day but he wanted to ensure that all went well for us.

The food in Malta was great. Damon booked reservations for us at very good restaurants and we unfailingly had the best tables.

Everything we saw and did in Malta was interesting and enjoyable. Some of the more unique experiences (lunch in an olive grove with a surprise presentation — thank you Damon — by a scholar/maker of traditional Maltese musical instruments, a picnic on the beach in Gozo, a visit to a private palazzo hosted by the owner) were possible because of Damon’s personal connections in Malta. These experiences simply wouldn’t have been available to tourists traveling/booking on their own and were a huge part of the value in working with Damon. Similarly, tourists traveling on their own would likely not have ended up with a guide of Pierre’s calibre.

We’ve not previously worked with a travel planner to the extent that we worked with Damon. Having done so, we’ll likely never travel again without dealing with someone on Wendy’s WOW List. We’re converts. Our trip to Malta was not inexpensive but we came away knowing we received incredible value for our expenditure. As noted, we believe we had unique experiences due to Damon’s personal connections. While we were in Pierre’s very capable hands every day, we also had the benefit of Damon’s long-distance involvement while we were in Malta. When it looked like the weather was not going to be favorable for a boat trip to the island of Gozo, he and Pierre worked their magic to juggle things and postpone the trip to the following day. This is something we could not have done on our own without considerable stress and without sacrificing other parts of our itinerary. As it was, everything was seamlessly reorganized for us such that we didn’t miss out on anything. It’s difficult to put a price tag on that kind of service/attention.

We’ve been home from our trip for just over a month and are still digesting all that we saw and learned. Now when we run into any kind of a day-to-day glitch (a lineup at the grocery store, an inability to get reservations at a favourite restaurant, difficulty finding a parking spot) we look at each other and say “Where are Damon and Pierre? Surely they could sort this out for us!“ Does this tell you how much Damon deserves to be on Wendy Perrin’s WOW List?

Nancy Mazarin and her husband, Guy, with their guide Stephen.

Our trip to Malta was a “WOW.” Damon Allan, our tour operator, was excellent. From the planning stages right through our return home he took care of every detail. Damon spoke with Stephen, our outstanding guide, continuously, ensuring a seamless trip.

We spent seven nights in Valletta (Iniala House) in a beautiful suite with a view of the harbour — well worth the cost. We toured during the day and had wonderful dinners in the evening, followed by vibrant nightlife on the streets after dinner. We spent the last three nights in Mdina, a medieval walled city, and again a wonderful hotel with a fabulous suite and views.

The history of Malta begins over 5,000 years ago and runs to the present — archeological sites through WW2. Our tours were all private tours, but some were more exclusive in private homes or special locations not available to the public: a dinner with two Knights of Malta, a private visit with a World War 2 collector in his home, a tour of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s villa which is being renovated, a tour by the wife of a 5th-generation Lord of her villa and grounds, just to name a few.

We had days filled with many different activities, adventures, learning, and fun. We allowed time to rest or hang out in the late afternoon followed by marvelous dinners.

Before our trip, friends asked us “what are you going to do on this small island for 10 days”? All I knew was that Damon planned what appeared to be a very good trip. I can answer now, we had 10 full days and nights and could have easily stayed another couple of days. Thanks Damon and Stephen.

The six of us well-travelled adults could not have been more pleased with the wide array of arrangements that Damon Allan and Denise Cassar put together for us. We arrived on a Sunday on four different flights and boarded a small ship on a Wednesday (May 12-15). From the pre-trip Zoom until the drop-off at the port, everything went smoothly and we learned a lot about the rich history of this island. Damon made arrangements for us to stay in a quieter part of Valletta and all of our activities were structured to avoid the crowds arriving and departing on two huge cruise ships. Our hotel was in a 16th-century building, with a lovely view of the harbor, friendly staff and excellent breakfasts. We could walk or take a little dghajsa boat during our free time to visit other parts of the city.

We got to contemplate the two Caravaggios at St. John’s Co-Cathedral a bit ahead of the crowd. We had one full day exploring the capital city with our guide Pierre and driver Mario, then a second day with them exploring ancient Malta. Both of them were delightful and knowledgeable and shared their perspectives on Malta while teaching us the complicated history of this small island. Wendy arranged for us to have a unique WOW Moment, touring the Villa Guardamangia with the curator, and it was a WOW! It is not currently open to the public due to renovation — it is where Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip lived during the early years of their marriage while Philip was in the Navy. We all loved the TV series The Crown and of course were thrilled to be able to visit! But to let you know how terrific this trip was, we joked that we were not certain what the WOW Moment was, because the entire visit was full of wow moments!

We also loved being able to visit a private palazzo in Mdina, which the owner had not yet opened to the public. We learned about his family history, including a political murder that took place on his balcony, knick-knacks and treasures found in the attic and what it takes to renovate a home dating back 400 years! The entire Mdina area was fascinating and we wished we could have had more time there. We also loved a private dinner at the Markus Divinus Winery during which the owner told us what is involved in growing grapes and making wine on this relatively small island. My inner nerd was pleased to visit the Hagar Qim, a prehistoric temple built to worship the fertility goddess and according to UNESCO, the oldest continuously standing structure in the world. Even before I had a chance to write my feedback, I received a phone call from the friend of a friend, who wanted to hear all about this trip and whether or not I could recommend a travel agent. I certainly encouraged her to call Damon’s office.

When we were trying to decide where to go next, we looked at some of the reviews from Wendy Perrin for inspiration. We were immediately drawn to Malta with Damon and Jason. This was our 109th country (we’re old). We wanted to do something a little different instead of just walking around old cities and visiting churches. We were intrigued with the many different activities we could choose from that were so different from anything we had done in the past.

I can’t even put into words how great it was. Unfortunately, we had to reschedule the trip 3 separate times. Damon remained the incredible professional, and changed everything repeatedly. I just wouldn’t give up. I was determined we were going to Malta.

Where to start? Damon. Never have I worked with someone who is so kind and great at his job. We were even lucky enough to meet him. He now lives in London, but obviously he spends time in Malta. He timed his trip so he could surprise us. We just adore him.

Hotel. He put us at the Domus Zamittello on the pedestrian street in Valletta. We loved it. Great location, great room, and wonderful staff. Damon booked us dinner reservations every night that were only a short distance from the hotel.

Guide and driver. We had Martin, who is a Knight of Malta. We were just fascinated with the knight history. He knows his stuff, and it was a pleasure to have him. Manwell was our driver and I just loved him. What a sweet unassuming man. I have some mobility issues, and he took such good care of me. (Damon even bought a foldable seat for me so I could sit down.)

Sights. Loved everything. Damon worked really hard to make sure our itinerary didn’t have a ton of steps and too much walking. Martin took it from there and adapted when necessary.

I loved all the unusual activities like the sheep farm, lunch in the olive grove, the picnic on the beach, the tour of the palazzo, the guilder, etc. We could go back and pick all different activities and be just as happy. Everything could have been our WOW Moment. That’s how special it all was.

I really can’t think of one thing I would change. It was just perfect, and I’m not the easiest to please. I suggest if you’re looking for something a little different, book Malta immediately.

It was great working with Jason and Damon’s team. They were very patient with us as we took a long time deciding how we wanted to approach our trip. In the end, they did a great job of balancing out guided and free time, and showing us things we indicated we wanted to see. It also included at least two experiences I might not have chosen straight-up, but which turned out to be mini-highlights (making pastizzi in a private home being one of them).

Despite its small size, getting around Malta can be a little tricky, but our driver Herbert and guide Matthew were easily up to the task, and willing to be flexible. We saw the standard sights, plus some others that might not be as obvious, but which we as history lovers enjoyed a lot. I can definitely recommend these folks for your next trek to the island.

I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Jason Allan, thanks to a recommendation from Wendy Perrin. Despite my 12 years of experience owning a travel company, I found myself pressed for time when it came to organizing a special birthday trip for my sister and me. With only two weeks to spare, I reached out to Jason in a panic. To my surprise, he managed to plan an incredible trip in such a short amount of time. While I wouldn’t recommend this last-minute approach due to the need for a few adjustments, the trip turned out to be an unforgettable experience.

When I travel, I always look for unique experiences that can’t be found in guidebooks or online. Jason delivered exactly that, with exceptional guides and engaging in-home activities, like learning to make pastizzi and enjoying farm lunches at a local olive farm. The choice of hotels was also outstanding, which is crucial for me when I travel.

Throughout the entire process, Jason and his team were not only informative but also incredibly accommodating. Their availability and kindness made the entire experience even more enjoyable.

Jason, thank you and your team for creating a wonderful and joyful time for us in Malta.

The trip was amazing. We are very happy with visiting Malta with the trip planner. He listened to what type of travelers we are and met our every expectation. We spent 4 days in Malta, but could have spent another day for additional exploration.

We traveled April 6-11th and the weather was perfect.

After committing to a private cruise through the Amalfi Coast, we knew we wanted to spend some time in Rome and Florence and then in Malta before our yacht departed from Valletta. Somehow, I became the default travel planner for our group of six. We had already booked hotel rooms when I became overwhelmed and contacted Wendy for help. She connected me with Jennifer for Rome and Florence and with Jason for the day-and-a-half that we had in Malta. Both experiences were exceptional and I would highly recommend Jennifer and Jason for travelers to those regions.

Jennifer and Jason were easy to work with and great at suggesting itineraries for our group of mixed interests and experiences in Italy and Malta. In Malta, Jason introduced us to Stephen, who is one of the best tour guides I have ever met. He was great at combining his passion for history with storytelling to make our day-and-a-half in Malta one of the best experiences on our two-week trip. Jason also connected us with Lawrence, a fulltime falconer who is passionate about birds. In our private tour with Lawrence, we were able to fly his Harris Hawk, Jessie, and he gave us a short demonstration with his Maltese Falcon, Gustav.

For dinner, Jason sent us to Mdina, an ancient walled city, which was extraordinary. We walked around the lamp-lit “Silent City” before dinner and were captivated by the timeless atmosphere. I hadn’t done a lot of research on Malta before we left and as an introduction to the country, Jason absolutely knocked it out of the park. We will definitely return to Malta and be calling Jason when we do.

Malta is an amazing destination and Damon and team were amazing in helping us plan it and making all the arrangements! They were instantly responsive to issues and random questions and their recommendations were always spot-on. We had an amazing tour of prehistoric temples (marking the calendar thousands of years before Stonehenge), had a private tour of the famous St John’s Cathedral (we were alone wandering through it and gazing mesmerized at the Caravaggios), a tour of a palazzo by the baron (and knight of Malta) who owns it giving a very unique perspective on their role in modern Malta, and an amazing cooking lesson with a local bakery owner. We kept several days for independent sight seeing but certainly many of the most amazing experiences were those arranged by Damon and his team.

I have taken many trips over the years with Wendy-recommended WOW experts and this one more than lived up to our extremely high standards!

The Fisher Family enjoying a picnic lunch in Malta

Family fun in the Maltese Islands—our group of nine just returned from a weeklong Spring break trip to Malta organized by Damon. The trip included grandparents, children and grandchildren ages 16 to 10. The trip was exceptionally well organized due to the time Damon spent prior to the trip determining what our interests were and how to maximize time spent making memories with our grandchildren.

The itinerary was heavy in outdoor activities and we spent minimal time indoors to keep the grandkids engaged. Our activities included an all-morning quad biking experience on Gozo, a multi-course picnic lunch with wine on a secluded bay, followed by bocci ball with local players. The next day we toured the ruins of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples and then spent an amazing afternoon with the local falconer who brought an owl, Harris hawk and Maltese falcon to share with the entire group. His enthusiasm was contagious and for a large portion of our group, this event was the highlight of the trip.

The next day we took a private tour of underground Valletta, and that afternoon we took a private dghajsa boat ride across the Valletta harbor for more exploration. The next day we started by visiting a baker and his wife where we made a local pastry called pastizzi, spent time with a local artisan who made musical instruments, visited a honey farm and ended the day with a visit to a sheep farm where we sampled some delicious cheeses. The last night of the trip we had Chef Carl come to our lodging and prepare a meal with the four grandkids. I’m not sure if Carl or the grandkids had more fun.

The entire itinerary was wonderful, but two things made this trip exceptional: the lodging and our driver. We stayed at a beautiful villa in Gozo that was very well appointed and included a heated indoor swimming pool! You can imagine how excited the grandkids were when they walked in the front door and saw an indoor pool. Our lodging in Valletta was equally impressive but in a different way. It was a castle-like structure built in the late 1500s that had been updated to include all the amenities of the current day. There was an outdoor pool, but since it was not heated it saw very limited use. Our driver throughout our adventure was Super Mario. He was absolutely delightful! Always on time, always helpful, and always attentive to everyone’s needs, which were often a challenge. The entire experience was exceptional. If you ever think about going to Malta, contact Damon…he’ll craft an amazing trip for you.

The nine-day itinerary Jason created for us to Malta and Sardinia in March was crammed with memorable experiences: entrance to the 4000 BC Hypogeum underground burial complex (tickets difficult to come by); a fascinating visit with a sixth-generation gilder; the tastiest private tour of a food market I’ve ever been on; a walk in the Sardinian countryside to see the island’s wild four-foot-tall horses; and—my favorite—a fabulous multi-course lunch set up just for us on an isolated cliff in Gozo above the crashing waves.

Jason’s ground teams were as interesting as the sights and scenery—our Malta guide, Martin, is a practicing Knight of Malta whose title goes back generations, as well as a professional photographer and former coach of Australia’s Olympic bobsled team (go figure); our driver there, Mario, is a former comptroller and auditor in addition to being an all-around great guy; guide Paola got her start translating for Tony Ryan when he was setting up his Ryanair empire in Sardinia; Marcello, our driver in Sardinia, had recently returned from the Polish border as a volunteer transporting Ukrainian orphans by bus to safety.

And if you ever want to feel like Bill Gates, now is your moment: Thanks to the VIP service Jason arranges at the airport, you wait in a private lounge before being escorted past the frenzied crowds to a town car on the tarmac that drives you to your plane, all before boarding officially begins.

My girlfriend and I travelled to Malta for eight days from after Christmas 2022 through the New Year. Quite simply the trip was extraordinary, and we cannot recommend Malta, and Damon and his team, more highly. Malta is an extraordinary place, with magnificent history, art, culture, food, scenery and people. To start with, Damon spent a significant amount of time prior to the trip working iteratively with us to plan the itinerary based on various ideas he proposed and what we wanted to do. He really distinguished himself with his ability to figure out from our conversations exactly the kind of experiences and touring we wanted to do. He gave equal time, thought and care to the choice of lodging and restaurants.

Our guide executed the plan wonderfully, making it even better as we got to know one another. Her knowledge of the history and culture of Malta gave us a real window into the lives of the Maltese people past and present. We had a number of truly extraordinary experiences, such as making a local delicacy and having lunch at an olive grove, a private tour of St. John’s Cathedral including viewing the stunning Caravaggio by ourselves, meeting a restorer of 18th-century organs and 16th-century art and seeing their work, dinner with some of the current Knights of Malta, touring a private home in the magical walled city of Mdina and an ATV tour followed by a private seaside picnic in Gozo.

The highlight of the trip for me was exploring World War II in Malta, including a private visit with a remarkable local collector of World War II artifacts, a private tour of the Lascaris War Rooms and seeing the tunnels and chambers in which the Maltese sheltered during the Axis bombings. Our guide also spent time showing us and providing us with valuable perspective on other Maltese sights such as the Hypogeum and megalithic temples, which are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. The island itself was gorgeous, with dramatic views, romantic vistas and stunning architecture. We were particularly glad to be there during the bustling holiday season where many Maltese were celebrating and even saw the local Eurovision winner perform on New Year’s Eve.

Our recent trip to Malta in February 2023 exceeded our expectations. Even though the trip was planned at the last minute, every detail was handled perfectly. Jason and his team did a great job of putting together a great itinerary, recommending a fabulous hotel, and providing excellent restaurant recommendations (right down to handling all the reservations). Our guide, Martin, and driver, Mario, were two of the most delightful and knowledgeable individuals. They went above and beyond to ensure that our time in Malta was memorable. We would not hesitate to recommend Jason and his team to anyone thinking of visiting this beautiful country.

We had the most amazing time in Malta! We had never been to this island nation and did not have enough time to do research on our own, so we reached out to Jason Allan, a travel expert for Malta. He planned an amazing weeklong itinerary for us with just 2 months’ notice. I appreciated the quick back and forth during the planning stage via e-mail and WhatsApp. He presented us with lots of different activities, hotel and restaurant options. After making final decisions, the itinerary was given in great detail.

Everything was seamless from the minute we landed in Valletta. We loved our VIP meet and greet! So wonderful to have someone escort you through the airport and pick up your baggage while you sit in the VIP lounge. This was also helpful on the return, as the VIP escort walks you through check-in and fast-lane security. The Iniala Harbour was a perfect luxury boutique hotel with the most incredible view of the Grand Harbor. We also appreciated having the same driver for the week for all the outings around the island.

Some of the highlights of the trip: 1) Katherine, our guide for the Valletta food and culture tour. She was wonderful, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. She also led us on our visit to the Hypogeum, a subterranean temple thought to be 5000+ years old. 2) Gozo island exploration on ATV. This was something new for us, to explore an entire island on ATVs. We loved it! The guide took great care in terms of safety, having helmets and taking less busy roads, etc. We saw incredible sites, salt pans, small bays for a quick swim, and a secret spot for an incredible view of Ramla Bay. It was a great way to spend the day. 3) A day on a beautiful yacht with a wonderful captain. 4) Visiting the enchanting medieval city of Mdina during sunset, incredible! 5) Visit with local sheep farmers, who somehow cultivated acres of olive trees on arid landscape, sampling the fruits of their labor with olive oil tasting and a picnic lunch of local Maltese foods. 6) Private falconry experience with Lawrence. We had a great time as he explained the history of his owls and falcons. Then we were able to handle each one and watching them fly! 7) Enjoying our final day relaxing at the Beefbar beach club, with a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea.

It has been a couple of months since we left Malta. We miss our incredible view of the Grand Harbor from our hotel room, the delicious food and the warm hospitality of everyone we came across.

My wife and I just returned from a month long holiday – traveling to Portugal, Sicily and Malta in Sept 2022. We worked with Jason to plan the Malta portion for the last week of our trip Sept 22-29 and he did an outstanding job – from the moment of our arrival being greeted at the plane by a private car and driver to the WOW Moment he organized for us and several other special surprises…it was orchestrated to perfection.

We knew we were in good hands from that first moment, and it continued for our entire stay. Given we had already been touring for about 3 weeks, Jason was right to have us start in Gozo…where it is a bit slower and not as busy. It was a long day though – flight to Malta, then a drive to the ferry, ferry over to Gozo and then another drive to the hotel. However, at every stop there was someone waiting for us and helping us with our bags. The hotel (Cesca Lodge) was a beautifully converted ancient stone building. We were tempted not to go out to dinner, but we pushed ourselves to go out to where Jason had booked us and are we glad we did!! The owner was amazing…treated us like old friends, and the food was delicious too! It was such a fun night. The next day we had an amazing tour with our private guide of Gozo which included some stunning views of the turquoise water from a hidden cave. Later that evening we had our WOW Moment, which was truly spectacular!! We had an incredibly beautiful picnic on the water with a solo musician playing guitar…some songs which Jason had personally requested that he knew we would like! We watched the sunset while drinking champagne, sitting on blankets and pillows, surrounded by twinkle lights.

The next day we took a private boat transfer to Malta. Along the way we passed Comino Island and the gorgeous waters of the blue lagoon. Jason arranged a picnic basket of food for us on the boat which was such a thoughtful touch…although the water was too rough for us to eat, once we got to the hotel we were certainly grateful to have some food. Our driver had been waiting for us…everything was organized perfectly. The hotel Jason recommended (Iniala) was beautiful and right on the Grand Harbour – an amazing location with a fabulous view. That afternoon we went exploring on our own and had dinner on an incredible rooftop terrace where an opera soloist was singing. Once again, the owner treated us like royalty, as we were guests of Jason’s.

The next day we were met again by our guide and driver, who showed us the most ancient ruins of Malta as well as an old fishing village that had a market going on. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, we asked him to join us for lunch which he did. After that we were on our own…it was a perfect balance of touring with a guide and then exploring Valleta by ourselves – which is safe and very easy to do.

The next day we had no plans which was great…we explored on our own and found our own restaurants, although Jason had provided us with tons of choices should we have needed help or wanted advice on where to go.

After a great free day, we were back to touring with our same excellent guide and very personable and helpful driver. We walked around the main city of Valletta and had a surprise visit with a 6th-generation clock maker/gilder. That was an amazing opportunity that Jason arranged for us. After that we made it to hear the famous cannon go off at noon…another highlight. We then took a boat across to the 3 cities and walked around there. Everything was organized to a tee and we never waited more than a minute for a boat or the car…it was seamless.

What we also greatly appreciated beyond the precisely organized days was that Jason took the time to check in numerous times during our time in Malta. He really cared about us and our experience…and he took the time to make sure that all was well. It was that and the other personal touches that really took our experience using Jason as our agent to the next level.

On our last day we were booked with the “father of all tour guides” and it was a fabulous way to end our trip. He took us on an amazing tour with numerous special surprises, including being able to visit a noblewoman’s private home with an incredible art and antique collection. She showed us around and was very clear that she does not do that for just anyone, but she is friends with Jason (and his brother) and so she was willing to open her home to us. It was a true highlight of our monthlong vacation. In addition, we gained access to the private summer home of the President of Malta…and we very much appreciated that Jason was able to arrange this opportunity for us.

We absolutely loved our time in Malta and are very grateful for the amazing trip that Jason organized for us. We really treasured our time there. Most of our friends have never been to Malta and many have never even heard of it…but after traveling there we are telling all of our friends that they must go and they must talk to Jason!!

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  We (Marsha Gold and two of my friends) wanted to see Malta on our way to Crete and weren’t sure how long to stay or how to arrange things. I and a different friend had previously had good luck with advisors recommended by Wendy Perrin for Southeast Asia and for Africa so we looked to her recommendations again. Our experience with Damon and Jason on our week long trip to Malta the end of April 2022 was everything we hoped. They helped us figure out that we could stay 5 nights in an apartment in Valetta to see Malta and 3 in Gozo in a B and B and through a combination of drivers/guides and time on our own see the diversity of the country. They also were able to add some exclusive visits not generally available to the general tourist and we enjoyed them alot. My friends were more interested in Malta than me originally but it was a highlight of our trip and I loved the Gozo stay. Wouldn’t change anything. With apartments or a b and b and a private car/driver we felt quite safe in terms of covid. But hotels would be ok. In Malta they were careful and folks were masked and we were offseason so no few crowds. They also arranged for one of us who was returning to the US to get the required Covid test easily and on time.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL We completed a very enjoyable trip to Malta in late March 2022. We had originally conceived of a short trip to Malta being part of a cruise. But we then changed our minds and decided to add Malta to our trip to the UK. Malta can be easily accessed from the UK via Air Malta (the carrier we used) or British Airways or Ryanair.

We worked exclusively with Jason to set up the trip having identified his company through The WOW List. It turned out that we had a lot in common having both grown up in southern Ontario. We had an initial call to set some of the parameters e.g. number of nights (in the end 6 nights), hotel in Malta (he proposed and we agreed on Domus Zamitello – superb location in the center of Malta from where you can walk to dinner and local attractions), whether Sicily should be included (there is a ferry which makes daily trips but we opted not to add this and instead focus on just Malta) and then Jason developed a proposed trip. His initial proposal exceeded my budget and so we worked together to refine his proposal. The final itinerary included a combination of, on various days, a guide, a car, a guide and a car and self-guiding. On the days we had a guide we picked the experiences we wanted from Jason’s vast catalogue of options. We were very satisfied with all of our choices but one – what ended up as a public tour of the Manoel Theatre as they would not permit our guide to host our visit. We met many local residents and had ample opportunity to get to know them and learn about their life in Malta. For example, at our farm lunch, we met our host for the day, the farmer and his wife and her helper as well as a local maker of musical instruments and music all in a country-like setting. We sampled tasty local red and white wines and tapas. We have no doubt that we would not have had these sorts of experiences had we not worked with Jason. We had several excellent meals in and around Valetta.

Covid concerns were greatly reduced by March as we were past the Omicron peak. But we were happy that we postponed our trip from February as originally scheduled. We did not have any Covid issues at any time during our trip.

Malta is very safe to visit. We had hoped for warmer weather but temperatures were moderate and it was after all early spring. There was very little cruise traffic in Valetta which also contributed to the “local” experience. We had no issues during our trip which necessitated contacting Jason but were we confident that he / his team would be there if we needed them.

Robert was our local guide and Mario was our local driver and Mario also handled our airport transfers. Both were very experienced in taking care of travelers like us. We were well taken care of and enjoyed engaging with them throughout.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL  Jason was spectacular. Highlights were:
Meeting Fra John and Loizzetta, visiting the Caravaggio collection
Meeting the gilder
Driver Mario
Trip to Gozo
Guide Robert…
Dinner reservations at great places
Jason came and met us with a bottle of champagne our last night in Malta
Everything ran perfectly with COVID testing.

Jason and Damon made our trip extraordinary!!!! Every tour and recommendation was beyond our expectations… we had a fabulous day cooking with Chef George Borg in Gozo, private palace tours with warm and welcoming royalty, delicious meals and knowledge, personable guides!

Our WOW Moment was a private tour of St Johns Cathedral…… breathtaking decor and up close viewing of the Caravaggios! Every detail was perfect and we were treated like VIPs. I can not recommend them highly enough!! Delightful to deal with!! Can’t wait to return!

From the moment our flight landed my husband and I felt like Royalty. Jason had a car waiting for us on the runway! Every detail was well planned. Both our driver and our guide were warm and wonderful. Our experiences were extraordinary. Our private access to sights was incredible. Despite the hoards arriving by cruises, we never experienced a crowd. One day, it suddenly started to rain, within minutes Damon was there with umbrellas for all of us. Jason reached out constantly during our trip. I can honestly say I have never worked with anyone so thorough or thoughtful. He left nothing to chance. He is beyond WOW. He is perfection.

Original hotel, Su 29, was ridiculously poor, arranged a transfer seamlessly
Robert the guide was great and the driver, Mark was wonderful
Damion met us to review any issues and the itinerary and contacts were extraordinary
Couldn’t ask for a better experience
Highly recommended from frequent travelers
There was nothing we asked for that they didn’t make happen. No request was impossible and they took care of us like family
Every detail was wonderful

Our two days in Malta arranged by Jason Allan were exceptionally thoughtfully planned and executed. We experienced off-the-beaten-path opportunities, with a private visit and fascinating interactive experience with the island’s falconer, a private tour and visit with Knight Resident Fra. John at Upper Fort St. Angelo, and a private tour of the Museum of Archaeology with the Curator.

Our guide, Dane, was terrific: knowledgeable, adaptable, easy going.

Definitely recommend using this tour company.

We spent 3 days in Malta on a tour organized by Jason and Damon Camilleri-Allan. The itinerary was very full and offered real insight into the country and its history. We really enjoyed our experience in the countryside visiting a farm and walking amongst pomegranate trees ( amazing) and then enjoying an authentic farm-to-table lunch. We had a great walking tour of Valletta and had a very special tour of a private Palazzo with the descendants of the original family which was outstanding. Athe restaurant recommendations were great and the boutique hotel was equally fine. The guide and driver were fabulous. Highly recommend.

Jason and Damon organized for us a 4 day trip to Malta in November when it is one of the warmer places in Europe. Jason listened carefully to our requests (wine tasting, some hiking, boutique hotel in the center of Valetta, food experiences and one on one encounters) and incorporated them all and provided us with a great and flexible guide and driver. Some of the special experiences were a private palazzo visit with a marchioness, a private wine tasting at the best vineyard on Gozo, a private visit to sample some of the bounties of the Maltese countryside, a private tour of the National Library, where amongst other things we saw the original certificate that President Roosevelt signed and sent to the Maltese people in 1943 to honor their valor in WWII, a private visit with the knight resident of Fort St Angelo and the head of the Knights of St John in Malta, a private tour of the cathedral and the Caravaggios after all the tourists had left and tickets to the hypogeum which only allows 10 visitors an hour. Finally, he recommended and booked great restaurants within walking distance of our hotel. Malta is a great place for a visit while one is in Europe and Jason and Damon are the ones to organize it!

Jason and Damon were fantastic from our initial conversation until the tour ended. Jason and Damon were incredibly responsive to all concerns and planned several exclusive events for us which were memorable. They included a private visit with The Knight of Malta, a private visit with a Marquis whose house had an incredible history, a day with a private chef that was truly memorable. They were instantly available to reorganize days if the weather hindered our plans and made sure that we would get to do everything we planned. The chef told us that he did this day for us because of Damon– otherwise, he was totally busy. Our guide and driver for the entire tour were so knowledgeable about history — and were wonderful companions for the entire tour. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Malta.

My husband and I spent 5 days in Malta with another couple in September, 2018, on a trip organized by Jason and Damon. There is a lot to see in Malta, covering 1000s of years of history. Jason did an excellent job of listening to our interests over several conversations prior to the trip. We were very happy that we had an organized schedule. Although Malta is small, roads are also small and travel is slow. To see as much as we did, you need a well planned, well executed schedule. Each day in Malta, we had private visits, but our favorites were the private after-hours visit to St. Johns Cathedral, the Ta Frenc Shopping, Cooking & Lunch on Gozo, the Palazzo Falzon in Mdina with Curator Caroline & also in Mdina, a tour by Contessa Manduca of her private home, and Hagar Qim, a megalithic temple complex older than Stonehenge. Unbelievably, there were still several “experiences” that couldn’t be arranged due to our timing. Well have to go back! If we go back, however, we’ll be staying in Mdina which is far more charming and less crowded than Valletta.