Ħaġar Qim, Malta: CombatCritic And The Temples Of Whom?

Ħaġar Qim And Manjdra Temples

Għar Dalam Road

B’Buġia BBG, Malta 9014

Phone: +(356) 2165 7419

Website: HeritageMalta-GharDalam.com

Prices: €€€€

You actually get two temples for the price of one here (current prices below), plus an excellent 4D show, so THIS IS A MUST SEE if visiting Malta.

If bussing it, take bus number 74 from Valletta or 201 from Rabat (Mdina)and get off at the "Hagar" stop, just two stops past "Panorama" (nice view of the Blue Grotto area) and the stop after "Grotto", a small tourist village where you embark for the grotto. If driving, there is a large car park (parking lot Yanks) adjacent to the museum. Just look for the sign on the west side of Triq Wied Iz-Zurrieq just north of the Blue Grotto.

The Ħaġar Qim Manjdra Temples (one ticket gives access to both) are five hundred meters (1/2 km) apart with an elevation change of 100-200 feet, so the stone and cement path connecting the two is quite steep. Be prepared for a challenging walk/ride back up the hill and if you are in a wheelchair or severely disabled, possibly considering another option because you will challenged by the terrain and distances and will not see much (unlike Tarxien, which is wheelchair friendly as well as being a much nicer and more inexpensive complex). For the younger and more fit, there are several hiking trails stemming from the path between the temples, taking you to other local sites and beautiful vistas of the sea and local island below.

Path Between Temples

None of the individual temples (Tarxien, Ħaġar Qim or Manjdra) are very large (400-600 square meters) and can be seen in much less than an hour unless you are an archeologist or professional photographer. In the case of Ħaġar Qim or Manjdra, most of your time will be spent in the museum as you enter the complex, which has an amazing, yet short, 4D introduction video with 3D graphics as well as scents, mist and other sensory experiences throughout the show, and walking the 500 meters between temples.

MUSEUM

These neolithic temples, dating back (like Tarxien) to approximately 2,600 years B.C., pre-date Stonehenge by 100 years or so, and are much more extensive than their English counterpart. The monoliths are equally as impressive, but, unlike Stonehenge, these have been excavated and restored, giving you a much better idea of what the were like nearly 5,000 years ago.

Ħaġar Qim Temple

The prices are higher than most neolithic sites on Malta and Gozo, but are fairly reasonable at €10 for adults and €7.50 for seniors/students and €5.50 for children, considering the fact that you get two temples for the price of one as well as an amazing video and view of the Mediterranean. 

Manjdra Temple

You can take the Hop On, Hop Off busses here or, again, take Malta Public Transport (bus - €3 each round trip) to the Hagar Bus Stop, served by the #74 (Valletta Bus) and #201 (Airport). You can easily connect to the #74 at Valletta's Main Bus Terminus or #201 at the airport from pretty much anywhere on Malta.

CombatCritic Gives Ħaġar Qim 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

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Summer Hours (4/1 - 9/30)

Monday to Sunday: 0900-1800 hours

Last admission at 1730

Winter Hours (10/1 - 3/31)

Monday to Sunday: 0900 - 17 00 hours

Last admission at 16.30

Closed on 12/24, 25 & 31, 1/1, and Good Friday

Prices:

Adults (18 - 59 years): €10.00

Youth (12 - 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years & over), and Students: €7.50

Children (6 - 11 years): €5.50

Infants (1 - 5 years): Free

Title: Ħaġar Qim, Malta: CombatCritic And The Temples Of Whom?

Key Words:  Ħaġar Qim, Manjdra, Temples, temple, museum, 4D, Malta, Rabat, Mdina, Hagar, Panorama, Blue Grotto, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, historic, neolithic, review, TripAdvisor

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Varkala (Kerala), India: India Jones and the Temple of Gloom

I had heard that this place was "the best" and being #4 of 59 restaurants in Varkala on TripAdvisor I would have thought it was a sure bet, but nothing is for sure except the grim reaper and the taxman.

To be fair, I made several visits at various times of the day and I have to say the service was dismal nearly every time. On at least three occasions I sat at my table for 15 minutes or more and was totally ignored (I many times purposely do not make a fuss to see how long it will actually take), having ultimately had to either get up and ask for or retrieve my own menu. On one occasion one of the servers, who I will call "India Jones" because of his long hair, unkempt beard, tattered shirts, and "local" Kerala dress (he wears a sarong as a skirt even though he is obviously a westerner), moped around, conserving energy I assume, and lumbered past me at least ten times, never asking me if I needed a menu or wanted to order. I sometimes believe that I am invisible here because employees constantly walk by without even acknowledging my existence. 

Chicken Salad Sandwich - 230 Rupees

The coffee and teas are good, coming in large (10 ounce) mugs, but are a tad overpriced by Indian standards.  The food looked good from what I saw others order, but is also a bit more expensive than most places. I have to admit that the only things I tried were the the toast, three large, thick pieces of brown bread with butter and jam (80 rupees/$1.30 - I had to provide my own peanut butter even though the menu claims they make a crepe with it), a large bowl of fruit muesli (100 rupees/$1.60 and not so large) which was not bad and a fair deal, and their chicken salad sandwich (230 rupees/$3.75 with cheese), a huge disappointment.  The bread, a small baguette (see photo above) with sesame seeds on top was the highlight, but what little chicken salad there was oddly enough was served warm, the chicken mostly dark meat and full of gristle, and the mayonnaise had a rather disgusting sweet taste like Miracle Whip, which I loathe. Disappointingly small and lonely on the plate with no garnish, it was one of the worst meals and values I had at any restaurant in my nearly four months in India.

The place has potential with its incredible view and open air feel, but the servers need to do something about their simultaneously apathetic and arrogant attitudes and start acting like customers are important.  As far as the food was concerned, I was not impressed, but the coffee and masala chai were pretty good. The only reason I am giving them 5 bombs and not 4 is because they are about the only place on the cliff that consistently opens early (6:30), so if you are an early riser like me, not always by choice, you can at least get a coffee or breakfast with a sea view no less.

CombatCritic Gives Coffee Temple 5 Out of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: India Jones and the Temple of Gloom

Key Words: Coffee Temple, coffee, temple, Varkala, cliff, beach, Kerala, India, restaurant, cafe, food, menu, tea, sandwich, breakfast, view, sea, CombatCritic, TravelValue, TripAdvisor

Excellent Latte, Mediocre Sandwich, Moderate Prices

Moonpeak Espresso (Café)

Temple Road

McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, HP, India

Prices: $$$$$

I have been to Moonpeak a few times for a coffee and pastry, once for lunch, and have been relatively happy even though it is not anywhere close to being the best value in town.

They have decent, free wi-fi, an excellent latte (70 rupees/$1.15), and a modern, "Western" feel (if that is something you are after). Beside the requisite coffees, teas, lassis, and juices, their menu includes breakfast, pastries, sandwiches, and light (small portions) local lunch and dinner options.

I tried the chicken and vegetable (toasted) sandwich and was not the least impressed. The white toast with a few chunks of chicken, some veggies, and a little cheese was underwhelming and barely made a dent in my appetite. My vegetarian companion had the veg Thali which looked decent for the price, including pappadum, naan, curry, paneer, and rice.

There are better "value" options in town, but if you are transiting Temple Road coming from or going to the Dalai Lama Temple, it is definitely worth a stop if nothing more than for a good latte and to check email. 

CombatCritic Gives Moonpeak Espresso 6 Bombs Out Of 10 in Terms of "Relative Value"... MORE BOMBS ARE BETTER!

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Key Words: café, coffee, coffeehouse, food, free, latte, menu, Moonpeak, pastry, sandwich, tart, tea, wi-fi, espresso, caffe, Moonpeak Espresso, moon, peak, Dharamsala, McLeod Ganj, Temple, road,