Michelle Bennett

Michelle Bennett from San Mateo takes a picturesque visit to Hamrun for The San Francisco Chronicle:

I went because: To visit friends and family. Plus, I wanted to visit the world's oldest free-standing structures, the Ggantija temples. This was my second visit.

Don't miss: The village Rabat, home to the famous Catacombs and right next to the medieval town Mdina. Parts of Rabat were used for the film "Munich."

Don't bother: Taking the tour to Sicily. You spend most of your time on the bus. I would have rather spent the whole day in Modica.

Coolest souvenir: Watercolor prints of Malta's capital, Valletta.

Worth a splurge: Taking the catamaran to Sicily for the day. I really enjoyed visiting the city of Modica. It has beautiful Sicilian Baroque architecture.

I wish I'd packed: More film.

Other comments: I made this part of a long trip from Italy. Malta is only an hour flight to Rome.