MALTA MAYHEM
LYING underneath two girls, a wide-eyed young man gleefully laps vodka as it flows over their buttocks like a boozy waterfall.
When the stream slows, he gets up and licks the last drops from their bodies.
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Not far away, a boat leaves the dock with 250 ravers on board being treated to unlimited booze for the duration of their trip in 37C heat.
On the deck’s dance floor, bikini-clad lasses shove their way to the front to have spirits poured straight into their mouths from a bottle.
Barely clothed lads open their jaws wide to get in on the action.
It is not Magaluf or Malia where these drinking games are turbo-charging nightlife.
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The scenes in TikTok videos are from the once relaxed island of Malta, a former favourite of families and the elderly but now the Med’s new Party Central.
Young Brits are flocking here on the three-hour flights from London to take advantage of some of the lowest prices in Europe and drinking games like the ones above organised by Zura Malta Party.
Bookings from the UK have increased more than threefold in the past two years, with a 366 per cent hike between June and September last summer.
As a result, tour operators which usually run trips to the Spanish isle of Ibiza or Ayia Napa in Cyprus are setting up shop in Malta.
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In turn the island, 186 miles north of Africa, is changing the way it caters to tourists.
Move over walking tours of its charming old towns, here come superclubs and wild drinking games.
Nathan Cable, co-founder of UK firm Party Hard Travel, explains: “Many young people like Malta because it offers the Ibiza experience but considerably cheaper, with events like the Café Del Mar Pool Party and the Bora Bora Pool Party on offer.
“And with the new superclub Toy Room Malta opening on the island, Malta is set to get even better.”
TJ Falzon, head of operations for MedAsia, which runs Toy Room, adds: “The Brits are always welcome here.
"We work with promoters in the UK to get people aged 18 to 30 to come here and enjoy the nightlife.
“We’ve always known how to party here and it’s nice that finally the Brits know it as well.”
Unlike in Magaluf, in Majorca, or Amsterdam in Holland, where authorities are trying to clamp down on rowdy British tourists, our young holidaymakers are welcomed here.
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Even the cops have a soft spot for them.
One officer patrolling the boozy strip told me: “We love Brits. They’re the best-behaved.”
They are certainly making their presence felt. Within hours of heading out to the main strip in Paceville, St Julian’s, I was almost falling over randy couples as they snogged on the floor and in clubs.
After the clubs had started to close at 4am we found holidaymakers skinny dipping and cuddling on the beach.
It was like stepping back into the heyday of the 18 to 30 holidays in the 1990s.
Mel, 20, from London told me: “It’s amazing here. The drinks are so cheap and I got given some shots for free last night from the bartenders.
“They don’t take the p*** here with the prices like in Ayia Napa or Ibiza — and there are loads of lads.”
Mel has come with five friends after deciding they wanted to go somewhere to have a good time without breaking the bank.
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Here booze is often cheaper than bottles of cold mineral water and it’s not hard to find a ridiculous deal as bars compete to offer the most outrageous drinking games.
One notorious competition is The Maltese Shoot Out.
This consists of 72 shots of spirits that are expected to be downed by a group of four — so 18 each, four more units than a typical adult is advised to drink in a WEEK.
The huge platters are just £25 — 34p a shot — and if you’re still not smashed you can wash it all down with a PINT of vodka that costs just a fiver.
I watched as table after table knocked back the little glasses, with many opting to buy more once they had sunk their first 18.
Hot Ice, one of the bars, told The Sun it sells more than 2,000 shots A NIGHT between 7pm and 3am.
Owner Tori Sourab, 29, said: “We get a lot of Brits and we’d always like to see more.
“We get seasoned drinkers who can down a lot before even feeling sick. I see some tourists every night here, they become like friends.”
Maddy Smith, 21, from Ipswich, joined The Sun to take on the Maltese Shoot Out and, like me, struggled to match the pace of some of the more seasoned boozers.
She said: “It’s really cheap here. We’ve only done 12 shots so far but we will do some more. I think it’s fabulous here.”
Her friend Lily, who also had a drinking holiday in Malta in 2013, claimed the prices hadn’t changed, unlike other destinations which have hiked their costs.
‘There’s some amazing Italian guys around’’
And it’s not just alcohol on offer in Malta. Often tourists are looking for romance — and they are spoiled for choice.
Partygoer Jessie, 18, from Portsmouth, told me: “It’s incredible. The boys are ten out of ten. There’s some amazing Italian guys around.”
She booked a break with five friends after seeing the “insane” parties on TikTok.
One of the videos she is likely to have seen features a British girl talking about what she wants in a man.
“Francesca”, 23, is filmed by Zura Malta Party saying she is looking for a boy who is “Six foot two and above, dark hair. I like a scaffolder, a builder. Anything really, I’m a bit desperate.”
In another, once the booze has started flowing, she agrees to try to kiss ten guys from different countries in two minutes.
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Some locals, who are used to living a conservative Catholic lifestyle, claim they love the Brit party animals too — as they know they are going to be able to pull.
Edward, 41, says he looks forward to the season because he knows that there will be a bit of bad behaviour, including being super promiscuous.
He said: “We love it because some English girls are always up for a one-night stand.
“Their trips here are the highlight of summer for us locals, as we know we can find a bit of romance.”
That romance, however, can manifest itself in some rather unromantic ways.
Just three minutes away from the main road of clubs, in a clearing among the bushes, I found numerous used condoms and wrappers.
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More discerning clubbers are also seeking Malta out, again tired of the sky-high prices of superclubs in Ibiza, where drinks must be bought by the bottle and can start off at 300 euros.
Malta now has many established beach clubs, including upscale Cafe Del Mar, a spin-off of the legendary sunset bar in Ibiza.
But even here, amid the biggest infinity pool in Europe and sophisticated restaurants, Brits are letting their hair down in eye-popping ways.
One girl I spoke to who had visited the Cafe Del Mar — and who did not want to be named — said: “I was loving the infinity pool at sunset then I looked to my right and two people were openly shagging in the pool.
“It was a bit grim. If I’d wanted to, I could have easily got laid right there too, but I’d rather keep that for my hotel room.”
During the day the beach club attracts a more reserved crowd that don’t “dance on the tables”.
When clubs kick out at 4am the parties rage on, with some heading to strip clubs and others to nearby beaches.
Another draw to the island is that Malta has legalised cannabis for recreational use and is the only place in Europe that tourists can buy it.
One worker at the Cannabis Store Amsterdam said: “We get a lot of Brits in here.
Around half have come to Malta knowing they can get weed, and the others are happily surprised.
“You’re meant to smoke it at home, but if you’re sensible police aren’t really that bothered here.”
The English contingent have finally cottoned on to what the French, Italian, and German have known for decades — Malta knows how to throw a party.
A spokesperson for the Malta tourist board said: "Malta has a diverse tourism offering.
"The St Julian’s area has always attracted those who enjoy a nightlife based holiday and does offer a wide variety of parties and experiences, this does not represent the entire island and we do not condone bad behaviour or the flouting of our nation's laws.
"Malta welcomed nearly 1 million inbound tourists between January – May 2023 and the island has seen a significant increase in tourism and is back to pre-pandemic levels.
"With over 300 days of sunshine per year the island is a year-round destination and attracts visitors keen to explore its history, culture, burgeoning gastronomic scene, and adventure tourism experiences.
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"Malta is a popular holiday destination with the British market due to its ease of flight access from a number of regional airports across the UK and the value for money it offers.
"Whilst we do welcome those keen to experience our nightlife scene in the St Julian’s area, these travellers represents a very small number compared to those seeking to experience our rich culture, history and Maltese hospitality as evidenced by how many visit cultural attractions in Valletta, Mdina, Rabat and across Malta’s 95 square miles and our islands Gozo and Comino."
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