Being an island and so small in size puts Malta and the Maltese at a great disadvantage when it comes to travelling. It is certainly more expensive for us to go to another country because we have to do so on an aircraft, and most of us who travel use this means to go abroad. More recently, many have opted for cruises, leaving from and returning to the island by ship.

We cannot simply get into the car and drive away to another country. Luxembourg and Liechtenstein are also small countries in Europe, but their citizens are only a couple of hours away by car from bigger countries like Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Holland.

For them, going to another country is much cheaper and less of a hassle. They may even spend the day, or just an evening, in another country and return home for the night. Those who do not want to drive can also take trains or coaches.

But being a small island also has its advantages, and we sometimes tend to forget them. We do not need to move house if we get a new job, because the distance between our home and the office is still short enough to allow us to stay. And then, we can still get into the car and spend a day out with our family and friends. The thing is, most of us just go to the same places when there are certainly other things that one can do.

It is a drawback not being able to leave the country in one’s own car and having limited choices where to go, but at the same time this should be used by us to explore our country more. There is so much to see.

Many prefer to spend their holidays in Gozo, and this internal tourism is of great benefit to the economy of the sister island. Thousands of Maltese go to Gozo for a few days every now and then. All it takes is a long weekend or some activity that makes it attractive for many Maltese to pack up their bags and leave. Most Gozitan hotels, restaurants and property owners are sustained by Maltese tourism.

But one can also be a tourist in Malta too, and it can be said that most restaurants in Malta also survive thanks to their many Maltese patrons. Yet, Malta is not only made up of restaurants – why do we always have to eat when we are out? – and it is a real pity that most of us simply stick to the usual routine and never try something new.

For example, it is ironic that one hears so many people say that they know every nook and cranny in Gozo, but then they do not know how to find their way to some villages in Malta, that they have never been to this place and the other, or have done so only 20, 30 years ago.

Apart from this, it is also sad to hear so many people speak about visits to the Louvre Museum, the Colosseum and the Tower of London but then they have not found the time to go to Mnajdra, the Museum of Archaeology and the Domus Romana.

Why does one need to wait for a Notte Bianca to visit some places of historical and cultural interest in Valletta, when they are open all the year round? How about a walk in the Silent City of Mdina, or a trip to Hagar Qim?

With the busy life most of us lead, entertainment is one of the few joys of life. But entertainment should not only be a lovely meal, a night out, a day at the beach in summer or a picnic in winter.

Entertainment could also be getting to know our country a little bit better. It does not take much.