Nath, Author at The Wheelchair Traveller

Day 5 (Malta 2024) – Final Thoughts

Now that Valletta and, indeed, Malta has been rolled around twice, it seems appropriate to provide ones final thoughts.

From an electric wheelchair users point of view, it is possible to enjoy the island, however a lot of prior planning is needed. For example, although the boats (with the exception of car ferries) are somewhat accessible, it is still tricky to navigate using this method of transportation. As I mentioned, all the buses, especially in Valletta are accessible and there are a few wheelchair accessible taxi companies to get around the place.

Ongoing efforts (as of 2024) are clearly being made to make Malta more accessible, for example, ensuring smooth paving around Mdina. As in Armenia, the Maltese society are very willing to lend a hand if necessary and will go out of their way to do so.

My next adventure is a culmination of months of planning as I head to Southern India and, in particular, Chennai, Pollachi and Kochi for 14 days in August.

We start in Chennai, the capital city of the Tamil Nadu state where we will endeavour to explore using the accessible parts of the metro plus a trip to either Mahabalipuram, an UNESCO World Heritage site or Puducherry.

From Chennai, we will be catching the Vande Bharat Express train (which one is quite excited to sample with Superbunny!) to Coimbatore Junction where we will then head down to Pollachi. During this time, we plan to head on a safari within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve and the nearby tea fields.

Finally, we head to Kochi where we hope to explore the backwaters of Kerala and sample the water metro (who knew!).

When one began to plan this trip, it appeared that 99% of accessibility blogs focus purely on the North and the famous Golden Triangle where, to my knowledge, all the accessible tour companies are based. Of course, I had to deviate from this and visit the South which appeals much more to ones liking.

To assist with the planning ‘on the ground’, one has been in regular contact with The Swarga Foundation who provide accessible transportation across the length and breadth of India upon request and has also been assisting with hotel and train bookings.

Bear in mind that the trip coincides with monsoon season so anything could happen! Regardless, it should be a great and insightful adventure beginning on the 10th August!

Day 4 (Malta 2024) – Mdina

One had researched the fortified city of Mdina as a potential destination for last years trip which we never ended up doing hence that was the plan for today. Like one did in Armenia and Tunisia, an app (ECabs) was used to arrange a taxi from the hotel. The app allowed you to choose from a list of vehicles akin to Uber rather than ‘you get what you get’, however it doesn’t allow you to book a fully accessible vehicle.

During the drive to Mdina, we passed through the more modern parts of Valletta within which one thing stood out, lifts were present on nearly every footbridge even if it wasn’t in a busy area…other countries take note!

Anyway, we arrived at the Mdina City Gate which is approximately 30 minutes by car from central Valletta…

From prior research, it was noted that the surfaces have been recently refurbished which was something of interest. From wandering around the place for a few hours, it appears that 99% of the surfaces comprise of ‘fake’ paving (akin to Bratislava) making for a completely smooth roll (see below)…

In the heart of Mdina is St Paul’s Cathedral for which a ticket needs to be purchased, however, said ticket can also be used to enter the Mdina Cathedral Museum. As per other attractions, disabled individuals can enter for FREE. The museum also contains an underground section which can be reached via a lift…

Only half of this section is wheelchair accessible, however, still worth a visit.

Next, we crossed over to the majestic St Paul’s Cathedral which can be accessed via a ramp and contains spectacular artwork…

Tomorrow, we head back to LHR hopefully with the wheelchair in one piece. Final thoughts to follow…

Day 3 (Malta 2024) – Valletta by Boat

The plan for today was similar to ones final day last year in terms of hopping on a boat tour around the various harbours, however this time we tried out the Hop On, Hop Off ferry from Sliema.

One thing that has changed from last year is that the Sliema-Valletta ferry terminal on the Sliema side has been revamped thus making it more accessible. Despite this, it would have still been a struggle for Superbunny.

As we know, Hop On, Hop Off is an international franchise so you would have thought that everything would be wheelchair accessible? Appears not as there is still quite a step up to the rocking gangway which would be almost impossible for the majority of electric wheelchairs. What is surprising is that, after yet another small step into the inside portion, there is a roomy wheelchair space…the mind boggles sometimes! Still, the tour presents nice views if you can actually get on the thing…

Not forgetting majestic views of todays cruise ship arrival…

Day 2 (Malta 2024) – Gardens and Cathedrals

Although a few streets in Valetta are very steep, we discovered when wandering around last night that some of these can be avoided by crisscrossing other streets with a lesser gradient. One also noted that the streets within recently renovated area such as St. Paul’s Cathedral comprise of smooth paving rather than tarmac with giant potholes, perfect for rolling around…

Valletta is home to a number of parks such as Hastings Garden which is located a stones throw away from the City Gate and the Triton Fountain. All of the parks that we visited last night and today (including the Lower and Upper Barrakka Gardens plus the King George V Recreational Grounds) had accessible walkways and drop kerbs in the appropriate places. It’s perfect if you want to go someplace without crowds…

Hastings Gardens is situated atop of the city walls hence provides panoramic views across the harbours etc…

After admiring the ‘Knisja ta ‘San Publiju’ and working our way down to the cruise ship that has docked today, we utilised the good old Barrakka Lift back into Valletta city centre. As I mentioned last year, the lift, in it’s current form is relatively new hence fully accessible…

The next stop was the majestic St. John’s Co-Cathedral which disabled individuals can enter for FREE. Around 75% of the structure is accessible via various ramps around the place…

One has lost count of how many cathedrals have been rolled around over the years!

Day 1 (Malta 2024) – The Embassy Hotel

It feels very odd not to be travelling with Superbunny on this trip considering that it has rolled around a large proportion of Europe over the past two years. However, as we learnt last year, Malta and it’s capital Valletta isn’t the best place for an electric wheelchair. Granted that the city is making progress towards being more wheelchair accessible with the introduction of low floor buses etc, however it’s not quite there yet.

The benefit of not taking said wheelchair is that we could take any taxi to the hotel from the airport which one knows almost inside out after our walking exploration last year thanks to Google Maps.

This time, we are staying at The Embassy Hotel in the heart of Valletta rather than in Sliema to avoiding faffing with ferries over and back. However, it is worth noting that accessible hotel rooms are hard to come by in the city and The Embassy seems to be one of the only hotels to have them (rather expensive also!. Despite this, it hasn’t been an easy booking process.

One originally booked rooms with a Sea View, however, said hotel decided to call us last week (with one week to go mind you!) informing us that there are no accessible rooms available with a Sea View and are, in fact, on another floor. Anyway, we decided to check out the Sea View regardless of the accessibility and it turns out that the ‘non accessible room’ is bigger than a lot of accessible rooms that one has stayed at…

The only thing, akin to Athens, is that the bathroom is on the small side…

However, look at the view from ones balcony over one of the harbours surrounding Valletta…

The plan tomorrow is to wander around hilly Valletta, maybe the Barrakka Lift could come in handy once more over the next few days?

Day 5 (Istanbul) – Final Thoughts

Before we delve into ones final thoughts on Istanbul, let’s discuss airports! Given that staff were not willing to assist with lifting Superbunny off the trolley upon arrival, it was thought that the departure process would be a palaver. IST does have a special assistance ‘office’, however, it was closed requiring you to telephone the number given. Once connected, the individual asked which airline followed by a simple message of ‘contact BA’ and then hung up…very helpful! We then found the relevant check in desk who, thankfully, was used to the process. The actual ‘flow’ of the airport was pretty straightforward with dedicated lanes for individuals with disabilities with baggage handlers willing to listen about how to operate electric wheelchairs. It is worth noting, however that you need to explain EVERYTHING even if you are in a manual wheelchair which they kindly bent AGAIN…thanks IST!

Final thoughts on Istanbul aka the largest city in Europe then. As I say, in terms of travelling around the city via public transportation, its one of the most accessible that I have visited in Europe, especially with the trains, trams and funicular being flush to said platform. However, as per most cities, if you are looking to visit neighbourhoods outside of the centre, be prepared for the drop kerbs to be pieces of concrete.

In terms of its citizens, you have probably gathered that it requires a little persuasion for people to assist you in general, although the hospitality sector is very welcoming. The attitude towards disability seems mixed in Turkey, for example, when waiting for lifts on the Marmaray railway, the majority of the public seemed to ‘dismiss’ the fact that you are present and push themselves into said lifts with little regard. Due to this, it’s helpful to leave a little extra time.

From the biggest city in Europe to the smallest capital in the EU, my next adventure takes me back to Valletta in Malta on the 19th May exploring what was missed last year and, in particular, the island of Gozo.

Day 4 (Istanbul) – Sapphire Tower and The Bosphorus Strait

Today is a national holiday in Turkey meaning that Istanbul has come alive making public transportation a little difficult but we pressed on regardless to the Istanbul Sapphire which is one of the observation decks in the city located in the Levent financial district. Reaching said tower was pretty straightforward from our hotel taking the Marmaray railway and then hopping onto the M2 metro which, again, had lifts and level boarding. Despite its historical significance, Istanbul has to be one of the most accessible cities in Europe that one has visited in terms of public transportation.

If you ever find yourself visiting the Sapphire, it is worth noting that the two lifts to street level are placed either side of a dual carriageway which is impossible to cross for miles. The towers interior is currently undergoing refurbishment hence the accessible entrance is non existent. No fear though as we were led by security through the construction site to reach said lifts…

Towering 261m over Istanbul, the observation desk provides panoramic views over both the Asian and European sides of the city.

Although the deck has a little platform, there are ramps…

The tower also has a ‘SkyRide’ which is a 4D experience emulating a helicopter and walking tour of the city. Although it’s not wheelchair accessible, it’s a great way to experience attractions such as The Blue Mosque.

Seeing as we could see the Bosphorus Strait, it made sense to experience it from ground level, especially on the Asian side which we were yet to explore. The Marmaray railway makes the crossing very easy thanks to the tunnel which opened in 2013. The station on the Asian side is located adjacent to the Strait and ferry terminal. The wide promenade makes it easy to head down to the waterfront although it can be lined with fishermen and crowds…

Tomorrow we head back to the behemoths of IST airport and onto Heathrow. One did see a taxi last night with a wheelchair sticker, however it was a little hard to distinguish if it had a ramp or not.

Day 3 (Istanbul) – Galata Tower and Basilica Cistern

After a late night, one decided against the YHT option as there is so much more to explore in Istanbul. Saving the trek to the Istanbul Sapphire for tomorrow, it was decided to head to the Old Town and marvel at the infamous Galata Tower (which is currently closed for refurbishment) followed by a visit to the lesser known Basilica Cistern.

Although not planned, the tram network (especially T1) has been very useful in transporting us around the city centre due to it being 100% accessible. What one did know, however, was that a few funicular railways are in the city, one of which takes you up the rather steep hill located near the Galata Tower. Of course, one couldn’t resist taking a ride…

As per the above photos, level boarding has been achieved with both stations possessing ramps in the appropriate places.

The funicular is particularly useful for wheelchairs as the majority of the Old Town comprises of steep hills and good old cobblestones…not a great combination!

After a while of bumping around, we arrived at the Galata Tower which, as I say, is currently closed for refurbishment. When open, it does have a lift to the top but these views had to satisfy on this occasion…

The next stop was the Basilica Cistern, which, as described by Wikipedia, is an “underground Roman water source held up with 336 marble columns covering 9,800 sq. meters”. Now, we double checked its accessibility for evidence in case the staff tried it on as per yesterday. Disabled individuals can enter for FREE and the majority of the attraction is accessible bar a small step at the entrance. A stair lift has been installed to allow wheelchairs to ascend down to the water source…

Once at the bottom, you are free to explore at your leisure, it can be a little dark however!

Tomorrow is our last day in Istanbul, Turkey. As I mentioned, the primary aim is to navigate the metro system to the Istanbul Sapphire observations deck and, perhaps a wander through the ‘Urban Forest’.

Day 2 (Istanbul) – Mosques and The Grand Bazaar

As I mentioned yesterday, today was about exploring the Fatih district which includes the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and The Grand Bazaar but first, we had to conquer the Marmaray railway/metro. It is worth noting that the majority of the ticket machines only accept certain Lira notes (which are difficult to obtain from petrol stations as we have learnt), however, one or two do accept card, its just seeking the correct ones out. After that, lifts are in the appropriate places and said trains are perfectly flush with the platform making for a smooth roll around the system.

A few minutes walk from Sirkeci station is the gigantic Hagia Sophia. Akin to Florence, the structure seems more like a painting. When researching Istanbul, it stated that there was an accessible entrance, however, when we asked the staff the location, they simply said ‘not possible’ which either means that said staff couldn’t be bothered (likely!) or the entrance no longer exists…

Perhaps we would have more luck at The Blue Mosque…don’t be stupid! However, this time, there was a ramp sign informing you to use the side entrance. This entrance still possessed a small step akin to the Sousse Ribat (but higher) and took you into the courtyard which ramp signs ceased to exist and no ramps were to be seen after a circuit of the perimeter…

The last stop today was the Grand Bazaar which is around a 15 minute walk from these structures and it’s ACCESSIBLE! By this, one means that the inside market is mostly smooth (until you find an exit with a step!) making for an easyish roll. It has to be said that, if you are looking for a bargain, the outside portion is a better shout…

Istanbul is also home to a tram network which we took back to the relevant Marmaray station. As per the majority of modern tram systems, the vehicles are flush with the platforms which can be accessed via ramps.

Tomorrow, we either head out of Istanbul to the city of Izmit via the YHT high speed railway network or stay in the city and take the metro to the observation deck at the Istanbul Sapphire…decisions!!

Day 1 (Istanbul) – IST Airport Experience

Living in the UK, it’s difficult to imagine that one has never rolled around Türkiye (Turkey) in nearly 32 years considering that it is one of the ‘go to’ places for British tourists. The question when planning this trip was, however, where should myself and Superbunny go? The metropolis of Istanbul (which is home to over 10 million inhabitants making it the most populous city in Europe and ranked as one of the biggest in the world) has always intrigued oneself due to it straddling both Europe and Asia plus its importance in regards to the Silk Road.

London Heathrow was the airport of choice for this excursion, in particular, T5 which one hasn’t visited since COVID and to my surprise, not much had changed. Flying with British Airways always means that Superbunny gets it’s own container which ensures that no baggage can fall on top etc.

After roughly 3.5 hours, we touched down at the behemoth of Istanbul Airport which opened in 2019 and is currently the 5th busiest in the world. Akin to other airports around the world, one had to collect the electric wheelchair from baggage reclaim. The large expanse was apparent during the never ending journey to reclaim Superbunny. The staff were, on the other hand, rather rude and simply answered ‘no’ when asked if they could help said wheelchair off the trolley.

Given the size of Istanbul, one thought that sourcing a wheelchair accessible taxi to transport us to the hotel would be an easy task…should have learnt by now never to assume! After a while of Googling, I came across Accessible Istanbul, who, thankfully have a fleet of accessible vehicles albeit at a hefty cost.

However, we did see a few other taxis with ramps hence one will be looking out for more during the week. It is also worth noting that, as of 2024, Istanbul Airport (IST) are vastly improving the public transportation network from said location which will be much cheaper and, of course, accessible.

Whilst exploring this vast city over the next 4 days, we are staying at the Hampton by Hilton (Zeytinburnu) which is slightly outside the tourist centre (clearly not in the nicest of areas with little in the way of restaurants). The room is pretty standard with ample space and a decent size shower seat…

The hotel is conveniently located just minutes away from the Marmaray railway which takes you direct into the heart of the city’s Fatih district in under 10 minutes which is home to The Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sophia and within walking distance to the Grand Bazaar, all of which will be explored tomorrow.

Nath